Santa Barbara–Bred Conductor/Musician William Maxfield Given Prestigious Alpine Prize

A cultural lifeline, modest yet vibrant, has been laid between Santa Barbara and the modestly scaled yet also vibrant nation of Liechtenstein, through the linkage of conductor William Maxfield. Maxfield, a Santa Barbara native who graduated from Santa Barbara High School in 1977, and a respected maestro and musician long-based in Liechtenstein, was awarded the prestigious Josef Gabriel von Rheinberger Prize in October.

Maxfield’s mother and longtime Santa Barbaran, Bette Maxfield, commented that her son’s musical journey had its formative stage at SBHS, “having grown up during the golden era when music was a vital part of education.” William went on to study in Paris and conduct in New York, Boston, and elsewhere and lectured at universities, including Harvard. He relocated to Liechtenstein in 1998 to forge a respected career and raise his family, with two daughters.

Maxfield notes that receiving the award “was a big surprise. The ‘Joseph Gabriel-Rheinberger-Preis’ has existed since 1976 and mine was given for ‘long-term musical and cultural contribution to the capital city of Vaduz and Liechtenstein,’ which is very gratifying. I was very surprised and pleased by the announcement, especially as I am not originally from Liechtenstein.”

His roots go back to the 805, and he echoes his mother’s comments about the importance of his early musical training. “I grew up and went to school in S.B. from 1964 to 1977, and what a wonderful time it was for music in the public schools,” he said. “We had outstanding teachers and big programs all the way through, but especially meaningful were Ike Jenkins [La Cumbre Junior High] and Phyllis Zimmerman [SBHS], both of whom deeply influenced my life, and with whom I kept friendships afterwards.”

Regarding the deceased, locally legendary mentors Maxfield mentioned, he commented, “It is still hard to visit and not be able to see them anymore. Their effect on Santa Barbara as a whole went far beyond music, and the city is filled with dynamic people who were molded by them. A large part of my acceptance speech focused on the importance of strong education of the arts in public schools.

“I do have to say that playing trumpet in the Youth Theater pit orchestra [in Santa Barbara] all those summers was a real blast. I finally introduced American musicals into the Musical Theater in Vaduz a few years ago, and after a collective national heart attack they have become very popular.”

For geographical context, Liechtenstein, nestled in the Alps between Switzerland and Austria, is one of the smallest nation-states in Europe. Although the nation is composed of roughly 62 square miles and has a population of only about 39,000, its cultural life, robust financial sector (it is considered the world’s wealthiest nation), and status as a winter sports haven give the country special cachet and global notability for its size.

The award is named after the celebrated composer Josef Rheinberger (1839-1901), who hailed from and represented the small country, though spending much of his life in nearby Bavaria. Maxfield points out that Rheinberger’s role as a national hero is similar to that of Sibelius in his native Finland. “He is the national composer and at the cathedral in Vaduz,” Maxfield explains, “where he was organist as a teenager and which still houses the ‘Rheinberger Organ.’ We perform his music regularly. We also sing several youthful works of Rheinberger that have never been published, and they are delightful. The national symphony orchestra, which only recently has become an outstanding professional ensemble, also performs his music regularly.

“Perhaps some of the church choirs in Santa Barbara would be interested in singing some Rheinberger one day.” 

Reflecting further on his youth here, Maxfield waxes nostalgic, noting that “the Mesa was the perfect place for a young, curious boy to grow up. Everybody knows the beauty, weather, and beaches — and they are a pleasant surprise every time I come back to visit — but for me it was full of great friends and something was always happening. We all had big dreams and were happy to be together.”