Heading Las Vegas Philharmonic brings Cabrera back to boyhood hometown

Vegas Voices is a weekly question-and-answer series featuring notable Las Vegans.

A tale of two cities.

That's how Donato Cabrera looks at Las Vegas.

As music director for the Las Vegas Philharmonic, Cabrera — who's also resident conductor with the San Francisco Symphony and music director of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, the California Symphony (in Walnut Creek) and the New Hampshire Music Festival — sees a big city with a big-city performing arts complex, The Smith Center, to match.

But, as someone who lived in Las Vegas "from 3 months to 9 years old," he remembers a very different place.

"It's so hard to compare" Las Vegas then and now, Cabrera says. Based on his boyhood impressions, Las Vegas "could have been Mayberry," he comments. "My childhood memories of Las Vegas were total small-town memories."

These days, Cabrera's a long way from that small-town Las Vegas, where he attended Adcock Elementary and St. Francis de Sales schools (in what was then the northwest edge of town), before his family moved to Reno.

Cabrera and his wife, opera librettist Niloufar Talebi, are relocating to Summerlin, from their previous San Francisco base, and will be "spending a lot more time here."

That will make it easier for the conductor to "be present to talk about music over a cup of coffee, instead of Skype."

Between rehearsals for a recent Philharmonic concert, Cabrera shared his impressions of his old, and new, hometown.

Review-Journal: What are your boyhood memories of Las Vegas?

Cabrera: Where I lived was the edge of town. I remember catching lizards — because one block over was the desert. And my friends and I would dare each other to run across the street in our bare feet in the summer. ... It was like hot coals, or a firewalker. I had totally blond hair and a super-dark tan. Total Vegas!

Review-Journal: What first interested you about the music director job at the Las Vegas Philharmonic?

Cabrera: The first thing I heard about what was happening here, (pianist) Yuja Wang came (to The Smith Center) with the Israel Philharmonic and (conductor) Zubin Mehta. She was blown away by the level of pianos here and she loved the hall (The Smith Center's Reynolds Hall). ... I was thinking about applying and Yuja told me, "It's a beautiful hall — you will be blown away."

Review-Journal: Did the fact that it was a Las Vegas orchestra pique your interest?

Cabrera: The idea of returning to Nevada in general, or Las Vegas in particular, wasn't something I was was necessarily thinking about. When I left Reno at 25 or 26, I thought, 'Just keep heading east — and eventually you'll wind up in Europe.' But an odd and wonderful circle was closing.

Review-Journal: What's been the most satisfying thing about leading the Las Vegas Philharmonic so far? The most frustrating thing?

Cabrera: The most satisfying? Certainly, the fact that I can paint my own canvas of repertoire. ... The fact that I can establish an artistic identity with an orchestra is something most musical directors don't have the pleasure of doing. It's really fun to sort of discover and build upon what we're doing. ... But every orchestra has its challenges. The frustrating thing: I wish more people would know about the Las Vegas Philharmonic and that there's an orchestra in this wonderful town they can see 10 to 12 times a year. ... I think also, some newer residents of Las Vegas may not realize all the cultural gems that are waiting to be discovered. What we have here, any city of any size, anywhere, would be envious of The Smith Center.

Review-Journal: What are your short-term goals for the orchestra?

Cabrera: Just continue to develop a rapport with the musicians. It takes time for the orchestra to learn all of my nonverbal cues, so that's always an ongoing process. And to continue the idea of, every concert, there's something new.

Review-Journal: What's the most surprising thing about Las Vegas you've experienced since you've been back?

Cabrera: The Composers' Showcase (held monthly at The Smith Center's Cabaret Jazz). I went there last year and it was one amazing performer after the next. I couldn't believe it, that all this amazing talent is here.

Review-Journal: What's your favorite "un-Vegasy" thing to do in Las Vegas?

Cabrera: Going up to Red Rock. I love going up there. Thank God it's still like this — like another planet.

— Read more from Carol Cling at reviewjournal.com. Contact her at ccling@reviewjournal.com and follow @CarolSCling on Twitter.