Princeton Magazine interviews Jacques Lacombe
Princeton Magazine gives NJSO Music Director Jacques Lacombe “The Last Word” in its November issue. Nancy Plum chats with the NJSO leader she calls “a triple-threat musician—trained as singer, organist and conductor.”
Has the role of conductor changed over the years since you began your career?
I don’t feel the conductor’s role has changed, because I have always felt from the beginning that as a conductor I was a musician among musicians. Perhaps fifty years ago there was more of a distance between conductor and musicians, but I never felt this approach. My approach is much more directed to the musicians with a feeling of exchange and trust—this seems to be the style of modern conductors. I always find that when you are the head of an artistic organization such as an orchestra, even in Europe, you are the trademark of that organization and the spokesperson, therefore you need to be in contact with the community. With my style of artistic leadership, I always try to connect with community and create partnerships with different people in specific communities. I’ve done that in France and Canada, as well as in the United States, and I find that it makes things easier.