WEBVTT 00:00:01.100 --> 00:00:58.600 you Hi there, and welcome to Notes from the Stage, 00:00:58.659 --> 00:01:00.759 a show from the musicians of the Calgary Philharmonic. 00:01:01.159 --> 00:01:02.719 We're the people playing our hearts out every 00:01:02.719 --> 00:01:05.340 week of the orchestra season. I'm Adams Innatelli. 00:01:05.540 --> 00:01:07.459 Usually I play first trumpet in the Calgary Phil, 00:01:07.459 --> 00:01:09.599 but today I'm your host, and I'm here with Laurent 00:01:09.599 --> 00:01:12.340 Grier Kim, principal violist of the CPO. Hi, 00:01:12.359 --> 00:01:14.939 Laurent, how are you? Hello. I'm good, thank 00:01:14.939 --> 00:01:18.019 you. Thanks for coming on the show. To cut right 00:01:18.019 --> 00:01:21.840 to the serious materials here, one thing I didn't 00:01:21.840 --> 00:01:24.099 know about you until you rolled in here to my 00:01:24.099 --> 00:01:26.969 place is that you're a dog person. I mean, I 00:01:26.969 --> 00:01:29.870 grew up with dogs. I don't have I don't currently 00:01:29.870 --> 00:01:34.530 have a dog. We have a very old cat. He's 19 years 00:01:34.530 --> 00:01:38.069 old. Wow. Yeah. And he's about to travel to France. 00:01:38.129 --> 00:01:40.390 So I don't know how this is gonna go. But boy, 00:01:40.629 --> 00:01:43.209 oh, boy. Yeah. Well, that's sort of the the news 00:01:43.209 --> 00:01:46.489 of the hour, right? You're you got yourself a 00:01:46.489 --> 00:01:51.730 new job. I did. Yes. Quite a journey. But I am 00:01:51.730 --> 00:01:55.369 very excited. A little a little scared. because 00:01:55.369 --> 00:01:58.689 I've been here for 10 years in Calgary, for almost 00:01:58.689 --> 00:02:03.170 10 years, I think, and in North America for close 00:02:03.170 --> 00:02:06.030 to 15 years, I think. I studied in the US before 00:02:06.030 --> 00:02:10.409 coming to Calgary. So even for me, going back 00:02:10.409 --> 00:02:14.310 to France is a bit an experience every time, 00:02:14.370 --> 00:02:18.969 you know? I haven't seen it long term for a while, 00:02:18.990 --> 00:02:21.830 so we'll see how it goes. So what was it like? 00:02:22.139 --> 00:02:24.340 Leaving France. How old were you when you when 00:02:24.340 --> 00:02:27.319 you left France to come to North America? I left 00:02:27.319 --> 00:02:33.180 When I was I think 26, okay, but before I left 00:02:33.180 --> 00:02:38.120 to go to University at Indiana University I worked 00:02:38.120 --> 00:02:42.300 on cruise ships for Over it was ten months, but 00:02:42.300 --> 00:02:44.879 it was spread out over two years I had two contracts 00:02:44.879 --> 00:02:47.060 there and one of six month and one of four months 00:02:47.710 --> 00:02:50.969 And that's when I actually decided that, okay, 00:02:51.090 --> 00:02:53.229 maybe it was time for me to try something else. 00:02:54.069 --> 00:02:58.930 And I met, it was an American cruise ship company. 00:02:59.469 --> 00:03:03.310 And so everyone was speaking English, obviously 00:03:03.310 --> 00:03:06.150 there, I didn't speak English. So it was a very 00:03:06.150 --> 00:03:09.389 steep learning curve. So I met a lot of people 00:03:09.389 --> 00:03:13.030 there and the string quartet I played with on 00:03:13.030 --> 00:03:16.110 the cruise ship, they were all students at Indiana 00:03:16.110 --> 00:03:20.360 University. And they told me about it. And at 00:03:20.360 --> 00:03:22.000 the time I was like, oh, that's interesting. 00:03:22.500 --> 00:03:24.680 I was a little lost in France. I didn't know 00:03:24.680 --> 00:03:28.099 what really I was going to do. I didn't have 00:03:28.099 --> 00:03:31.199 any teachers. I was not pursuing any degrees 00:03:31.199 --> 00:03:34.159 or anything. So it was a little strange time. 00:03:34.159 --> 00:03:37.819 I didn't know yet what to do. And so I thought, 00:03:37.939 --> 00:03:41.719 OK, that's a good idea. So I applied and I got 00:03:41.719 --> 00:03:45.419 into the university. And then I do remember a 00:03:45.419 --> 00:03:50.509 few days Before going to the US, I was getting 00:03:50.509 --> 00:03:54.250 ready and packing all my stuff and thinking to 00:03:54.250 --> 00:03:56.830 myself, this is amazing. In a couple of days, 00:03:56.830 --> 00:03:59.729 I will be there, just having to do my own things 00:03:59.729 --> 00:04:02.590 in a completely different country, a different 00:04:02.590 --> 00:04:05.530 continent and all this. Two days later, that 00:04:05.530 --> 00:04:09.009 was it. I remember being on a parking lot after 00:04:09.009 --> 00:04:11.370 doing some grocery shopping and being like, well, 00:04:11.409 --> 00:04:15.110 that's it. Here I am. Now you have to figure 00:04:15.110 --> 00:04:18.790 it out. And that was a very liberating moment, 00:04:18.790 --> 00:04:24.430 I remember. Youth was over, you know, I was free 00:04:24.430 --> 00:04:27.470 to decide and do whatever I wanted. It was really 00:04:27.470 --> 00:04:30.990 cool. And that's when I really started practicing 00:04:30.990 --> 00:04:35.509 and working hard. I was not a very serious student. 00:04:36.350 --> 00:04:40.449 Not terribly bad, but not very serious. And that's 00:04:40.449 --> 00:04:43.790 when I really decided it was time to do it seriously. 00:04:44.089 --> 00:04:47.089 So I stayed... four years at Indiana University 00:04:47.089 --> 00:04:52.709 and they were some of my favorite years. I really 00:04:52.709 --> 00:04:56.350 enjoyed it because the campus there is huge. 00:04:56.930 --> 00:05:01.649 It's really like a small town. You never see 00:05:01.649 --> 00:05:04.910 that kind of stuff in Europe or in France. It 00:05:04.910 --> 00:05:08.290 was a culture shock, I guess, but a good one. 00:05:08.730 --> 00:05:13.759 I very much enjoyed it. an enlightening experience 00:05:13.759 --> 00:05:20.839 for me and really a big turn. It was great. Wonderful. 00:05:21.480 --> 00:05:23.860 And you came straight from Indiana to Calgary. 00:05:24.500 --> 00:05:28.920 I did, yeah. I auditioned, yeah. I was playing 00:05:28.920 --> 00:05:32.120 during my last year at Indiana University. I 00:05:32.120 --> 00:05:34.839 was playing quite a bit with Chicago Symphony, 00:05:34.920 --> 00:05:38.319 which was great because it was my first real 00:05:38.319 --> 00:05:42.319 experience of playing professionally in an orchestra. 00:05:43.339 --> 00:05:45.680 So it was good because it's obviously a very 00:05:45.680 --> 00:05:48.680 big and great orchestra. So it was a very good 00:05:48.680 --> 00:05:52.339 experience. I played with some great conductors, 00:05:52.540 --> 00:05:55.439 some really hard music at time. The one I really 00:05:55.439 --> 00:05:58.040 remember was Janáček Sinfonieta. Oh, yeah, yeah. 00:05:58.120 --> 00:06:00.860 It's a great piece. Yeah, I know about that one. 00:06:00.860 --> 00:06:04.459 A lot of trumpets there. And it was really cool. 00:06:04.620 --> 00:06:08.810 It was very difficult. And so yeah, it was my 00:06:08.810 --> 00:06:12.990 first glimpse of what I would have to go through 00:06:12.990 --> 00:06:17.389 then. And yeah, then I won the job here in Calgary 00:06:17.389 --> 00:06:21.389 and yeah, moved here and that was great. Yeah, 00:06:21.410 --> 00:06:24.290 wow. So what part of France are you from? I'm 00:06:24.290 --> 00:06:27.389 from Bordeaux. It's in the southwest on the Atlantic 00:06:27.389 --> 00:06:30.990 Ocean, close to Spain, about two hours away. 00:06:31.859 --> 00:06:35.060 from the Pyrenees mountains which separates France 00:06:35.060 --> 00:06:37.939 and Spain in the south. It's a very beautiful 00:06:37.939 --> 00:06:41.540 area. A lot of wine obviously. I'm sure people 00:06:41.540 --> 00:06:43.980 know the area because of the wine and it's a 00:06:43.980 --> 00:06:46.420 big appellation for wine and I do love wine, 00:06:46.800 --> 00:06:50.180 I should say. I grew up there. The city itself 00:06:50.180 --> 00:06:52.980 is beautiful because it looks a bit like a small 00:06:52.980 --> 00:06:57.220 Paris. The architect who we did Paris, his name 00:06:57.220 --> 00:07:00.500 is Haussmann. He was from the region, I think, 00:07:00.600 --> 00:07:04.120 from Bordeaux. He has a house there that we used 00:07:04.120 --> 00:07:06.279 to visit when we were at school when we were 00:07:06.279 --> 00:07:09.660 kids. And so he did the architecture of Bordeaux. 00:07:09.939 --> 00:07:12.399 And it's all these white stones, you know, that 00:07:12.399 --> 00:07:15.800 you know Paris for, you know, all the big boulevards 00:07:15.800 --> 00:07:18.720 and all this. It's a really beautiful place here. 00:07:18.860 --> 00:07:22.069 Wonderful. Yeah. So where's the new job? The 00:07:22.069 --> 00:07:25.110 new job is quite the opposite place. It's in 00:07:25.110 --> 00:07:28.069 the north of France, in Lille, so very close 00:07:28.069 --> 00:07:31.850 to Belgium, actually. I think it's about an hour 00:07:31.850 --> 00:07:35.389 away from Belgium, even less than this. So it's 00:07:35.389 --> 00:07:38.250 in the north. The climate is quite different. 00:07:38.730 --> 00:07:43.009 It's quite rainy and grey. So we'll see about 00:07:43.009 --> 00:07:45.470 this. It's not as cold as here, for sure, which 00:07:45.470 --> 00:07:48.959 will be the main difference. It's a good orchestra. 00:07:49.160 --> 00:07:52.540 It's quite famous in France. It's a pretty good 00:07:52.540 --> 00:07:55.459 orchestra and I'm very much looking forward to 00:07:55.459 --> 00:07:58.740 it. It's a very different experience from working 00:07:58.740 --> 00:08:02.480 here in North America because of the culture, 00:08:02.480 --> 00:08:04.180 I guess, I don't know, and the way it's always 00:08:04.180 --> 00:08:09.339 been. It's a full size orchestra and they only 00:08:09.339 --> 00:08:13.160 play classical music. You know, that's all they 00:08:13.160 --> 00:08:15.699 do. So it's a different experience from the one 00:08:15.699 --> 00:08:18.439 I've had here. I'm very much looking forward 00:08:18.439 --> 00:08:22.240 to it. Wonderful. Now long -term listeners of 00:08:22.240 --> 00:08:24.120 the podcast will know that cycling is my sport, 00:08:24.220 --> 00:08:26.620 so that area of northeastern France is like, 00:08:26.660 --> 00:08:31.040 that's my jam. Oh yeah. I don't do much of it. 00:08:31.160 --> 00:08:35.580 I do some skiing here, but that won't be possible 00:08:35.580 --> 00:08:41.720 there. That's too bad. Yeah, we'll see. In your 00:08:41.720 --> 00:08:43.659 time here in Calgary, I know that you've done 00:08:43.659 --> 00:08:45.279 a lot of skiing. I know that you like to get 00:08:45.279 --> 00:08:47.120 out with many of our colleagues. What are your 00:08:47.120 --> 00:08:48.340 favorite things? What are the things you're going 00:08:48.340 --> 00:08:52.120 to miss about Calgary? Oh, actually, many things. 00:08:52.360 --> 00:08:57.059 I did not always enjoy Calgary, but probably 00:08:57.059 --> 00:09:00.039 because I was new and didn't know many people 00:09:00.039 --> 00:09:02.879 and all these things, I guess. But with time, 00:09:03.779 --> 00:09:07.360 I really grew to liking it. So of course, I will 00:09:07.360 --> 00:09:12.149 miss the skiing. But I think one of the things 00:09:12.149 --> 00:09:15.690 that I will miss most is probably the Sun I really 00:09:15.690 --> 00:09:18.809 don't mind so much the cold sometimes I do when 00:09:18.809 --> 00:09:20.990 it's a very long period of cold of course, but 00:09:20.990 --> 00:09:23.990 But I really enjoy waking up and every day seeing 00:09:23.990 --> 00:09:26.450 the Sun and the blue sky. That's really something 00:09:26.450 --> 00:09:30.629 I I noticed from the the very first days my very 00:09:30.629 --> 00:09:33.570 first days here in Calgary and That I think I 00:09:33.570 --> 00:09:36.809 will miss. I really enjoy this and and of course 00:09:36.809 --> 00:09:41.080 the mountains Skiing is great. And all the people 00:09:41.080 --> 00:09:43.559 that I met here, of course. And I'm sure I will 00:09:43.559 --> 00:09:48.279 miss parts of the job here, because you know 00:09:48.279 --> 00:09:52.299 how it is. Not everyone is always happy in what 00:09:52.299 --> 00:09:54.899 they do. A lot of people sometimes complain. 00:09:55.539 --> 00:09:57.940 But I think in the end, I was probably one of 00:09:57.940 --> 00:10:01.240 the happiest people in this orchestra. I was 00:10:01.240 --> 00:10:05.279 always trying to talk positively about it. And 00:10:05.279 --> 00:10:09.019 I did end up enjoying it a lot. I always enjoyed 00:10:09.019 --> 00:10:13.500 that it was a bit of a smaller orchestra. I liked 00:10:13.500 --> 00:10:17.600 that it felt like a very malleable environment. 00:10:19.240 --> 00:10:21.620 We're still building this orchestra, it felt 00:10:21.620 --> 00:10:24.480 like. And that I really enjoyed working in committees 00:10:24.480 --> 00:10:28.919 and thinking of ways of improving the experience 00:10:28.919 --> 00:10:31.519 for the audience, but also for the musicians 00:10:31.519 --> 00:10:33.480 and all these things. I really enjoyed that part 00:10:33.480 --> 00:10:37.090 of... of work. You know, I wanted to highlight, 00:10:37.110 --> 00:10:39.210 and this is one thing that I did have in my notes 00:10:39.210 --> 00:10:41.529 that I really wanted to highlight was that, you 00:10:41.529 --> 00:10:44.590 know, you're saying that you've tried to be a 00:10:44.590 --> 00:10:47.190 positive influence on the workplace, both in 00:10:47.190 --> 00:10:49.509 the day to day and by doing lots of committee 00:10:49.509 --> 00:10:51.429 work and things like that. And I wanted to thank 00:10:51.429 --> 00:10:53.870 you for all the committee work you've done, and 00:10:53.870 --> 00:10:57.750 you've done a lot of it. And I think that my 00:10:57.750 --> 00:11:00.750 personal opinion is that when you're in a meeting 00:11:00.750 --> 00:11:03.110 and you have something to say, people listen. 00:11:03.240 --> 00:11:06.539 And I think that you have a reputation, certainly 00:11:06.539 --> 00:11:10.080 among your colleagues, as a thoughtful, constructive 00:11:10.080 --> 00:11:14.039 colleague who's willing to talk about the difficult 00:11:14.039 --> 00:11:17.399 things in such a way that might be a bit uncomfortable 00:11:17.399 --> 00:11:21.240 now, but will help us down the road. So thank 00:11:21.240 --> 00:11:23.600 you for that. Well, thank you for saying this. 00:11:24.559 --> 00:11:29.399 I did enjoy that part, as I said, and I was very 00:11:29.399 --> 00:11:32.370 happy to do all these things. Yeah, thank you 00:11:32.370 --> 00:11:35.710 for saying this. I appreciate that So with your 00:11:35.710 --> 00:11:38.110 departure from the orchestra, not only are we 00:11:38.110 --> 00:11:40.850 losing a principal violist, but you married a 00:11:40.850 --> 00:11:42.850 colleague So we're losing two players. That's 00:11:42.850 --> 00:11:46.070 right. Yeah, my wife Hey one is coming with me, 00:11:46.070 --> 00:11:49.269 of course the press Along with our two kids and 00:11:49.269 --> 00:11:52.870 our cats That will be also quite the experience 00:11:52.870 --> 00:11:57.710 for her. She She is a Korean, but she lived in 00:11:57.710 --> 00:11:59.950 North America quite a bit longer than I have 00:11:59.950 --> 00:12:03.990 she She does not speak too much French a little 00:12:03.990 --> 00:12:07.649 bit because she hears me speak it to the, to 00:12:07.649 --> 00:12:13.429 the kids. So she's catching on and, uh, she understands 00:12:13.429 --> 00:12:16.429 most of it, but. I mean, she's learned, she's 00:12:16.429 --> 00:12:18.649 become fluent in a new language before. Yeah. 00:12:18.649 --> 00:12:23.529 Yeah. Oh yeah. I learned English in part from 00:12:23.529 --> 00:12:28.070 her. Yeah. We, we met at Indiana university. 00:12:28.610 --> 00:12:32.129 We've been together quite. a long time now, almost 00:12:32.129 --> 00:12:37.210 15 years. It's our 10th anniversary in April. 00:12:37.929 --> 00:12:42.909 Congratulations. Thank you. So yeah, it's a new 00:12:42.909 --> 00:12:47.029 page in our story, I guess, now. Going to France 00:12:47.029 --> 00:12:50.230 and trying something completely new, and I hope 00:12:50.230 --> 00:12:53.230 she will like it. She always enjoyed going to 00:12:53.230 --> 00:12:56.230 France, so hopefully this time she will. like 00:12:56.230 --> 00:12:58.590 it as well yeah well you'll both be looking for 00:12:58.590 --> 00:13:00.590 new connections in a new part of the country 00:13:00.590 --> 00:13:03.149 and all that yeah yeah for sure yeah being so 00:13:03.149 --> 00:13:04.710 close to belgium and the netherlands those are 00:13:04.710 --> 00:13:07.889 big centers for early music yeah is that something 00:13:07.889 --> 00:13:11.210 that you have any particular interest in i do 00:13:11.210 --> 00:13:15.850 not as a performer so much i never tried to really 00:13:15.850 --> 00:13:18.809 to play on period instruments or anything like 00:13:18.809 --> 00:13:22.570 this my interest in it is more i mean i've always 00:13:22.570 --> 00:13:27.070 listened to music from any period. I'm not exclusive 00:13:27.070 --> 00:13:30.090 to anything, really. Something that really struck 00:13:30.090 --> 00:13:33.250 me recently was the music of Josquin Desprez, 00:13:33.470 --> 00:13:37.690 which is actually who is from this area. There 00:13:37.690 --> 00:13:43.370 were no borders at the time, really. And so he's 00:13:43.370 --> 00:13:47.049 like a Flemish. So it's both the North of France 00:13:47.049 --> 00:13:50.870 and Belgium and sometimes the Netherlands, all 00:13:50.870 --> 00:13:55.850 these areas. And I really love his music. So 00:13:55.850 --> 00:13:59.570 I guess in that way, I'm very, very curious to 00:13:59.570 --> 00:14:02.730 explore that that area. I also like some of the 00:14:02.730 --> 00:14:08.509 painters like von Hohen, all these guys. So yeah, 00:14:09.429 --> 00:14:14.330 the cultural aspect of this move is definitely 00:14:14.330 --> 00:14:17.649 interesting. When you live in a country like 00:14:17.649 --> 00:14:20.740 I did when I grew up in France, It's just part 00:14:20.740 --> 00:14:22.720 of everyday life. You don't pay attention like 00:14:22.720 --> 00:14:25.820 you do when you've been away so long. And now 00:14:25.820 --> 00:14:30.179 I'm really looking forward to exploring museums, 00:14:30.899 --> 00:14:34.700 countries around France and the rest of Europe 00:14:34.700 --> 00:14:38.019 and all these things that I was not able to do 00:14:38.019 --> 00:14:40.539 at the time. Thinking about the time you've been 00:14:40.539 --> 00:14:41.980 here in Calgary, you know, of course, I want 00:14:41.980 --> 00:14:43.799 to ask you about your highlights, but I got to 00:14:43.799 --> 00:14:46.480 say that one of my highlights was in February 00:14:46.480 --> 00:14:48.820 2020 when everything was going fine in the world 00:14:48.820 --> 00:14:52.480 and nothing bad was brewing. You played the Bartok 00:14:52.480 --> 00:14:55.000 concerto with us at the CPO. What are your memories 00:14:55.000 --> 00:15:01.259 of that? Good, mostly, but that was a difficult 00:15:01.259 --> 00:15:04.539 one, I have to say. It's a very tricky piece. 00:15:04.820 --> 00:15:07.019 I was playing a version slightly different that 00:15:07.360 --> 00:15:10.039 As you may know, the piece was not finished. 00:15:10.600 --> 00:15:15.600 Bartok wrote the viola part of it, but didn't 00:15:15.600 --> 00:15:18.820 write the orchestration. There was very little 00:15:18.820 --> 00:15:23.620 written in the orchestration. Even the viola 00:15:23.620 --> 00:15:27.240 part, he had written all the notes, but articulations 00:15:27.240 --> 00:15:29.759 were missing, a lot of tempo markings weren't 00:15:29.759 --> 00:15:35.059 there. So the version I played was... edited 00:15:35.059 --> 00:15:39.840 by my teacher Atara at Indiana University. And 00:15:39.840 --> 00:15:43.820 it's a very tricky version with different notes. 00:15:43.840 --> 00:15:49.059 Sometimes the tessitura is very different. Articulations 00:15:49.059 --> 00:15:53.220 are completely different from the main edition. 00:15:53.860 --> 00:15:59.159 So that was difficult. I enjoyed it, but I think 00:15:59.159 --> 00:16:01.740 I was... I would like to do it again, let's put 00:16:01.740 --> 00:16:04.019 it that way. Sure, sure. I think we all have 00:16:04.019 --> 00:16:06.120 that feeling when we do something big, right? 00:16:06.200 --> 00:16:08.639 And I think that that's a hallmark of great music, 00:16:09.059 --> 00:16:11.159 right? Yes. You know, whenever you perform a 00:16:11.159 --> 00:16:12.980 big piece like that, you put so much of yourself 00:16:12.980 --> 00:16:15.720 in, it's sort of a snapshot of a time and you 00:16:15.720 --> 00:16:18.200 hope to execute it well. But you know, we as 00:16:18.200 --> 00:16:20.899 musicians, we were always looking for ways to 00:16:20.899 --> 00:16:23.960 grow and ways to develop. So even as you perform 00:16:23.960 --> 00:16:26.059 a concerto, you walk off stage and even if it 00:16:26.059 --> 00:16:27.899 went great, you're like, you know what, I want 00:16:27.899 --> 00:16:30.649 another shot at it. because I'm finding new things 00:16:30.649 --> 00:16:32.789 in it all the time. I know that feeling. It's 00:16:32.789 --> 00:16:35.590 good. It's frustrating, but it's good. And Bartok's 00:16:35.590 --> 00:16:40.230 music, I enjoy very much listening to it. But 00:16:40.230 --> 00:16:46.429 somehow, as a player, it was not as instinctive 00:16:46.429 --> 00:16:51.129 to me as maybe the music of Mozart or Beethoven, 00:16:51.269 --> 00:16:57.100 for example, Bach. I remember when I played the 00:16:57.100 --> 00:17:00.440 Sinfonia concertante with Diana during my second 00:17:00.440 --> 00:17:03.059 season, I think here, so it must have been 2016 00:17:03.059 --> 00:17:07.579 or 2015, something like this. And that I enjoyed 00:17:07.579 --> 00:17:12.200 thoroughly because, I mean, the music is at times 00:17:12.200 --> 00:17:14.759 miraculous, I guess, you know, it's really something 00:17:14.759 --> 00:17:19.880 extraordinary. And it is something that I feel 00:17:19.880 --> 00:17:23.099 closer to and that it's more instinctive when 00:17:23.099 --> 00:17:26.900 I... plate. I don't have to think as much. In 00:17:26.900 --> 00:17:30.240 Bartok, I remember having to draw every single 00:17:30.240 --> 00:17:36.079 phrase and mentally decide on how to shape them, 00:17:36.119 --> 00:17:39.920 which I enjoyed doing, but I thought at some 00:17:39.920 --> 00:17:43.220 point it became too much. The work I did in the 00:17:43.220 --> 00:17:47.000 Bartok maybe became a little too brainy. Whereas 00:17:47.000 --> 00:17:51.319 in Mozart, I can let go more and by instinct 00:17:51.640 --> 00:17:53.779 I will play something that is closer to what 00:17:53.779 --> 00:17:56.900 I hear so that I enjoy very much. Yeah, that's 00:17:56.900 --> 00:17:59.440 really interesting, you know, and the way that 00:17:59.440 --> 00:18:03.279 different people either instinctually or intellectually 00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:05.420 make these decisions about phrasing, that's sort 00:18:05.420 --> 00:18:08.339 of the joy of live music. That's why, you know, 00:18:08.380 --> 00:18:11.900 there's not one recording of the Mozart Sinfonia 00:18:11.900 --> 00:18:14.440 Concertante that is how it is and that's how 00:18:14.440 --> 00:18:16.539 it is forever. It's always different. It's always 00:18:16.539 --> 00:18:19.700 even one player. two nights in a row performing 00:18:19.700 --> 00:18:21.259 it the little things are going to be different 00:18:21.259 --> 00:18:23.539 because you feel a certain way differently or 00:18:23.539 --> 00:18:25.940 something different happens on stage and you 00:18:25.940 --> 00:18:27.880 know things just move a bit differently and that's 00:18:27.880 --> 00:18:30.519 sort of the joy one of the joys of live music 00:18:30.519 --> 00:18:34.359 i think that's also how so many of these pieces 00:18:34.359 --> 00:18:37.559 have such life over a long period of time right 00:18:37.559 --> 00:18:42.480 that one still gets played because there's material 00:18:42.480 --> 00:18:45.849 there and there's something deep happening in 00:18:45.849 --> 00:18:49.049 that piece that lets people discover new things 00:18:49.049 --> 00:18:51.569 in it and makes it worth hearing. Absolutely, 00:18:52.009 --> 00:18:55.789 yeah. And even from a physical point of view 00:18:55.789 --> 00:18:58.769 or a technical point of view, every day you play 00:18:58.769 --> 00:19:01.849 your instrument, you know, you might feel, so 00:19:01.849 --> 00:19:04.809 for us, violinists, violists, even cellists, 00:19:05.049 --> 00:19:09.549 bass players, the way you feel about your bow 00:19:09.549 --> 00:19:12.710 hand that day or your left hand, you know, might 00:19:12.710 --> 00:19:17.529 have a very strong influence on the tone that 00:19:17.529 --> 00:19:20.609 day, you know, and you might feel very free about 00:19:20.609 --> 00:19:24.329 this phrase, you know, this very lyrical phrase, 00:19:24.349 --> 00:19:27.069 for example, where you can really dig in that 00:19:27.069 --> 00:19:29.769 day and you couldn't really the day before because 00:19:29.769 --> 00:19:32.009 some reason physically didn't feel as good, you 00:19:32.009 --> 00:19:34.589 know. That's what's really interesting in what 00:19:34.589 --> 00:19:37.569 we do is that even physically changes every day 00:19:37.569 --> 00:19:40.130 and we can, we have to adapt with all of it. 00:19:40.349 --> 00:19:43.589 And it has a big influence on on the pieces we 00:19:43.589 --> 00:19:48.349 play as well. That part I really enjoy. Thinking 00:19:48.349 --> 00:19:50.410 about the way that our changing bodies, which 00:19:50.410 --> 00:19:52.930 is to say our changing instruments, affects how 00:19:52.930 --> 00:19:55.009 we play. When I was younger, I used to think 00:19:55.009 --> 00:19:58.170 I'm going to approach being a perfect trumpet 00:19:58.170 --> 00:20:01.329 player and that there was some sort of fixed 00:20:01.329 --> 00:20:05.869 thing, but there isn't. Everything changes all 00:20:05.869 --> 00:20:09.789 the time, and that can be a source of immense 00:20:09.789 --> 00:20:13.849 frustration. Or if you approach it, I think, 00:20:13.990 --> 00:20:16.730 with a healthier mindset, it can open up such 00:20:16.730 --> 00:20:20.490 a world of discovery. Yes, for sure. I agree. 00:20:21.549 --> 00:20:24.190 So what other CPO memories stick out to you in 00:20:24.190 --> 00:20:30.250 your time here? Many, many. I, of course, enjoy 00:20:30.250 --> 00:20:33.930 very much when we play pieces like Mahler's symphonies. 00:20:34.059 --> 00:20:36.059 That's great. And you're finishing with the Mahler 00:20:36.059 --> 00:20:38.119 too then, so that's a good way to go out. That's 00:20:38.119 --> 00:20:40.160 a really good way to go out. Yeah, that's right 00:20:40.160 --> 00:20:42.240 at the tail end of May. I think it's the 30th 00:20:42.240 --> 00:20:44.880 and 31st of May. Correct. Friday and Saturday 00:20:44.880 --> 00:20:47.019 night with our music director, Rune Bergman, 00:20:47.059 --> 00:20:49.460 who is also wrapping up his tenure here at the 00:20:49.460 --> 00:20:52.920 CPO. Those will be can't miss concerts. That's 00:20:52.920 --> 00:20:54.660 right. Yeah, I'm very much looking forward to 00:20:54.660 --> 00:20:58.099 this. But all these, the Bruckner's, all the 00:20:58.099 --> 00:21:01.500 big pieces, of course, and I remember one that 00:21:01.549 --> 00:21:04.269 I really enjoyed because I didn't know the piece 00:21:04.269 --> 00:21:08.049 and it was an opera bar by Korngold. Oh, yeah. 00:21:08.109 --> 00:21:10.529 The Totenstadt, I think. The Totenstadt, man. 00:21:11.150 --> 00:21:13.069 That piece. Such a glorious piece, yeah. Oh, 00:21:13.150 --> 00:21:14.829 and that was with Bram Waltovi on the podium. 00:21:15.089 --> 00:21:17.190 Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, it was a very, very special. 00:21:17.269 --> 00:21:19.549 You remember, too. Yeah. Oh, career highlight. 00:21:20.029 --> 00:21:21.609 Absolutely. That's some of the most beautiful 00:21:21.609 --> 00:21:24.289 music that's ever been written. Yeah, it's incredible. 00:21:24.390 --> 00:21:27.650 And you can hear Mahler, you can hear Wagner 00:21:27.650 --> 00:21:32.869 in it. I had no idea this piece existed and that's 00:21:32.869 --> 00:21:35.410 what i love about it you know like i didn't pay 00:21:35.410 --> 00:21:38.490 attention when when it was programmed and then 00:21:38.490 --> 00:21:40.970 i learned the music i listened to the recordings 00:21:40.970 --> 00:21:47.089 and i realize realize sorry how amazing the composition 00:21:47.089 --> 00:21:50.650 is and and then playing it it was so hard i remember 00:21:50.650 --> 00:21:53.170 it was one of the hardest thing i've ever played 00:21:53.690 --> 00:21:57.069 But so rewarding, like that's one of these times 00:21:57.069 --> 00:22:00.890 when you spend so many hours by yourself learning 00:22:00.890 --> 00:22:04.250 the part. And then when everything comes together 00:22:04.250 --> 00:22:07.849 with the singers and the staging and the whole 00:22:07.849 --> 00:22:12.269 orchestra, it's a very fulfilling moment. Yeah, 00:22:12.509 --> 00:22:14.490 that's for sure. It's nice when all the work 00:22:14.490 --> 00:22:17.109 fills up to something transcendental, right? 00:22:17.250 --> 00:22:19.309 Especially when it's so difficult. Yeah, it's 00:22:19.309 --> 00:22:22.230 so beautiful. Yeah, that was. That's one I still 00:22:22.230 --> 00:22:24.589 remember to this day. Are you going to be playing 00:22:24.589 --> 00:22:27.450 any opera or ballet in Lille? I will, yeah. Great. 00:22:28.509 --> 00:22:31.009 And one of the first concerts I do are going 00:22:31.009 --> 00:22:33.769 to happen at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. 00:22:34.009 --> 00:22:37.450 So that's really amazing because I've never had 00:22:37.450 --> 00:22:39.710 the opportunity to play there. So it's a legendary 00:22:39.710 --> 00:22:42.309 hall. Yeah, I'm really looking forward. I think 00:22:42.309 --> 00:22:44.390 the Rijksmuseum is right there, too. So you can 00:22:44.390 --> 00:22:48.640 do two for one. That's amazing. So Laurent, one 00:22:48.640 --> 00:22:50.599 other thing that I always appreciate about you 00:22:50.599 --> 00:22:53.240 is, if I run into you backstage, I love seeing 00:22:53.240 --> 00:22:56.640 what you're reading. Yeah. Well, let's start 00:22:56.640 --> 00:22:58.799 with this. What are you reading right now? Right 00:22:58.799 --> 00:23:02.279 now, I'm in the middle of The Left Hand of Darkness 00:23:02.279 --> 00:23:05.960 by Ursula Le Guin. Ah, the greatest, my favorite 00:23:05.960 --> 00:23:08.779 author, Ursula Le Guin. I was also talking about 00:23:08.779 --> 00:23:10.960 Le Guin with Emily Melendez earlier this season. 00:23:10.960 --> 00:23:14.779 Yes. So, yes, we're big fans of Le Guin here 00:23:14.779 --> 00:23:18.380 at Notes From the Stage. For me, it started with 00:23:18.380 --> 00:23:21.940 The Dispossessed. That's the first book I read 00:23:21.940 --> 00:23:26.859 by her and it really struck me. It spoke to me 00:23:26.859 --> 00:23:30.960 very strongly. I don't usually read science fiction. 00:23:31.220 --> 00:23:33.559 I don't remember doing it, actually, before reading 00:23:33.559 --> 00:23:36.319 The Dispossessed. But there was something in 00:23:36.319 --> 00:23:40.500 that book that I really loved. The thought experiment 00:23:40.500 --> 00:23:45.170 is so... It feels very present in what we live 00:23:45.170 --> 00:23:48.390 these days even almost, you know, it feels like 00:23:48.390 --> 00:23:50.730 we're at a point where we have to think about 00:23:50.730 --> 00:23:54.210 alternative ways and Is there something else 00:23:54.210 --> 00:23:56.589 possible, you know to make it better and this 00:23:56.589 --> 00:23:59.430 book and she's obviously a very smart person 00:23:59.430 --> 00:24:03.009 It's a very thorough thought experiment as well 00:24:03.009 --> 00:24:05.710 There were times when I was reading it and so 00:24:05.710 --> 00:24:09.549 she go on about this anarchist Society that they 00:24:09.549 --> 00:24:14.680 built on this moon And at times I would be reading 00:24:14.680 --> 00:24:17.359 and asking myself, well, okay, this is all good, 00:24:17.519 --> 00:24:20.980 but what if this? And the page after this, they 00:24:20.980 --> 00:24:23.619 would actually talk about this, you know? And 00:24:23.619 --> 00:24:25.720 I was like, whoa, this is amazing. And then again, 00:24:25.799 --> 00:24:28.920 and then again, you know? It was so good. It's 00:24:28.920 --> 00:24:31.549 such... Such a beautiful book. I read it only 00:24:31.549 --> 00:24:33.869 once but I think I would like to read it a thousand 00:24:33.869 --> 00:24:36.170 times if possible Oh, yeah, there's so much in 00:24:36.170 --> 00:24:38.369 that one for those who don't really know this 00:24:38.369 --> 00:24:41.029 book It's a work of political philosophy kind 00:24:41.029 --> 00:24:43.990 of packaged as a science fiction thing. It's 00:24:43.990 --> 00:24:45.589 it's really interesting and really wonderful 00:24:45.589 --> 00:24:49.269 I would say it's on the the denser side of Le 00:24:49.269 --> 00:24:50.690 Guin's writing right now You're reading left 00:24:50.690 --> 00:24:52.869 hand which I think is a bit more approachable 00:24:52.869 --> 00:24:54.970 But also very interesting and also I think very 00:24:54.970 --> 00:24:57.630 relevant to what's going on in the world these 00:24:57.630 --> 00:24:59.819 days I always recommend, if you're interested 00:24:59.819 --> 00:25:02.500 in Le Guin, she's one of the few who writes great 00:25:02.500 --> 00:25:05.079 science fiction and great fantasy. If you're 00:25:05.079 --> 00:25:07.700 interested in science fiction, try Lathe of Heaven, 00:25:08.200 --> 00:25:11.519 a great short little book that is full of imagination. 00:25:12.099 --> 00:25:14.059 And if you're interested in the fantasy, start 00:25:14.059 --> 00:25:16.339 with A Wizard of Earthsea, which is a book that 00:25:16.339 --> 00:25:18.839 I love recommending to people because they always 00:25:18.839 --> 00:25:20.960 come back to me later with this look on their 00:25:20.960 --> 00:25:23.400 face of joy and discovery. Yeah, it's one of 00:25:23.400 --> 00:25:27.180 my very favorites. Yeah, and her prose is also 00:25:27.180 --> 00:25:31.619 so Straightforward, you know, there's no it's 00:25:31.619 --> 00:25:34.900 beautiful in that it's so simple and to the point 00:25:34.900 --> 00:25:38.480 every time Yeah, it really gave me this this 00:25:38.480 --> 00:25:41.400 impression of something Complete, you know the 00:25:41.400 --> 00:25:46.599 book like there's no no slower passages or everything 00:25:46.599 --> 00:25:50.880 builds up to something really complete Yeah, 00:25:50.880 --> 00:25:53.500 it's really a book that I I think it's one of 00:25:53.500 --> 00:25:56.880 my very favorites and I didn't read any science 00:25:56.880 --> 00:26:00.200 fiction before this. Wonderful. Really incredible. 00:26:00.740 --> 00:26:02.259 Wonderful. And I remember seeing you reading 00:26:02.259 --> 00:26:04.200 some Neil Stephenson not long ago. Oh, yeah, 00:26:04.200 --> 00:26:06.640 that was cool too. Anathem, it's called, the 00:26:06.640 --> 00:26:12.680 book I read. That is very heavy. I guess it's 00:26:12.680 --> 00:26:16.819 about a thousand pages and very technical writing 00:26:16.819 --> 00:26:20.480 at times. I don't love the writing always. It's 00:26:20.480 --> 00:26:24.819 very technical, as I said, but he has a talent 00:26:24.819 --> 00:26:29.299 to build worlds. That I'll give him. It's very 00:26:29.299 --> 00:26:32.579 compelling. But you need to go through the first 00:26:32.579 --> 00:26:35.220 200 pages to really get into the book, you know? 00:26:35.299 --> 00:26:37.319 Yeah, I haven't read anything. I read Seven Eaves 00:26:37.319 --> 00:26:40.640 and it was fabulous. Good. Yeah, I would recommend 00:26:40.640 --> 00:26:44.140 anything to anyone as well. But if you have the 00:26:44.140 --> 00:26:46.619 patience, I guess. Yeah. But it's a really, really 00:26:46.619 --> 00:26:49.460 amazing book as well. Yeah. Well, Laurent, we're 00:26:49.460 --> 00:26:51.680 going to miss you. You've been a wonderful influence 00:26:51.680 --> 00:26:55.000 off stage. You've been a great leader on stage. 00:26:55.369 --> 00:26:59.529 as well. And I will admit I am a former violist 00:26:59.529 --> 00:27:04.529 from a past life. So I always have an appreciation 00:27:04.529 --> 00:27:07.450 of what you guys are all doing up there. Just 00:27:07.450 --> 00:27:09.609 as I've appreciated your playing over the years, 00:27:10.210 --> 00:27:12.430 you've heard our colleagues play day in, day 00:27:12.430 --> 00:27:15.829 out for 10 years or so. Who are some of the players 00:27:15.829 --> 00:27:19.410 in the CPO who have really inspired you? What 00:27:19.410 --> 00:27:21.890 I really enjoyed here was playing with friends. 00:27:22.150 --> 00:27:26.269 I already had friends from university. who got 00:27:26.269 --> 00:27:29.950 jobs in this orchestra. And so I really enjoyed 00:27:29.950 --> 00:27:33.869 playing with them. So for example, Jeremy Gabbard 00:27:33.869 --> 00:27:37.990 was a friend I had at university in Bloomington. 00:27:38.309 --> 00:27:42.170 So was Josue Valdepeñas, our assistant principal 00:27:42.170 --> 00:27:46.049 cello. And of course, I met my wife at the university 00:27:46.049 --> 00:27:49.670 and that was great playing with her. These are 00:27:49.670 --> 00:27:53.759 a few people that I knew. uh from my time in 00:27:53.759 --> 00:27:56.819 the US and I played with and always enjoyed playing 00:27:56.819 --> 00:27:58.900 with them when I was at university we played 00:27:58.900 --> 00:28:03.079 in quartets and in chamber music and for me it 00:28:03.079 --> 00:28:07.480 was really something I I enjoyed to to come to 00:28:07.480 --> 00:28:09.799 work and and see my friends and playing with 00:28:09.799 --> 00:28:13.039 them and that's that's what made it like uh feel 00:28:13.039 --> 00:28:15.920 like um playing with a group of friends in the 00:28:15.920 --> 00:28:19.180 end you know not so serious at work but just 00:28:19.180 --> 00:28:22.259 coming to work and enjoy What I'm doing because 00:28:22.259 --> 00:28:25.259 I'm doing it with my friends and my family because 00:28:25.259 --> 00:28:28.519 my wife is here, too Anyway, I think it was enough. 00:28:28.559 --> 00:28:30.779 I guess I don't need to add into this I guess. 00:28:30.779 --> 00:28:33.519 Well, that's lovely Laura Well, I think I speak 00:28:33.519 --> 00:28:36.299 for all of us when I say that we've really loved 00:28:36.299 --> 00:28:38.460 having you as a colleague for these years And 00:28:38.460 --> 00:28:40.839 we wish you all the best in your new endeavors. 00:28:41.039 --> 00:28:42.819 Well, thank you. Thank you for having me that 00:28:42.819 --> 00:28:47.480 was great Notes from the stage is an independent 00:28:47.480 --> 00:28:49.359 production of the Calgary Philharmonic Players 00:28:49.359 --> 00:28:52.220 Association The opinions expressed here are our 00:28:52.220 --> 00:28:54.500 own and do not reflect those of the Calgary Philharmonic 00:28:54.500 --> 00:28:56.980 Orchestra. Our thanks to Nathan Chandler for 00:28:56.980 --> 00:28:59.599 his technical expertise. The music you heard 00:28:59.599 --> 00:29:02.240 on this episode was from L 'étranger by Nidal 00:29:02.240 --> 00:29:05.079 Jabali, performed by Laurent Griez Kim on viola 00:29:05.079 --> 00:29:08.480 and Isaac Friedhoff on piano. On our next episode 00:29:08.480 --> 00:29:10.259 in two weeks, I'll be talking with assistant 00:29:10.259 --> 00:29:12.799 principal horn, Heather Wooten. Talk to you soon!