Minnesota-native conductor Joseph Mechavich is a truly versatile maestro.

He’s known for his commitment to contemporary American opera. The conductor is a champion of Jake Heggie’s work, has led productions of John Adam’s “Nixon in China,” and Floyd’s “Susannah,” among many others. As of this writing, Mechavich just finished a run of “Dead Man Walking,” with the Atlanta Opera, and is rehearsing “Silent Night” with the Arizona Opera.

After he wraps “Silent Night,” the maestro will pace “Werther” before finishing up with The Florentine Opera’s 85^thAnniversary Gala. Before his run of new works, his 2018-19 featured the maestro in such oper as as“Die Zauberflöte,” “Cavalleria Rusticana/Il Pagliacci,” and “Die Fledermaus.” To label Mechavich as “versatile” is entirely on target.

A quick look at what’s been said by those who’ve worked with Mechavich reveals much regarding his leadership style; “collaborative,” “inspiring,” “personal,” and “a treasure.”

What’s the maestro’s secret sauce?

The answer to that question is found in the conductor’s mantra, guiding principles Mechavich learned from experience and from following the example of Maestro Kenneth Montgomery.

Trusting Your Friends

“Mo. Montgomery taught me to trust my colleagues,” the conductor related in a recent interview with OperaWire. “The singers and orchestra know more about their instruments than I do. My role is to lead, to coach, and enable my friends to do their jobs creating moments of beauty. In the end, it’s not about me; it’s about all of us doing our best. I want to help my friends onstage and in the pit shimmer.”

Did you catch the f-word?

The word “friends” is a descriptor the conductor frequently uses when speaking of those with whom he collaborates; the cast, crew, and orchestra aren’t his subjects and him their ruler. They are his friends and colleagues, and he respects them as such, seeing his primary role as that of a facilitator.

“’Dead Man Walking’ in Atlanta was so special because the cast was perfect. But it wasn’t just the cast. The orchestra, chorus, crew, and the entire company was on task to tell the story and was exceedingly generous with their gifts.”

Trusting your friends also manifests itself in how he approaches the score itself. The maestro, a self-described Type-A personality noted that for him, the composer and the story reign supreme. He trusts them above anything else.

“I am a huge Massenet fan; he marked everything in the score as did Puccini. But when you investigate the more sterile ‘maps’ of Mozart and Handel, you have an inordinate amount of homework. My fundamental goal is to stay true and honor the composer.”

That is one reason why he enjoys working with contemporary composers. He can develop an intimate creative relationship with them and have an even deeper understanding of how they approach music.

“One of the things I love about working with contemporary opera is having the composer standing right behind me, instructing me about pacing, vision, and intent,” Mechanvich noted.

Mechavich’s rock-solid belief in respecting the score goes hand-in-glove with his attention to the story. The conductor’s love of music is rivaled only by that of the theater.

“Everything has to serve the story, right down to the buttons on the costumes. But when I think of a composer such as Verdi and his creative process, I envision him pacing back and forth, thinking first of the story, the words, the heartbeat of the character; this all inspires the music.”

The Power of Saying, “I Don’t Know”

“I don’t know.” The phrase can be hard for most anyone to utter, but it can be especially difficult when the people around you are looking for leadership. But to Mechavich, true leaders embrace the words.

“I see it as a phrase of strength because it shows that I too am a fallible creative spirit. It also affirms a collaborative environment. I can, and I do learn from my colleagues. I never stop being a student of the craft. However, if I say that I don’t know something, I don’t leave it at that. At the first possible moment, I go and find the answer.”

Taking time to find that answer coalesces with the final piece of Mechavich’s mantra –  take it slow, watch and learn from others, and get as much experience as possible.

For him, this is especially prominent in today’s opera world where young artists are tempted to skip steps to move up the ladder as fast as possible.

“Never skip a step. Opera as an art form is vast; there are so many moving parts, traditions, and rules that it takes time to digest it all. I am humbled and satisfied that my career began on the bench where I could learn the repertory,” he explained. “As a conductor, you want to have many experiences where the stakes are not too high—situations in which a mistake can be made. Making mistakes is part of the process. Then, when you work at larger houses, you’ll be much more settled. Conducting is a craft, and it needs to be practiced like one. Don’t be in a rush.”