Schubert’s Finished Symphony arrives at The CENTER as both a retrospective and a living testament to one of the creative artists who has shaped a local community for decades. Paul Schubert, longtime music director, composer, and collaborator, steps forward with a full collection of original work spanning his life through music: early compositions from his college years, new material written in retirement, and everything in between.

Paul’s history with The CENTER dates back to its origins. In partnership with his wife JoAnne, the Schuberts have been active participants and mainstays of the theater scene in Rhinebeck for over 30 years.

Schubert’s Finished Symphony is a concert, but it can also be described as a reunion of artists who have grown up in The CENTER’s orbit, a family gathering onstage, and a fundraiser built from the same generosity that has sustained Paul, JoAnne, and their children throughout their years invested here.

Ahead of the performance, The CENTER asked Paul some questions to learn more about the origins of this project, the process of revisiting old work, and the community that surrounds it.

The CENTER for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck: What inspired you to create Schubert’s Finished Symphony?

Paul Schubert: Since retiring three years ago, I’ve had more time to start writing music again, which is what I have my degree in. I was thinking how cool it would be to put together a program of original music with a very long scope, from my college days to retirement, while raising money for The CENTER in the process— something JoAnne and I have always been passionate about. This will be our fourth fundraiser for The CENTER.

C: What can audiences expect stylistically or emotionally from the program?

P: There’s a pretty large gamut of styles here. There’s everything from a vocal quartet to an orchestral piece to piano music to choral and chamber music. And a variety of styles: some jazzy, some classical, some not within a genre. My choral pieces, written for kids, are contemporary with influences of pop, rock, R&B, and even rap. Hopefully there’s something for everyone. If you don’t like one piece, just wait; you might like the next one.

Music from Paul’s Master’s thesis orchestra piece, which is featured in the program.

C: How does it feel to revisit some of your earlier works?

P: It’s been fascinating to try to arrange my master’s thesis, which was written for full orchestra, down to a chamber orchestra of twenty. Sometimes I hear my old stuff and think, “Whoa, I was pretty creative.” Other times I hear things I might do differently today. But it’s all part of my history.

*Paul at his Master’s graduation, 1983.*

C: This concert brings together so many familiar CENTER faces. What has it been like preparing with this group of performers?

P: It’s both exhilarating and exhausting. Trying to arrange so many different rehearsals with many different combinations of people (a total of 28 musicians) has been quite a challenge. But I’m so honored and humbled that so many incredible performers have donated their time and agreed to bring this project to life for me and for The CENTER.

C: Can you talk about how collaboration and community have shaped your work over the years?

P: Being involved in theatre is all about collaboration. The music is a big part, but still just a part, of the storytelling. To work with creative people in so many different areas—from building sets to designing lights to acting to choreography to directing it all—has been humbling and rewarding. And very inspiring. I love that this is truly a “community” theatre. As Kevin [The CENTER’s former Artistic Director] said, it’s “a family within these walls.” And this is also liberating. It’s not all about you. You do your part and release the rest. You’re part of something much bigger than yourself. This is one of the greatest benefits of being involved in the arts.

*A group of performers rehearse with Paul for a CENTER fundraiser in 2022.*

C: Are there any moments or pieces in this concert that feel especially meaningful because of who’s performing them?

P: I’m performing a piano four-hands piece with my wife that I wrote for the two of us before we got married. It’s always really special to perform with JoAnne, especially since I composed it for us to sit side by side (and try not to get in each other’s way!). Pretty much every piece involves people who have taken journeys with JoAnne and me; in some cases, friends we have performed with for decades. And in the chamber orchestra piece, some I haven’t seen for years.

*Paul and JoAnne Schubert performing together at their wedding.*

C: You’ve been part of The CENTER since its earliest days. How has that journey influenced you as an artist and music director?

P: I’m always learning. I try to remember that there’s so much I don’t know, and can learn from everyone around me—even the kids I work with. And the work of the masters we get to perform definitely influences me as a composer. To get into Sondheim’s head, or JRB’s, or Tesori’s, or Rodgers’, or so many others, is to touch genius. One can’t help but be challenged and changed by that.

*Paul positioned at the keys back when The CENTER was still in a tent.*

C: Why was it important for you to make this concert a fundraiser for The CENTER?

P: The CENTER has been a crucial part of my life and the life of my family for decades. I am so grateful for the opportunities we’ve had to use our talents over the years here, and the friendships we’ve formed, and the journeys we’ve taken. Heck, our daughters were practically born and raised here, and Maya is about to marry a fellow actor she met here. Our lives are so intertwined with this magical place. Of course it’s natural that I want to give back in any way that I can.

*Paul’s daughter, Angelica, testing out the keyboard at a young age.*

C: Looking back, how does this concert reflect your evolution as a composer and musician?

P: That’s a hard question to answer. As a pianist and a senior citizen now, I recognize that physical limitations slowly grow more intense, but I do my best to work through them. I’d like to think that I have grown wiser and deeper over the years in my work, but I also recognize that some of the best stuff I’ve ever written, I wrote a long time ago. Moments of inspiration can hit you at any time. I don’t believe I could write that same stuff now because I’ve changed—just like I couldn’t have written what I write now back then either. It’s all a mystery to me, really, the whole creative process. I think it’s important to stay open and curious. I’m a praying person, and one of my prayers is that whenever I write, it would be led—“anointed,” if you will—by God, so that it will ultimately bless someone who hears it. This goes for Music Directing as well. We are all storytellers and can make a difference.

JoAnne and Paul perform together at The CENTER.

Schubert’s Finished Symphony isn’t just nostalgia. It’s a living archive, performed by the people who shaped it, offered to and in the place that helped it grow. For audiences, it’s an uncommon chance to hear the full span of a creative life in one evening. For The CENTER, it’s a reminder of how deeply one artist, and one family, has threaded music into the fabric of this theatre.