Seattle Symphony Music Director Gerard Schwarz and PO Principal Percussion Chris Deviney exchange friendly words during Tuesday's softball game.Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Seattle Symphony Music Director Gerard Schwarz and PO Principal Percussion Chris Deviney exchange friendly words during Tuesday's softball game.
seattle
the last few times i was in seattle, the weather was quite fickle. it would rain, be sunny, then rain again and so on. this time, the weather was absolutely perfect. after arriving, burchard and che-hung led us to a sushi restaurant they visited last time the orchestra was here. between 4 and 6 p.m., many places have "happy hour" sushi, making it $1 each piece. so of course, we went nuts.
today, a group of us went to pike place market for breakfast. while eating, we had a beautiful view of the bay, the cascade mountains and mt ranier. afterwards, we walked around the market area. it was fun to see all the fish, flower and fruit vendors, and even the original starbucks.
before leaving for tour, chris deviney organized a softball game against members of the seattle symphony. needless to say, we were victorious. burchard was definitely our mvp after hitting 2 home runs. it was so much fun to get to know our new friends in seattle.
the softball game clearly worked up our appetites so after getting a recommendation, we headed to another sushi restaurant. fortunately, they also had happy hour sushi!
i had been waiting to play in benaroya hall after hearing so much about it. 4 of my wife's cousins as well as several friends were in the sold-out audience. i could not believe this was our final performance before heading back to philadelphia. afterwards, maestro eschenbach hosted a dinner for the musicians, staff and donors back at the hotel. it was a perfect way for the tour to come to a close.
each concert on the tour was great and very well received. i had so much fun and hope those of you who could not be w/ us were able to catch a glimpse through our orchestra's blog. see you all back in philly!
today, a group of us went to pike place market for breakfast. while eating, we had a beautiful view of the bay, the cascade mountains and mt ranier. afterwards, we walked around the market area. it was fun to see all the fish, flower and fruit vendors, and even the original starbucks.
before leaving for tour, chris deviney organized a softball game against members of the seattle symphony. needless to say, we were victorious. burchard was definitely our mvp after hitting 2 home runs. it was so much fun to get to know our new friends in seattle.
the softball game clearly worked up our appetites so after getting a recommendation, we headed to another sushi restaurant. fortunately, they also had happy hour sushi!
i had been waiting to play in benaroya hall after hearing so much about it. 4 of my wife's cousins as well as several friends were in the sold-out audience. i could not believe this was our final performance before heading back to philadelphia. afterwards, maestro eschenbach hosted a dinner for the musicians, staff and donors back at the hotel. it was a perfect way for the tour to come to a close.
each concert on the tour was great and very well received. i had so much fun and hope those of you who could not be w/ us were able to catch a glimpse through our orchestra's blog. see you all back in philly!
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Last stop!
Well, we've finally arrived: it's the last performing day of the tour! We're in Seattle and today will FINALLY experience some 80 degree weather (reportedly; it's about 50 degrees at 8am). It is rather amusing that the city that should have the lowest temp on this tour will actually give us our warmest day in over two weeks.
Enough about the weather; this city is gorgeous. Even the plane trip from Eugene was one glorious view of Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainier, and other mountains in the Pacific and Cascade ranges.
I have spent little time in Seattle so have decided to do some touristy things first. Last night Rich Harlow and I went to the space needle and had a great meal atop the tower in the revolving restaurant. The views of the city, the mountain ranges, and Puget Sound were awesome. It was Memorial Day and there was much activity on the water; sail boats, sight-seeing ferries, and planes that took off and landed from the water. It was fun to read about the construction of the tower and the 1962 World's Fair's mission to present Seattle as a futuristic city. We took the monorail back towards out hotel and were astonished to realize that in the 60's, this monorail was supposed to be the model of future transportation!
Today we are heading out on an early morning city-tour to see some more of the many famous and beautiful sights: Pike Place Market, Pioneer Square, Waterfall Garden Park, Chinatown, Mercer Island, etc.
Tonight we will perform our final tour concert and then be treated to what will undoubtedly be a memorable party by Maestro Eschenbach.
We'll be home and performing again at the Kimmel, Mann, and our neighborhood series soon, so check our wesite for concert dates and times. Remember, you can bring your family and friends to our neighborhood concerts for free: what a great intro to the orchestra! See you there!
Enough about the weather; this city is gorgeous. Even the plane trip from Eugene was one glorious view of Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainier, and other mountains in the Pacific and Cascade ranges.
I have spent little time in Seattle so have decided to do some touristy things first. Last night Rich Harlow and I went to the space needle and had a great meal atop the tower in the revolving restaurant. The views of the city, the mountain ranges, and Puget Sound were awesome. It was Memorial Day and there was much activity on the water; sail boats, sight-seeing ferries, and planes that took off and landed from the water. It was fun to read about the construction of the tower and the 1962 World's Fair's mission to present Seattle as a futuristic city. We took the monorail back towards out hotel and were astonished to realize that in the 60's, this monorail was supposed to be the model of future transportation!
Today we are heading out on an early morning city-tour to see some more of the many famous and beautiful sights: Pike Place Market, Pioneer Square, Waterfall Garden Park, Chinatown, Mercer Island, etc.
Tonight we will perform our final tour concert and then be treated to what will undoubtedly be a memorable party by Maestro Eschenbach.
We'll be home and performing again at the Kimmel, Mann, and our neighborhood series soon, so check our wesite for concert dates and times. Remember, you can bring your family and friends to our neighborhood concerts for free: what a great intro to the orchestra! See you there!
better late than never
Hi all,
I had intended to write a bit more often, and have been ribbed repeatedly by a certain very diligent blogger on this site, but now we're at the last stop on tour and I'm writing my first entry. So I say better late than never. :) I'll start by listing the cities we've visited and the food that I ate that was famous for that town.
Kansas City--Barbecue
Chicago--Deep-Dish Pizza
Omaha--Steak
San Francisco--Dim Sum (in Chinatown)
Los Angeles--something expensive
San Diego--In N Out Burger
Eugene--something organic
The baked beans in Kansas City were out of this world.
I gave a masterclass in Chicago, our second stop on the tour. It was pretty much my first real masterclass. It can be slightly awkward for me in teaching situations since my students can be my age or even older (I'm 22), but I guess that will get better with time. :) It went well and afterward I got to have dinner with Gene Pokorny, the tuba player with the Chicago Symphony. I know him pretty well from having a number of lessons with him, and I guess we're friends now, although it feels weird to say that about someone you've idolized for a while. He's a great guy, and completely hilarious. He says I'm priveleged to live in Philadelphia, as it is the birthplace of Larry Fine of the Three Stooges. If he ever visits us in Philly, his ulterior motive will be to visit the Stoogeum outside the city.
I think most of us were pretty exhausted by the time we got to San Francisco. We had just traveled and performed for the last four days and three nights, and finally we got some time to rest and be tourists. After our free days in SF, about a third of the orchestra showed up with sunburns. :) My sunburn was from a 12-hour day of tourism, which included a morning boat tour, exploring Chinatown, hanging out at Pier 39 with the sea lions, biking across the Golden Gate Bridge, and a whole lot of walking. I did apply sunscreen in the morning, but my SPF 30 was no match for that massive amount of touristing.
My boyfriend Dave joined the tour in Los Angeles. He was excited because he got to ride the train with us from LA to San Diego. He's a HUGE railfan. It's very cute. We had a hotel room in Eugene that had a balcony that overlooked a train station. In the morning Dave heard a train coming and was so excited to go watch it that he forgot he was only wearing his underwear. :) Don't worry, I reminded him in time.
It's getting a little late. I'll try to write some more stories later, but given my track record so far... I guess we'll see...
I had intended to write a bit more often, and have been ribbed repeatedly by a certain very diligent blogger on this site, but now we're at the last stop on tour and I'm writing my first entry. So I say better late than never. :) I'll start by listing the cities we've visited and the food that I ate that was famous for that town.
Kansas City--Barbecue
Chicago--Deep-Dish Pizza
Omaha--Steak
San Francisco--Dim Sum (in Chinatown)
Los Angeles--something expensive
San Diego--In N Out Burger
Eugene--something organic
The baked beans in Kansas City were out of this world.
I gave a masterclass in Chicago, our second stop on the tour. It was pretty much my first real masterclass. It can be slightly awkward for me in teaching situations since my students can be my age or even older (I'm 22), but I guess that will get better with time. :) It went well and afterward I got to have dinner with Gene Pokorny, the tuba player with the Chicago Symphony. I know him pretty well from having a number of lessons with him, and I guess we're friends now, although it feels weird to say that about someone you've idolized for a while. He's a great guy, and completely hilarious. He says I'm priveleged to live in Philadelphia, as it is the birthplace of Larry Fine of the Three Stooges. If he ever visits us in Philly, his ulterior motive will be to visit the Stoogeum outside the city.
I think most of us were pretty exhausted by the time we got to San Francisco. We had just traveled and performed for the last four days and three nights, and finally we got some time to rest and be tourists. After our free days in SF, about a third of the orchestra showed up with sunburns. :) My sunburn was from a 12-hour day of tourism, which included a morning boat tour, exploring Chinatown, hanging out at Pier 39 with the sea lions, biking across the Golden Gate Bridge, and a whole lot of walking. I did apply sunscreen in the morning, but my SPF 30 was no match for that massive amount of touristing.
My boyfriend Dave joined the tour in Los Angeles. He was excited because he got to ride the train with us from LA to San Diego. He's a HUGE railfan. It's very cute. We had a hotel room in Eugene that had a balcony that overlooked a train station. In the morning Dave heard a train coming and was so excited to go watch it that he forgot he was only wearing his underwear. :) Don't worry, I reminded him in time.
It's getting a little late. I'll try to write some more stories later, but given my track record so far... I guess we'll see...
Monday, May 28, 2007
san francisco #2 - eugene
hanging out w/ my cousin and his family was a blast. though his daughters were sick, they never seemed to get tired. i think i read about 20 curious george stories for my niece. they are so much fun to play w/ and i can't wait to have kids of my own.
that night, we were finally joined by matthias goerne, who sounded amazing as always. it was another packed house and i'm sure we will be back again. i think my wife's cousin was there but i didn't get a chance to talk to her. i actually didn't play in the first half so i hope she didn't think i wasn't playing the concert.
we arrived in eugene the next afternoon and immediately, things felt different. the air was so fresh, and there was much more green and a lot less concrete. the pacific northwest is such a beautiful area. after eating w/ a group of people, we checked out some of the surrounding stores, including the original nike store (or at least the one that replaced the original).
after the concert, there was a reception for us at the hall. the mayor of eugene gave us a warm welcome and asked us to come back soon. the food was wonderful and even though i don't like sweet things very much, they had chocolate-covered strawberries which i cannot resist. i lost count after 7 or 8. mmmmmmmmmmmmm....
that night, we were finally joined by matthias goerne, who sounded amazing as always. it was another packed house and i'm sure we will be back again. i think my wife's cousin was there but i didn't get a chance to talk to her. i actually didn't play in the first half so i hope she didn't think i wasn't playing the concert.
we arrived in eugene the next afternoon and immediately, things felt different. the air was so fresh, and there was much more green and a lot less concrete. the pacific northwest is such a beautiful area. after eating w/ a group of people, we checked out some of the surrounding stores, including the original nike store (or at least the one that replaced the original).
after the concert, there was a reception for us at the hall. the mayor of eugene gave us a warm welcome and asked us to come back soon. the food was wonderful and even though i don't like sweet things very much, they had chocolate-covered strawberries which i cannot resist. i lost count after 7 or 8. mmmmmmmmmmmmm....
More "Glamour"
We started off the day by bussing to Oakland, CA and were able to have a private security check and a tarmac departure, avoiding the airport lines completely. All went well on our brief charter flight to Eugene, Oregon, a beautiful gem of a city that the orchestra last visited in 1989.
On the busses to the hotel, we were warned that not all of the hotel rooms were ready for us to check into yet so we were prepared to find a late lunch and wait it out. Many of us chose the restaurant in the hotel and were treated to excellent planked salmon but also a view of the luggage truck getting stuck under the portico of the hotel. It was quite entertaining to watch the truck drivers trying to get the truck out without further damaging the ceiling of the portico.
Many of us were in for almost a 2 hour wait before finally receiving our rooms and resting up before the evening's performance. We played in the Hult Center, which is celebrating it's 25th anniversary and there was a lovely reception after the concert where we were greeted by the mayor of Eugene and many loyal supporters of the arts.
Tomorrow we will fly to Seattle and will perform our final concert Tuesday evening before flying home on Wednesday. I want to say that I will be happy to be home and "off the road" for awhile, but I am departing for Rome on June 1 where my husband and daughter and I have been invited to perform at the Vatican, so I will have just enough time to do laundry, teach half a dozen students, and repack before the next adventure!
On the busses to the hotel, we were warned that not all of the hotel rooms were ready for us to check into yet so we were prepared to find a late lunch and wait it out. Many of us chose the restaurant in the hotel and were treated to excellent planked salmon but also a view of the luggage truck getting stuck under the portico of the hotel. It was quite entertaining to watch the truck drivers trying to get the truck out without further damaging the ceiling of the portico.
Many of us were in for almost a 2 hour wait before finally receiving our rooms and resting up before the evening's performance. We played in the Hult Center, which is celebrating it's 25th anniversary and there was a lovely reception after the concert where we were greeted by the mayor of Eugene and many loyal supporters of the arts.
Tomorrow we will fly to Seattle and will perform our final concert Tuesday evening before flying home on Wednesday. I want to say that I will be happy to be home and "off the road" for awhile, but I am departing for Rome on June 1 where my husband and daughter and I have been invited to perform at the Vatican, so I will have just enough time to do laundry, teach half a dozen students, and repack before the next adventure!
Saturday, May 26, 2007
san diego
though i stayed w/ my friend, i was able to meet up w/ the rest of the orchestra by catching the train they were on at the irvine stop. it was a beautiful ride along the coast. soon after arriving, rich amoroso (violin) and i set out to walk along the water in search of a beach. unfortunately, there were none to be found so we continued along and eventually wandered into the city. there was a "little italy" section and he remembered a meal he had eaten the last time the orchestra was in san diego so we searched until we found the restaurant. rich is pretty serious about food, especially italian, so him being excited about this meal made me all the more ecstatic. we each ordered a small plate of pasta and a large prosciutto sandwich. we planned to eat half at the restaurant and the other half after the concert. it's always nice to have something to look forward to.
i thought the food was great and while he agreed, he told me his mother's and wife's cooking is far better. i can't wait for him to invite me over to one of his weekly family dinners!
we had such a great time, sharing stories and talking about the tour. i've been having a wonderful tour but compared to him, i feel like i haven't done anything. while in san francisco, he, david kim, burchard tang and chris deviney all went to play at the legendary pebble beach golf course. he even shot a 75! you may see him at the next pga tournament alongside tiger and phil.
then in l.a., he and several others went to one of the final tapings of "the price is right". although none of them were called to "come onnnnnnnnnnnn down!", it will be fun to look for them in the audience when the show airs on june 1.
then today (friday), while about half the orchestra (including myself) left for san francisco, he (and probably the same group) stayed in san diego to play golf at another great course, torrey pines. thankfully, they took lots of pictures.
today ended up being quite an adventure for me as i scoured the city for a rental car. i had been looking forward to returning to san francisco because it meant seeing my cute nieces again. but when we arrived in oakland, i found out that they were very sick (both had fevers of 104). since my cousin couldn't pick me up, i decided to rent a car and get to his place on my own. i just rented a car in l.a. a few weeks ago for a good price so i thought it wouldn't be a problem to get a car for one day. but what i failed to realize was that it was memorial day weekend. i started to worry after being told for the 6th time that nothing was available. so i headed back to the hotel hoping to find a way by public transportation. when i asked the concierge about this and explained my situation, she made a phone call and within 5 seconds, i had a mid-size car. apparentely, the hotel had some sort of contract w/ hertz. if only i had known this 2 hours ago......
i thought the food was great and while he agreed, he told me his mother's and wife's cooking is far better. i can't wait for him to invite me over to one of his weekly family dinners!
we had such a great time, sharing stories and talking about the tour. i've been having a wonderful tour but compared to him, i feel like i haven't done anything. while in san francisco, he, david kim, burchard tang and chris deviney all went to play at the legendary pebble beach golf course. he even shot a 75! you may see him at the next pga tournament alongside tiger and phil.
then in l.a., he and several others went to one of the final tapings of "the price is right". although none of them were called to "come onnnnnnnnnnnn down!", it will be fun to look for them in the audience when the show airs on june 1.
then today (friday), while about half the orchestra (including myself) left for san francisco, he (and probably the same group) stayed in san diego to play golf at another great course, torrey pines. thankfully, they took lots of pictures.
today ended up being quite an adventure for me as i scoured the city for a rental car. i had been looking forward to returning to san francisco because it meant seeing my cute nieces again. but when we arrived in oakland, i found out that they were very sick (both had fevers of 104). since my cousin couldn't pick me up, i decided to rent a car and get to his place on my own. i just rented a car in l.a. a few weeks ago for a good price so i thought it wouldn't be a problem to get a car for one day. but what i failed to realize was that it was memorial day weekend. i started to worry after being told for the 6th time that nothing was available. so i headed back to the hotel hoping to find a way by public transportation. when i asked the concierge about this and explained my situation, she made a phone call and within 5 seconds, i had a mid-size car. apparentely, the hotel had some sort of contract w/ hertz. if only i had known this 2 hours ago......
Friday, May 25, 2007
California Sun(less!)
While you guys back in Philly seem to be thrust into summer weather, we continue to elude the heat and keep digging back into the suitcases and wardrobe trunks for sweaters and jackets. Despite the temps, California has had much to take advantage of as we move around the state by bus, train, and plane.
LA was interesting in many respects. I'd heard the LA Philharmonic in Disney Hall last June but this was our first time performing there. When I was an audience member I kept thinking that the organ pipes were a gigantic pac of fries and when I was performing on stage I kept thinking I was smelling Bob Cafaro's vegie oil powered car (just kidding!).
The next morning Hirono Oka and I went on a tour of the Colburn School's impressive facilities. Situated across the street from Disney Hall, it is in a fabulous location and is undergoing an expansion that will more than double its size, including more studio space, dormatories, cafeteria, and another concert hall. Heifetz's violin studio has been moved from his house to the inside of the Colburn School. We were able to go inside the studio and see the studio as it was when Heifetz used it for his practicing, rehearsing, and teaching.
Later that afternoon, many ladies of the orchestra were seen coming and going from the spa at the hotel which offered an incredible menu of luxurious massages and facials.
The concert in Costa Mesa was reached via bus thru incredible traffic. Once there, however, we were amazed at the pristine city and the depth of cultural interest as there are two beautiful concert halls side by side.
The trip to San Diego was on a a double decker Amtrak train. We enjoyed being able to view miles and miles of the Pacific coast beaches as we sped along. The hotel in San Diego was right on the water and there was time for a leisurly stroll amongst the harbor shops and restaurants before our concert.
Today about half the orchestra spent their free day in San Diego and the rest of us took a Southwest charter back to San Francisco. Southwest is quickly becoming the musicians' favorite airline as there are always loads of fun and games included in the ride. Today we were treated to a hilarious rendition of the usual ho-hum safety announcements by Bob Cafaro and Julie Kim.
Tomorrow evening the orchestra will reunite for a second concert in Davies Hall and I plan to enjoy more of what San Francisco has to offer during the day, wearing my heaviest sweater, of course!
LA was interesting in many respects. I'd heard the LA Philharmonic in Disney Hall last June but this was our first time performing there. When I was an audience member I kept thinking that the organ pipes were a gigantic pac of fries and when I was performing on stage I kept thinking I was smelling Bob Cafaro's vegie oil powered car (just kidding!).
The next morning Hirono Oka and I went on a tour of the Colburn School's impressive facilities. Situated across the street from Disney Hall, it is in a fabulous location and is undergoing an expansion that will more than double its size, including more studio space, dormatories, cafeteria, and another concert hall. Heifetz's violin studio has been moved from his house to the inside of the Colburn School. We were able to go inside the studio and see the studio as it was when Heifetz used it for his practicing, rehearsing, and teaching.
Later that afternoon, many ladies of the orchestra were seen coming and going from the spa at the hotel which offered an incredible menu of luxurious massages and facials.
The concert in Costa Mesa was reached via bus thru incredible traffic. Once there, however, we were amazed at the pristine city and the depth of cultural interest as there are two beautiful concert halls side by side.
The trip to San Diego was on a a double decker Amtrak train. We enjoyed being able to view miles and miles of the Pacific coast beaches as we sped along. The hotel in San Diego was right on the water and there was time for a leisurly stroll amongst the harbor shops and restaurants before our concert.
Today about half the orchestra spent their free day in San Diego and the rest of us took a Southwest charter back to San Francisco. Southwest is quickly becoming the musicians' favorite airline as there are always loads of fun and games included in the ride. Today we were treated to a hilarious rendition of the usual ho-hum safety announcements by Bob Cafaro and Julie Kim.
Tomorrow evening the orchestra will reunite for a second concert in Davies Hall and I plan to enjoy more of what San Francisco has to offer during the day, wearing my heaviest sweater, of course!
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Familiar Faces Along the Journey
I have been blessed on this tour reuniting with family members, friends, former colleagues, and students! On our first stop in Kansas City, I met with a childhood friend from my hometown who now works as an artist for Hallmark Cards, which is headquartered there. In Chicago, I met up with former Philadelphia Orchestra members Charles Vernon and Chris Martin, now prominent members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra brass section. Charlie treated Blair Bollinger and me to a delicious dinner at the legendary Berghof Restaurant near the concert hall, while Chris invited me along with several other colleagues to a party at his nearby high-rise condo after the concert.
Three cousins - one of whom I hadn't seen in fifty years! - drove many miles to hear our concert in Omaha. So far on this tour, my favorite hall in most respects has been the Holland Center in Omaha. The sound of the orchestra seemed extra *hot* there with extra resonance. Since our flight from Omaha to San Francisco was a charter flight, the pilot announced that the cockpit would be open throughout the trip and welcomed anyone who was interested to come up for a visit. I took advantage of this opportunity (see photo under Davis, CA pictures on the orchestra tour Web site) and enjoyed particularly the panoramic view of the snow-capped Rocky Mountains from the cockpit.
My wife joined me on the tour in San Francisco, to my great delight, and will remain until our last concert in California on Sunday. Once we got to LA, my wife and I were escorted all over the area by a former student, Jay Cohen, who is the bugler for the Santa Anita Racetrack. We got a private tour of the race track and when we were out to dinner, I even got to meet famous Panamanian jockey Laffit Pincay, Jr!
It has really been a pleasure to have had these personal contacts along the way. Looking forward to the remaining concerts!
Three cousins - one of whom I hadn't seen in fifty years! - drove many miles to hear our concert in Omaha. So far on this tour, my favorite hall in most respects has been the Holland Center in Omaha. The sound of the orchestra seemed extra *hot* there with extra resonance. Since our flight from Omaha to San Francisco was a charter flight, the pilot announced that the cockpit would be open throughout the trip and welcomed anyone who was interested to come up for a visit. I took advantage of this opportunity (see photo under Davis, CA pictures on the orchestra tour Web site) and enjoyed particularly the panoramic view of the snow-capped Rocky Mountains from the cockpit.
My wife joined me on the tour in San Francisco, to my great delight, and will remain until our last concert in California on Sunday. Once we got to LA, my wife and I were escorted all over the area by a former student, Jay Cohen, who is the bugler for the Santa Anita Racetrack. We got a private tour of the race track and when we were out to dinner, I even got to meet famous Panamanian jockey Laffit Pincay, Jr!
It has really been a pleasure to have had these personal contacts along the way. Looking forward to the remaining concerts!
costa mesa
since i was planning to stay w/ a friend in irvine after the concert, i had to pack up and check out of the hotel in l.a. for lunch, several of us headed to little tokyo where i met up w/ an old colleague of mine from fort worth who is now in the detroit symphony. afterwards, i did some gift shopping and then headed to costa mesa on the early bus.
while in california and other than korean food, there was only 1 place i had to make sure i went to, in-n-out burger. thankfully, one was within walking distance from the hall and it was even better than i remembered it to be.
i believe segerstrom hall just opened in september and in a short time, has already received much acclaim. inside and out, it is absolutely stunning. tonight was a very different program w/ the schoenberg chamber symphony, mozart (in place of the schubert songs) and brahms symphony #1. for an encore, we played one of brahms' hungarian dances. several old friends who i used to go to church w/ in boston, and their children came and were blown away. they all live about 10 minutes from this hall and really want to attend more concerts now. afterwards, 3 of us went to a 24 hr soon dubu (soft tofu stew) place and reminisced about old times over some good korean food.
w/ all the places i mentioned in my san francisco and l.a. posts, i would have to say california is home to some of the best eating in the world. now if we could only do something about the traffic......
while in california and other than korean food, there was only 1 place i had to make sure i went to, in-n-out burger. thankfully, one was within walking distance from the hall and it was even better than i remembered it to be.
i believe segerstrom hall just opened in september and in a short time, has already received much acclaim. inside and out, it is absolutely stunning. tonight was a very different program w/ the schoenberg chamber symphony, mozart (in place of the schubert songs) and brahms symphony #1. for an encore, we played one of brahms' hungarian dances. several old friends who i used to go to church w/ in boston, and their children came and were blown away. they all live about 10 minutes from this hall and really want to attend more concerts now. afterwards, 3 of us went to a 24 hr soon dubu (soft tofu stew) place and reminisced about old times over some good korean food.
w/ all the places i mentioned in my san francisco and l.a. posts, i would have to say california is home to some of the best eating in the world. now if we could only do something about the traffic......
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Eating On The Road
Tuesday, May 15 - One of my favorite aspects of touring is the opportunity to dine out. I love trying local specialties and having the chance to spend time with my colleagues and closest friends. When we are in our daily routines back home in Philadelphia, occasions to spend time together don’t come up very often. Tour can provide a great bonding experience as we become closer with one another. What better way to do that than over a terrific meal?
Wednesday, May 16 - One of my first enjoyable meals on tour followed the concert at Symphony Center in Chicago. Wagner a dear friend of mine from Chicago, arranged for a small group of us to eat at a Spanish tapas restaurant called Iberico. It is ranked one of many popular establishments for its fun atmosphere, quality of food and overall price. And this was apparent the minute we stepped in the door. Over the course of a couple of hours, we must have shared 7 or 8 wonderful dishes, including the house paella. The evening was also particularly special for me because my closest college friends rubbed shoulders with my some of my closest orchestra friends. What a treat to sit back and watch.
Thursday, May 17 - Omaha provided my next memorable meal with fellow clarinetist, Raoul Querze and his wife Lorraine. Although Raoul and I see each other every day at work, it was extra special to spend the evening together, while enjoying a fabulous steak dinner at Omaha Prime. He and Lorraine told side-splitting stories of life in the orchestra of days past. If you should ever have the chance to spend the evening with the Querze’s, take it. I promise you will not regret it. They will make you laugh like you never laughed before. Thanks Raoul and Lorraine!
Sunday, May 20 - Ah San Francisco….! We’ve been here for several days, and with so many top quality restaurants, it is difficult to list my favorites. However, every time I visit San Francisco, I make it a point to stop in at House of NanKing. On this trip, it certainly lived up to my expectations. The owner and chef took care of us in his typical fashion: first he made sure we had a glance at the menu just to wet our palates. Then he asked his classic question, “Have you been here before?” We say yes, and the menus are quickly taken away, and then followed by special dishes of his choice. I have a feeling the same thing would have happened if we had said no. We don’t mind, as every single entree was perfectly balanced with flavors and seemed to have a special ingredient that we couldn’t quite put our finger on. On our return to San Francisco later in the tour, I definitely plan to visit one more time.
Monday, May 21 - Before we departed for Los Angeles, I visited a few Italian restaurants in the North Beach area. The homemade pastas, pastries and gelato are all hard to beat. Tonight I actually enjoyed a wonderful dinner by myself, which I don’t do very often. My search for just the right Italian restaurant proved quite fruitful. I settled on one that was very crowded (always a good sign) and negotiated a small table off to the side. It was called Rose Pistola. The waiter brought house favorites, which included a fava bean and pecorino salad, osso buco with garlic herbed mashed potatoes, and for dessert, a moist fig cake drizzled with a balsamic reduction and a homemade caramel sauce, dried cherries and a side of crème fraiche. A wonderful cappuccino almost completed a great evening. However, the only thing missing was some company.
Wednesday, May 16 - One of my first enjoyable meals on tour followed the concert at Symphony Center in Chicago. Wagner a dear friend of mine from Chicago, arranged for a small group of us to eat at a Spanish tapas restaurant called Iberico. It is ranked one of many popular establishments for its fun atmosphere, quality of food and overall price. And this was apparent the minute we stepped in the door. Over the course of a couple of hours, we must have shared 7 or 8 wonderful dishes, including the house paella. The evening was also particularly special for me because my closest college friends rubbed shoulders with my some of my closest orchestra friends. What a treat to sit back and watch.
Thursday, May 17 - Omaha provided my next memorable meal with fellow clarinetist, Raoul Querze and his wife Lorraine. Although Raoul and I see each other every day at work, it was extra special to spend the evening together, while enjoying a fabulous steak dinner at Omaha Prime. He and Lorraine told side-splitting stories of life in the orchestra of days past. If you should ever have the chance to spend the evening with the Querze’s, take it. I promise you will not regret it. They will make you laugh like you never laughed before. Thanks Raoul and Lorraine!
Sunday, May 20 - Ah San Francisco….! We’ve been here for several days, and with so many top quality restaurants, it is difficult to list my favorites. However, every time I visit San Francisco, I make it a point to stop in at House of NanKing. On this trip, it certainly lived up to my expectations. The owner and chef took care of us in his typical fashion: first he made sure we had a glance at the menu just to wet our palates. Then he asked his classic question, “Have you been here before?” We say yes, and the menus are quickly taken away, and then followed by special dishes of his choice. I have a feeling the same thing would have happened if we had said no. We don’t mind, as every single entree was perfectly balanced with flavors and seemed to have a special ingredient that we couldn’t quite put our finger on. On our return to San Francisco later in the tour, I definitely plan to visit one more time.
Monday, May 21 - Before we departed for Los Angeles, I visited a few Italian restaurants in the North Beach area. The homemade pastas, pastries and gelato are all hard to beat. Tonight I actually enjoyed a wonderful dinner by myself, which I don’t do very often. My search for just the right Italian restaurant proved quite fruitful. I settled on one that was very crowded (always a good sign) and negotiated a small table off to the side. It was called Rose Pistola. The waiter brought house favorites, which included a fava bean and pecorino salad, osso buco with garlic herbed mashed potatoes, and for dessert, a moist fig cake drizzled with a balsamic reduction and a homemade caramel sauce, dried cherries and a side of crème fraiche. A wonderful cappuccino almost completed a great evening. However, the only thing missing was some company.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
A Note from my Home where I‘ve never lived.
Cellist Bob Cafaro at Juicey Lucy’s restaurant and juice bar in San Francisco
Several weeks ago I saw the documentary “Who Killed the Electric Car?” and have been unable to stop thinking about it since. The film is about the prematurely extinct automobiles that complied with California’s bold Zero Emission Vehicle mandate, which also suffered an early death. It is about the electric car, but in many ways it has little to do with it. Spending time in California has made me realize it is about a widespread mindset and culture which is home to me, yet I have never lived here. Not blindly accepting the way things are done and constantly looking for “a better way” has always been my passion. My parents taught me these values from the time I was very young as they were both “street smart” and were always thinking of better ways to do everyday things. I have always been concerned about the environment, long before the sudden popular awareness of climate change.
When I bought my Cherry Hill NJ home in February of 2001, I noticed my neighbor’s lawn across the street looked dead but didn’t think much of it. But when spring came his lawn started looking like a lush green golf course. That summer saw a severe drought and everyone complied with the watering restriction, turning their lawns turn a sad shade of brown. Yet this neighbor’s lawn was a vibrant green. I asked him if he was doing “midnight” watering to get his lawn looking so perfect and he replied “Nope. I don’t water it at all.” In disbelief, I asked how that was possible. He continued “I don’t water it, feed it or use any herbicides or pesticides.” It turned out his lawn was not common grass but Zoysia grass, which explained the dormant winter brown. A revelation! I have always wished for an environmentally friendly lawn and here was the answer. It is no secret that Americans use massive amounts of potable water and fertilizer on their lawns – and we don’t even eat the stuff! A member of the Orchestra recently had his two dogs euthanized as they both had terminal cancer. His veterinarian swears this increasingly common fate is the result of the widespread indiscriminate use of lawn chemicals. To start a Zoysia lawn one buys Zoysia “plugs”, plants them in the lawn one foot apart and in 3 years they spread to give an environmentally friendly lawn. I immediately started trimming the edges of my neighbors’ lawn (a free service for both parties!) and planted the trimmings all around the house, and now about half of our lawn is Zoysia. Without watering the lawn, our water bills are a delight as our total usage averages about 2000 gallons per month. The list goes on as the attic recently needed to be insulated. Instead of the common fiberglass the choice was non-toxic insulation that is blown in and does a better job anyway. Every light fixture inside and outside our home has low energy florescent bulbs.
Ever notice how much garbage Americans produce? It is no surprise that we produce more per capita than any nation on earth. The solution to this one was a no-brainer as we compost our food scraps and produce about one third the amount of trash we used to. If I ran the country all grade school children would take 2 field trips per year – to a landfill. Sure they would gag and complain but if they saw where all the garbage actually goes, they might think twice about the volume of trash they produce. When we needed flooring in the house the choice was recycled wood with a laminate finish. Our laundry also fits the mold as our front loading washer uses 40% less water than a top loader and we always try to do laundry when the sun and clothesline can take the place of the dryer. My wife recently wanted a cutting board so I got her a really nice one made of bamboo, which is the perfect sustainable wood source.
Transportation is one of the worst sources of environmental damage and pollution in the world. Americans are 5% of the planet’s population yet we use 25% of the world’s oil. Most of that is used for transportation and it is estimated that 66% of all driving is elective. We have become a society that is hopelessly dependant on our cars for everything and I strongly believe the alarming rise of so many serious health issues is primarily due to lifestyle – lack of exercise and diet. Cars have become a substitute for walking and for this we pay a heavy price. Outside of the cities we do very little walking, so I bike to work whenever possible. The trip to the Kimmel Center from my home in Cherry Hill is 11.6 miles and takes 50 minutes. This is less time than it takes to drive to the train station, find a place to park, walk to the platform, wait for the train and ride it into town. This not only keeps one in top physical condition, but it saves the gym membership fees, the time at the gym, and the time and fuel used to drive back and forth. Safety during the ride is not an issue, as back roads are mapped out for the entire trip and the Ben Franklin Bridge has an awesome pedestrian walkway. The most unfortunate necessity is the car, so last year I picked up a 1984 Volkswagen diesel with that gets about 45 MPG. This car had low mileage and was never driven in snow so it looks almost new. This car is a dream as I installed a vegetable oil conversion kit from Greasecar.com and now the car is a dual fuel vehicle which runs on WVO (waste vegetable oil) as well as diesel. Where does one get WVO? Our favorite Japanese restaurant discards 5 gallons of used soybean oil every day and the owner is thrilled when I take it away. The oil is filtered, stored in containers and poured into the vehicle’s dedicated WVO tank. This messy process takes time but is well worth the effort as I have driven over 13,000 miles for free - on someone’s garbage! Even the 5 gallon metal soybean oil cans which the restaurant happily includes with the waste oil are put to good use as our local junk collector takes them on trash day and sells them for scrap metal. It should be noted that running a car on WVO is far less polluting than petroleum as there is no sulfur or particles, and the exhaust smells like someone is cooking rather than the noxious smell of diesel exhaust. The funniest part of this project is the owner of that restaurant now expects me to take far more WVO than I can possibly use. The answer here is to convert our furnace to WVO, taking more of that oil and heating the house for free. This is my next project and my wife is really going to love this one!
One of the best things about being out in California is the food available to people like me that prefer an organic vegetarian diet. I found my dream restaurant in San Francisco, Juicey Lucy's and the food is so good and pure that I am currently negotiating with them to get them to deliver to New Jersey! The produce is much better here than back east, no doubt because of the climate and the multitude of organic farms. On these Orchestra tours our trunks to be used for instruments and concert dress only, but I must confess to bending the rules slightly - to the point where my wardrobe trunk looks more like a health food store. After all, you are what you eat and I would never be able to play after a Big Mac and fries! Many of my colleagues in the Orchestra find it amusing when I constantly munch on raw seeds, nuts and dried fruit back home, but on tour my popularity among the musicians mysteriously increases!
While my wife is not quite as passionate about simple, environmentally friendly living as I am, she is very supportive – to a point. She tolerates long rides in a 23 year old car sans airbags and antilock brakes but is no doubt comforted when asked “Honey, should we pay $3.25 a gallon for fuel or drive for free?” She says I tend to go overboard with it, but I wish she was here to see all these Californians who are overboard as well! The people out here who share my passion say they need ambassadors out east and maybe this is my next calling in life. In so many ways I would love to live here, but the fact is Philadelphia has the better Orchestra!
los angeles
one great thing (among many) about this u.s. tour is that many of our stops are in cities where i (or my wife) have family or friends. i was just in l.a. about 3 weeks ago for my grandmother's funeral and my entire family was worried about how my grandfather would be after her passing. thankfully, he seems to be doing pretty well. he is so proud of all his grandchildren and loves seeing us, so it is such a blessing to be able to spend time w/ him during the tour. i have included a picture we took upon my arrival w/ my grandfather, aunt and cousin.
as soon as we took that picture, we set out for our first of many "food fests". my aunt chose a place that had good naeng myun (buckwheat noodles in a cold broth). though that may not sound appetizing, let me assure you, it is DELICIOUS! another great thing about korean food is all the side dishes (bahn chahn). mmmmmmmm.........
after coming back, i watched some of the cavs-pistons basketball game as well as part of a korean drama w/ my grandfather. fell asleep pretty early which of course meant i woke up at 6.
even though i was pretty hungry in the morning, i decided to wait until we went out for lunch to eat (to maximize stomach capacity). thank goodness i did that because my aunt took me to a korean-chinese place and we ate so much. it was amazing.
several years ago, i took an audition for the l.a. philharmonic in walt disney hall. i remember liking the acoustics in one round and hating them in another. i had heard how great the acoustics were but every city w/ a new hall claims that. so i was more than a bit skeptical. but after tonight, i have to say the hype is well-deserved and i was extremely impressed w/ how things sounded there.
about 30 family members and friends attended the concert and when it was over, we met in the lobby for pictures. no matter where they were sitting (some of them sat behind the orchestra and some were sitting in the very last row of the 3rd balcony), everyone was in agreement on how much they enjoyed the concert.
afterwards, i went out w/ another aunt and her family for one last korean meal before calling it a night. i hope to be back soon.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Birthday in San Francisco!
During many of the orchestra's past domestic tours, I have somehow managed to land in San Francisco on my birthday. When my husband, emeritus co-concertmaster, William dePasquale, was still in the orchestra, he would always arrange something really special for us to do like a tour of the wine country or tickets to a special broadway show. This year I was able to celebrate all day with various colleagues from the orchestra.
I started the day (or my new year of life!) off by attending a church service at the famous Grace Cathedral on Nob Hill. Rich Harlow and Shelley Showers and I marveled at the physical and accoustical beauty of the church and the wonderful organist who played Messian most dramatically.
Harry Klein joined us for an elegant brunch at our hotel and then the four of us headed for the wharf to take a ferry for a sight seeing extravaganza to Alcatraz Island. We enjoyed a perfect weather day as did many locals who were out in the bay on sailboats and yachts. The Alcatraz tour is really interesting and there are gorgeous views of San Francisco and neighboring islands at every turn.
We performed in Davies Hall in the evening and to my delight, there was a pool table in the musicians' lounge. My husband, a fantastic pool "shark" had a table made for our house earlier this year and has been teaching me. I was able to play a couple of games with Tony Orlando, (who told me only after we started playing that his father once owned a pool hall) and actually won one of the games.
The concert was received with much enthusiam and we did our usual routine of playing an encore which roused the crowd to even greater heights. I wonder why we don't do that more often for our hometown audiences......??
After the concert, my birthday celebration concluded with a dinner that Derek Barnes organized at a restesaurant named Zuni which specialized in California cuisine and wines.
Some members of the orchestra went on to LA today and some of us elected to spend yet another gorgeous day in San Francisco. I spent a lot of time in the art gallaries and then was treated to yet another birthday dinner by Jason DePue at the Nob Hill Cafe
If I can't be home on my birthday, there is no better place to be than San Francisco!
I started the day (or my new year of life!) off by attending a church service at the famous Grace Cathedral on Nob Hill. Rich Harlow and Shelley Showers and I marveled at the physical and accoustical beauty of the church and the wonderful organist who played Messian most dramatically.
Harry Klein joined us for an elegant brunch at our hotel and then the four of us headed for the wharf to take a ferry for a sight seeing extravaganza to Alcatraz Island. We enjoyed a perfect weather day as did many locals who were out in the bay on sailboats and yachts. The Alcatraz tour is really interesting and there are gorgeous views of San Francisco and neighboring islands at every turn.
We performed in Davies Hall in the evening and to my delight, there was a pool table in the musicians' lounge. My husband, a fantastic pool "shark" had a table made for our house earlier this year and has been teaching me. I was able to play a couple of games with Tony Orlando, (who told me only after we started playing that his father once owned a pool hall) and actually won one of the games.
The concert was received with much enthusiam and we did our usual routine of playing an encore which roused the crowd to even greater heights. I wonder why we don't do that more often for our hometown audiences......??
After the concert, my birthday celebration concluded with a dinner that Derek Barnes organized at a restesaurant named Zuni which specialized in California cuisine and wines.
Some members of the orchestra went on to LA today and some of us elected to spend yet another gorgeous day in San Francisco. I spent a lot of time in the art gallaries and then was treated to yet another birthday dinner by Jason DePue at the Nob Hill Cafe
If I can't be home on my birthday, there is no better place to be than San Francisco!
san francisco #1
once again, i woke up much earlier than i wanted to. but it was good because i had to pack and check out of the hotel since i was going to stay w/ my cousin and his family tonight. he lives about 45 minutes outside of the city in san mateo. he used to work for george lucas at skywalker ranch on the star wars series (episodes 1-3) as a computer graphics artist. he has moved on since then and has most recently done work on "x-men 3", the upcoming transformers movie as well as "speed racer" (coming out in 2008). he gets to work w/ people like steven spielberg and the wachowski brothers. pretty cool.
anyway, he picked me up this morning and we went to church together in san jose. he and his wife came to the concert tonight so on the way, we had to drop off his daughters at the babysitters. if you haven't already noticed, they are the cutest girls. davies hall was nice but the stage was a bit cramped in the tchaikovsky. it was another packed house and the energy coming from the audience was pretty electrifying. it's always nice to be able to perform for family and friends. our next concert in l.a. is going to be filled w/ relatives. my wife and i have a ton of family there. one of her uncles there is a pastor and his whole church is coming!
we finally have a whole day off and i will be going to l.a. (while many are staying in san francisco) so i'm looking forward to spending time w/ my grandfather, aunt and her family. oh, and did i mention l.a. has the best korean food?
Sunday, May 20, 2007
San Francisco
What a great city! We could probably stay here a week and just begin to scrape the surface of sight-seeing here. I managed to pack in 3 really exciting days, though.
After the orchestra arrived from Omaha, a group of 7 of us took public transportation to McAfee Stadium - home of the Oakland A's. That night was an inter-league game and they played the San Francisco Giants.
Of course we were all eagerly anticipating a home-run from Barry Bonds, but were ultimately disappointed. (it'd be nice if they pitched a decent ball to him...) !! It was exciting to be in the home of the A's because they really killed the Giants! The final score was 15-3.
Yesterday, I explored the Ferry Building Marketplace and Farmer's Market where I found plenty of food to feed my hungry stomach. I also walked through China town and Union Square.
Today, Karen Haringa and I took a ferry over to Sausalito where we shopped some boutiques and ate at a great Italian restaurant for lunch. The ferry ride provided us with some amazing views of San Fran. and of Alcatraz...a hauntingly beautiful island. Of course before the ferry ride we wanted to walk through Fisherman's Wharf - a real tourist trap - but encountered HUNDREDS of sea lions frolicking, barking (it's the best way to describe their noises) and basking in the sunlight around Pier 39. What a hilarious sight!!
San Francisco has my "seal" of approval!
davis
after 3 days of playing concerts several hours after arriving in a new city, it was nice to finally have a "night off" in san francisco. several members met up w/ family and friends at the airport while others went out to oakland to catch a baseball game between the a's and giants. i was part of a group who headed straight for food of course. thankfully, our hotel was very close to chinatown, so led by our fearless leader che-hung (violist), we headed for a restaurant he had gotten a recommendation for. several hours after that feast, our group, w/ a few additions, headed for the fisherman's wharf area to eat crab. they were delicious and i literally thought my stomach would burst. on the way there, the walk was pretty much all downhill so on the way back, we did what everyone does when they visit san francisco, and caught a trolley back to the hotel.
i didn't last much longer that night and planned to finally sleep in w/out setting an alarm. when i woke up, i was for sure it was around 10 or 11 a.m. to my surprise, it was only 7:49 a.m. i guess i would have been correct if i was back on the east coast. after a brief stint in the fitness center (my first time in months and i probably spent more time watching tv than actually working out), i headed to chinatown for some dim sum. after exploring for a bit, i decided to go on the early bus to davis to get some practicing in.
it must have been 20 degrees warmer there. i didn't realize they had a new hall there as well. it was pretty nice. it was also packed as most of our concerts have been. the mozart just seems to get better each time, as well as the berlioz. judging my the applause, i think they loved it.
i didn't last much longer that night and planned to finally sleep in w/out setting an alarm. when i woke up, i was for sure it was around 10 or 11 a.m. to my surprise, it was only 7:49 a.m. i guess i would have been correct if i was back on the east coast. after a brief stint in the fitness center (my first time in months and i probably spent more time watching tv than actually working out), i headed to chinatown for some dim sum. after exploring for a bit, i decided to go on the early bus to davis to get some practicing in.
it must have been 20 degrees warmer there. i didn't realize they had a new hall there as well. it was pretty nice. it was also packed as most of our concerts have been. the mozart just seems to get better each time, as well as the berlioz. judging my the applause, i think they loved it.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
"Ah, the Glamour of it All!"
As I was packing at home for the start of the Philly Orchestra's tour, I eyed my suitcase with susupicion, as it was starting to show more than a little wear after perhaps a decade of touring and other personal trips. But, as usual, I had no time at the last minute to run out and replace it.
Saddly, when it arrived in my hotel room in Kansas City, I could only unzipper the main compartment about 3/4 of the way: totally unacceptable for a tour of this duration! I was quite nervous that the zipper might not hold for the flight to Chicago and that my clothes might be strewn here and there, but then I thought that it would be a great excuse to go shopping.
I had no time to shop in Kansas City as I had made arrangements to meet up with a couple of Kansas City musicians to dine at a famous barbeque restaurant. Being from Southern Indiana where folks take their barbeque seriously, I was NOT going to cancel that dinner engagement over a silly suitcase issue!
As soon as the busses dropped us off at the hotel in Chicago, Hai-Ye Ni and I headed for the famous Marshall Field's department store (now a Macy's!). We perused the extensive luggage selection and I left with two new pieces of luggage in a very snazzy cobalt blue color. Hai-Ye was also shopping for evening wear so we had a lot of fun trying on some rather outlandish dresses (no purchases!).
Tonight many of the cellists (and I'm sure that word will spread past the cello section) are planning on going out for the famous Omaha Steaks. We'll be thinking of you!
Cheers,
Gloria dePasquale
Saddly, when it arrived in my hotel room in Kansas City, I could only unzipper the main compartment about 3/4 of the way: totally unacceptable for a tour of this duration! I was quite nervous that the zipper might not hold for the flight to Chicago and that my clothes might be strewn here and there, but then I thought that it would be a great excuse to go shopping.
I had no time to shop in Kansas City as I had made arrangements to meet up with a couple of Kansas City musicians to dine at a famous barbeque restaurant. Being from Southern Indiana where folks take their barbeque seriously, I was NOT going to cancel that dinner engagement over a silly suitcase issue!
As soon as the busses dropped us off at the hotel in Chicago, Hai-Ye Ni and I headed for the famous Marshall Field's department store (now a Macy's!). We perused the extensive luggage selection and I left with two new pieces of luggage in a very snazzy cobalt blue color. Hai-Ye was also shopping for evening wear so we had a lot of fun trying on some rather outlandish dresses (no purchases!).
Tonight many of the cellists (and I'm sure that word will spread past the cello section) are planning on going out for the famous Omaha Steaks. We'll be thinking of you!
Cheers,
Gloria dePasquale
Friday, May 18, 2007
Philadelphia's Diversity
This tour has afforded me an advantage that I normally do not have: I am able to sit in the audience at each venue for the first half of the concert and actually participate with the audience in experiencing the magical musical collaboration of four of our principal wind players in their performance of Mozart Sinfonia Concertante. As I have listened with a mixture of pride, awe, and sheer joy at the beauty of their art, I am also struck by the incredible representation of a diversity that did not exist in orchestras until quite recently.
Jennifer Montone (principal horn), Ricardo Morales (principal clarinet), and Daniel Matsukawa (principal bassoon) all hold posts that until recently were unrepresented by either their sex or ethnicity. Richard Woodhams (principal oboe) is perhaps the only soloist of the group who still fits the preconceived notion of "the orchestra musician" but by the very virture of his unsurpassed musicianship, defies profiling.
Philadelphia Orchestra lacks diversity? I beg to differ and am proud and privileged to have been able to witness this and other transformations of our glorious orchestra in my three decades of service to this vibrant institution.
Come hear us and share the pride! We'll be home soon and in the mean time, we will continue bringing the world's best music to the audiences of the world.
Gloria dePasquale
Jennifer Montone (principal horn), Ricardo Morales (principal clarinet), and Daniel Matsukawa (principal bassoon) all hold posts that until recently were unrepresented by either their sex or ethnicity. Richard Woodhams (principal oboe) is perhaps the only soloist of the group who still fits the preconceived notion of "the orchestra musician" but by the very virture of his unsurpassed musicianship, defies profiling.
Philadelphia Orchestra lacks diversity? I beg to differ and am proud and privileged to have been able to witness this and other transformations of our glorious orchestra in my three decades of service to this vibrant institution.
Come hear us and share the pride! We'll be home soon and in the mean time, we will continue bringing the world's best music to the audiences of the world.
Gloria dePasquale
omaha
i had heard about omaha's new hall, but finally playing here really exceeded my expectations. more recently, someone told me it has the 5th best acoustics in the world (seriously). i'm not sure who came up w/ that but it definitely sounds good in there. from on stage, everything was so clear (even things like chairs squeaking). in the second half, instead of the tchaikovsky, we played symphonie fantastique by berlioz. although it's been a few weeks since our last performance, it didn't feel like it once we got started. everything went smoothly.
before the concert, yumi kendall, don liuzzi and i participated in a pre-concert reception for one of our sponsors, CertainTeed, where i was asked to say a few words. as i am terrible at public speaking, i was so thankful to have yumi and don there to help out during the q&a. together, i think we made a pretty good team.
after the concert, several of us stuck around to meet w/ a number of young musicians, many of whom are members of the omaha youth symphonies. their ages ranged from middle school to high school seniors. they were full of questions and so excited to talk w/ us. it's always great to talk and work w/ kids who are so passionate about music.
after meeting w/ the students, a large group of us met up at omaha prime, the steak house derek had found. apparently, they closed at 9:30 but stayed open to serve us. i didn't eat lunch or dinner in preparation for it. i was absolutely starving and my stomach made all sorts of noises during the mozart (and remember what i said about how clear everything sounded on stage?). but it was worth it. i hope we can come back here someday to play in this wonderful hall again and feast on omaha steaks afterwards.
before the concert, yumi kendall, don liuzzi and i participated in a pre-concert reception for one of our sponsors, CertainTeed, where i was asked to say a few words. as i am terrible at public speaking, i was so thankful to have yumi and don there to help out during the q&a. together, i think we made a pretty good team.
after the concert, several of us stuck around to meet w/ a number of young musicians, many of whom are members of the omaha youth symphonies. their ages ranged from middle school to high school seniors. they were full of questions and so excited to talk w/ us. it's always great to talk and work w/ kids who are so passionate about music.
after meeting w/ the students, a large group of us met up at omaha prime, the steak house derek had found. apparently, they closed at 9:30 but stayed open to serve us. i didn't eat lunch or dinner in preparation for it. i was absolutely starving and my stomach made all sorts of noises during the mozart (and remember what i said about how clear everything sounded on stage?). but it was worth it. i hope we can come back here someday to play in this wonderful hall again and feast on omaha steaks afterwards.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Chicago - my kind of town!
What a great way to start a U.S. tour - with a stop in your hometown! It was great to be back in Chicago yesterday where I met up with my Mom, sister, brother, and sister-in-law for dinner before the concert. We had a wonderful time catching up on family news and had many laughs at dinner.
Unfortunately, all I performed on in Chicago was the encore - Smetana's "Dance of the Comedians" from the Bartered Bride. Although it was a short experience on Orchestra Hall's stage, it was still incredible to be back. I had performed on that stage many times throughout my undergraduate degree at Northwestern University playing with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. I practically "grew up" in that Hall - listening to amazing performances by the CSO and participating in concerts of my own.
It's an amazing space and playing there again brought back lots of happy memories.
Thursday morning I had the chance to meet up with members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's percussion section (my beloved teachers and friends) for coffee before their 10 a.m. rehearsal. I also had the good fortune of listening to their rehearsal. The orchestra is as amazing as I remembered it 10 years ago.
Chicago was an inspiring stop - and one that I always cherish!
Unfortunately, all I performed on in Chicago was the encore - Smetana's "Dance of the Comedians" from the Bartered Bride. Although it was a short experience on Orchestra Hall's stage, it was still incredible to be back. I had performed on that stage many times throughout my undergraduate degree at Northwestern University playing with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. I practically "grew up" in that Hall - listening to amazing performances by the CSO and participating in concerts of my own.
It's an amazing space and playing there again brought back lots of happy memories.
Thursday morning I had the chance to meet up with members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's percussion section (my beloved teachers and friends) for coffee before their 10 a.m. rehearsal. I also had the good fortune of listening to their rehearsal. The orchestra is as amazing as I remembered it 10 years ago.
Chicago was an inspiring stop - and one that I always cherish!
chicago
it's no wonder they call chicago the "windy city" because it was windy, rainy and COLD! since most of the tour will be on the west coast, i didn't think to pack any warm clothes. most of my colleagues (or at least the ones i talked to) were definitely in the same boat. but it's a great city and it was so nice to finally play in their beautiful hall.
as i mentioned before, i met w/ my father's friend (actually his old grad school roommate) for dinner. he brought another couple and we ate at "rhapsody", the restaurant located inside the symphony center. apparently we had met some 20 years ago but of course, i was too young to remember. the place filled up quickly w/ concert-goers and several of my colleauges who were also meeting family and friends. the former concertmaster of the chicago symphony was also there (and at our concert).
we finished our dinner around 7 and since the concert wasn't until 8, i ran over to where burchard (violist) and efe (cellist) were meeting several friends who are members of the chicago symphony. one of them happens to be from my hometown of lexington, kentucky and recently got married to another old friend of mine. i had not seen nathan for about a year and a half and his wife akiko, for about 10 years. so it was great to hang out w/ them again.
from the first downbeat, it was clear the acoustics were great as everything sounded so different. our soloists in the mozart shined once again and the tchaikovsky felt even better. we received quite an ovation and played the smetana as an encore. it is always such a treat to play in such historic halls where so many great musicians once performed. paul arnold, one of our violinists who seems to know everything, mentioned how this was where heifetz and reiner recorded the brahms concerto and listed several other notable performances. i already look forward to playing here again someday.
my wife's uncle and aunt were also at the performance. they got seats behind the orchestra (equivalent to the conductor's cirlce seats at verizon hall) and absolutely loved them. they felt like maestro eschenbach was conducting them and that they were part of the performance. they can't wait for us to come back.
we're in omaha now and one of our cellists, derek barnes, learned of a steak place that is open late. i think word is getting around so you can guess where most of us will be after the concert.
as i mentioned before, i met w/ my father's friend (actually his old grad school roommate) for dinner. he brought another couple and we ate at "rhapsody", the restaurant located inside the symphony center. apparently we had met some 20 years ago but of course, i was too young to remember. the place filled up quickly w/ concert-goers and several of my colleauges who were also meeting family and friends. the former concertmaster of the chicago symphony was also there (and at our concert).
we finished our dinner around 7 and since the concert wasn't until 8, i ran over to where burchard (violist) and efe (cellist) were meeting several friends who are members of the chicago symphony. one of them happens to be from my hometown of lexington, kentucky and recently got married to another old friend of mine. i had not seen nathan for about a year and a half and his wife akiko, for about 10 years. so it was great to hang out w/ them again.
from the first downbeat, it was clear the acoustics were great as everything sounded so different. our soloists in the mozart shined once again and the tchaikovsky felt even better. we received quite an ovation and played the smetana as an encore. it is always such a treat to play in such historic halls where so many great musicians once performed. paul arnold, one of our violinists who seems to know everything, mentioned how this was where heifetz and reiner recorded the brahms concerto and listed several other notable performances. i already look forward to playing here again someday.
my wife's uncle and aunt were also at the performance. they got seats behind the orchestra (equivalent to the conductor's cirlce seats at verizon hall) and absolutely loved them. they felt like maestro eschenbach was conducting them and that they were part of the performance. they can't wait for us to come back.
we're in omaha now and one of our cellists, derek barnes, learned of a steak place that is open late. i think word is getting around so you can guess where most of us will be after the concert.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Warm up in Kansas City
Philadelphia Orchestra first violinist Daniel Han warms up backstage prior to the Orchestra's performance yesterday evening in Kansas City.
kansas city
how's it going? this is daniel han, one of the newer members (i play the violin) of the philadelphia orchestra. this is my first tour w/ philly so i thought it would be fun to try and keep some sort of account on how things are going. i didn't bring a computer so i may not be able to write every day but i'll try.
i never really thought traveling took a lot of energy. all i usually do on a plane is sleep but i definitely felt tired upon arriving in kansas city (probably because i waited until the night before leaving to do 2 loads of laundry). after checking into our hotel, i tried to get some rest, in front of the tv of course (free cable!). i decided it would be a good idea to get something to eat before the concert so i ventured out to look for food. unfortunately, most places downtown closed at 3 or 5 p.m. so i ended up getting mcdonald's. definitely not my first choice.
i headed to the hall a little early to warm up and look over the evening's program. by concert time, i think we were all pretty awake and ready to go. despite the hall being a bit dry, the concert went well. we started off w/ mozart's sinfonia concertante for winds and orchestra. it's pretty amazing to have such superstars in the music world as soloists and realize that they are my colleagues. dick, ricardo, danny and jen sounded amazing together. i am looking forward to hearing them throughout the tour.
the second half was tchaikovsky symphony #5. it is clear the orchestra knows this piece so well. it was a lot of fun and the audience loved it, so much so that we played an encore (dance of the comedians from smetana's opera, the bartered bride).
afterwards, an old colleague and i met up for dinner. he and i were in the fort worth symphony orchestra together for a little and he has since moved on to the st louis symphony. we hadn't seen each other in a long time so it was nice to catch up. he came w/ his girlfriend who turns out to be someone i went to school w/ in boston. such a small world. we had a great time.
we're heading to chicago this afternoon for another performance of the mozart and tchaikovsky.
i love chicago so i'm looking forward to playing there. i'm meeting a friend of my father's for dinner before the concert and my wife's uncle and aunt for dinner after the concert. so at least i won't be hungry. til next time.........
i never really thought traveling took a lot of energy. all i usually do on a plane is sleep but i definitely felt tired upon arriving in kansas city (probably because i waited until the night before leaving to do 2 loads of laundry). after checking into our hotel, i tried to get some rest, in front of the tv of course (free cable!). i decided it would be a good idea to get something to eat before the concert so i ventured out to look for food. unfortunately, most places downtown closed at 3 or 5 p.m. so i ended up getting mcdonald's. definitely not my first choice.
i headed to the hall a little early to warm up and look over the evening's program. by concert time, i think we were all pretty awake and ready to go. despite the hall being a bit dry, the concert went well. we started off w/ mozart's sinfonia concertante for winds and orchestra. it's pretty amazing to have such superstars in the music world as soloists and realize that they are my colleagues. dick, ricardo, danny and jen sounded amazing together. i am looking forward to hearing them throughout the tour.
the second half was tchaikovsky symphony #5. it is clear the orchestra knows this piece so well. it was a lot of fun and the audience loved it, so much so that we played an encore (dance of the comedians from smetana's opera, the bartered bride).
afterwards, an old colleague and i met up for dinner. he and i were in the fort worth symphony orchestra together for a little and he has since moved on to the st louis symphony. we hadn't seen each other in a long time so it was nice to catch up. he came w/ his girlfriend who turns out to be someone i went to school w/ in boston. such a small world. we had a great time.
we're heading to chicago this afternoon for another performance of the mozart and tchaikovsky.
i love chicago so i'm looking forward to playing there. i'm meeting a friend of my father's for dinner before the concert and my wife's uncle and aunt for dinner after the concert. so at least i won't be hungry. til next time.........
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Bon voyage!
Family, Friends, and Orchestra staff gather to say goodbye to The Philadelphia Orchestra's musicians, as they depart the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia en route to the airport to catch a plane to their first destination -- Kansas City, Missouri.
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