What is the last sound (music or otherwise) that inspired you? What was moving about it?
This summer, I was at the Chautauqua Institution in New York teaching and
coaching. During a break, I stepped outside and heard the opera department
rehearsing with the Chautauqua Orchestra at the Amphitheater. The sounds filtered
through the trees and wind as I walked down narrow lanes. It gave me chills and
reminded me how powerful music is to the human experience.
What is one piece of music a person new to the classical genre should listen to? Why?
Too hard to choose! But I’d say start with one movement from Bach’s St. John Passion; Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A Major; and any piano sonata by Beethoven. This list is
a little unorthodox, I realize.
You can have a meal with any musician, living or deceased. Who would you pick
and why?
Johann Sebastian Bach. Hands down, no contest. I’d probably be too nervous to
speak, but I would love to know more about his faith and the marvelous notes that he
wrote in the margins of his Calov Bible.
If you could select one stand-out moment of your time with the SLSO, what would
it be and why?
So many to choose from…every moment is special! Our tours have all been
fantastic, and I especially loved playing Messiaen’s Des canyons aux étoiles with
David Robertson. But for me, playing children’s concerts and waving at students
that I’ve just met outside is most meaningful. It is a joy when we make those
connections.
What makes the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra special?
The musicians make this orchestra unique in that we are extremely friendly, warm,
and kind. We also love collaborating, encouraging, and inspiring one another. We
work together very well as a team. I believe these characteristics help our music-making
abilities.
This interview appears in the September 2019 Playbill.