Alec Baldwin says conductor Anthony Parnther is the first person he ever thought he could lose his job to.
Alec Baldwin hosts conductor and bassoonist Anthony Parnther on Here's The Thing. Parnther is introduced as a multifaceted musician with a magnificent speaking voice. He explains his unconventional start in music: as a child in central Virginia, he picked the bassoon from a dictionary to join the school band and go on a trip to King's Dominion theme park. Parnther discusses his current roles as music director of the San Bernardino Symphony and the Southeast Symphony in Los Angeles. He describes the diversity and growth of the San Bernardino audience. Parnther details his extensive guest conducting across major orchestras like Cleveland, New York, and Philadelphia. He contrasts the tenure system of traditional orchestras with the high-stakes, sight-reading environment of Hollywood studio sessions, where musicians can be ostracized for one mistake. Parnther shares a humorous story about his first opera conducting experience, involving a country singer in blackface causing orchestra laughter. He reflects on his conducting philosophy, emphasizing clarity and adapting to each orchestra's needs. Parnther reveals he rarely takes vacations, working 41 weeks a year across 50 orchestras. He talks about conducting Ludwig Göransson's Oscar-winning score for Oppenheimer and being thanked in Göransson's acceptance speech. Parnther names E.T. as one of the greatest film scores, recounting an anecdote about the music editor boosting the volume for the iconic bicycle scene. The episode concludes with Parnther's thoughts on John Williams' influence and his semi-retired opera singing.
