Christopher O'Riley: Debunking Snobbery

Chris O'Riley taking music 'From the Top'
By MaryAlice Bitts
Sunday News (Lancaster, PA)
November 7, 2004

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I think one of the hardest things for a musician to do is play and talk," said Christopher O'Riley, a man who has made a fine career of doing just that.

A well-regarded concert pianist who tours with major orchestras through the year, O'Riley is also host of public radio's "From the Top," a weekly showcase of pre-college-age musicians from around the country.

At 8 p.m. Saturday, O'Riley will be recording his show live at a public performance in Franklin & Marshall College's Barshinger Center.

The creators of "From the Top" knew what they were doing when they recruited O'Riley. He had already proven his hosting chops by emceeing summer music festivals and presenting educational performances at car dealerships, jails, schools, hospices and office buildings.

The son of the founder of a Boston radio station, he also had a feel for the medium as well as an insider's understanding of what it is to be a professional classical musician.

More importantly, although he speaks carefully in interview mode, his on-air demeanor is friendly, familiar and informal - just what the resolutely unpretentious show requires.

Between sketches, interviews and skits, O'Riley peppers the program with his own performances - sometimes playing piano arrangements of songs by the pop group Radiohead.

It's an unusual selection, but this is an unusual show. O'Riley supplies quick-witted comments between performances and "From the Top's'' roving reporter, 16-year-old Hayley Goldbach, engages guests in lighthearted skits and games.

And where else can the under-19 set share the stage with guest artists the caliber of Isaac Stern, Yo-Yo Ma, Midori and Joshua Bell, Edgar Meyer, Mark O'Connor, Richard Stoltzman and Judy Collins?

A winning chemistry

O'Riley pulls it all together in a way that strikes a chord with listeners, many of whom are just discovering classical music.

"I think one of the attractions of the show is that we are presenting real people," O'Riley said. "And I think most real people don't have much of an appreciation for classical music, simply because it does tend to be sort of a ghettoized, elitist activity."

O'Riley's mission is simple: to prove to the average listener that "it (classical music) isn't elitist; it's just a pursuit of excellence."

The man who maintains he's never talked down to anyone, regardless of age ("I think even newborns can only withstand goo-goo talk for so long") said that the audience likewise responds to the teens on the show for similar reasons.

"Each of these kids has interests other than music," O'Riley said of his musical guests. "The more diversity we show on the program, the more of a chance there will be that an audience member with similar tastes and interests will get turned on to music.

"There is also the appreciation that comes from the sense that the next generation of kids is not necessarily going to hell in a hand basket. These are some real hard workers; real passionate, talented and dedicated kids."

At F&M Saturday, Nov. 13, those kids will include 17-year-old baritone Brandon Cedel of Hummelstown, who will sing Purcell's "Arise, Ye Subterranean Winds" from "The Tempest."

He'll be joined by a violinist, a bassoonist, a pianist and two marimba players, all of whom are under age 18.

O'Riley does all he can to put such young performers at ease, some of whom may be making their performing debut on the show. Often, that means accompanying them.

"It's very exciting to play with three, four, five kids every week," he said. "It's like dancing with different partners. They've come superbly prepared, and they're great musicians in the making. So it's very exciting for me to get into their skin and really try and know how best they would like to play and to accommodate them."

The show's ratings reflect that sense of excitement. "From the Top" is the most successful classical-music program on the air, drawing great ratings for 240 public radio stations across the nation.

That's because the audience has fun.

"A woman who came to a recital I gave in Maryville, N.D., told me, 'I've heard your show, and it sounded like going to a classical concert would be fun,'" O'Riley said. "That was a great message to get across.

"I think people like knowing that going to a concert is going to be a good time; knowing that - while not cheapening it - it is entertainment."
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