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Hello, I'm Mike Cannon, and this is conversation. My guest on this conversation is a pure mathematician who works in the field of Topological Vector spaces. Very esoteric field, I should say, and teaches in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences of the University of Florida. This particular mathematician deals not only with numbers but with notes.

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He is a singer of renowned of growing national reputation as a bass baritone, has just completed nine concerts at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D. C. And appeared in August and September of this year with the New York City Opera at the Lincoln Center in New York.

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I'll be back in a moment with my guest. Yeah, conversation from the University of Florida. A discussion of social, political, scientific and religious issues of the day. Your host is Michael V. Gannon, professor of history and ethics and associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Florida.

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Yeah, mhm. My guest on this conversation is Steven Saxon. Stephen, Welcome to conversation. Thank you. I've been following your career for quite a while now. You've been singing in local restaurants for what, eight or nine years And then I've heard you perform with the various groups in the city of Gainesville.

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I've heard you sing in ST Augustine. I've had the occasion to accompany you to Palm Beach, where you auditioned and won a role in an opera performance. And I'd like to embarrass you a little bit by reading some of your notices or reviews. May I do that, please?

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Here is a review by Carl Upon, the press music editor of the Pittsburgh Press, where you appeared in Handel's Messiah. Whatever the reason, so the writer goes on. The coral results last night were outstanding, exceeded only by a solo performance by based Stephen Saxon. Saxon has one of the most glorious bass voices I have ever heard.

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During the past 20 years, the orchestra has hired opera singers from the Met and the New York City Opera for the Messiah. But those seasoned professionals fell short of Saxons effort. And then he goes on later to say, when this bearded mathematician, looking very much like an old World profit, boomed out, the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised.

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He sounded very much like the genuine article calling the dead to judgment, and there are similar reviews. Here's Paul Hume, formerly of The Washington Post. Now with W. G. M. S as its music critic, uh, saying that you are a stunning base because of the performance he heard in Washington, D.

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C. My only complaint with Paul Hume's review is that he says, you are a professor of mathematics at the University of Maryland. I was at the time you were at the time, all right, Good. Well, I'm sure there's an explanation that I was on a visiting a member of the faculty, I say.

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And while you were performing in Washington, Yes, Good. Now let's talk about what's happened to you in this last year or year and a half. Some very good things. Yes, well, as we are already getting into the I did a sabbatical at the University of Maryland, and so I was on the visiting faculty there this past year, and I am ask that the mathematics department there give me less money than the customary complimentary half salary, uh, to complement the University of Florida's support and, uh, but give me more freedom.

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And so that's what they did. I taught one course the first term and no courses. The the spring term. I was co director of a research seminar in Topological Vector Spaces, both terms that only met one hour a week. So I had a lot of flexibility in time and got to sing a lot.

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And I was very fortunate to and make some good auditions with the right people early on when I was there. And although I had not known any of these people personally, I called him on the phone and set up sometimes to audition and was well received.

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And, as you mentioned, did get to sing in Kennedy Center nine different occasions. What were some of the selections that you chose or were chosen for you? Well, the my first, um, performance was, uh, the world's premier of Jacob Druckman piece Vox Humana, commissioned by the National Symphony Orchestra.

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And, um, he had just finished composing it when I auditioned for the For Bob Schaffer, who conducts the choir. That was to be the chorus for the peace, and he had just gotten a copy of it and realized that he needed a bass soloist. And there I was so good, and, um, in the New York City Opera.

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What roles were you cast in? Uh, I was Monty Roni in Rigoletto. Mhm. And for all of the appearances, yes, for all three. What was that experience like? Oh, were you nervous or, uh, your voice tremulous, having an opportunity of that sort? Or did you find yourself moving into the role in a very relaxed and natural way?

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Well, it was it was a little nervous. The you get less rehearsal in New York City Opera than just about anywhere else in the world. And because they have their in production all the time, they almost every night they have a different show going different opera.

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And so you don't get a lot of onstage rehearsal. As a rule, I had enough. But, uh, it was it was an interesting experience. I will say that. I bet it was. Now you're going to be singing locally this week in a concert at Oak Hall, Thursday night at eight o'clock for the benefit of Martha Manson Academy.

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And people can buy tickets will say a little bit about that later in the program. But you you have a wide range. Uh, you sing opera uh, back, uh, back solos and, uh, classical American music. If I could use that particular phrase Classical American. But the standards with which American music has been identified, certainly by other cultures.

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And is there any thing about American music that you like? Well, I I don't know. Maybe I'm a standard American, but is there? But you choose a particular type of song. I was Well, I I'm middle rural American boy. And, um, it grew up as the last of 12 Children hearing songs of this sort and, you know, enjoying them.

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I studied and learned Well, I had a sister who have a sister who's teaches piano now on the West Coast has for a number of years as our d. M a from the University of Southern California. And so I heard her doing classical things all the time.

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I was growing up, and so I've had a good bit of variety of exposure to different kinds of music. But you like the black spirituals that you heard growing up in the South. You went to the University of Southern Mississippi? Yes. I was born in Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, where the family lived about 26 years.

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I was the last, as I said of 12, and when I was eight, we moved to South Mississippi and I grew up there from age eight. Came to Florida and 65 and here to Gainesville in 69. Your education was on an instrument. The violin. When did you learn that you had a voice?

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Well, um, from the time I was a small boy, people were complimentary of my singing. But I'd rather took it for granted because, um, everyone in my family saying, And in our small church congregational singing was very large part of the worship service. And so I I just assumed everyone sang, and I didn't think he was anything particularly special to be able to sing.

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I always enjoyed singing in choirs. And, of course, it was through through singing at the University of Florida Choir, that Woody Keister heard me, and so that I should audition for the solos in the Messiah that was being given that year. In December 69 Woody, who's a mutual friend, recognized something in you that went beyond local singing.

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He encouraged you did not to go to New York and audition there Yes, he did from the very beginning. In fact, he said, I should just I should go to New York and the idea I should just live there and his daughter has done that. Jean is there now as, uh, studying, accompanying and opera coaching.

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And in fact, I think she's completed her studies there. And, well, Stephen, I would love to hear you sing a group of songs that represent your interest in music and provide us the opportunity to hear your beautiful voice, as it has been called by so many reviewers.

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It's a delight to have you here and to ask you now if you would favour us with a song accompanied at the piano by your wife, Brenda. Sure with Aha song that they would never end without a song, the road would never end when things galore on the man got a round.

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The word out all that field of the core on would never see a plow. That field of Kong would be deserted. Now a man is born long, but he's an eye with a I got my trouble and woe, but sure, as I know Jordan will wrong, I'll get along as long as a song Strong in my song Wrong Oh, I'll never know Wrong what makes the rain in the hall?

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I'll never know what makes the grass, Paul. I only know their eggs. Oh, so and now from the operatic repertoire I'd like to sing the aria Bellagio. My memo from Don Carlo by Verdi. This is a are in which the King Philip bemoans the fact that his, uh, political marriage ah, is, um and not working.

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He says l Ajami memo. She never loved me. And he says that he'll never get to sleep except in his grave. Mhm. Oh. Mm. Mhm. Mhm. Mm. Mhm. Mm. Mhm. And yeah, yeah. Mhm. I love my mama. No, a more. Mm. Yeah. Your call. Yeah. Mhm.

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Always whole. Yeah, with a peer pressure. Neil Lauren Gentile me were wrong Just for tile t mhm. Go. Yeah, or you owe Oman Told me or go, Lana. Lava. I love a less gory, huh? Mm mm. Oh, do your soul or word. Mhm said or will run to then you to run it tore.

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You look at home condo long me Jor not Sarah. Uh oh. Euros. All those All Oh, Oh, oh, on a lover Lord. Oh, they'll settle that on How better sample? Oh! Oh, Mama! Mama! Mama! No! Mhm! Oh, what occurred? Me? Uh huh. Mhm. Mhm! My home is all the Jorda.

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Mhm, either. Lord, I want to cross. Oh, hurry to come from. Yeah, yeah! Mhm. Are you well? Oh, yeah, yeah, I want to cross over. Mhm. Mhm. Oh, mhm. Yeah, Forever long. I won't Across Over. Oh, car. Thank you, Stephen. That was beautiful. Thank you, Brenda.

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This has been a marvelous moment on conversation, too. Listen to your beautiful voice. You have such great breath control, Steven. Is that developed talent, or have you always had that gift? Mm. It may have been developed group sporting activities. It seems so important to singing too.

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Be able to carry a breath, so long as you do, um, it's not something I've consciously learned. Except, um Well, intuitively, I've learned it, I suppose. But I haven't particularly studied it. I want to quote again, if I may, from that favorite review of mine from the Pittsburgh Press.

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If there is an international society of overachievers, they should seek to restrain Saxon, an international mathematician and a magnificent basso in one body seems a bit much. Well, are you a mathematician who likes to sing, or a singer who likes to do mathematicians? Mathematics? I guess I'm both, Um, this is the first year because of the in part because of the fact that I ask and received less money in mathematics at the University of Maryland.

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This is the first year that I will have made more money in music than in mathematics. So it really is a pertinent question as to whether whether whether mathematics is my hobby or music is my hobby. It's nice. I like to think of them both as something I love to do and enjoy doing.

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And one serves as a recreation for the other quite often. And you will be giving a full concert Thursday of this week at eight PM at Oak Hall to benefit Martha Manson Academy. And tickets are for sale. I want to mention where they can be purchased because I think, oh, call only seats 350 people.

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So and while tickets will be sold at the door to one would want to be sure to have a ticket at the time. One went. So all the chestnut stores and both Belk Lindsay's Sabine Music Shop, Merrill Lynch are selling tickets to the concert this Thursday at eight o'clock.

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Well, I know many will want to attend to rejoice in your success. What's next? Uh, I I understand. Manati has asked you to audition, and perhaps you already have audition for him. Um, yes, it's, um um the there there. The details aren't firm yet, but I did audition Thursday at the request of Frank Rich.

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So who's, uh, the men mainly responsible for hiring people at Washington Opera? And I'm apparently his choice to do the part of King Melchior in a mall and the night visitors by Manati. And he wanted to get manatees approval while Minotti was in Washington D. C.

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So I flew up there Thursday and saying for him and, uh uh, the, um, Frank Rizzo translated maestro manatees, Um uh, mumblings or, uh, whatever they were, they were too low for me to understand, uh, as saying that he wanted me to do the the televised excerpts from King from I'm all in the night visitors in December, so I don't, But it's really perhaps premature to mhm.

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I don't even know that the exact date will be following, I hope. Yes, Thanks. We'll be following your career with great interest and encouragement and, uh, rejoicing. Thank you. Stephen Saxon bass baritone, associate professor of mathematics and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Thanks to your wife, Brenda, who accompanied you and this concert on conversation.

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Thank you very much for doing well. Thank you for having us. Appreciate. Thank you. No. Yeah. You did one. Mm.