Crescendo…one giant crescendo. That is the only way to describe the last movement of Respighi’s Pines of Rome.   I had such a blast working with the talented musicians of the Boise State University Symphony Orchestra as they prepare for a performance of Pines. It has been over a decade since I last conducted the piece, and I just love how magical the sound of the army returning home to Rome is. I also love how open and receptive the music students of BSU are. Conducting there made me excited about the prospect of a full symphony orchestra at IOI in the years to come!

Robert Franz