In her melodious volume of verse "Love Letters to Music," conductor JoAnn Falletta pays tribute to musicians and music she has conducted, with humor and an exuberance for her craft, even with "Bartok clanging in my head, banging from bone to bone ... "

Maestra Falletta is in town this week for two concerts with the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra.

Named by The New York Times as "One of the finest conductors of her generation," Falletta is in demand. Besides serving as the Honolulu Symphony's artistic adviser, she is music director of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.

Later this month she makes her British debut when she conducts the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic.

Constantly on the go, Falletta answered five questions via e-mail.

Q. Tell us about the music the symphony will perform tonight.

A. Joan Tower is one of our leading American composers and it is important for every orchestra to include works of living composers. 'Made in America' is unique in that it was designed to be premiered by an orchestra in each of the 50 states. We have the privilege of giving the Hawai'i premiere.

The Brahms was selected with the fabulous artistry of soloist Elmar Oliveira in mind ... and is one of the most beloved works of the violin concerto repertoire. It was written by Brahms for his best friend, violinist Joseph Joachim, so he lavished a great deal of affection on the work.

The Strauss Rosenkavalier Suite is a personal favorite of mine. It is an extraordinary work of lush symphonic sweep and also contains some of the most exquisite Viennese waltzes ever written. It is a deeply touching work about love, and growing older, and the meaning of beauty — the kind of music that will make you smile and perhaps shed a tear at the same time!"

Q. How unusual today are women conductors?

A. If we include university, choral, youth and community orchestras, about 20 percent of the conductors in our country are women. In the major symphony world, the numbers of women conducting are still small ... . I feel very fortunate — every day that I am on the podium I am living my dream come true. At 11 years old, I was fascinated with the concept of the orchestra and thought if I could be in the middle of all that extraordinary sound and energy, that I would have found the most beautiful way to spend my life. I still feel that way!

Q. How did "Love Letters to Music" come about?

A. Occasionally I write articles about music for various publications in the Buffalo or Norfolk areas. My poetry book was really my private diary, but my good friend, Rob Cross, director of the Virginia Arts Festival, published the poems as a fundraising project for the festival. The poems are memoirs about musicians I have worked with, and music I have conducted.

Q. What is important to wear/not wear on the podium?

A. It is important for me to look professional and nondistracting. So I always wear an outfit very similar to that of the orchestra musicians — formal black ... although I try to add a little splash of color or sparkle if I can. I need to be very free and unencumbered so I can move and never think about what I am wearing. For me, black knit suits are the most comfortable for concerts.

Q. What do you most want music lovers to know about this weekend's concerts?

A. We have the incomparable Elmar Oliveira playing one of the greatest violin concertos of all time, a Hawai'i premiere of a work by one of America's leading composers and one of the great romantic works of the literature — all played by the wonderful Honolulu Symphony! It is a concert not to be missed!

Reach Chris Oliver at coliver@honoluluadvertiser.com.