Singer-songwriter Ben Folds has been a fixture in pop music since the late ’80s, and for the past decade-plus, he’s been performing with symphony orchestras worldwide. This weekend, he visits Powell Hall to play alongside the world-renowned St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. But Folds won’t be the only notable in the building. Assistant conductor Stephanie Childress, who will be conducting the Folds show, is one to watch. Now in her early 20s, Childress took second place last year at the prestigious La Maestra international competition for women conductors in Paris. France is another base of operations for her, with orchestral conducting engagements around Europe. Childress is also an accomplished violinist and opera conductor, and she is serving as music director of the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra. We recently caught up with Childress ahead of the show.
What’s it like to conduct a pop show like this? I’m not really used to doing anything like it. Back in Europe, there’s a big difference between pop conductors and classical conductors. It’s something I’m not exactly used to, but it’s a great opportunity for me to think outside the box and to work with a fantastic musician in his own right. I think that’s why the American model is so successful. [In Europe,] we don’t often have a top-class orchestra performing the soundtrack to a movie in the hall. I didn’t experience that growing up. For each film concert or pop music concert that we do, there’s a significant number of people who haven’t been to a classical concert before.
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How do European audiences differ from American ones? [American audiences] are much warmer, first and foremost. I remember the first time I came to a concert here, everyone stood up—and then at the second concert, everyone stood up! They really show their appreciation for the musicians.
Are you a Ben Folds fan, and how does his music lend itself to symphonic accompaniment? I didn’t know a lot of Ben Folds before preparing this program, but I’ve really fallen in love with his style of music-making and seeing the world. He writes in a very text-driven way. That makes it, in a way, easy to have a good accompaniment, because it’s the text that’s doing all the work. Like with “The Luckiest,” you have a cello solo line or the string quartet.
Who would be your dream pop collaborator? If I could have ever done a project with David Bowie, that would have made my life. Billie Eilish and her brother, Phineas, have done a project with the L.A. [Philharmonic], which looked absolutely amazing. I’d do something with Phineas, having him use the orchestra as a toolbox. I’m interested in how electronic music can push what is sometimes viewed as an outdated symphony setup out of its comfort zone.
