August 30th marks the beginning of my 23rd season with the Oregon Symphony. Closing in on a quarter century! Wow, where did the time go?
My first season I came to Portland from the Berkshire region of Massachusetts, where I was a Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center. I really had no idea what was ahead of me. I had won the Assistant principal position the previous May, the graduated from Peabody Conservatory with my Graduate Performance Diploma. Sometime in June I got a call from the then President of the orchestra, saying that the Principal violist had resigned, and James DePreist wanted to know if I would accept the title of Acting Principal viola. I did, and it was quite a ride for someone who had only played with school orchestras, summer festivals, and had a position with a regional, per-service orchestra in Maryland. This year is a bit of a closing of a cycle. Principal violist Joël Belgique is on leave this season, and Carlos Kalmar asked me if I would fill in as Principal for this season. So I will, and it should be a less adrenalized experience this time around! I’m sort of ready to come back, but also would love a week or two more to enjoy working in the garden, taking trips to the mountains and the beach, and just being a general homebody.
I’m not sure how frequently I will be updating the blog during the season, but be sure to sign up for email updates so you don’t miss new postings. Thanks for reading, and I’ll be in touch again soon!
