John Gennaro Devlin did not grow up in Wheeling, W.Va., and a quick conversation with the man reveals that fact.
For one, as a child he played the clarinet on purpose, and two, the cello is his favorite … said no Wheeling man ever!
But that doesn’t mean the music director of the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra is not often confronted these days with one of the most popular and perplexing conundrums ever contemplated in the Wheeling area.
Coleman’s or DiCarlo’s?
Now in his fourth season in Wheeling, Devlin has navigated the coronavirus pandemic along with the departures of two executive directors and a development director, but still he’s guided the non-profit to success with his selections, guests like Yo Yo Ma, and by involving some of the area’s most gifted like Eli Lambie and Ron Scott Jr.
He’s in love with the gig, and Devlin adores the Capitol Theatre and all of its echoes of history. People recognize him at Elle & Jack’s and at the gas station, too. And those people? They ARE friendly just like the nickname demands.
The conductor is comfortable because his artistry is appreciated far more than what a stereotypical West Virginia stereotype would allow one to imagine, but, hey, who eats pizza covered with cold cheese anyway?
How many musical instruments do you play and which one is your favorite (and why)?
My main instrument is the clarinet and that’s what I studied my whole life and can play at a professional level. I sing and play the piano in order to help me develop my musicality and to study the scores that I conduct with the Wheeling Symphony— but no one would want to hear me sing in public, trust me!
My favorite instrument is the cello and I think if I could do it all over again, that’s the one that I would pick. I love the sound of all string instruments, and I find myself drawn to the bass voices that help lead the harmony of the pieces that we play. The cello is so versatile and has characteristics that are very similar to those of the human voice. Sign me up!
What do you enjoy more – Coleman’s fish or DiCarlo’s pizza?
Okay, so I’m a half-Italian guy from New York and thus, have very strong opinions around sandwiches and pizza. I’ve taken exploring the food scene in Wheeling very seriously, so I’m glad you asked this question!
So, as much as I do enjoy DiCarlo’s (I’ll have a corner slice with pepperoni any day), I’m going to go with Coleman’s on this one. Fry up something delicious and put it between two pieces of bread, and I’m there.
How did you propose to your wife?
My wife, Camille, is from Puerto Rico so a big part of the early time in our time as a couple was my developing a relationship with her family and her home. The island of Puerto Rico has a beautiful rainforest in the middle called El Yunque (in English “Yunque” means anvil, a reference to the shape of the park).
So, I knew that it would be meaningful to Camille and to her parents, who still live in Puerto Rico, to propose on the island that is her home. So, one day we took a trip to El Yunque and I had the ring with me that was already engraved with the date of 3/21/14. Then, the problems began!
The island has recently experienced a hurricane which closed the main gate of the park— so when we arrived, Camille said “why don’t we just come back on our next trip.”
And I’m thinking “nooooooo!”
Luckily, we find another gate that was open, and we started our hike to the waterfall where I wanted to propose. In my mind, this will be a calm, private, serene setting where we can share a beautiful experience.
Well, once we got to the waterfall, there were about 450 tourists already in their swimsuits in the water and running around.
So, now, I have to create plan B.
I see a sign that says “peligroso, no entrar.” Pretending not to understand the Spanish warnings, I coerce Camille to follow me past the sign, and once we reached a far enough distance from the rest of humanity, I got down on one knee and proposed.
We’ve now been married over 8 years and we are supremely happy!
How lucky are we that we have our own orchestra in Wheeling?
A fact that I enjoy repeating over and over is that Wheeling is the smallest city in America with a professional orchestra of the size that we have here. It’s truly an accomplishment and a testament to the city that it has supported arts at the highest level for over 90 years.
We have a beautiful home in the Capitol and a beautiful set of supporters, staff and volunteers that keep the engine running.
It was that sense of community support and dedication that made me interested in the position at the beginning of the process. And then, once I conducted the orchestra, I was hooked. I’m thankful each and every day that I get to be a part of the WSO family and would encourage anyone who reads this to consider subscribing to our 2023-24 season, as soon as that becomes available in the early part of the summer.
Donations are always nice, but subscriptions tell our team that the people in Wheeling believe in our product and want to support every concert. We appreciate that so very much— come see us!
Which symphony do you listen to when you are trying to relax?
So, the question of my favorite symphony, and the one I listen to when I relax, are very different.
I tend to love fast exciting music— but when I relax, I actually listen to the string quartets of Beethoven. For some reason, these pieces speak directly to my soul, and I can never get tired of them. It’s great music to have on when you are meditating, doing your email, or taking a walk down by the water. Highly recommended, and I like the performances of these pieces by the Emerson string quartet.
