Right Back Where I Started: A Memoir in Music Volume 19

Right Back Where I Started is a musical odyssey of the heart, mind, and spirit, a journey from the innocent Pacific Northwest of the 1960s to China, Slovenia, Italy, Romania, the Middle East, and countless locations in America, crossing paths with the likes of Renee Fleming, Bill Clinton, James Earl Jones, Maya Angelou, and William Shatner.

In Maestro Itkin’s world, thrilling performances, memorable collaborations, and exotic travel occur in tandem with professional stumbles, difficult choices, and heartbreak, viewed through riveting anecdotes and glimpses into his personal and professional philosophy. But through it all, we never doubt that the music made, the friends acquired, and the lessons learned made it all worthwhile.

DAVID ITKIN is music director and conductor of the Abilene Philharmonic. He is also professor of music and director of and Anshel Brusilow Chair in Orchestral Studies at the University of North Texas College of Music. Itkin is Conductor Laureate of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and previously served as music director and conductor of the Las Vegas Philharmonic. His career has taken him to forty-five US states and fifteen countries in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. He is author of The Conductor’s Craft and Conducting Concerti (UNT Press).