1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:20,680 Hi there, welcome to Notes from the Stage, a show from the musicians of the Calgary Philharmonic. 2 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:24,700 We're the people playing our hearts out on stage every week of the orchestra season. 3 00:00:24,700 --> 00:00:26,000 I'm Adams in a telly. 4 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:29,180 Usually I'm playing first trumpet in the Calgary Philharmonic, but today I'm your host and I'm 5 00:00:29,180 --> 00:00:31,680 here with Diana Cohen, concertmaster of the CPO. 6 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:32,680 Hi Diana. 7 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:34,880 Hi Adams, it's great to be here with you. 8 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:36,800 Thanks for sitting down with me today. 9 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:39,040 So this is the beginning of a new series. 10 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:44,720 This is the first real episode of this podcast that we're putting out and I'm really excited. 11 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:46,840 Congratulations for inaugurating it. 12 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:47,840 That's really exciting. 13 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:51,760 Yeah, so I thought you'd be the perfect person to sit down and talk with today to get things 14 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:55,400 started because you're the concertmaster of the orchestra. 15 00:00:55,400 --> 00:01:01,760 Now like, I mean, basic question here for someone who, you know, isn't in the business, 16 00:01:01,760 --> 00:01:02,960 what does that mean? 17 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:04,080 What is the concertmaster? 18 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:05,640 What is the role of the concertmaster? 19 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:08,600 It's a great question and I get asked that all the time. 20 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:12,200 One of our colleagues actually calls me the concert monster, which I particularly appreciate. 21 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:16,560 But no, so the role, it's multi-dimensional. 22 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:23,220 I would say the main role is to sort of be the liaison between the conductor and the 23 00:01:23,220 --> 00:01:25,400 orchestra and especially the string section. 24 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:29,640 Of course, the leader of the first violins, in a way, the leader of the strings, integrate 25 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:34,160 orchestra, a concertmaster plays in a certain way and the string players follow suit in 26 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:37,360 terms of how they use their bow, where the phrasing is. 27 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:39,920 And like that happens in every section, right? 28 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:41,160 Like I play first trumpet. 29 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:42,160 Totally. 30 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:43,520 So I'm sort of the top voice of the brass section. 31 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:49,000 So I lead the trumpet section, but I also sort of lead the brass section, I guess. 32 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:52,440 And so people are taking their cues from me as far as how to play. 33 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:54,880 And the same is the case for you within the string section, right? 34 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:55,880 Yeah, right. 35 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:59,640 And also just where I'm physically placed, it's a very easy spot to communicate with 36 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:03,080 everyone across the orchestra, the principal strings, of course. 37 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:06,560 You for instance, we often make eye contact just across the stage. 38 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:10,760 Yeah, our visual contact is often very, very critical. 39 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:11,760 Very crucial. 40 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:14,920 And also my brother Alex, he's the principal timpanist. 41 00:02:14,920 --> 00:02:20,420 I find that there are these key moments where a conductor can be very clear or less so, 42 00:02:20,420 --> 00:02:23,560 but even the clearest of conductors isn't making a sound. 43 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:26,440 So when we put the bow on the string, you're going to hear a sound. 44 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:28,320 And when you blow through the trumpet, the same is true. 45 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:34,200 So my role is very much one of communication and leading musically. 46 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:37,400 Then there are all these other roles that aren't necessarily seen. 47 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:40,400 A lot of people in the audience think, oh, you're the one that tunes the orchestra. 48 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:41,880 So that's just sort of a... 49 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:44,680 So I tune the orchestra, which means relatively little. 50 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:49,400 I walk on stage by myself and then I turn around and the oboe plays an A. So that's 51 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:53,240 just sort of a way of officially welcoming the concert and opening it. 52 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:56,360 It doesn't take me much work to do that. 53 00:02:56,360 --> 00:03:02,160 Another really large role that I play is as the person who does the bowings for the first 54 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:06,520 violins and then as a result, it impacts the rest of the string players. 55 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:12,280 I'm often looking at scores that are going to be performed many, many months in advance. 56 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:16,340 Often if we're playing a piece like a Schumann or a Brahms symphony, these are works that 57 00:03:16,340 --> 00:03:18,200 have been bowed many, many times over. 58 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:23,480 So for a layperson, bowings means whether we're playing down bow or up bow. 59 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:27,280 If you go to an orchestra concert, you'll see that the string players are usually playing 60 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:28,280 in the same direction. 61 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:29,280 Yeah. 62 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:32,920 It looks like the whole string section or each section within the strings, they're all 63 00:03:32,920 --> 00:03:36,160 on the same page and they're all sort of doing the same thing. 64 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:37,880 That's because of the work that's done in advance. 65 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:39,240 That doesn't happen by accident. 66 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:40,240 Right. 67 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:41,240 Right. 68 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:45,280 If you do a good job, you're taking into account all kinds of musical decisions. 69 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:47,120 What conductor are you playing with? 70 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:48,600 How much sound might they want? 71 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:49,600 What's their style? 72 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:52,180 What do you believe the composer wants? 73 00:03:52,180 --> 00:03:56,160 If you don't know the conductor, of course you're using your instinct in terms of what 74 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:58,240 you think the composer would want there. 75 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:01,520 But sometimes if you know a conductor well, you might know, oh, they want things much 76 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:04,220 stronger, much more marked all the time. 77 00:04:04,220 --> 00:04:08,360 Other conductors more flowy or legato. 78 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:11,880 Knowing those players can really help quite a bit. 79 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:17,080 So I spend a lot of time looking at scores, studying recordings, looking at what's been 80 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:18,460 done in the past. 81 00:04:18,460 --> 00:04:21,520 So that's a very time consuming part of my job. 82 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:25,640 And also a really interesting one because I get to think of the sort of larger scope 83 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:28,600 of the works that we're going to be playing. 84 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:29,600 That's really interesting. 85 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:33,960 I mean, within say the brass section or the winds, it's one player on a part. 86 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:38,720 So we have more flexibility and I think it's easier for us to make changes on the fly. 87 00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:39,720 Right. 88 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:40,720 And you're deciding when to breathe and stuff like that. 89 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:41,720 Yeah. 90 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:46,160 And you know, like deciding when to breathe, like that might play out differently one performance 91 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:47,160 to another. 92 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:50,960 So like, you know, Miranda's sitting next to me in the orchestra and I breathe in a 93 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:55,280 different place and she notices that and responds with me and adjusts accordingly. 94 00:04:55,280 --> 00:04:56,280 That's really interesting. 95 00:04:56,280 --> 00:05:00,680 But with a string section, any string section, like it's such a large battleship to steer, 96 00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:04,040 these decisions have to be made way in advance and communicated to everyone in time for them 97 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:06,600 to practice the way that it's going to go. 98 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:09,000 And yeah, it's a totally, totally different operation. 99 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:13,400 Well, and if I'm really fair, I think that I love doing Bowings because it's such a creative 100 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:18,760 process, but I don't love making decisions because like you said, I love to be able to 101 00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:19,760 do things on the fly. 102 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:24,360 Actually, historically, there have been some amazing conductors that didn't want to have 103 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:26,280 every string player playing the same Bowings. 104 00:05:26,280 --> 00:05:27,280 They wanted to be free. 105 00:05:27,280 --> 00:05:28,280 Interesting. 106 00:05:28,280 --> 00:05:31,320 And that allows for a completely different sound. 107 00:05:31,320 --> 00:05:36,980 And in particular sections, it can be the most successful free Bowing, but it's something 108 00:05:36,980 --> 00:05:40,360 that I find very interesting outside my orchestra life. 109 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:43,520 You know, I play a lot of chamber music and I just had this really interesting conversation 110 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:46,480 with one of my friends who was in the Dover Quartet for years. 111 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:50,040 And she said, I just couldn't play in an orchestra because I could never make a decision about 112 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:51,480 Bowings. 113 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:55,120 You know, I want to be able to be off stage just before the concert and think, oh man, 114 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:56,120 this works so much better. 115 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:57,700 I think I'm going to change it. 116 00:05:57,700 --> 00:06:01,880 So that I think that's probably my instinct too. 117 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:05,280 But to fit within the system that we have, decisions do have to be made. 118 00:06:05,280 --> 00:06:10,800 And so I do my best in that moment and very often when I come back to a part, let's say 119 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:14,600 a Brahms symphony, something that we play often four or five years later, I have very 120 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:16,440 different ideas about what we should be doing. 121 00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:20,680 And I'm sure it might drive some people absolutely crazy that would like things to fall into 122 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:23,280 a mold just to know what to expect. 123 00:06:23,280 --> 00:06:28,120 But I think that music changes and as you change your feeling about the music changes. 124 00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:29,920 Yeah, I absolutely agree with that. 125 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:35,600 And I think often that's a great indicator of high quality music is that like you come 126 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:38,600 back to it again, you know, you're a different person a few years later. 127 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:39,600 Yeah. 128 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:43,720 And you see new things in the music, both through your own growth as a musician and 129 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:47,520 simply revisiting these great pieces that have such depth. 130 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:48,520 Yeah. 131 00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:52,320 That it takes so long for them to reveal themselves to you as a performer. 132 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:53,320 Absolutely. 133 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:57,240 In terms of other roles that I play as concertmaster, there are some things that are behind the 134 00:06:57,240 --> 00:06:58,240 scenes. 135 00:06:58,240 --> 00:06:59,240 I serve on the programming committee. 136 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:04,920 I serve on the artistic director search committee. 137 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:09,440 And I end up getting pulled into all kinds of other conversations that aren't necessarily 138 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:13,200 officially part of my role, but they become, you know, it sort of becomes a figurehead 139 00:07:13,200 --> 00:07:17,040 role and also a communicator across parts of the organization. 140 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:21,480 So between parts of management, between management and musicians, it's a it's kind of an all 141 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:23,560 inclusive role and one that I really enjoy. 142 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:27,800 And I love the role of concertmaster because I do love orchestral music. 143 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:30,280 And I also love chamber music and I also love playing solo. 144 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:32,800 And it kind of encompasses all of those roles at the same time. 145 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:34,400 Yeah, that's really interesting. 146 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:40,920 Speaking of chamber music outside of your work at the CPO, you run a festival, two festivals, 147 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:41,920 really. 148 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:46,380 Chamberfest Cleveland and Chamberfest West here in Calgary. 149 00:07:46,380 --> 00:07:47,440 How did those go this summer? 150 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:51,040 I hear there was a great success down in Cleveland and I came to some of the concerts here in 151 00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:52,040 Calgary this summer. 152 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:54,320 It was just so wonderful. 153 00:07:54,320 --> 00:07:56,040 Tell us a little bit about those festivals. 154 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:57,040 Sure. 155 00:07:57,040 --> 00:08:01,360 So Chamberfest Cleveland, I founded before I had this job here in Calgary with my father, 156 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:05,420 Franklin Cohen, who was long time principal clarinet of the Cleveland Orchestra. 157 00:08:05,420 --> 00:08:08,480 As a kid, I was kind of a backstage rat. 158 00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:11,960 I got to go to a lot of Cleveland Orchestra concerts, which was super fun. 159 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:17,200 But I really fell in love with chamber music or music more broadly when my parents would 160 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:21,160 take us to various chamber music festivals across the country and the world. 161 00:08:21,160 --> 00:08:24,960 And I just loved the intimacy of music making in chamber music. 162 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:28,040 I loved getting to know the people behind the music. 163 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:29,040 I loved rehearsals. 164 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:31,960 There's so much laughter and so many ideas going back and forth. 165 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:37,000 So that really just made me want to be a musician to be part of these chamber music festivals. 166 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:42,300 And then as I started to become a professional musician, I said to my dad, Cleveland has 167 00:08:42,300 --> 00:08:47,140 a world class orchestra and an art museum and all these other institutions. 168 00:08:47,140 --> 00:08:49,140 Why shouldn't we have a great chamber music festival? 169 00:08:49,140 --> 00:08:54,880 Why do people have to fly to Aspen or music at Menlo or Seattle to get their chamber music 170 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:55,880 fix? 171 00:08:55,880 --> 00:09:02,040 So we started our festival 13 years ago and it's grown kind of beyond our wildest expectations. 172 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:08,440 We've had hundreds of the world's top musicians in Cleveland and it's very inspiring. 173 00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:09,560 It's a wonderful time for the audience. 174 00:09:09,560 --> 00:09:10,880 It's a wonderful time for me. 175 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:11,880 It's very inspiring for me. 176 00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:13,640 I feel like I learn so much. 177 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:17,880 It's like having a three week master class every time I'm in Cleveland. 178 00:09:17,880 --> 00:09:23,480 I'm also able to make some connections that I feel like ultimately help us here in Calgary 179 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:30,640 by bringing people to our auditions and having people get to know the Calgary Philharmonic 180 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:32,680 in a different way through me. 181 00:09:32,680 --> 00:09:35,260 But it's a very special time. 182 00:09:35,260 --> 00:09:40,800 The music making is very powerful and Cleveland has really been a labor of love. 183 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:42,960 Chamberfest Cleveland has been a labor of love. 184 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:48,440 It was during the pandemic, my husband, Roman Rabinovich is a wonderful pianist and of course 185 00:09:48,440 --> 00:09:49,840 all of his tours were shut down. 186 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:54,320 I was on mat leave and then without work for many, many months. 187 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:58,680 We just felt like we were sitting at home doing relatively little except for raising 188 00:09:58,680 --> 00:10:00,720 a child, which I guess is not little. 189 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:04,400 But musically we felt like we were just waiting. 190 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:11,160 And I thought Calgary really, really has a hole in the summer in terms of music and it 191 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:14,960 certainly has nothing that resembles a chamber music festival. 192 00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:17,440 And I thought this is a perfect time to start it. 193 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:21,200 So we went on many, many walks with potential donors and told them what we were dreaming 194 00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:22,200 of. 195 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:28,440 We created what has become an excellent board, really super duper in terms of their work 196 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:31,120 ethic and commitment to what we're doing. 197 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:35,840 And lo and behold, we created an organization that has really flourished. 198 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:40,640 We've had three seasons now and almost everything we do sells out. 199 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:44,840 We've brought some wonderful musicians who had never been to Calgary before. 200 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:49,120 Some who have, some who have soloed with us in the past with the CPO, some who will be 201 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:50,740 soloists in the future. 202 00:10:50,740 --> 00:10:54,520 For us, it makes Calgary feel even more like home because it feels like we're able to contribute 203 00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:58,380 something really meaningful to the musical ecosystem. 204 00:10:58,380 --> 00:11:01,960 And I really hope that, I'm so glad that you came to some concerts. 205 00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:07,400 I've always hoped that musicians would feel, that musicians in our community would feel 206 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:11,920 like they wanted to come to these concerts and also be inspired the way I feel every 207 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:12,920 year. 208 00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:13,920 That's so wonderful. 209 00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:19,360 And thank you for making this happen for Calgary's music scene. 210 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:24,860 Music and the art scene within any city, it's not a zero sum game. 211 00:11:24,860 --> 00:11:29,720 When something new comes onto the scene like this chamber music festival, it's great for 212 00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:30,720 everyone. 213 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:31,720 Yeah, for sure. 214 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:34,200 Because people can hear more great performances. 215 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:38,960 And the thing I think about music is that the more you listen, the more you enjoy it 216 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:43,120 and the more you understand what's happening and the more, it builds this sense of wonder 217 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:44,120 about the whole thing. 218 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:45,120 Absolutely. 219 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:46,400 So like the more the better. 220 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:47,400 Absolutely. 221 00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:54,160 We have many, many friends who actually started to enjoy music through what we did these little 222 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:58,920 porch concerts in our, during the pandemic, Roman and I, and we would play for just our 223 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:01,120 neighbors and every, we would play every Sunday. 224 00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:05,040 And eventually we got, you know, sometimes a few hundred people on our street waiting 225 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:07,760 for us to play concerts on Sunday. 226 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:10,460 And it was a wonderful way to connect with people. 227 00:12:10,460 --> 00:12:11,740 Many of them weren't music lovers. 228 00:12:11,740 --> 00:12:12,960 Many were. 229 00:12:12,960 --> 00:12:17,560 Many of those who didn't know much about music, who showed up to our porch every Sunday, then 230 00:12:17,560 --> 00:12:19,560 said like, oh, I want to go to the CPO. 231 00:12:19,560 --> 00:12:23,880 And they started buying tickets every week or then they'd come to our festival. 232 00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:27,040 And it's interesting because some people think they are orchestra people. 233 00:12:27,040 --> 00:12:28,800 Oh, I don't know much about chamber music. 234 00:12:28,800 --> 00:12:30,460 I'm not sure I'm into that. 235 00:12:30,460 --> 00:12:32,120 And vice versa. 236 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:36,200 And I think everyone is surprised when they realize that it's just all music. 237 00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:39,320 And if it's presented well, it can be really exciting. 238 00:12:39,320 --> 00:12:43,200 So yeah, that's been really fun for us to see that community grow. 239 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:46,520 We even have a friend who got so into music that she started taking lessons. 240 00:12:46,520 --> 00:12:47,520 Oh, wow. 241 00:12:47,520 --> 00:12:48,520 That's so nice. 242 00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:52,520 And then she decided to buy a beautiful piano and then the piano wouldn't fit in her home. 243 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:54,920 So she's building a beautiful home for the piano. 244 00:12:54,920 --> 00:12:59,840 And it's just really, I don't know, it's wonderful to see somebody get so jazzed about music, 245 00:12:59,840 --> 00:13:01,240 how it can change their life. 246 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:02,240 Absolutely. 247 00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:06,880 So Chamberfest West will be continuing operations next summer, I presume. 248 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:10,600 Do you know, do you have any expectation of when an announcement of next summer season 249 00:13:10,600 --> 00:13:11,600 will be coming? 250 00:13:11,600 --> 00:13:14,320 Yeah, it should be any day now. 251 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:16,920 If you check our website, those dates will be there. 252 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:17,920 Fantastic. 253 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:18,920 And what that website is? 254 00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:19,920 Oh, sorry. 255 00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:21,480 It's chamberfestwest.com. 256 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:24,280 Our dates are usually sandwiched in between Stampede and Folkfest. 257 00:13:24,280 --> 00:13:27,640 So you can expect that week to be filled with music. 258 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:28,640 And we're all over town. 259 00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:29,640 Wonderful. 260 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:31,960 I can't wait to see what you've got in store for us. 261 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:35,600 So you were saying you grew up in Cleveland and you were saying that your brother is here 262 00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:39,920 in the orchestra as well, our timpanist Alex Cohen, who's a great friend of mine and a 263 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:42,000 wonderful musician. 264 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:47,280 So many people come from all over to play in the Calgary Philharmonic. 265 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:49,520 This is just sort of a reality of our industry, right? 266 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:53,680 The way if you want to play in an orchestra, who knows where you're going to land. 267 00:13:53,680 --> 00:13:56,560 So what was it like coming to Calgary? 268 00:13:56,560 --> 00:14:00,320 I know Alex was here before you, so you had a little bit of a sneak preview of what you 269 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:01,320 were getting into. 270 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:02,320 Yeah. 271 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:04,140 Well, and I probably wouldn't have ended up here without Alex. 272 00:14:04,140 --> 00:14:10,160 So as a timpanist, you really rely on the back of the International Musician magazine 273 00:14:10,160 --> 00:14:13,200 every month to see where that next audition is going to be happening. 274 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:15,200 And every orchestra has one timpanist. 275 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:20,880 So if folks who have jobs stick around, there's basically one audition for timpanist every 276 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:22,600 generation. 277 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:28,020 So when Alex saw an ad for the Calgary Philharmonic, he was going to be here. 278 00:14:28,020 --> 00:14:29,020 He got this job. 279 00:14:29,020 --> 00:14:30,120 I was so happy for him. 280 00:14:30,120 --> 00:14:33,600 And he moved here not knowing a lot about the orchestra or the city, but just it was 281 00:14:33,600 --> 00:14:36,460 a job and he was really super excited about that. 282 00:14:36,460 --> 00:14:41,960 And I think he was here maybe a year or maybe even only a half a year before he called me 283 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:44,400 and said, hey, we have a concertmaster opening. 284 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:48,520 I had just gotten a job as concertmaster of the Richmond Symphony in Virginia, which was 285 00:14:48,520 --> 00:14:50,640 a really wonderful orchestra. 286 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:52,160 I was loving life there. 287 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:56,280 I had just started when Alex called me to say, hey, we have this opening. 288 00:14:56,280 --> 00:15:00,280 And I thought, oh my God, I just took my stuff off the moving truck. 289 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:04,200 So I was at that time a little ambivalent, but he said, just take the audition. 290 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:07,560 So I came and there was a trial process. 291 00:15:07,560 --> 00:15:11,800 So I didn't know until the end of the year that that job would be mine if I wanted to 292 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:12,800 take it. 293 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:15,920 And don't worry, Alex was not on that panel. 294 00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:16,920 No, no. 295 00:15:16,920 --> 00:15:19,440 He had no part in that hiring process. 296 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:23,000 So when I got this job, my brother and I both realized what an amazing opportunity this 297 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:28,800 could be to be in the same city and to be in a wonderful orchestra and a wonderful organization. 298 00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:32,680 And it's very hard to plan to be with family if you're a musician. 299 00:15:32,680 --> 00:15:37,040 So it was quite a stroke of luck and planning, I guess. 300 00:15:37,040 --> 00:15:39,480 We've both just been so thrilled to be in the same city. 301 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:43,880 My husband and I have a four-year-old daughter and it's just so wonderful to have uncle Alex 302 00:15:43,880 --> 00:15:45,600 just around the corner. 303 00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:47,480 And I love playing music with him. 304 00:15:47,480 --> 00:15:49,840 As you said, he's a wonderful musician, very sensitive. 305 00:15:49,840 --> 00:15:54,880 And it's always really special to share the stage with family. 306 00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:59,000 And especially if you trust and love their playing as much as I do with my... 307 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:00,000 Yeah, it's funny. 308 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:02,640 I've got a nice little perch at the back of the stage. 309 00:16:02,640 --> 00:16:07,480 So sometimes when in a moment when we need to be communicating across the orchestra, 310 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:13,080 often I'll see you and Alex exchange a knowing look and I'm like, oh, there's history there. 311 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:14,480 It is fun. 312 00:16:14,480 --> 00:16:18,200 Sometimes he's a little behind and the conductor may not have said anything to him yet. 313 00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:21,320 So I could just give him a little hand signal and he's like, oh, okay. 314 00:16:21,320 --> 00:16:27,720 It's nice to be able to trust one another and not be offended by comments. 315 00:16:27,720 --> 00:16:32,040 I really love getting feedback from colleagues and friends and family. 316 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:34,360 And I feel like with family, it's the most unfiltered. 317 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:35,360 And I like that. 318 00:16:35,360 --> 00:16:36,360 Sure. 319 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:39,120 I mean, and yeah, like that's not just for you two though, right? 320 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:41,360 You and I, we often, we'll make little hand signals. 321 00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:42,360 Yeah, totally. 322 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:45,640 And then often we'll be like, at a break or at the end of rehearsal, we'll touch base 323 00:16:45,640 --> 00:16:47,640 and be like, is that cool? 324 00:16:47,640 --> 00:16:49,880 Sorry if I didn't... 325 00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:50,880 We're all on the same team. 326 00:16:50,880 --> 00:16:52,280 We're all trying to do the same stuff. 327 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:53,280 Yeah. 328 00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:58,920 But I think as a colleague, everyone tries to be careful with colleagues that will be 329 00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:00,640 their colleagues forever. 330 00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:02,200 And I think that's a very good thing. 331 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:05,720 But I think it's also really wonderful when you get to a point with a colleague where 332 00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:12,080 you can just say what you hear is happening and there's not an emotional barrier there. 333 00:17:12,080 --> 00:17:16,900 When the personal and the musical doesn't get intertwined, you can just say things as 334 00:17:16,900 --> 00:17:20,520 they are and that person trusts you enough to take that and vice versa. 335 00:17:20,520 --> 00:17:22,040 I really appreciate that. 336 00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:23,040 Sure. 337 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:26,440 Yeah, I mean, every one of us on stage has a relationship with every other person on 338 00:17:26,440 --> 00:17:27,440 stage. 339 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:29,920 So like, oh, you know, there are 66 players in the orchestra. 340 00:17:29,920 --> 00:17:32,840 So like, oh gosh, I couldn't run the numbers. 341 00:17:32,840 --> 00:17:34,760 So there's a lot of that as a play. 342 00:17:34,760 --> 00:17:41,860 And we cultivate those relationships through our career to develop trust and intuitive 343 00:17:41,860 --> 00:17:44,560 understanding of each other's musicianship. 344 00:17:44,560 --> 00:17:50,320 And I think that's one of the real joys of playing with the same core group of people 345 00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:51,920 week in, week out for decades. 346 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:52,920 Right. 347 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:56,480 So one other family relationship that I wanted to ask you about. 348 00:17:56,480 --> 00:17:59,920 Last season, your husband Roman played with us as a soloist at the CPO. 349 00:17:59,920 --> 00:18:02,760 He played the Lutaswowski Piano Concerto. 350 00:18:02,760 --> 00:18:07,760 How was that for you sitting there leading the orchestra with Roman just at arm's reach 351 00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:08,760 away from you? 352 00:18:08,760 --> 00:18:10,240 Oh, it's wonderful. 353 00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:16,800 I know he's playing so well, so I feel like I can react better to him than to many. 354 00:18:16,800 --> 00:18:22,680 Also, it's a very complicated piece and he knew it like the back of his hand, but I got 355 00:18:22,680 --> 00:18:24,400 to study it quite a bit in detail. 356 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:28,760 We would play the orchestra part and his part at the same time in the weeks leading up to 357 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:30,960 it because it was his first performance too. 358 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:35,400 And he wanted to make it feel like he owned it, which I think he really did. 359 00:18:35,400 --> 00:18:40,400 But that was really a wonderful process for me to get to know that piece in a deep way. 360 00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:43,000 I always love playing with Roman. 361 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:48,840 He's not always easy because he's my greatest supporter and my biggest critic, and I love 362 00:18:48,840 --> 00:18:50,640 both of those sides. 363 00:18:50,640 --> 00:18:54,800 I feel like I've grown as a result of being married to him, not only in our marriage, 364 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:55,800 but musically. 365 00:18:55,800 --> 00:18:56,800 Fantastic. 366 00:18:56,800 --> 00:18:57,800 That's just so wonderful. 367 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:03,200 So, as a musician, we spend so much time practicing, performing, rehearsing, and all these things, 368 00:19:03,200 --> 00:19:04,840 but practicing as well. 369 00:19:04,840 --> 00:19:09,260 We're alone in the practice room or whatever, but we're always in the company of something 370 00:19:09,260 --> 00:19:11,940 very special to us, and that's our instrument. 371 00:19:11,940 --> 00:19:13,600 Tell me about your violin. 372 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:14,600 Yeah. 373 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:20,840 So, the violin that I play most here in Calgary and in general is a modern instrument made 374 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:26,280 by a wonderful living luthier, Joseph Curtin, who lives in Ann Arbor. 375 00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:32,120 He's Canadian originally, and he built this beautiful instrument about five years ago. 376 00:19:32,120 --> 00:19:38,880 I have an adult student who really wanted to buy me this violin or commission a violin 377 00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:40,440 rather. 378 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:44,320 And at the time, I wasn't super excited about it because I have a beautiful old Italian 379 00:19:44,320 --> 00:19:48,240 violin as well, a Montegazza, which is a wonderful instrument. 380 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:52,940 And I wasn't sure that I wanted to play on a new violin of Joseph Curtin, but he made 381 00:19:52,940 --> 00:19:54,760 it and I really loved it. 382 00:19:54,760 --> 00:20:00,060 And I actually find it suits me well for what I'm doing here playing concertmaster. 383 00:20:00,060 --> 00:20:04,520 It has a sound that I feel sort of has a core to it. 384 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:09,920 And especially when I have to play a solo, it feels like I can spin the sound out easily. 385 00:20:09,920 --> 00:20:13,280 And it's nice to have an instrument where you can kind of feel your sound. 386 00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:17,620 It's hard to talk about sound, but it's just a feeling. 387 00:20:17,620 --> 00:20:20,620 Sometimes you'll have an instrument that blends in really well with the section, but you can't 388 00:20:20,620 --> 00:20:22,640 sort of feel yourself. 389 00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:26,600 And so I like this because it has both of those elements. 390 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:32,160 I have some beautiful bows by a modern maker, Benoit Roland, who is one of the greatest 391 00:20:32,160 --> 00:20:33,780 living bow makers. 392 00:20:33,780 --> 00:20:36,760 He sort of follows the tradition of the old French masters. 393 00:20:36,760 --> 00:20:40,040 I find it hard to let go of instruments because I get attached to them. 394 00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:43,200 Even if I don't want to play them, I find that I have personal attachments to each of 395 00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:48,200 them that are related to the music I played on them or moments in my life when I bought 396 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:49,200 them. 397 00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:53,040 It's kind of a weird thing, but I'm sure when I'm old and need to unload all these, I might 398 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:54,220 regret my decision. 399 00:20:54,220 --> 00:20:56,920 But it's nice to hold onto instruments. 400 00:20:56,920 --> 00:21:04,080 Yeah, but you develop a really personal, very direct connection to these objects that really 401 00:21:04,080 --> 00:21:05,560 have a voice of their own. 402 00:21:05,560 --> 00:21:06,560 Totally. 403 00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:08,080 It's hard to let go sometimes. 404 00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:12,040 And I find, I think everyone is different in their relationship to instruments, but 405 00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:18,040 in the best moments, I forget about the actual instrument and I'm working on my playing. 406 00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:22,400 But if your instrument is sick, like for instance, in the middle of the winter in Calgary, it's 407 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:25,720 brutal conditions for string instruments. 408 00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:29,720 And often it just feels not good for a few weeks and you have to get things adjusted 409 00:21:29,720 --> 00:21:32,760 or put new strings on or put more humidity. 410 00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:36,080 It's really quite a balance, like taking care of a person. 411 00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:39,440 But yeah, I like it when you get to the point where you just forget thinking about the instrument. 412 00:21:39,440 --> 00:21:45,540 It just becomes your tool and your voice and you work on what you want to say through it. 413 00:21:45,540 --> 00:21:48,840 So here we are at the beginning of a new orchestra season, Diana. 414 00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:49,840 It's exciting. 415 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:54,520 It's always exciting to come back from our summer break and get back to business. 416 00:21:54,520 --> 00:21:58,840 So I wanted to ask you, what are you looking forward to this season? 417 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:00,000 There's so much. 418 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:04,840 I'm really looking forward to a concert that we're doing in late September with the conductor 419 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:06,320 Ramon Tibar. 420 00:22:06,320 --> 00:22:11,000 The orchestra has worked with him once in the past and we had a really wonderful chemistry 421 00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:12,000 that week. 422 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:13,000 I agree. 423 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:18,640 So whenever we have a musician that really feels like they're making something special 424 00:22:18,640 --> 00:22:21,600 happen with the orchestra, that's very exciting to me. 425 00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:23,840 So Ramon is coming at the end of September. 426 00:22:23,840 --> 00:22:27,480 The concerts of his will be on the 27th and 28th. 427 00:22:27,480 --> 00:22:32,760 And we're playing Beethoven Emperor Concerto, which I just love, with Jonathan Biss and 428 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:35,280 Brahms Fourth Symphony, another wonderful piece. 429 00:22:35,280 --> 00:22:39,560 We're also playing a short work by Katy Agos and I'm really looking forward to getting 430 00:22:39,560 --> 00:22:40,880 to know that work. 431 00:22:40,880 --> 00:22:44,000 Her music is, I've always wanted to get to know her music. 432 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:46,960 And so this will be my first interaction playing. 433 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:49,200 I've never played anything of hers either. 434 00:22:49,200 --> 00:22:50,480 I'm looking forward to it. 435 00:22:50,480 --> 00:22:51,480 Yeah. 436 00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:54,040 Jonathan Biss is an old, old family friend. 437 00:22:54,040 --> 00:22:56,380 My parents and his parents were friends. 438 00:22:56,380 --> 00:22:59,240 My husband, Roman and Jonathan are friends and colleagues. 439 00:22:59,240 --> 00:23:03,420 In fact, it's Jonathan's parents who are responsible for me meeting Roman. 440 00:23:03,420 --> 00:23:07,340 So there's a lot of deep connections there and I really love his playing. 441 00:23:07,340 --> 00:23:10,640 So I'm looking forward to that collaboration as well. 442 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:14,640 One thing that's relatively early in the season that I'm looking forward to is playing Anton 443 00:23:14,640 --> 00:23:17,040 Bruckner's Eighth Symphony, which I've never played before. 444 00:23:17,040 --> 00:23:21,000 And this is sort of the big one of Bruckner. 445 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:27,140 I mean, four, seven and maybe nine are sort of the most famous, but eight to me has always 446 00:23:27,140 --> 00:23:30,640 felt like kind of the real mountain to climb. 447 00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:33,440 It's a huge piece, just monolithic. 448 00:23:33,440 --> 00:23:38,280 As a brass player, Bruckner is always a challenge and a joy to play because he writes so well 449 00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:39,720 for our instruments. 450 00:23:39,720 --> 00:23:41,320 And you were saying you're from Cleveland. 451 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:43,560 I briefly studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music. 452 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:47,600 I did part of a master's degree there before I won my audition here in Calgary. 453 00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:51,560 And the Cleveland Orchestra is known for its performances of Bruckner. 454 00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:56,520 So whenever we play Bruckner, I really think back to my time in Cleveland studying with 455 00:23:56,520 --> 00:24:01,840 Mike Sacks and listening to that orchestra play this music in such a special way. 456 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:03,040 Yeah, that's awesome. 457 00:24:03,040 --> 00:24:09,080 But as a kid, I just remember being seeped in that sound and it's quite a sound. 458 00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:13,200 Also on that concert, we have the Bernstein Serenade that Karen Gomio is going to be playing. 459 00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:15,720 And the Bernstein is a really cool work. 460 00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:16,720 And I love Karen's playing. 461 00:24:16,720 --> 00:24:18,600 I always enjoy her return to Calgary. 462 00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:20,120 She comes every few years. 463 00:24:20,120 --> 00:24:21,560 So that should be a great one. 464 00:24:21,560 --> 00:24:24,560 That's October 18th and 19th. 465 00:24:24,560 --> 00:24:25,560 So what's next? 466 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:27,000 What are you looking forward to? 467 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:32,380 Just a few weeks later, we're playing on November 1st, we'll be playing a really beautiful program 468 00:24:32,380 --> 00:24:35,560 with Jeffrey Kehane, who's a wonderful musician. 469 00:24:35,560 --> 00:24:37,560 He's a conductor and a pianist. 470 00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:41,400 This program consists of the Ravel Concerto in G major for piano and orchestra. 471 00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:42,400 What a great concerto. 472 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:43,400 Amazing concerto. 473 00:24:43,400 --> 00:24:45,880 I love accompanying that work. 474 00:24:45,880 --> 00:24:49,400 Anna Klein wrote a piece called Within Her Arms, which I'm very much looking forward 475 00:24:49,400 --> 00:24:50,640 to getting to know. 476 00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:52,600 And I love playing Schumann. 477 00:24:52,600 --> 00:24:56,280 So we're playing the B-flat symphony, number one. 478 00:24:56,280 --> 00:25:03,640 Schumann is just always so, well, that one has so much nobility and so much inner interest. 479 00:25:03,640 --> 00:25:06,320 I always feel like Schumann has a lot inside. 480 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:07,880 I'm very much looking forward to that. 481 00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:08,880 Yeah. 482 00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:13,200 And historically, Schumann is exactly within the Calgary Philharmonic's wheelhouse. 483 00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:18,680 Those recordings with Mario Bernardi from his time as music director of the orchestra, 484 00:25:18,680 --> 00:25:20,400 I still hear them played on CBC radio. 485 00:25:20,400 --> 00:25:22,120 And they still sound great. 486 00:25:22,120 --> 00:25:23,120 That's awesome. 487 00:25:23,120 --> 00:25:24,120 Yeah. 488 00:25:24,120 --> 00:25:26,720 The CPO is really well suited to this music. 489 00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:31,800 And even though there's been a lot of personnel change since those recordings, the tradition 490 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:33,280 lives on, I think. 491 00:25:33,280 --> 00:25:34,280 Yeah, absolutely. 492 00:25:34,280 --> 00:25:36,920 And our orchestra is just about the right size for Schumann. 493 00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:39,760 Yeah, that'll be a great performance. 494 00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:43,440 So one of the next things that's up after that is Scheherazade, which is a big one for 495 00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:44,440 you. 496 00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:45,440 I'm sure you've got that week circled in your calendar. 497 00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:47,040 But I love playing Scheherazade. 498 00:25:47,040 --> 00:25:48,080 I think it's a great piece. 499 00:25:48,080 --> 00:25:49,080 It's great fun. 500 00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:50,080 And it's been a few years. 501 00:25:50,080 --> 00:25:51,560 It's been a little while since we've done Scheherazade. 502 00:25:51,560 --> 00:25:52,720 It's actually been quite a while. 503 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:54,560 I think maybe even seven years. 504 00:25:54,560 --> 00:25:55,560 Pre-pandemic, huh? 505 00:25:55,560 --> 00:25:56,640 Definitely pre-pandemic. 506 00:25:56,640 --> 00:25:58,260 I love playing Scheherazade. 507 00:25:58,260 --> 00:26:02,980 The concertmaster solo that keeps coming back gets a little bit more involved each time 508 00:26:02,980 --> 00:26:04,800 and a little bit more pleading. 509 00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:10,600 And it's one of those pieces that makes me feel like an actor to perform. 510 00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:11,600 And I love that. 511 00:26:11,600 --> 00:26:13,240 So it's... 512 00:26:13,240 --> 00:26:14,240 Everyone loves Scheherazade. 513 00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:17,040 It's Rimsky-Korsakov's ability to orchestrate. 514 00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:18,040 Oh, it's spectacular. 515 00:26:18,040 --> 00:26:21,000 It's just quite, quite amazing. 516 00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:22,520 And it's just beautiful music. 517 00:26:22,520 --> 00:26:24,560 It's thrilling. 518 00:26:24,560 --> 00:26:25,560 It's gorgeous. 519 00:26:25,560 --> 00:26:26,560 It's tender. 520 00:26:26,560 --> 00:26:27,560 It's everything you want. 521 00:26:27,560 --> 00:26:31,860 I'm also super duper looking forward to hearing our new principal percussionist, Chris Sighs, 522 00:26:31,860 --> 00:26:34,400 play all the great, great, great snare drum stuff in here. 523 00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:35,440 Yes, yes. 524 00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:41,080 So Scheherazade and the Rachmaninoff Second Piano Concerto are on November 15th and 16th 525 00:26:41,080 --> 00:26:42,080 this season. 526 00:26:42,080 --> 00:26:46,480 And the week after that is something that I have been warned about as principal trumpet. 527 00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:50,560 I have gotten a big red flag that a Muppet Christmas Carol is like a trumpet concerto. 528 00:26:50,560 --> 00:26:53,520 It's like lots of happy-dappy piccolo trumpet. 529 00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:55,920 It's apparently a real killer of a part. 530 00:26:55,920 --> 00:26:59,320 And I haven't managed to get my hands on a copy of that part yet. 531 00:26:59,320 --> 00:27:01,280 So I can't wait to hear you play it. 532 00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:02,280 Oh, yeah. 533 00:27:02,280 --> 00:27:04,580 Yeah, that one's definitely circled in my calendar. 534 00:27:04,580 --> 00:27:08,480 But then the week after that, James Ennis is in town to play the bronze concerto. 535 00:27:08,480 --> 00:27:10,680 Yeah, that's going to be great. 536 00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:14,400 Everyone in Canada who loves music knows James Ennis. 537 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:16,640 He's such a classy player, thoughtful musician. 538 00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:19,640 Did you know that his father was the trumpet prof at Brandon University? 539 00:27:19,640 --> 00:27:21,040 I did know that, yes. 540 00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:25,800 Yeah, he's a great guy and I'm very much looking forward to hearing him play the Brahms concerto. 541 00:27:25,800 --> 00:27:29,680 Also on that program with Rune Bergman conducting is Sibelius First Symphony. 542 00:27:29,680 --> 00:27:31,040 What a great symphony. 543 00:27:31,040 --> 00:27:35,480 I think Rune feels a very deep connection with these Nordic composers. 544 00:27:35,480 --> 00:27:36,880 Sure, yep. 545 00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:38,680 And that's on Saturday, November 30th. 546 00:27:38,680 --> 00:27:44,720 And on January 25th, we're playing an all Mozart program, including the Coronation Mass. 547 00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:48,800 And one of the soloists for that will be Mireille Aslan, who I went to school with at the Glenn 548 00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:49,800 Gold School in Toronto. 549 00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:53,040 She's an old friend of mine, so it'll be great to see her and hear her sing again. 550 00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:56,120 Last time she was here was for a Mahler 8 some years back. 551 00:27:56,120 --> 00:27:57,120 And you know what? 552 00:27:57,120 --> 00:28:01,180 One other thing that I'm really looking forward to in February is the Calgary Opera production 553 00:28:01,180 --> 00:28:04,480 of Don Pasquale, because I'm Italian, maybe I'm a little bit biased. 554 00:28:04,480 --> 00:28:06,520 I love Bel Canto opera. 555 00:28:06,520 --> 00:28:11,160 Now I often don't really love playing it because the trumpet parts really aren't very interesting 556 00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:14,440 most of the time, but that's not the point of the music. 557 00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:17,960 Except in Don Pasquale, there's a huge trumpet solo. 558 00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:24,600 Speaking of Act Two, there's this very, very self-pitying aria from the tenor Ernesto. 559 00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:27,160 Basically the trumpet plays the whole aria. 560 00:28:27,160 --> 00:28:32,240 So I get to play this big, juicy, juicy, juicy Bel Canto solo. 561 00:28:32,240 --> 00:28:33,240 That's awesome. 562 00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:35,920 Which, you know, it makes my Italian heart sing. 563 00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:36,920 That's fantastic. 564 00:28:36,920 --> 00:28:41,640 And also, Jonathan Brandani, who has not fairly recently taken over the Calgary Opera, has 565 00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:44,320 done such wonderful things with the opera. 566 00:28:44,320 --> 00:28:48,480 And I think every production I've really looked forward to in its own way. 567 00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:49,600 Yeah, that's right. 568 00:28:49,600 --> 00:28:53,760 And Jonathan is conducting the first and last productions at the opera this year. 569 00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:55,800 Jacques Lacombe is conducting Don Pasquale. 570 00:28:55,800 --> 00:28:56,800 Awesome. 571 00:28:56,800 --> 00:28:57,800 That'll be fun. 572 00:28:57,800 --> 00:29:02,920 On Friday, February 28th and Saturday, March 1st, Diana, you are our featured soloist. 573 00:29:02,920 --> 00:29:06,800 Yes, I am very much looking forward to that concert. 574 00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:11,560 Prokofiev's Second Concerto is a concerto that I've lived with for many years and really 575 00:29:11,560 --> 00:29:13,400 adore. 576 00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:17,780 The second movement is maybe one of the most sublime musical moments that I know. 577 00:29:17,780 --> 00:29:21,680 It's been many years since I've played it and I'm thrilled to be playing it with Kensho 578 00:29:21,680 --> 00:29:24,880 Watanabe, who I've heard really excellent things about. 579 00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:32,000 And you know, it's I think one of the great joys in our job is not knowing a musician 580 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:33,300 or a conductor who's coming in. 581 00:29:33,300 --> 00:29:38,600 And just when you have that wonderful chemistry, it's like, ah, that made that week so fun. 582 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:40,680 Yeah, that sense of discovery is exhilarating. 583 00:29:40,680 --> 00:29:41,680 Yeah. 584 00:29:41,680 --> 00:29:48,080 And I am excited to work with Kensho and I believe it might be one of those weeks. 585 00:29:48,080 --> 00:29:51,000 Playing concertos is always really satisfying for me. 586 00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:54,520 It sort of tests a different side of my chops. 587 00:29:54,520 --> 00:30:00,960 And it's one of those situations that I think really helps me become a better leader. 588 00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:04,460 Because when you play a concerto, you know, you have time. 589 00:30:04,460 --> 00:30:08,120 It's not like the week in week out of preparing orchestral programs, but you have time to 590 00:30:08,120 --> 00:30:12,080 consider every bar and every little musical twist and turn. 591 00:30:12,080 --> 00:30:15,040 And you want to own a piece like that if you're going to stand up there and be soloist. 592 00:30:15,040 --> 00:30:17,120 You want to do that in the orchestra, too. 593 00:30:17,120 --> 00:30:21,500 But it's a little bit different because of the speed at which the orchestral music comes 594 00:30:21,500 --> 00:30:24,200 to you when you're going week by week in the season. 595 00:30:24,200 --> 00:30:25,320 You're absolutely right. 596 00:30:25,320 --> 00:30:29,000 And this is your only chance this season to hear a member of the Calgary Philharmonic 597 00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:30,680 up playing a concerto with the orchestra. 598 00:30:30,680 --> 00:30:31,800 So don't miss it. 599 00:30:31,800 --> 00:30:35,480 Of course, one of the concerts that I think is the most exciting for our entire community 600 00:30:35,480 --> 00:30:40,520 and for me for sure is our classic special featuring Bruna Bergman and the incredible 601 00:30:40,520 --> 00:30:42,840 Yo-Yo Ma on cello. 602 00:30:42,840 --> 00:30:45,720 Yo-Yo is he's just the greatest. 603 00:30:45,720 --> 00:30:50,280 You know, everywhere he shows up to play, every person who's playing with him that week 604 00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:52,380 feels like this is the best day of his year. 605 00:30:52,380 --> 00:30:56,780 He really makes everyone feel so special and so included musically. 606 00:30:56,780 --> 00:30:59,840 And I really have always loved playing with him. 607 00:30:59,840 --> 00:31:01,180 He's communicating with the orchestra. 608 00:31:01,180 --> 00:31:04,440 He's leaning into the sections he's playing with. 609 00:31:04,440 --> 00:31:05,840 He's just making music a joy. 610 00:31:05,840 --> 00:31:08,320 And I think that's what we all want music to be. 611 00:31:08,320 --> 00:31:11,680 So I'm really thrilled that he's coming back. 612 00:31:11,680 --> 00:31:14,600 In fact, after he came last time, we had a magazine cover. 613 00:31:14,600 --> 00:31:17,480 The prelude cover had his face on it. 614 00:31:17,480 --> 00:31:22,920 And I put it in the backseat of my car because I just thought, what a great reminder of the 615 00:31:22,920 --> 00:31:27,560 type of person you want to be when you're a musician to bring music to life, but also 616 00:31:27,560 --> 00:31:28,980 to connect with people. 617 00:31:28,980 --> 00:31:32,080 He actually said to me, I really didn't think I wanted to be a musician. 618 00:31:32,080 --> 00:31:35,480 I just wanted to connect with people, but I realized that the easiest way for me to 619 00:31:35,480 --> 00:31:36,640 do that was through my music. 620 00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:39,160 Yeah, he's a very special performer. 621 00:31:39,160 --> 00:31:43,480 And yeah, I mean, there are a lot of great cellists out there, but he has a way of elevating 622 00:31:43,480 --> 00:31:46,160 everyone else around him that's incredibly special. 623 00:31:46,160 --> 00:31:47,160 It's very amazing. 624 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:49,840 Actually, I have a little anecdote about Yo-Yo Ma. 625 00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:54,680 When I was a kid, so my parents have known him for many, many years. 626 00:31:54,680 --> 00:31:56,780 They went to the Marlboro Music Festival with him. 627 00:31:56,780 --> 00:31:59,800 And so when he came through and played at the Cleveland Orchestra as soloist many years 628 00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:02,280 ago, my parents had lunch with him. 629 00:32:02,280 --> 00:32:06,620 And at that time, the Cleveland Orchestra would shuttle their soloists around the limousine. 630 00:32:06,620 --> 00:32:10,740 So I guess my parents and Yo-Yo got caught up in conversation and totally forgot to pick 631 00:32:10,740 --> 00:32:13,160 up their kid who was in second grade or something. 632 00:32:13,160 --> 00:32:14,280 That was me. 633 00:32:14,280 --> 00:32:15,680 And so Yo-Yo said, oh, no problem. 634 00:32:15,680 --> 00:32:18,000 We'll just go pick her up at her school in my limousine. 635 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:21,640 So this white limo came through the pickup line. 636 00:32:21,640 --> 00:32:22,640 And who is this guy? 637 00:32:22,640 --> 00:32:25,200 It was Yo-Yo Ma picking me up from school. 638 00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:26,440 It's kind of fun. 639 00:32:26,440 --> 00:32:28,140 That's hilarious. 640 00:32:28,140 --> 00:32:32,560 On Friday, May 9, Saturday, May 10, I'm really looking forward to playing one of my favorite 641 00:32:32,560 --> 00:32:36,240 pieces of orchestral music, La Mer by Debussy. 642 00:32:36,240 --> 00:32:38,480 It's such a special, special piece. 643 00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:43,480 Every corner of that piece is like a fully realized world. 644 00:32:43,480 --> 00:32:47,540 His world of color is just something otherworldly. 645 00:32:47,540 --> 00:32:50,560 And also on that program, I'm super looking forward to playing something for the first 646 00:32:50,560 --> 00:32:53,280 time, Escal by Jacques Iber. 647 00:32:53,280 --> 00:32:54,520 What a fantastic piece. 648 00:32:54,520 --> 00:32:56,520 Do you know this piece, Diana? 649 00:32:56,520 --> 00:32:57,880 I always love Iber. 650 00:32:57,880 --> 00:33:01,720 Iber is just so, so fun and so quirky. 651 00:33:01,720 --> 00:33:06,380 And I don't know this piece yet, although I'm sure I will very soon. 652 00:33:06,380 --> 00:33:08,280 But I've loved all the Iber that I've ever played. 653 00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:10,200 Yeah, no, this piece really, really rocks. 654 00:33:10,200 --> 00:33:11,920 It's really wonderful piece. 655 00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:12,920 You're going to love it. 656 00:33:12,920 --> 00:33:18,920 And our season wraps up on May 30 and 31 with probably one of the greatest symphonies ever 657 00:33:18,920 --> 00:33:24,520 written, Mahler 2, The Resurrection, which I think everyone who hears this piece loves 658 00:33:24,520 --> 00:33:25,520 it. 659 00:33:25,520 --> 00:33:27,400 I mean, do you know anyone who doesn't love Mahler 2? 660 00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:28,640 I'm not sure that I do. 661 00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:33,280 It's such an experience to go through that work as a listener, as a player. 662 00:33:33,280 --> 00:33:35,920 It's like living a life, I think. 663 00:33:35,920 --> 00:33:37,480 Yeah, for sure. 664 00:33:37,480 --> 00:33:42,360 And for me, Mahler 2 is one of the biggest trumpet parts in the repertoire. 665 00:33:42,360 --> 00:33:45,520 And every time I come back to it, I find new things in it. 666 00:33:45,520 --> 00:33:52,080 We were talking earlier about in great music how there's untold depth. 667 00:33:52,080 --> 00:33:56,720 And for me, Mahler 2 is really something where every time I come back to it, I find a whole 668 00:33:56,720 --> 00:33:59,400 new array of things. 669 00:33:59,400 --> 00:34:03,200 There's a totally new world available to me every time I play this piece. 670 00:34:03,200 --> 00:34:05,280 It's just stunning. 671 00:34:05,280 --> 00:34:08,880 And Diana, you've also got a lot of non-CPO stuff going on this season. 672 00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:11,400 Can you tell me maybe a few highlights of that? 673 00:34:11,400 --> 00:34:12,400 Sure. 674 00:34:12,400 --> 00:34:16,320 So I'm actually starting the season by playing a concerto for violin and piano and string 675 00:34:16,320 --> 00:34:19,820 quartet in Scotland, which I'm really, really thrilled about. 676 00:34:19,820 --> 00:34:24,080 It's a piece that I really love, this Chanson Concerto. 677 00:34:24,080 --> 00:34:29,200 It's also a wonderful melodrama through music. 678 00:34:29,200 --> 00:34:32,840 And we're playing at a beautiful festival called the Lemmonmore Festival. 679 00:34:32,840 --> 00:34:33,840 Like Lucia. 680 00:34:33,840 --> 00:34:36,480 Like Lucia, yeah. 681 00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:43,640 I have several recitals lined up with my husband Roman all over the place, Nelson, BC, Calgary, 682 00:34:43,640 --> 00:34:45,080 Sarasota, Florida. 683 00:34:45,080 --> 00:34:48,320 And we're playing a program that's extremely dear to my heart that includes the Schubert 684 00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:52,040 Fantasy, one of the greatest works ever written for violin and piano. 685 00:34:52,040 --> 00:34:55,080 So it'll be nice to play that recital many times. 686 00:34:55,080 --> 00:34:59,320 There's also a project that I'm looking forward to called the Four Concertmasters Project. 687 00:34:59,320 --> 00:35:06,240 I'm playing with Robert Uchida, the concertmaster of Edmonton, and Andrew Wan, the concertmaster 688 00:35:06,240 --> 00:35:09,440 of Montreal, and Jonathan Crowe, concertmaster of Toronto. 689 00:35:09,440 --> 00:35:13,600 And we're bringing this program to a series in Halifax, Nova Scotia. 690 00:35:13,600 --> 00:35:16,520 And also we'll be at the Montreal Chamber Music Festival next summer. 691 00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:17,720 So that should be fun. 692 00:35:17,720 --> 00:35:18,720 Wonderful. 693 00:35:18,720 --> 00:35:19,720 You're keeping busy. 694 00:35:19,720 --> 00:35:25,080 You can all go to our website at calgaryfilmmusicians.ca and look at the concert calendar. 695 00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:31,000 And Diana, I'll have all these events up there so anyone can see what you're up to. 696 00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:37,240 And if they're in town for any of those places, you can go hear Diana play and tell your hearder 697 00:35:37,240 --> 00:35:39,880 on this podcast. 698 00:35:39,880 --> 00:35:43,520 So getting back to work, it's great to see our colleagues again and start playing with 699 00:35:43,520 --> 00:35:45,480 these people again every week. 700 00:35:45,480 --> 00:35:51,400 We hear each other play so much on stage and we talk about our playing, we talk about our 701 00:35:51,400 --> 00:35:55,440 practicing, our goals in our playing, things we're working on, all these sorts of things. 702 00:35:55,440 --> 00:35:58,680 And that's one of the great joys of working in a group like the CPO. 703 00:35:58,680 --> 00:36:03,760 I wanted to ask you, who's a player in the orchestra who's playing you admire? 704 00:36:03,760 --> 00:36:05,920 Oh man, there are so many. 705 00:36:05,920 --> 00:36:06,920 Really there are so many. 706 00:36:06,920 --> 00:36:11,480 I mean, I love playing with you and I feel like you always know what you want to say, 707 00:36:11,480 --> 00:36:12,480 which I really appreciate. 708 00:36:12,480 --> 00:36:13,960 I love playing with my brother. 709 00:36:13,960 --> 00:36:17,280 I hate to single people out because there are really so many musicians that I adore 710 00:36:17,280 --> 00:36:18,280 in the orchestra. 711 00:36:18,280 --> 00:36:19,280 Pick one. 712 00:36:19,280 --> 00:36:20,280 I'm making you do it. 713 00:36:20,280 --> 00:36:21,280 Blame me. 714 00:36:21,280 --> 00:36:22,280 Okay. 715 00:36:22,280 --> 00:36:23,280 I've always loved playing with Jesse Morrison. 716 00:36:23,280 --> 00:36:27,000 I find that he's a very natural player and he thinks a lot about what he's doing. 717 00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:32,000 And what I love about Jesse is that even though Jesse's in the section and Jesse plays viola 718 00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:37,960 and Jesse plays viola, I feel like it's really easy to communicate with him across the stage 719 00:36:37,960 --> 00:36:38,960 at any moment. 720 00:36:38,960 --> 00:36:41,880 He's got his sort of antenna up and I love that in a musician. 721 00:36:41,880 --> 00:36:43,840 Oh, that's so great to hear. 722 00:36:43,840 --> 00:36:44,840 That's so wonderful. 723 00:36:44,840 --> 00:36:46,640 Yeah, we've got so many great colleagues. 724 00:36:46,640 --> 00:36:50,360 Well, Diana, I wanted to thank you so much for your time. 725 00:36:50,360 --> 00:36:52,520 Thanks for sitting down with me and thanks for talking about the season. 726 00:36:52,520 --> 00:36:53,640 I'm really looking forward to it. 727 00:36:53,640 --> 00:36:54,640 It's been a pleasure. 728 00:36:54,640 --> 00:36:55,640 Thank you. 729 00:36:55,640 --> 00:37:00,480 Notes from the Stage is an independent production of the Calgary Philharmonic Players Association. 730 00:37:00,480 --> 00:37:04,120 The opinions expressed here are our own and do not reflect those of the Calgary Philharmonic 731 00:37:04,120 --> 00:37:05,400 Orchestra. 732 00:37:05,400 --> 00:37:08,840 Our thanks to Nathan Chandler for his technical expertise. 733 00:37:08,840 --> 00:37:12,960 Let us know what you think of the show and check out our concert calendar at calgaryfilmmusicians.ca 734 00:37:12,960 --> 00:37:17,000 to see what we're all up to outside of our regular performances at the CPO. 735 00:37:17,000 --> 00:37:20,560 On our next episode in two weeks, I'll be talking with Maria van der Sloot, section 736 00:37:20,560 --> 00:37:25,480 first violinist in the CPO and member of Calgary's own critically acclaimed Lands End ensemble. 737 00:37:25,480 --> 00:37:43,680 Talk to you soon.