Music Director of  The Phoenix Symphony Michael Christie. Photo by Michael Woodall

With a fresh face and a full head of hair, Michael Christie is bringing a new perspective – one decades younger – to the classical music business.

At 34, Christie is in his third season as music director at The Phoenix Symphony. And though Christie is only half the age of many of his conducting peers, he intends to create an unprecedented symphonic atmosphere.

Christie began his career at the Zurich Opera House in 1997 and has since conducted in Europe, Australia and across the U.S. In addition to his gig with The Phoenix Symphony, he is currently the music director at the New York Philharmonic Symphony and the Colorado Music Festival.

And while he may jet-set to his engagements around the world (usually flying himself), the conductor is here to stay – at least for seven more years. The Phoenix Symphony recently extended his contract through 2015.

How did you begin conducting?
As an undergraduate, I was encouraged to apply for a conductors’ competition in Helsinki, Finland. I went there and got a prize for outstanding potential; I was 20 at the time. I didn’t really view the competition as what it ended up being, which was a stepping-stone into the classical music business. It was like playing a game in college and you don’t realize the scout was there.

Does your young age affect your work?
On average, I’m definitely at least a decade below the median age of directors. I’ve been at this for almost 15 years, so I feel like I have the same amount of time at the job, I just got started a lot earlier. I always have to deal with questions about how mature you are at interpreting music. It also presents some great opportunities. By the time I’m 40, I will have 20 years of experience under my belt and at least 30 more years ahead of me. I would like to think I have a long way to go.

What is your role as conductor?
It’s a mix of coordination and inspiration. You’re the galvanizer to allow people to know exactly when, where and how. After that, it’s about offering visual signals through your arms, your face, your eye contact, through the position of your body, to give signals about how you feel the music should be conveyed.

Is conducting tiring?
When I first got started, it was a little achy. Now I’ve done it for so long I’ve found a balance. Whenever I get a massage, the masseuse is always like, ‘What the hell do you do?’ because your back muscles are so overly developed.

What is the benefit of having multiple director positions?
The organizations are set up so I provide the overall artistic stamp and the direction, but because we’re able to readily get guest artists to come in, it’s not necessary for me to be there every week for every concert. It’s actually very healthy for the orchestra and for the audience to get different interpretations of music.

Do you have any non-music related hobbies?
I’m a pilot, so I’ll fly myself to engagements if I’m a guest conductor. I like to mix my hobby and my job.

What other types of music do you listen to?
One of the things we’ve been doing in Brooklyn is collaboration between indie rock bands and orchestra. So I kind of have to keep track of who’s moving up the ladder and who’s on the verge of independent going into mainstream. I try to keep an idea of what’s going on out there because there is a big push for these collaborative things. It’s fun to be at the forefront of that.

How does this symphony differ from others?
There is a wonderful lack of tradition here. Since we haven’t existed for very long, we can still write the book here. It’s not like if you went to Chicago or New York, where those orchestras have existed for well over 100 years. I feel like there is nothing holding us back. If you’re so stuck in the past, you have no room to move forward.

What are your favorite and least favorite instruments?
Cello and French horn are my favorites. I love mid-register instruments. As for least favorite – well, it’s not really an instrument, but Gershwin in “An American in Paris” uses a car horn. I hate hearing that. It’s very descriptive, but when I first head that sound, I thought, ‘That is just so repulsive.’

How has The Phoenix Symphony changed since you became music director?
I think the whole demeanor of how we do performances now is more open for the audience. I try to make it sophisticated but casual. People who want to get the quintessential symphonic experience get us playing that music. But the experience for people’s first time or just a night out can be more relaxed and doesn’t feel so stuffy.

What do you hope to accomplish in the future?
My dream is to be the custodian of the future of orchestral music in the United States. I want to, in the next 10 years, really solidify an orchestra’s ability to be very flexible with even more styles of music. I hope we find even more effective ways to present our concerts for the people that come, and to be even more effective as community advocates for culture. I want to just really create a great institution that can really support that kind of activity.
— Interviewed by Celeste Sepessy