Celebrating Maestro Savia’s Impact On Our Community
Written by Laura Savia and submitted to the editor 
of the Courier and Press 

     Saturday, May 14th will be Conductor Laureate Alfred Savia’s farewell performance with the Evansville Philharmonic: a semi-staged concert version of Puccini’s seminal opera, Turandot. Originally scheduled for spring of 2020, the pandemic caused a two-year delay for this event, which is not only a cultural highlight of the season, but also a meaningful opportunity to reflect on Savia’s impact in the Tri-State region.
     For thirty-one years, from 1989-2019, Savia broadened the EPO’s repertoire and the horizons of its audiences. Not only did he conduct the great canonical masterpieces (from Beethoven’s 9th Symphony to Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring), but he also programmed works by living composers such as David Ott and Michael Daugherty. He started a tradition of including opera – sometimes fully staged and often featuring renowned singers – in the EPO’s seasons. For several years, he engaged gospel choirs in collaboration with Shawn Humphries for unforgettable evenings of soulful music. He programmed work with interfaith components and was instrumental in bringing important works like Brundibar (originally performed by Jewish children in a Nazi concentration camp) not only to the Victory Theatre, but to national prominence.

     Off the podium, Savia worked tirelessly to fundraise for and develop programs that had (and still have) direct impact in the Tri-State area. He was a galvanizing force behind the renovation of the Victory Theatre. He and the EPO administrative team formed and deepened relationships with schools, inviting record numbers of children to experience live, classical music. He expanded the EPO’s activities to include a comprehensive Youth Orchestra program, the incorporation of the Philharmonic Chorus, and Eykamp String Quartet. He also initiated new concert programs including Handel’s Messiah and Nutcracker performances, two Music Alive residencies, a Side-By-Side program, and Chamber Orchestra concerts in Jasper, Vincennes and New Harmony.
     Savia is known to musicians for his artistic excellence and rigor. Impeccably prepared for every concert, he pushes himself and the musicians involved to honor the composer’s intentions and to play at the highest level of artistry. Guest artists he brought to Evansville exemplify this: Joshua Bell, Doc Severinsen, Emmylou Harris, Edgar Meyer, Bela Fleck, and Rosemary Clooney are just some of the world class artists he engaged.
     Dozens of musicians in the country’s top symphonies got their start in the EPO under Maestro Savia and credit him with shaping their musicianship and careers. He has guest conducted for orchestras around the country and on four continents, often bringing the global contacts he made to perform with the EPO.  He continues to bring top talent to the stage while nurturing emerging artists in his current role as Artistic Advisor and Principal Conductor of Indianapolis Opera.
     Every day of Savia’s tenure with the EPO, he was laser focused on one aim: making high-caliber orchestral music accessible to the widest possible cross-section of our community. Sometimes, this meant donning a Superman costume for a family-friendly Halloween concert. Other times, this meant fundraising to keep ticket prices affordable. And always, this meant programming concerts and growing programs to have the maximum possible impact in the Tri-State region.
     For this reason, Maestro Savia, or as I call him, “Dad,” is my hero. His fervent belief that great art belongs to everyone – and his tireless commitment to bearing that out – has served as the inspiration for my own life as an arts administrator, and now leader. In all I do, I aim to serve communities with something approaching the rigor and dedication my father has shown ours. And I am doubly blessed to have in my mother, Kitty Savia, an equally astonishing role model. Her 30+ years as a violin teacher, including many years pioneering a strings program at the Carver Center, has changed countless lives. And her musicianship across nearly four decades in the EPO, including seasons in leadership seats, has been a grounding force for the ensemble and a source of mentorship for many a stand partner. This Saturday is her farewell performance, too.
     If you come to Turandot, and I hope you will, take a moment to celebrate how Maestro and Mrs. Savia have forever changed the cultural landscape of our region.