Dr. Freeman is a highly valued mentor. He gave me my earliest training, experience and invaluable advice in preparing me for the realities in the field of orchestral conducting.

 He has been an inspiration to me for decades. I have seen the trajectory of his career and have continued to learn, even at a distance, from  him.  The critical acclaim he has received, as he has forged new paths as a conductor, have fortified my own determination and confidence .  

 Dr. Freeman’s international stature, his assistance to young classical musicians who benefited from his largesse – especially through his founding of the Chicago Sinfonietta – and to my own growth during the time I worked closely with him in San Francisco, are chronicled in my forthcoming memoir, “Gathering Diamonds from Dust” ©. He has provided all of us with stories that would not exist had he not invested in our potential. He continues to inspire and to motivate change in the cultural structure of classical-music life in America and throughout the world.

 I am indebted to Maestro Paul Douglas Freeman for his kindness and his leadership in transforming my life from that of janitor who was studying music, to that of a budding musical artist…                                                               

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