Conductor John Jesensky will lead an orchestra performing the score of "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" at the Altria Theater Feb. 15. (Photo courtesy John Jesensky)
For conductor and composer John Jesensky, traveling the world and conducting film scores is the perfect job.
“I get to make music and do something that lets people enjoy themselves for a little while and forget everything else except what’s happening inside the concert hall at that moment,” he says.
Jesensky has been touring the world conducting the scores to the Harry Potter films, which are performed live alongside the films. He'll visit the Altria Theater Feb. 15 to conduct the score for “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.” He’s a self-proclaimed “Harry Potter dork” and says he realized that he wanted to become a film composer while watching “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” in theaters and hearing John Williams’ emotional score.
“He has the ability to write the most iconic music using only a few notes. … [I] want to do that justice.”
Jesensky feels that pressure every performance. When the show opens to the iconic "Hedwig’s Theme," which plays at the introduction of each film, he makes eye contact with the celesta player, who plays the memorable soft melody at the opening of the theme, in anticipation.
“[We] are looking at each other like, ‘OK, we better not screw this up,’ every time we start it,” Jesensky says.
While these shows keep him busy, he still finds time to work on his own pieces back in Los Angeles. His newest project is an opera, he says, but he’s constantly coming up with new ideas. “You can always count on me doing something strange.”
John Jesensky will conduct the score for “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” at the Altria Theater on Feb. 15 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. $52.50 to $82.50. altriatheater.com
