Today we’d like to introduce you to Molly Turner.
Hi Molly, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
My story starts with my mom introducing me to music. And it wasn’t just classical music, it was all genres of music. This included everything from Janis Joplin to Sergei Rachmaninoff. My parents are both from a much older generation (born in the 40s and 50s), so I was introduced to a wide range of styles.
Ultimately, it was classical music that captured my attention the most. I would go to symphony orchestra concerts with my mom and sit in the very first row in order to see the violins and conductor up close. The front row seats are not the acoustically best seats, but I wanted to sit there because I wanted to watch the violinist’s detailed motions. In some concert halls, the first row is heavily discounted actually!
I started piano lessons at age 6 and after that, it was a snowball effect. Violin lessons were around 10 years old and in 5th grade, I started a rock band with my friends. I self-taught myself keyboard, guitar, bass guitar, some really bad drums, and most importantly, songwriting. I had always loved improvising at the piano (mostly smashing random keys and basic chords really loud) and now I had an outlet to make those improvisations into songs. This is very important because I ultimately studied music composition for my first degree.
All while this was happening, I had my eyes set on becoming a doctor. From the start of middle school, I had this goal in my mind to become a neurosurgeon. My mom was a nurse so was in the medical field already, but she never forced the career upon me. I was always interested in math and science so I thought being a doctor would be a great application of this. And the neurosurgeon idea came from my love of using my hands and my curiosity about the brain.
Because of my interest in music and medicine, I decided to attend Rice University. Rice has an incredible reputation for pre-medicine studies (it is next to the world’s largest medical center) and is home to The Shepherd School of Music. I started university as a music composition major and pre-med.
The crazy thing is I didn’t know I was attending one of the best music schools in the country. I was going to Rice to become a doctor and I didn’t know much about the music school. Shortly after arriving, I learned Rice has one of the best conservatory orchestras in the country and attracts very motivated orchestral musicians.
I ultimately decided to drop pre-med for several reasons. 1) I failed organic chemistry miserably and withdrew from the course. 2) I was on a women’s club frisbee team at Rice that practiced several times a week and traveled on weekends during the main season. Staying on the team sounded more fun than studying organic chemistry. 3) I realized I was not deeply called to the medical field after shadowing a doctor for a week.
Here I was—I decided not to be a doctor after 10 years and I had no backup plan. Usually, music majors have a backup plan to make a living, but here I was with my backup being music. I loved composing music, but I knew it couldn’t be my full-time career. I also knew I loved studying music, analyzing it, going to concerts, and being in this world.
Luckily all of these things go hand in hand with conducting. However, to switch to conducting you also have to be okay with a few more things like public speaking, people skills, and being a leader. Long story short, I had a few important mentors come into my life and I began studying conductor.
Then another snowball effect took place. I got my masters in orchestral conducting at Juilliard and moved to New York for two years. Then I did a fellowship with a small school in Los Angeles called the Colburn Conservatory. This fellowship allowed me to be an assistant conductor for Esa-Pekka Salonen at the San Francisco Symphony.
Being an assistant conductor could entail any number of things but primarily consists of sitting in the hall during rehearsal to give notes to the conductor, preparing the score in case then conductor is sick, and generally helping with any tasks around rehearsal. It’s a great way to gain experience and watch a rehearsal of the best conductors.
After my time in Los Angeles, I auditioned for and was offered the Conducting Fellowship at the New World Symphony. This is an amazing fellowship that offers housing and a stipend in Miami Beach and the opportunity to work for New World Symphony. The entire orchestra is on the same fellowship and the orchestra has the same intense schedule as a full-time professional orchestra. I am so honored to be a part of this organization and I will stay here for up to three years.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I had to make two important decisions. They weren’t necessarily struggles but rather huge identity shifts. The first was letting go of my dreams to be a doctor. This was difficult but ultimately necessary. I had created this romantic vision in my head of being a surgeon and saving peoples’ lives.
Many people told me I would be a great doctor and I never really questioned it. But ultimately, I was not passionate about the work. The second decision was to transition from a composer to a conductor. Of course, these careers are both within the same world of music, but they are very different.
Composing is generally more introverted and private whereas conducting requires one to interact with a lot of people. Luckily this is one of my favorite parts about being a conductor. The people I have met through music are just as important as the music-making itself.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Most of my conducting work right now is associated with the New World Symphony. I conduct the kids, holiday, and education concert series with the orchestra. In addition, I often conduct the opening piece at subscription concerts. You can occasionally see me on chamber programs with smaller ensembles and I also plan to organize more of my own concerts next year.
I would say my specialty is in 20th and 21st-century repertoire. Because I initially studied music composition, I have an affinity for modern and contemporary music and I wish to promote this music in my work. I particularly love the music of Igor Stravinsky, Béla Bartók, Steve Reich, Unsuk Chin, and Caroline Shaw. And I could never hear enough Bach in my life.
I also didn’t completely let go of my composing identity. I took a break from composing after I started my conducting studies and fellowships. However, in the past year, I have been commissioned to write an orchestra piece for my hometown youth orchestra, The Tacoma Youth Symphony. I have also composed and recorded several chamber music pieces that you can find on my website: www.mollyxiuturner.com.
What do you think about happiness?
The obvious answer is performing, rehearsing an orchestra, and attending to concerts. But there are many things outside of music that make me happy. I love to go on long bike rides, especially to Key Biscayne. I also like to take film photos. My grandfather was a professional photographer and photography has always been an important part of our family. And more recently I have been trying to go to the beach for sunrise as often as I can.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mollyxiuturner.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mollyxiuturner/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOfQYU2tkOfZilKPy17_bzQ
Image Credits
Abigail Kralik and Diego Redel
