Conversations with the World's Leading Orchestra and Opera Librarians

Dr. Patrick Lo is currently serving as Associate Professor at the Faculty of Library, Information and Media Science, University of Tsukuba in Japan (since 2012). Dr. Patrick Lo earned his Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) from University of Bristol (U.K.) in 2009. He has a Master of Arts in Design Management (M.A.) from Hong Kong Polytechnic University (2004), a Master of Library & Information Science (M.L.I.S.) from McGill University (Canada; 1994), and a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) from Mount Allison University, (Canada; 1992). Dr. Patrick Lo has presented about 80 research papers and project reports focusing on librarianship, humanities, and education at different local and international workgroup meetings, seminars, conferences, etc., including: Mainland China, Hong Kong, Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Turkey, United States, and Sweden, and at institutions including the Library of Congress (U.S.), Austrian National Library (Vienna), University of Vienna, National Library of France (Paris), National Institute of Informatics (Japan), Konrad-Zuse-Center for Information Technology (Berlin), etc.

• Foreword by Maestro Fabio LuisiPrefaceChapter 1: Robert Sutherland, Chief Librarian at the Metropolitan Opera Chapter 2: Robert Sutherland, When the Metropolitan Opera Goes on TourChapter 3:Matthew Naughtin, Music Librarian of the San Francisco Ballet Chapter 4:Ronald Whitaker, Former Orchestra Librarian of The Cleveland OrchestraChapter 5:Alice Chatterjee-Rieckhoff, Orchestra Librarian of the Berlin PhilharmonicChapter 6:Benjamin Gould, Librarian of the Qatar Philharmonic OrchestraChapter 7:Jutta Lambrecht, Archive Director of the Department of Documentation and Archives, Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) CologneChapter 8:Lauré Campbell, My Forty-One Seasons with the San Francisco OperaChapter 9:Carrie Weick, Orchestra Librarian at the San Francisco OperaChapter 10:Kazue Asawa McGregor, Kenneth Bonebrake and Stephen Biagini, Librarians of the Los Angeles PhilharmonicChapter 11:Katsu Watanabe, Akane Oki, and Yasushi Ishii, Librarians of the NHK Symphony Orchestra, TokyoChapter 12:Tony R

Reading these informative and often fascinating interviews conducted by Lo with librarians employed by orchestras, opera and ballet companies, and individual singers located in the US, Europe, and Asia does much to dispel the notion that performance music librarians merely inventory scores and parts, distribute and collect them before and after rehearsals and performances, and mark conductors' performance indications. A librarian in charge of performance music must be especially flexible and versatile, since last-minute changes are often necessary. These specialist librarians must also order orchestral scores and parts (so thorough knowledge of different editions is obligatory), and occasionally they compose passages linking one section to the next and even provide transpositions of arias to different keys. Librarians may function in the background, but their contributions are essential for successful performances….Summing Up:Highly recommended. Upper-level undergraduates through professionals/practitioners.