Classically popular

'On the map'

"The reason I strive to push musical boundaries is so the symphony stands out, in a way it has put us on the map more so than just sticking to the classics," said Kujawski. "But the pops performance is more about having fun. We try to please the audience but I also have to please the orchestra because they want to have fun too and they're all volunteers."

The orchestra members range from teens to seniors. Because they play so well, Kujawski said most probably once dreamed of a professional career in music before reality set in and they got day jobs.

The group gets together Wednesday nights for about three hours and does eight rehearsals for each performance. In tonight's case, it was four.

Kujawski chose all the songs for Saturday night except for two that will feature soprano Ann Assarsson, "Una Voce Poco Fa," by Gioacchino Rossini and "Glitter and be Gay," by Leonard Bernstein.

"It is always a struggle to present a music program, but a dirty little secret about a pops program is that it expands the pool of people who don't venture out for classical performances," Kujawski said.

But Kujawski has always had a love affair with music, and at a young age it was classical that won him over, in particular Igor Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring."

Coincidentally he grew up on Beethoven Street in Monte Vista, Calif. He had hair down to his shoulders and looked like a typical surfer kid except for what was playing in his Walkman.

"I listened to classical as a kid and didn't get into rock so much until I was in my 20s," said Kujawski.

After picking up the clarinet in middle school Kujawski practiced six hours a day. He ended up a section leader after only three months.

"Some of those kids were playing for three or four years, it just goes to show that if you're obsessed with something enough and love it, you progress, and it's the same with conducting." said Kujawski.

Conducting jobs

After receiving degrees in music education and conducting at UCLA, Kujawski moved to Redwood City in 1982 to attend Stanford University for a doctorate in orchestral conducting. In 1985, he finished his studies at Stanford and worked as a bank teller for three years.

"I was looking for conducting jobs and couldn't find any ... [I] realized that my only choice would be to begin an orchestra and play the most ambitious and wildest stuff to get noticed. Plus I knew a lot of musicians," he said.

Almost 20 years later, the Redwood Symphony is still getting noticed by audiences and critics alike.

In the fall for the symphony's 20th Anniversary concert, Kujawski will conduct among Stravinsky, Bernstein and Joaquin Rodrigo, the West Coast premier of Danny Elfman's symphony "Serenada Schizophrana." Elfman is known for conducting movie scores for Tim Burton and was the lead singer for Oingo Boingo.

Saturday night's performance offers great music that is entertaining to all and informative to some, Kujawski said.

"If you have a friend or family member who might be interested in classical music, this is the perfect introduction for them," Kujawski said. "And if you already love it, you will find music not commonly played."