It’s hard to believe, but just over a day from now the Oregon Symphony returns to work for the 2012-2013 season. Each year the summer break seems to get shorter and shorter (when in fact it’s several weeks longer than it was when I joined the OSO in 1995), but it’s always nice to get back to the stage of the Schnitz and to see what my colleagues have been up to for the last two months.
There will be some new players to meet, too. Our new concertmaster, Sarah Kwak, joins us, along with her husband Vali Phillips, who is also a violinist. In addition, we welcome piccolo/3rd flute Zachariah Galatis to the flute section. And we welcome back, fresh from his stint with the San Francisco Symphony, trumpeter Micah Wilkinson, along with his lovely wife (oboist Stephanie) and their new daughter Eleanor.
It looks like our streak of fabulous weather for the August 30th Waterfront concert will continue this year – the action starts at 5:00 with the Portland Youth Philharmonic, and at 7:30 the Oregon Symphony takes the stage. A highlight will be the Black Swan pas de deux from Swan Lake performed by members of Oregon Ballet Theater (you’ll have to supply your own freaky psychotic visions). Of course, the whole thing will end with the 1812 Overture accompanied by howitzers ‘played’ by members of the 218th Field Artillery of the Oregon Army National Guard. And fireworks.