John Zoltek celebrates 20 years with Glacier Symphony and Chorale

In 1997, when John Zoltek emerged from an outsized field of candidates and became the first full-time music director with the Glacier Symphony and Chorale, he didn’t see himself in the same spot a full two decades later.

Back then, like most budding conductors, the well-schooled Zoltek was looking to “collect orchestras” and saw opportunity in Northwest Montana, spotting the vibrant art and music scene in the region early on. But he also saw his new job as just the first step, and the Glacier Symphony just the first orchestra, perhaps of many, that he would lead.

“In my early years, I came here and I said ‘OK, here’s the orchestra here, it’s a small orchestra, very modest, the pay was very modest for me,’” Zoltek said with a chuckle. “It was sort of a struggle and, to me, I don’t know, I’m sure at the time I wasn’t thinking I would be here for 20 years.”

Then, in a story plenty familiar around these parts, Northwest Montana sunk its claws in the Rhode Island native.

“Here I am 20 years later and obviously this has been my life’s work,” he said.

“My life’s work has been to bring the Glacier Symphony to the most professional, active level as possible … There’s great people here and it’s been a good ride and I really want to keep going because I think there’s a lot more for us to do.”

AT ONE of the Glacier Symphony and Chorale’s February concerts, “Star Wars, Dark Matter and Dvorak,” Zoltek, whose current title is artistic director and conductor, was celebrated on stage for his 20 years of service to the Kalispell-based nonprofit. In his time, he has helped steward the orchestra from a small, fledgling collection of amateur musicians into one of Northwest Montana’s most celebrated artistic groups.

When the concert concluded and a collection of friends and dignitaries gathered for an after-party, B.J. Lupton, trumpet player, member of the board of directors and past board president, raised his glass.

“I would sum it all up and I did this with a toast to John,” Lupton said last week. “He truly is a gift to us all.

“His musical leadership and programming and planning and directing, his vision for the orchestra and chorale, is extraordinary in my view. I think he is truly a remarkable gift to this community, to anyone who might notice.”

Classically trained at Boston’s Berklee College of Music and invited to guest conduct everywhere from the Czech Republic to Ecuador, Zoltek takes immense pride in what the Glacier Symphony and Chorale has become — one that performs year-round, hosts a highly regarded and growing annual festival (Festival Amadeus) and has a budget of more than $600,000, per the group’s 2014-15 fiscal financial filings.

“There’s many instances where people come from larger cities,” Zoltek said. “And they’re pulled, scratching and clawing, to the symphony concert because they think ‘oh, you know, the symphony can’t be that good here.’

“And usually, lots of people are just stunned and blown away that the orchestra is at such a high level of performance.”

WITHOUT QUESTION, the orchestra is filled with dozens of talented musicians, many of whom have been playing together for a decade or longer. And there’s no doubt that not only the ability of those musicians but their chemistry — with each other and with Zoltek, the maestro — are greatly responsible for the strides forward the group has made.

But Zoltek and his charges also consistently pointed to one other major factor. At no point in his 20 years has the maestro ever been content. If he wasn’t going to “collect orchestras” around the country, Zoltek was still never going to settle for leading a middling group. He’s constantly pushed the GSC to conquer more challenging compositions and, more often than not, they’ve responded.

“From day one, even when the orchestra was super modest in ability and in size, I really raised the bar in terms of repertoire,” Zoltek said. “And so, each year that I’ve been here I’ve always been challenging the orchestra all the time.

“The people that have maintained their commitment to the orchestra have done this because they want to do it, they want to be challenged and the rewards that come from playing this high repertoire … is really gratifying, not only for the audience but certainly for the musicians.”

Beth Pirrie, who has played flute in the orchestra since before Zoltek’s arrival, agreed.

“If you’re going to reach a goal you have to set a goal and he’s our goal-setter,” she said. “He puts it out there. If you set the bar up high people will reach for that and they’ll, a lot of times, attain it.”

“John is willing to pursue excellence at the highest possible level all the time,” Lupton added. “If you’re willing to pursue excellence, there’s going to be a progressive growth from year four to nine to 14 to 20 because you’re always striving for excellence.

“You’re never satisfied good enough is good enough. You’re striving for perfection.”

The result is an orchestra filled with musicians who can tackle a massive repertoire, including some of Zoltek’s own original compositions and a variety of world music. That breadth of ability has, in turn, grown interest, which has stimulated fundraising, which makes Zoltek more ambitious and around and around it goes.

“The organization has really been growing pretty dynamically in the last 10 years,” Zoltek said. “For a community this size, this orchestra is very, very active.”

THE NEXT challenge the maestro is tossing at the group is an all-new Easter Festival, April 6, 8 and 9 at Flathead High School.

It represents the second festival on the symphony calendar and marks a growing trend in the industry away from repeat performances (playing the same show on more than one night) to theme-based festivals with unique nightly shows.

The first-ever Easter Festival begins Thursday, April 6 at 7:30 p.m. with a free solo recital by Georgian pianist Keteven Kartvelishvili. Saturday, April 8, the full Glacier Symphony and Chorale will perform at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, April 9, they will be joined by Kartvilishvilli at 3 p.m.

To buy tickets for the April concerts or to see the entire schedule of upcoming shows, visit www.gscmusic.org.

For more on Zoltek, including clips of the orchestra and other music — like his jazz guitar compositions and jazz guitar performances — visit www.johnzoltek.com.

Entertainment editor Andy Viano can be reached at 758-4439 or aviano@dailyinterlake.com.