Zdenek Macal

To anyone who has seen and heard Zdenek Macal conduct, his speech cannot come as much of a surprise. At 54, the man is absolutely bursting with energy. He speaks quickly, backtracks, qualifies and generally exhibits a mind that seems to work faster than he can form the words in his Czech-accented, ungrammatical but highly expressive English. His enthusiasm is the kind that catches, and he speaks with pride of a recent appearance with the New York Philharmonic.

He always tells his musicians to "Do something!" and there's hardly a moment the maestro is not. Onstage he dances, scrunching his lanky frame and bounding forward as the music crescendos. Talking with a reporter, he moves his hand in endless circles as he recounts his time with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. "My right hand is circling because I cannot stay still," said Zdenek Macal, 66, who is leaving to become chief conductor of the Czech Philharmonic.

He always tells his musicians to "Do something!" and there's hardly a moment the maestro is not. Onstage he dances, scrunching his lanky frame and bounding forward as the music crescendos. Talking with a reporter, he moves his hand in endless circles as he recounts his time with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. "My right hand is circling because I cannot stay still," said Zdenek Macal, 66, who is leaving to become chief conductor of the Czech Philharmonic.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic has unveiled a new/old shell design for the Hollywood Bowl, and as far as these eyes and ears are concerned, hip-hip-hooray! Preservationists who think the leaking, acoustically sorry present shell is just fine should try to actually hear music at the Bowl sometime.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic has unveiled a new/old shell design for the Hollywood Bowl, and as far as these eyes and ears are concerned, hip-hip-hooray! Preservationists who think the leaking, acoustically sorry present shell is just fine should try to actually hear music at the Bowl sometime.

In three years and four months, Zdenek Macal says, beaming, he will be eligible to become an American citizen. And he will do so. "I love it here," says the Czech-born Macal, talking about Southern California, where he and his wife of 30 years, Georgina (Ginny), have maintained a West Coast home for seven years. Macal, who holds major conducting posts in Milwaukee, San Antonio and Chicago, has other bases, but he says he expects "to live here (California) forever."

In 3 years and 4 months, Zdenek Macal says, beaming, he will be eligible to become an American citizen. And he will do so. "I love it here," says the Czechoslovakia-born Macal about Southern California, where he and his wife of 30 years, Georgina, have maintained a Laguna Niguel home for 7 years. Macal, who holds major conducting posts in Milwaukee, San Antonio and Chicago, has other bases but says he expects "to live here (in California) forever."

Neeme Jarvi, music director of the Detroit Symphony, is moving to the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, ending a long search for a director of the ensemble. The appointment of Jarvi, 66, who held the post in Detroit for 14 years, was announced Tuesday. He succeeds Zdenek Macal, who announced his resignation in January 2001.

To anyone who has seen and heard Zdenek Macal conduct, his speech cannot come as much of a surprise. At 54, the man is absolutely bursting with energy. He speaks quickly, backtracks, qualifies and generally exhibits a mind that seems to work faster than he can form the words in his Czech-accented, ungrammatical but highly expressive English. His enthusiasm is the kind that catches, and he speaks with pride of a recent appearance with the New York Philharmonic.

In three years and four months, Zdenek Macal says, beaming, he will be eligible to become an American citizen. And he will do so. "I love it here," says the Czech-born Macal, talking about Southern California, where he and his wife of 30 years, Georgina (Ginny), have maintained a West Coast home for seven years. Macal, who holds major conducting posts in Milwaukee, San Antonio and Chicago, has other bases, but he says he expects "to live here (California) forever."

In 3 years and 4 months, Zdenek Macal says, beaming, he will be eligible to become an American citizen. And he will do so. "I love it here," says the Czechoslovakia-born Macal about Southern California, where he and his wife of 30 years, Georgina, have maintained a Laguna Niguel home for 7 years. Macal, who holds major conducting posts in Milwaukee, San Antonio and Chicago, has other bases but says he expects "to live here (in California) forever."

What might have been just another classical pops concert at the HollywoodBowl on Thursday night turned out instead to be the occasion of thrills and revelations in the performance of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, which ought to be one tired band of players at this point near the end of the summer season. But no. The performances, conducted by Zdenek Macal, with the redoubtable Alexander Toradze as piano soloist, delivered clarity, energy and a deep musical probing.

With each guest conductor leading the Pacific Symphony while the search for a new music director goes on, the orchestra has responded with alertness and security. Milwaukee Symphony music director Zdenek Macal took his turn Saturday with a New Year's Eve pops program at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. Macal is an interesting conductor to watch. He feints, he jabs, he flirts, he pouts, he argues, he suffers. He plucks notes out of the air. He directs finger-shimmies at the musicians.