WEBVTT 00:00:24.379 --> 00:00:26.239 Hi there, and welcome to Notes from the Stage, 00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:28.339 a show from the musicians of the Calgary Philharmonic. 00:00:28.399 --> 00:00:30.140 We're the people playing our hearts out every 00:00:30.140 --> 00:00:32.859 week of the orchestra season. I'm Adam Zanatelli. 00:00:32.920 --> 00:00:34.840 Usually I play first trumpet in the CPO, but 00:00:34.840 --> 00:00:37.000 today I'm your host and I'm here with Elisa Klevenov, 00:00:37.039 --> 00:00:39.119 violist in the orchestra. Hi, Elisa. How are 00:00:39.119 --> 00:00:41.579 you? Hi, Adam. I'm doing great. How are you doing? 00:00:41.679 --> 00:00:43.759 Very well. Thank you. It's nice to see you again 00:00:43.759 --> 00:00:46.659 after our summer breaks. How was yours? It was 00:00:46.659 --> 00:00:50.259 amazing. I took part in the Verbi Festival, which 00:00:50.259 --> 00:00:53.060 was a very intense orchestra program. Oh, that's 00:00:53.060 --> 00:00:54.859 in Switzerland, right? Yeah, it's in Switzerland. 00:00:55.500 --> 00:00:58.979 And so it was five weeks and it was just Probably 00:00:58.979 --> 00:01:02.299 the hardest I've ever worked in my life. So not 00:01:02.299 --> 00:01:06.400 much of a summer break for me. This was with 00:01:06.400 --> 00:01:08.819 musicians from all over the world, professionals 00:01:08.819 --> 00:01:11.420 and students, but some of the professional orchestras 00:01:11.420 --> 00:01:13.819 that people were from were like Turino Opera 00:01:13.819 --> 00:01:16.200 Orchestra in Italy, San Francisco and San Diego 00:01:16.200 --> 00:01:19.920 symphonies. One girl just won Concertmaster of 00:01:19.920 --> 00:01:22.060 Iceland Symphony, which was crazy. Oh, cool. 00:01:22.280 --> 00:01:24.599 Another girl was from Paris Opera Orchestra and 00:01:24.599 --> 00:01:28.370 then cellist from Virginia Symphony and Lisbon 00:01:28.370 --> 00:01:31.450 Symphony and also another musician from the Calgary 00:01:31.450 --> 00:01:34.950 Phil. Oh, who's that? Alex Beggs, our new violist. 00:01:35.069 --> 00:01:36.969 So I got to know him pretty well. Well, tell 00:01:36.969 --> 00:01:39.129 him to get in touch with me because I want to 00:01:39.129 --> 00:01:40.930 talk to him on this show later this season. Yeah, 00:01:41.290 --> 00:01:43.569 totally. Put in a good word. Yeah, absolutely. 00:01:44.010 --> 00:01:46.370 Yeah, no, it was really great to get to know 00:01:46.370 --> 00:01:49.150 all these people from all these different places 00:01:49.150 --> 00:01:52.650 and as well as the students as well that are 00:01:52.650 --> 00:01:55.909 still in school from all over the world. Just 00:01:55.909 --> 00:01:58.810 a crazy experience to, you know, get to play 00:01:58.810 --> 00:02:01.069 with people that, you know, some of them don't 00:02:01.069 --> 00:02:03.329 speak English very well, but we all play the 00:02:03.329 --> 00:02:05.849 same music and we're all taught the same or, 00:02:05.890 --> 00:02:07.769 you know. Performing this music, it's a common 00:02:07.769 --> 00:02:10.650 language, even when the spoken language isn't, 00:02:10.650 --> 00:02:12.490 you know, isn't necessarily the same for everybody. 00:02:12.729 --> 00:02:15.229 Yeah, yeah. Yeah. We had a training period before 00:02:15.229 --> 00:02:17.530 we actually started performing and we just to 00:02:17.530 --> 00:02:20.330 get us to learn how to play together as an ensemble 00:02:20.330 --> 00:02:23.219 and. to get to play through the repertoire once 00:02:23.219 --> 00:02:26.520 before we have to actually work with the conductors 00:02:26.520 --> 00:02:29.280 that are going to be conducting the actual performances. 00:02:30.280 --> 00:02:33.080 And we were working with this incredible conductor 00:02:33.080 --> 00:02:36.960 named Daniel Blendolf. And there was this one 00:02:36.960 --> 00:02:38.960 rehearsal we were working on Mahler's First Symphony. 00:02:40.719 --> 00:02:43.840 And Janine Janssen walks in, who is a violin 00:02:43.840 --> 00:02:48.830 superstar. And we're all just like. Wow, what's 00:02:48.830 --> 00:02:51.629 happening? Super fans of the show will remember 00:02:51.629 --> 00:02:53.990 jonka choice episode where she was raving about 00:02:53.990 --> 00:02:57.050 janine yansen as well. Yeah, and it was just 00:02:57.050 --> 00:03:01.250 crazy to see her just physically there because 00:03:01.250 --> 00:03:03.629 I've been listening to her recordings of all 00:03:03.629 --> 00:03:05.849 these incredible violin concertos since I was 00:03:05.849 --> 00:03:08.710 a little girl and turns out she was married to 00:03:08.710 --> 00:03:12.169 the conductor that was rehearsing us. I heard 00:03:12.169 --> 00:03:14.069 her play the Britten concerto with Toronto Symphony 00:03:14.069 --> 00:03:16.449 when I was in school. It was amazing. Yeah, her 00:03:16.449 --> 00:03:18.469 Shostakovich violin concerto is I think one of 00:03:18.469 --> 00:03:21.629 my favorites. And just, you know, casually running 00:03:21.629 --> 00:03:24.870 into classical music celebrities such as Martha 00:03:24.870 --> 00:03:28.560 Argerich, Misha Majski, Timothy Rideout, Antoine 00:03:28.560 --> 00:03:31.599 Thomas D, Leonidas Kavakos and many others just 00:03:31.599 --> 00:03:34.300 walking around the school and I got to talk to 00:03:34.300 --> 00:03:38.400 some of them too and got to hear them play. Some 00:03:38.400 --> 00:03:42.599 chamber music such as Misha Majski and Janine 00:03:42.599 --> 00:03:45.840 Jansen played beautiful Brahms piano trio together. 00:03:46.719 --> 00:03:51.659 I also heard the Schumann piano quartet. the 00:03:51.659 --> 00:03:55.819 first one played by my friend, Brian Chang, who 00:03:55.819 --> 00:03:58.560 actually played with us a couple years ago. Yeah, 00:03:58.580 --> 00:04:01.759 I recall that. He's actually my childhood friend. 00:04:01.900 --> 00:04:04.719 We grew up together in Ottawa and he's actually, 00:04:04.819 --> 00:04:06.620 I think, one of my oldest friends. So it was 00:04:06.620 --> 00:04:09.139 great to see him in Verbier for the past two 00:04:09.139 --> 00:04:10.960 summers. He's been playing chamber music there, 00:04:10.960 --> 00:04:15.360 but he got to play. the Schumann piano quartet 00:04:15.360 --> 00:04:19.819 with Maté Schuss, who used to be the principal 00:04:19.819 --> 00:04:23.560 violist of the Berlin Phil, as well as Mark Buchkov, 00:04:23.699 --> 00:04:27.399 who's an amazing violinist. And actually, because 00:04:27.399 --> 00:04:29.000 of this connection that I have with Brian, I 00:04:29.000 --> 00:04:32.560 got to meet the other performers. This was a 00:04:32.560 --> 00:04:35.480 crazy experience because I got to meet this violist. 00:04:36.180 --> 00:04:39.360 And honestly, when I heard him play this, I've 00:04:39.360 --> 00:04:42.769 never heard a viola sound this good. ever in 00:04:42.769 --> 00:04:45.990 my life. And I was just fangirling. And we actually 00:04:45.990 --> 00:04:49.730 ended up having a great conversation. And I just 00:04:49.730 --> 00:04:54.670 asked for a lesson. And he said, yeah. And so 00:04:54.670 --> 00:04:57.750 I ended up having like a life changing lesson 00:04:57.750 --> 00:05:02.550 with this incredible violist just randomly at 00:05:02.550 --> 00:05:05.660 verbiage. Amazing. Yeah, I had like three days 00:05:05.660 --> 00:05:09.579 to prepare what I wanted to play for him, which 00:05:09.579 --> 00:05:13.410 was stressful but absolutely worth it. He talked 00:05:13.410 --> 00:05:16.350 to me about breathing when you're playing, because 00:05:16.350 --> 00:05:18.329 apparently I don't breathe properly when I play, 00:05:18.350 --> 00:05:21.769 which is absolutely accurate. As a wind player, 00:05:21.910 --> 00:05:23.649 as someone whose breath is part of playing my 00:05:23.649 --> 00:05:25.949 instrument, I always find it baffling the way 00:05:25.949 --> 00:05:28.810 that string players breathe. Yeah. For me, a 00:05:28.810 --> 00:05:30.769 bad habit of mine is if I'm playing something 00:05:30.769 --> 00:05:35.310 and it's fine, I'm breathing. But when I get 00:05:35.310 --> 00:05:38.009 to a hard spot, I just stop breathing. And so 00:05:38.009 --> 00:05:39.930 we were talking about that a lot. And he actually 00:05:39.930 --> 00:05:43.079 changed my whole... kind of philosophy on how 00:05:43.079 --> 00:05:45.879 to like what to think about even when you're 00:05:45.879 --> 00:05:48.839 playing not to like micromanage so much and your 00:05:48.839 --> 00:05:50.740 technique and just like when you actually get 00:05:50.740 --> 00:05:54.379 to a hard spot you just focus in on like how 00:05:54.379 --> 00:05:57.339 your body is working and that just honestly changed 00:05:57.339 --> 00:06:00.899 my life and yeah so that was that was a crazy 00:06:00.899 --> 00:06:03.339 experience that's really interesting i mean i 00:06:03.339 --> 00:06:06.529 i think a lot about like When I feel ready for 00:06:06.529 --> 00:06:08.910 something, I often have a really great plan, 00:06:09.170 --> 00:06:11.310 a flexible plan of like, what am I going to be 00:06:11.310 --> 00:06:13.110 paying attention to at any given moment within 00:06:13.110 --> 00:06:15.089 this passage or this piece or something like 00:06:15.089 --> 00:06:18.110 that. So this is really interesting to hear you 00:06:18.110 --> 00:06:20.430 talking about that. Yeah. And then also he's 00:06:20.430 --> 00:06:23.509 Hungarian and I played the Bartok viola concerto. 00:06:23.769 --> 00:06:25.529 You know, I've studied this piece a lot with 00:06:25.529 --> 00:06:28.189 many different teachers, but never with... Someone 00:06:28.189 --> 00:06:30.029 that comes from the same country as the composer 00:06:30.029 --> 00:06:34.209 and just getting to know like I I had no idea 00:06:34.209 --> 00:06:37.170 how to play this piece and getting like him to 00:06:37.170 --> 00:06:39.910 like rewire my brain about how in the Hungarian 00:06:39.910 --> 00:06:43.079 language the every word, the accent falls on 00:06:43.079 --> 00:06:46.259 the first vowel. And so in some of these melodies 00:06:46.259 --> 00:06:48.519 that Bartok wrote, since it was an unfinished 00:06:48.519 --> 00:06:51.519 concerto, there wasn't a lot of articulation 00:06:51.519 --> 00:06:54.519 markings that were written by him. So there's 00:06:54.519 --> 00:06:57.120 a lot of versions of this piece. And I play the 00:06:57.120 --> 00:07:00.220 most standard version, the Shirley. You know, 00:07:00.339 --> 00:07:02.759 Maté told me, you know, you need to you need 00:07:02.759 --> 00:07:05.319 to think about like how the language sounds and 00:07:05.319 --> 00:07:07.100 incorporate that into your phrasing. And I was 00:07:07.100 --> 00:07:10.060 just like. Like that just completely changed 00:07:10.060 --> 00:07:12.060 my perception of this piece. So I'm honestly 00:07:12.060 --> 00:07:15.279 kind of excited to relearn it when I, when I 00:07:15.279 --> 00:07:17.639 do have time. Yeah. I always think like that's 00:07:17.639 --> 00:07:20.139 such a hallmark of great music, right? You can 00:07:20.139 --> 00:07:22.180 keep coming back to it with new insight gained 00:07:22.180 --> 00:07:24.779 over time and see new things in it and find new 00:07:24.779 --> 00:07:27.259 depth in it. Right. Whereas I think some inferior 00:07:27.259 --> 00:07:29.360 music, like it doesn't really bear that kind 00:07:29.360 --> 00:07:31.279 of scrutiny, but something like the Bartok Diolo 00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:33.379 concerto sure does. Yeah. And since we only have 00:07:33.379 --> 00:07:35.420 three, you know, I only have so many pieces to 00:07:35.420 --> 00:07:40.720 choose from. But yeah, there's there's, uh, Walt, 00:07:41.160 --> 00:07:42.980 there's Walton and Hindemith. Oh, I was going 00:07:42.980 --> 00:07:45.199 to say like Stamets. Well, Stamets is also, I 00:07:45.199 --> 00:07:48.860 mean, I guess the three like big kind of post 00:07:48.860 --> 00:07:51.779 -classical pieces. Yeah, sure. OK, those three. 00:07:52.079 --> 00:07:54.480 And I mean, there's also the Roja, which is less 00:07:54.480 --> 00:07:58.009 well known. The one that I usually always play 00:07:58.009 --> 00:08:00.149 for people is the Bartok, because I've just had 00:08:00.149 --> 00:08:02.769 so much time and so many performance opportunities 00:08:02.769 --> 00:08:06.550 with it. Yeah. Yeah, cool. I think my most memorable 00:08:06.550 --> 00:08:11.410 concert was the Firebird Full Ballet, the 1910 00:08:11.410 --> 00:08:13.990 version that we did with Klaus Makella conducting. 00:08:14.709 --> 00:08:17.149 I got to sit for principal for that. And in the 00:08:17.149 --> 00:08:19.009 same program, we actually did Isle of the Dead 00:08:19.009 --> 00:08:22.129 and Rachmaninoff's fourth piano concerto played 00:08:22.129 --> 00:08:25.800 by Yoon Chan Lim. All in the same program. When 00:08:25.800 --> 00:08:30.759 I remember when I first saw this program, I said 00:08:30.759 --> 00:08:36.179 to Patrick, my partner, I was like, I I don't 00:08:36.179 --> 00:08:40.000 envy whoever has to sit principal or concertmaster 00:08:40.000 --> 00:08:42.580 for this, because this is a lot like this is 00:08:42.580 --> 00:08:45.179 crazy. At first, I thought it was just going 00:08:45.179 --> 00:08:48.279 to be the Stravinsky Firebird Suite, which is 00:08:48.279 --> 00:08:50.559 standard. And, you know, we've played this many 00:08:50.559 --> 00:08:52.440 times. We played it just a couple of weeks ago. 00:08:52.860 --> 00:08:57.080 The ballet is crazy. The ballet is insane. This 00:08:57.080 --> 00:08:59.100 is one of the hardest things I've ever played. 00:08:59.659 --> 00:09:02.039 The suite is like selections of the least abstract 00:09:02.039 --> 00:09:03.940 music from the ballet. Exactly. So everything 00:09:03.940 --> 00:09:06.799 that they add is like really challenging. And 00:09:06.799 --> 00:09:09.720 he actually kept fixing it. Like he kept fixing 00:09:09.720 --> 00:09:11.879 the ballet because it was so unplayable what 00:09:11.879 --> 00:09:14.460 he wrote originally, which is what we played 00:09:14.460 --> 00:09:20.350 at Vervier. And I was thankfully now very grateful 00:09:20.350 --> 00:09:22.330 to have sat principal for that because that was 00:09:22.330 --> 00:09:25.330 an incredible experience. I got to play a huge 00:09:25.330 --> 00:09:29.250 viola solo for the first time. And this was something 00:09:29.250 --> 00:09:32.049 I've never done before. And I don't know how 00:09:32.049 --> 00:09:34.710 you guys do this all the time. Every concert 00:09:34.710 --> 00:09:38.590 you guys have these huge solos. And I just I 00:09:38.590 --> 00:09:41.870 mean, it must get easier, right? No, no, no, 00:09:41.870 --> 00:09:45.830 it gets better. OK, it doesn't get easier. No, 00:09:45.830 --> 00:09:50.379 I mean, for me, like this kind of showed me how, 00:09:50.500 --> 00:09:52.759 like, this made me respect you guys so much more, 00:09:52.919 --> 00:09:54.179 because you just, like, don't think about it, 00:09:54.259 --> 00:09:55.960 it's like, oh, that's, you know, that's their 00:09:55.960 --> 00:09:58.799 job, they must be used to it by now. Yeah, like, 00:09:58.940 --> 00:10:00.539 I mean, I think about this a lot, I think about 00:10:00.539 --> 00:10:02.639 this a lot with Sarah Hansononko, our principal 00:10:02.639 --> 00:10:04.659 flute, because she always sounds amazing. And 00:10:04.659 --> 00:10:07.600 like, it becomes so normal to hear Sarah sounding 00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:10.840 amazing that you just kind of take it for granted. 00:10:11.240 --> 00:10:12.840 And every once in a while, I'm like, oh, wait 00:10:12.840 --> 00:10:16.389 a second. This is actually very difficult. And 00:10:16.389 --> 00:10:18.330 it's amazing that she's doing it so consistently 00:10:18.330 --> 00:10:21.789 that I can feel so at ease and take her excellence 00:10:21.789 --> 00:10:24.769 so for granted that like, you know, it becomes 00:10:24.769 --> 00:10:27.450 not a big deal, but it's always a big deal. It's 00:10:27.450 --> 00:10:29.690 always a big deal. Absolutely. And that taught 00:10:29.690 --> 00:10:32.769 me playing that. And I just had to navigate this 00:10:32.769 --> 00:10:35.330 whole other level of nerves that I've never had 00:10:35.330 --> 00:10:38.250 to deal with before because I sit in the section 00:10:38.250 --> 00:10:41.480 here in the orchestra. So playing principal for 00:10:41.480 --> 00:10:44.679 something was an incredible gift and opportunity, 00:10:44.840 --> 00:10:48.139 which I'll always cherish. And it went well. 00:10:48.740 --> 00:10:50.519 Even though the solo that I'm talking about, 00:10:50.519 --> 00:10:52.860 it was in unison with the oboe and English horn. 00:10:53.019 --> 00:10:58.529 It all it worked. It was in tune. But. Yeah, 00:10:58.629 --> 00:11:01.690 it was just, uh, and honestly, like we worked 00:11:01.690 --> 00:11:04.590 so hard on that as, as an orchestra, we rehearsed 00:11:04.590 --> 00:11:07.710 it so much. It was, um, one of those pieces that 00:11:07.710 --> 00:11:10.049 we actually spent significant time on during 00:11:10.049 --> 00:11:11.750 the training period so that we could actually 00:11:11.750 --> 00:11:15.529 like feel at least mildly prepared for when Klaus 00:11:15.529 --> 00:11:18.870 came to conduct us. And yeah, I think that concert 00:11:18.870 --> 00:11:23.029 went super well and very satisfying. Definitely 00:11:23.029 --> 00:11:26.779 a career highlight for me. That's great. Alisa, 00:11:26.899 --> 00:11:30.039 you weren't always a violist though. Tell us 00:11:30.039 --> 00:11:34.139 about that. Well, I actually switched to viola 00:11:34.139 --> 00:11:37.360 quite late by viola switching standards. I switched 00:11:37.360 --> 00:11:40.919 when I was 21 and before that I was a violinist 00:11:40.919 --> 00:11:44.279 and I was playing violin since I was three years 00:11:44.279 --> 00:11:46.860 old and I actually have my undergrad in violin 00:11:46.860 --> 00:11:50.539 performance. So yeah, I switched to viola in 00:11:50.539 --> 00:11:54.440 my last year of undergrad and then yeah, I got 00:11:54.440 --> 00:11:56.980 the job here on viola and I've been playing viola. 00:11:57.200 --> 00:11:59.220 See, I switched from violin to viola when I was 00:11:59.220 --> 00:12:02.200 11. Okay. And it didn't work out for me. What 00:12:02.200 --> 00:12:06.440 did you switch to trumpet? I'm an ex violist. 00:12:06.559 --> 00:12:08.679 I have to, I have to admit, unfortunately. Okay. 00:12:09.080 --> 00:12:13.179 Unfortunately. Well, nobody's perfect. Yeah. 00:12:14.259 --> 00:12:17.409 So making the switch from violin to viola. For 00:12:17.409 --> 00:12:20.409 a lay person, they look like similar instruments. 00:12:20.529 --> 00:12:25.149 One's a bit bigger. But what's different about 00:12:25.149 --> 00:12:29.090 the challenges and the experience of playing 00:12:29.090 --> 00:12:31.269 the viola as compared to the violin? It's a good 00:12:31.269 --> 00:12:34.129 question. I think the best way to answer this 00:12:34.129 --> 00:12:38.740 is to just... Say it all very simply. I hope 00:12:38.740 --> 00:12:42.840 I don't offend anyone. The viola is a more difficult 00:12:42.840 --> 00:12:45.799 instrument to play in tune and to have to create 00:12:45.799 --> 00:12:50.480 a good sound on. It's just the strings are longer. 00:12:50.700 --> 00:12:53.139 So it's the all the fingerings are going to be 00:12:53.139 --> 00:12:56.120 further apart from each other on violin. It fits 00:12:56.120 --> 00:12:58.159 the hand better. At least it fits my hand better. 00:12:58.299 --> 00:13:01.100 I have small hands. But all those all those distances 00:13:01.100 --> 00:13:03.220 are proportional to the overall length of the 00:13:03.220 --> 00:13:05.820 string. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. So since the viola 00:13:05.820 --> 00:13:07.679 is larger, everything's further away from each 00:13:07.679 --> 00:13:09.580 other and the violin smaller, everything's closer 00:13:09.580 --> 00:13:13.259 together. And just the violin is just, I think, 00:13:13.340 --> 00:13:15.620 naturally a more responsive instrument. Like 00:13:15.620 --> 00:13:18.360 you don't have to try super hard to create like 00:13:18.360 --> 00:13:23.700 a, you know, punchier, bright sound that, you 00:13:23.700 --> 00:13:26.399 know, resonates and cuts through, you know, on 00:13:26.399 --> 00:13:29.419 viola, it's I feel like I really had to change 00:13:29.419 --> 00:13:32.000 my approach to how I even like begin the note 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:39.460 and my teacher growing up really was about the 00:13:39.460 --> 00:13:42.620 whole catch and release on the string like you 00:13:42.620 --> 00:13:44.480 catch it with the bow and then you release it 00:13:44.480 --> 00:13:48.080 without any pressure and that's really you know 00:13:48.080 --> 00:13:50.419 that was how he taught me on on violin but on 00:13:50.419 --> 00:13:54.279 viola I think it's even more apparent like I 00:13:54.279 --> 00:13:57.779 have to do that way more than on violin, so I 00:13:57.779 --> 00:14:00.679 constantly think about that and, you know, always 00:14:00.679 --> 00:14:02.360 starting from the string. And I know this isn't 00:14:02.360 --> 00:14:04.679 the way everyone plays, it's just my personal 00:14:04.679 --> 00:14:07.379 experience. Like I know some great players that 00:14:07.379 --> 00:14:08.799 don't start from the string, but this is just 00:14:08.799 --> 00:14:11.159 the way I was taught. The repertoire also on 00:14:11.159 --> 00:14:13.279 violin is much harder. There's much more variety, 00:14:13.580 --> 00:14:17.309 much more difficult concerti, like. much more 00:14:17.309 --> 00:14:20.970 technically like crazy all over the fingerboard 00:14:20.970 --> 00:14:23.450 type of stuff on viola we don't really have that 00:14:23.450 --> 00:14:27.309 so we do have good repertoire on viola but it's 00:14:27.309 --> 00:14:32.809 not super like insanely difficult yeah i mean 00:14:32.809 --> 00:14:35.570 i think a great composer will understand the 00:14:35.570 --> 00:14:37.549 instrument they're writing for and try and exploit 00:14:37.549 --> 00:14:39.830 the unique things about it and the strengths 00:14:39.830 --> 00:14:42.669 of it so someone writing for the viola like the 00:14:42.669 --> 00:14:45.029 violin It's probably sort of missing the point 00:14:45.029 --> 00:14:48.029 mostly. Yeah, for sure. So I would say like the 00:14:48.029 --> 00:14:50.690 viola is a more difficult instrument to play, 00:14:50.889 --> 00:14:53.490 but easier repertoire. But violin is an easier 00:14:53.490 --> 00:14:55.350 instrument to play with more difficult repertoire. 00:14:55.350 --> 00:14:57.070 Sure. If that makes sense. Sure. Like we don't 00:14:57.070 --> 00:14:59.350 have the Tchaikovsky viola concerto on viola 00:14:59.350 --> 00:15:03.330 for a reason. It just would. I mean, maybe it 00:15:03.330 --> 00:15:08.389 would. But I don't see how that would sound good. 00:15:09.710 --> 00:15:12.889 Yeah. Well, when we're coming back to work, we 00:15:12.889 --> 00:15:15.970 have this whole calendar in front of us and every 00:15:15.970 --> 00:15:17.649 year it seems like, oh, how am I going to do 00:15:17.649 --> 00:15:19.230 this? I don't want me and me I'm speaking for 00:15:19.230 --> 00:15:21.629 myself. But like when you look ahead to this 00:15:21.629 --> 00:15:24.990 season or any season, how does that make you 00:15:24.990 --> 00:15:28.690 feel about like the task, the work ahead of you? 00:15:28.909 --> 00:15:31.690 And what do you think about this season in particular? 00:15:32.750 --> 00:15:34.870 To me, this season stands out a lot because just 00:15:34.870 --> 00:15:38.120 looking at the programs, it seems like we have 00:15:38.120 --> 00:15:41.460 a lot more classics going on and maybe I'm just 00:15:41.460 --> 00:15:43.320 saying that because we're playing a lot more 00:15:43.320 --> 00:15:47.200 classics that I enjoy. But honestly, I'm not 00:15:47.200 --> 00:15:50.879 super stressed about it. I'm very excited. It's 00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:53.620 mostly just excitement, I think, to also get 00:15:53.620 --> 00:15:55.539 to work with all these new conductors that are 00:15:55.539 --> 00:15:57.500 coming in since we're looking for a new music 00:15:57.500 --> 00:16:00.080 director. And it's always great to work with 00:16:00.080 --> 00:16:04.370 Ramon Tabar and all these great soloists. um 00:16:04.370 --> 00:16:08.090 that are coming long long and timmy chui and 00:16:08.090 --> 00:16:10.509 uh gil shaham yeah who was here at the beginning 00:16:10.509 --> 00:16:12.409 of the season that was amazing yes that's right 00:16:12.409 --> 00:16:16.139 and uh played bethoven concerto and And then, 00:16:16.240 --> 00:16:18.139 yeah, we also get to play with Edmonton Symphony 00:16:18.139 --> 00:16:20.580 again. I'm super stoked for that. We get to go 00:16:20.580 --> 00:16:23.919 on tour. That's right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. To Edmonton 00:16:23.919 --> 00:16:26.139 to play the Planets, right? Yeah, well, the Planets. 00:16:26.200 --> 00:16:28.440 OK, here's what I think. The Planets is what 00:16:28.440 --> 00:16:30.539 that concert is being marketed as. And it's on 00:16:30.539 --> 00:16:32.159 the second half of that concert. But the first 00:16:32.159 --> 00:16:34.679 half is Become Ocean by John Luther Adams. OK, 00:16:34.820 --> 00:16:37.340 I don't know these. Which is, oh, it's so special. 00:16:37.899 --> 00:16:39.720 It's so special. I think it's going to be brutal 00:16:39.720 --> 00:16:43.590 to play. because it's like very slow textures. 00:16:44.269 --> 00:16:46.309 It's about 40 minutes long. It's a very slow 00:16:46.309 --> 00:16:48.350 piece. There are three different groups, three 00:16:48.350 --> 00:16:50.049 different, quote unquote, orchestras, three different 00:16:50.049 --> 00:16:52.809 groups of players on stage. And each of those 00:16:52.809 --> 00:16:55.070 groups sort of ebbs and flows on their own schedule. 00:16:55.309 --> 00:16:57.850 And only at the exact middle of the piece do 00:16:57.850 --> 00:17:01.230 the three groups peak all at once. And the whole 00:17:01.230 --> 00:17:04.240 piece is a palindrome. like it's like note for 00:17:04.240 --> 00:17:07.079 note. Yeah. Plays out for half and then it's 00:17:07.079 --> 00:17:09.000 backwards for the rest of the piece. That's so 00:17:09.000 --> 00:17:11.099 interesting. I've never heard of that ever happening. 00:17:11.559 --> 00:17:14.819 Yeah, it sort of operates on sort of like a non 00:17:14.819 --> 00:17:16.960 -human time scale. I think that's sort of the 00:17:16.960 --> 00:17:19.220 idea of the piece. It's really beautiful music. 00:17:19.720 --> 00:17:20.900 Interesting. Because, yeah, last time when we 00:17:20.900 --> 00:17:22.779 played with Edmonton Symphony, it was so much 00:17:22.779 --> 00:17:25.019 fun. We played Mahler Three and it was my first 00:17:25.019 --> 00:17:26.980 time ever playing that symphony. It was just 00:17:26.980 --> 00:17:29.660 so... It was a very special concert, I think, 00:17:29.740 --> 00:17:32.000 especially the one, the second one in Edmonton 00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:34.380 that we played. And it's always exciting to play 00:17:34.380 --> 00:17:37.619 in a new hall and their hall is so nice. And, 00:17:37.619 --> 00:17:39.859 yeah, I'm excited to do that again. I agree. 00:17:40.259 --> 00:17:43.549 And Naomi Wu is great. Yeah, absolutely. Something 00:17:43.549 --> 00:17:45.549 else I'm really looking forward to is Daphnis 00:17:45.549 --> 00:17:47.730 and Chloe's Second Suite. It's one of my favorite 00:17:47.730 --> 00:17:49.849 pieces. It's a famous viola excerpt. There's 00:17:49.849 --> 00:17:51.710 actually two famous viola excerpts. That's one 00:17:51.710 --> 00:17:53.650 that's got excerpts for everybody, I think. What 00:17:53.650 --> 00:17:55.990 are the viola excerpts in that one? Well, there's 00:17:55.990 --> 00:18:02.329 a... I mean... That shows up as a third trumpet 00:18:02.329 --> 00:18:04.450 solo as well and in very awkward key and sometimes 00:18:04.450 --> 00:18:06.329 shows up on third trumpet auditions. Yeah, and 00:18:06.329 --> 00:18:13.519 then there's the very beautiful... it looks like 00:18:13.519 --> 00:18:14.980 it's going to be very easy, but then getting 00:18:14.980 --> 00:18:17.119 the right color and when you're playing by yourself 00:18:17.119 --> 00:18:20.480 in front of a panel, it's very difficult. But 00:18:20.480 --> 00:18:22.700 I can't wait to actually play this in context 00:18:22.700 --> 00:18:26.160 and has been one of my favorite pieces ever written 00:18:26.160 --> 00:18:28.420 since I was very young. So it's my first time 00:18:28.420 --> 00:18:30.380 playing it, so I can't wait. Oh, wow. OK, yeah, 00:18:30.440 --> 00:18:32.220 it's so beautiful. And then that's in the springtime. 00:18:32.579 --> 00:18:33.960 Yeah, I'm really looking forward to that, too. 00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:35.519 It's been a long time since we've done that here. 00:18:35.660 --> 00:18:40.059 Oh, and then Luca Cazia is doing Prokofiev, Sinfonia 00:18:40.059 --> 00:18:42.839 Concertante. with us. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm 00:18:42.839 --> 00:18:44.500 excited for that. She's an amazing cellist. Cool. 00:18:44.920 --> 00:18:47.359 And then we're doing Shostakovich's 9th Symphony, 00:18:47.940 --> 00:18:51.819 which, I mean, playing Shostakovich 5 at Verbier 00:18:51.819 --> 00:18:54.359 was my first time playing Shostakovich Symphony 00:18:54.359 --> 00:18:59.259 on viola ever. Really? Oh, man. So I was, I've 00:18:59.259 --> 00:19:02.430 been waiting for CPO to play. a Shostakovich 00:19:02.430 --> 00:19:04.509 symphony, so it's finally happening. And so I 00:19:04.509 --> 00:19:06.269 can't wait for this. Yeah. And the ninth is a 00:19:06.269 --> 00:19:08.430 bizarre little piece, isn't it? And then, oh, 00:19:08.490 --> 00:19:10.289 Diana's playing Brooke Violin Concerto. I love 00:19:10.289 --> 00:19:13.470 that piece. This was like my very first serious 00:19:13.470 --> 00:19:16.250 violin concerto that I learned. And I've never 00:19:16.250 --> 00:19:20.109 actually played it in a professional setting 00:19:20.109 --> 00:19:23.150 with with a soloist. So that's going to be really 00:19:23.150 --> 00:19:26.670 fun. And then, of course, Verdi's Requiem with 00:19:26.670 --> 00:19:30.369 Karen Kamensik. Yeah, she's great. And now she's 00:19:30.369 --> 00:19:32.789 our principal guest conductor here at the CPO. 00:19:32.849 --> 00:19:34.690 Yes, that's right. Yeah, very exciting It was 00:19:34.690 --> 00:19:36.769 great to welcome her earlier this season for 00:19:36.769 --> 00:19:38.650 for that concert with Gil Shahan the Beethoven 00:19:38.650 --> 00:19:41.750 concerto Absolutely, and we played that spectacular 00:19:41.750 --> 00:19:44.650 four interludes from the Strauss opera intermezzo. 00:19:44.710 --> 00:19:47.650 What a charming piece Yeah, just delightful music 00:19:47.650 --> 00:19:49.769 and she's been here in previous seasons before 00:19:49.769 --> 00:19:52.589 she I remember I think I missed the last time 00:19:52.589 --> 00:19:55.069 she was here when she did some Scriabin I was 00:19:55.069 --> 00:19:57.309 here for Walton that I must have missed the Scriabin. 00:19:57.670 --> 00:20:00.029 Yeah, okay So I was there for Walton and I feel 00:20:00.029 --> 00:20:04.569 like every season the CPO does like... one symphony 00:20:04.569 --> 00:20:07.430 that is extremely difficult and that's very like 00:20:07.430 --> 00:20:10.509 under rehearsed and that was this. Well, under 00:20:10.509 --> 00:20:11.950 rehearsed because we'd never done anything. Anyone 00:20:11.950 --> 00:20:13.809 on stage had ever played that. No, no, no. It 00:20:13.809 --> 00:20:16.509 was done once I think in the Bernardi years. 00:20:16.589 --> 00:20:18.130 OK. So there were a few people who had played 00:20:18.130 --> 00:20:20.589 it. But most people, most people, that's an unknown 00:20:20.589 --> 00:20:22.509 piece. Yeah, most people. I didn't even know 00:20:22.509 --> 00:20:26.650 Walton wrote symphonies. So that was I mean, 00:20:26.650 --> 00:20:30.410 it's a great piece. And then. This past year, 00:20:30.569 --> 00:20:32.990 what was the hardest thing for me? I think it 00:20:32.990 --> 00:20:36.049 was the Souk Second Symphony. That one was crazy. 00:20:36.549 --> 00:20:40.250 I loved playing it though, but that was a great 00:20:40.250 --> 00:20:43.009 challenge. Yeah, there's a lot to learn. Yeah, 00:20:43.150 --> 00:20:45.450 lots of notes. But it's honestly become one of 00:20:45.450 --> 00:20:48.509 my favorite memories with the orchestra, I think. 00:20:48.750 --> 00:20:52.940 It's just been such a monumental. work that i 00:20:52.940 --> 00:20:54.920 just really enjoyed playing yeah and when you 00:20:54.920 --> 00:20:57.200 play something new like that especially when 00:20:57.200 --> 00:20:59.500 for most if not all the people on stage like 00:20:59.500 --> 00:21:03.019 it's sort of like this joint voyage of discovery 00:21:03.019 --> 00:21:05.380 uh and i think it really kind of brings a group 00:21:05.380 --> 00:21:07.660 together in a way that playing another Beethoven 00:21:07.660 --> 00:21:10.400 five doesn't necessarily right yeah totally it's 00:21:10.400 --> 00:21:12.599 a different sort of thing because with the Beethoven 00:21:12.599 --> 00:21:14.460 five and Beethoven five is great we're playing 00:21:14.460 --> 00:21:17.400 it imminently. I don't think I'm ever going to 00:21:17.400 --> 00:21:19.359 get tired of Beethoven five. I mean, I know I'm 00:21:19.359 --> 00:21:21.880 saying this very early in my career, but I I 00:21:21.880 --> 00:21:25.900 love Beethoven five. Sorry to all of those musicians 00:21:25.900 --> 00:21:27.460 out there that are tired of playing it, but I 00:21:27.460 --> 00:21:29.859 just style. It's one of my favorites. There's 00:21:29.859 --> 00:21:32.259 a reason it's a hit. Yeah, there's a reason for 00:21:32.259 --> 00:21:35.519 it. Yeah. You know, like like most of us at the 00:21:35.519 --> 00:21:38.599 orchestra, not only are we performers of classical 00:21:38.599 --> 00:21:41.170 music, but we're also sort of stewards of. the 00:21:41.170 --> 00:21:43.910 art form, you know, and part of that means passing 00:21:43.910 --> 00:21:47.029 it on to people who want to learn. And I know 00:21:47.029 --> 00:21:50.009 you teach a lot of kids. Tell me about that. 00:21:50.509 --> 00:21:53.109 Well, yeah, I have I have a few students right 00:21:53.109 --> 00:21:57.170 now and they've all started with me, except for 00:21:57.170 --> 00:21:59.490 one. One of them has had a teacher before. And 00:21:59.490 --> 00:22:01.490 but for most of them, I've been their first teacher. 00:22:01.869 --> 00:22:04.490 And my youngest student right now, I believe, 00:22:04.549 --> 00:22:09.099 is four. And my. uh oldest student still quite 00:22:09.099 --> 00:22:12.440 young but i think she's 14 right now especially 00:22:12.440 --> 00:22:16.380 this girl that's 14 or 15 she started with me 00:22:16.380 --> 00:22:18.839 right when i joined the orchestra so almost seven 00:22:18.839 --> 00:22:24.809 years ago and bringing someone from Like a young 00:22:24.809 --> 00:22:27.829 age that's never played violin before and seeing 00:22:27.829 --> 00:22:30.730 them grow and then actually being able to teach 00:22:30.730 --> 00:22:34.630 them great music like we just did Mozart's third 00:22:34.630 --> 00:22:38.789 violin concerto and this is after Six seven years 00:22:38.789 --> 00:22:40.970 of playing the violin. I think that's pretty 00:22:40.970 --> 00:22:44.690 good Yeah, and just you know, you're you see 00:22:44.690 --> 00:22:46.609 them once a week and you build this relationship 00:22:46.609 --> 00:22:50.779 with them and you just watch them grow musically 00:22:50.779 --> 00:22:53.279 and as a person, it's just, it's one of my favorite 00:22:53.279 --> 00:22:56.960 things to do because of that. And, uh, the youngest 00:22:56.960 --> 00:22:59.059 student that I have right now, he's four and 00:22:59.059 --> 00:23:01.740 we're currently trying to tackle the twinkle, 00:23:01.759 --> 00:23:05.099 twinkle variation. So I'm teaching from like 00:23:05.099 --> 00:23:08.720 all levels pretty much right now. And, uh, I 00:23:08.720 --> 00:23:10.599 have another student that she's, uh, starting 00:23:10.599 --> 00:23:14.779 book five Suzuki book five and My method is always 00:23:14.779 --> 00:23:17.619 to start with Suzuki, not the actual Suzuki teaching 00:23:17.619 --> 00:23:21.200 method. I teach them to read music, but the books 00:23:21.200 --> 00:23:23.740 actually have the way the pieces are organized 00:23:23.740 --> 00:23:27.519 or organized in a way that is very helpful. We 00:23:27.519 --> 00:23:29.960 start from the very beginning and then it gets 00:23:29.960 --> 00:23:32.599 a little harder, a little harder, like very progressively. 00:23:33.220 --> 00:23:36.079 So I think that the way the Suzuki books are 00:23:36.079 --> 00:23:39.819 organized is perfect for a young person because 00:23:39.819 --> 00:23:42.599 it's also like pretty palatable fun pieces that 00:23:42.599 --> 00:23:46.240 they enjoy playing and listening to and but once 00:23:46.240 --> 00:23:48.980 we graduate Suzuki book six that's when I can 00:23:48.980 --> 00:23:52.079 actually start to choose repertoire for them 00:23:52.079 --> 00:23:54.359 and I mean we decide together I give them a choice 00:23:54.359 --> 00:23:57.380 of a few pieces and then They get to choose what 00:23:57.380 --> 00:23:59.480 they'd like to learn and that's when you really 00:23:59.480 --> 00:24:01.460 start to see them come out of their shell. And 00:24:01.460 --> 00:24:05.319 I'm there now with two of my students and I can't 00:24:05.319 --> 00:24:07.519 wait for the others to join me there as well 00:24:07.519 --> 00:24:10.160 on that journey because it's the best. Yeah, 00:24:10.279 --> 00:24:12.400 absolutely. You know, I always find it interesting 00:24:12.400 --> 00:24:16.000 with students trying to figure out like how on 00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:19.779 that day or that year, how you can find a way 00:24:19.779 --> 00:24:21.900 to communicate to them and reach them about an 00:24:21.900 --> 00:24:25.440 idea. And, you know, trumpet lessons start a 00:24:25.440 --> 00:24:28.559 lot later in life than violin lessons do, because 00:24:28.559 --> 00:24:31.180 you need, you know, you need your grownup teeth 00:24:31.180 --> 00:24:33.779 and stuff like that to really to really get going. 00:24:34.079 --> 00:24:37.640 But it must be so interesting to see that change 00:24:37.640 --> 00:24:39.559 over years and how you're able to communicate 00:24:39.559 --> 00:24:43.279 ideas in sort of a more basic way when they're 00:24:43.279 --> 00:24:45.519 little and gradually, gradually build on that 00:24:45.519 --> 00:24:47.299 and build a more sophisticated understanding 00:24:47.299 --> 00:24:50.920 of that. It's like such a microcosm of everything 00:24:50.920 --> 00:24:53.920 that we still do as professional musicians. Absolutely. 00:24:54.140 --> 00:24:57.500 But also sometimes you'll be telling your student 00:24:57.500 --> 00:24:59.980 the same thing over and over again, and then 00:24:59.980 --> 00:25:01.779 you go away for a while so they have to study 00:25:01.779 --> 00:25:04.119 with someone else and not someone else tells 00:25:04.119 --> 00:25:05.740 them the same thing that you told them and then 00:25:05.740 --> 00:25:08.700 they finally hear it. So that's always interesting, 00:25:08.779 --> 00:25:10.579 too. It's like, OK, I've been telling you to 00:25:10.579 --> 00:25:14.220 bend your thumb. You're bold for. Two years now. 00:25:14.259 --> 00:25:16.720 Yeah, yeah, yeah. Needed to hear it from someone 00:25:16.720 --> 00:25:18.839 else. Absolutely. Look, my wife never reads a 00:25:18.839 --> 00:25:20.859 book I recommend until she gets a recommendation 00:25:20.859 --> 00:25:22.960 for it from someone else. I think this is a universal 00:25:22.960 --> 00:25:26.559 thing. Yeah. So when you're not playing the viola 00:25:26.559 --> 00:25:28.700 and you're not teaching, what do you like to 00:25:28.700 --> 00:25:33.759 do with your spare time? Well, I have a dog and 00:25:33.759 --> 00:25:37.279 I love spending time with her. We go for walks 00:25:37.279 --> 00:25:40.579 every day with my partner, Patrick Staples. He's 00:25:40.579 --> 00:25:43.869 in the orchestra as well. That's kind of our 00:25:43.869 --> 00:25:45.549 favorite thing to do together is just to go to 00:25:45.549 --> 00:25:47.650 the dog park and spend some time there. And then 00:25:47.650 --> 00:25:49.910 I also love to cook. I've been experimenting, 00:25:50.150 --> 00:25:54.529 making new recipes and whatever I can. And yeah, 00:25:54.589 --> 00:25:56.349 it's just become like one of my favorite hobbies 00:25:56.349 --> 00:25:58.769 is to just like try new food and new recipes 00:25:58.769 --> 00:26:01.750 and see what I can make. And yeah, not super 00:26:01.750 --> 00:26:04.190 exciting, but OK, OK. So let's get our priorities 00:26:04.190 --> 00:26:07.230 first here. First, of course, is dog and then 00:26:07.230 --> 00:26:11.960 then cooking and Patrick. We'll get there. So 00:26:11.960 --> 00:26:15.460 what's your dog's name? She's her name is Tosca. 00:26:15.859 --> 00:26:19.119 She's named after the opera Tosca. Yeah. Oh, 00:26:19.160 --> 00:26:21.079 if there was if there was an orchestra job where 00:26:21.079 --> 00:26:23.059 you could just play Tosca every week and nothing 00:26:23.059 --> 00:26:26.240 else, sign me up. Yeah. It's my favorite opera. 00:26:26.440 --> 00:26:30.480 Yeah. Yeah. For me, though, I mean, I know some 00:26:30.480 --> 00:26:33.440 people love opera a lot. I like playing opera 00:26:33.440 --> 00:26:37.579 occasionally, but I really. like respect people 00:26:37.579 --> 00:26:41.559 that can do this as their like actual job is 00:26:41.559 --> 00:26:44.140 just playing opera all year round. Like to me, 00:26:44.140 --> 00:26:47.299 that's crazy. It's hard. It's a very different, 00:26:47.740 --> 00:26:50.440 very different task. Absolutely. And then just 00:26:50.440 --> 00:26:52.759 playing on stage. Yeah. And I and just, you know, 00:26:52.900 --> 00:26:54.700 mentally, too, just like being in the pit, like 00:26:54.700 --> 00:26:56.940 in the darkness, you don't really see your audience 00:26:56.940 --> 00:27:00.680 and can't really connect that way. And operas 00:27:00.680 --> 00:27:04.400 are generally quite longer than the. Concerts 00:27:04.400 --> 00:27:08.160 that we play on stage. So just more physically 00:27:08.160 --> 00:27:12.000 demanding as many as well as mentally. So yeah, 00:27:12.000 --> 00:27:14.599 I think it's great that we do both. Absolutely. 00:27:14.799 --> 00:27:17.460 You know, I often extol the virtues of playing 00:27:17.460 --> 00:27:19.660 in a midsize orchestra like the CPO, because, 00:27:19.859 --> 00:27:21.500 you know, if I were in the Toronto Symphony, 00:27:21.599 --> 00:27:24.140 I wouldn't play any opera, right? They occasionally 00:27:24.140 --> 00:27:27.259 would probably do an opera in concert, but we 00:27:27.259 --> 00:27:30.670 play three operas a year and. I think it really 00:27:30.670 --> 00:27:33.089 helps us as an ensemble and it helps each of 00:27:33.089 --> 00:27:35.329 us as players because we really have to open 00:27:35.329 --> 00:27:38.890 our ears in a way that, you know, it's a it's 00:27:38.890 --> 00:27:41.589 a different, different set of challenges, a different 00:27:41.589 --> 00:27:44.109 set of constraints than when you're playing concert 00:27:44.109 --> 00:27:46.829 music. What have been your favorite operas since 00:27:46.829 --> 00:27:49.650 like in the past few years? Oh, boy. We've played. 00:27:50.250 --> 00:27:53.849 I forget what is in what year. But Tosca is my 00:27:53.849 --> 00:27:57.529 favorite opera written before 1900. OK, we played 00:27:57.529 --> 00:28:00.069 it. two or three times since I've been here, 00:28:00.190 --> 00:28:02.309 and oh god, it's my favorite. There was a very 00:28:02.309 --> 00:28:04.690 memorable performance of Die Todesstadt by Eric 00:28:04.690 --> 00:28:06.990 Korngold with Bramwell Tovey conducting. It was 00:28:06.990 --> 00:28:10.630 extremely special. That opera is spectacular 00:28:10.630 --> 00:28:14.569 music. It's deeply moving. Yeah, I would travel 00:28:14.569 --> 00:28:16.769 to go hear that opera. Okay, wow. Yeah, it's 00:28:16.769 --> 00:28:20.390 a really good one. For me, I think my favorite 00:28:20.390 --> 00:28:22.430 opera that we've played was Verdi's Macbeth. 00:28:22.720 --> 00:28:26.299 Oh, yeah, that's great. I love that. Yeah. And 00:28:26.299 --> 00:28:30.059 you guys sounded so good in the brass. I mean, 00:28:30.140 --> 00:28:33.259 you guys always sound good, but I remember feeling 00:28:33.259 --> 00:28:39.339 like shivers. Yeah. Verdi writes in such a such 00:28:39.339 --> 00:28:41.759 a unique sort of language for brass. Yeah. And 00:28:41.759 --> 00:28:43.900 you'll hear that in the Verdi Requiem coming 00:28:43.900 --> 00:28:47.640 up later this season as well. Yeah. Yeah. Big 00:28:47.640 --> 00:28:50.380 fun. Big fun. And Tosca is an Australian shepherd. 00:28:50.750 --> 00:28:54.690 She's a toy Aussie. Yeah. So she, um, she's just 00:28:54.690 --> 00:28:57.049 much smaller than the regular Australian shepherd. 00:28:57.210 --> 00:29:00.289 Yeah. Still has the same energy. Wonderful. Yeah. 00:29:00.369 --> 00:29:03.569 That's a lot. Yeah, no, absolutely. But also 00:29:03.569 --> 00:29:08.130 she, she just loves to hang out with us at home. 00:29:08.190 --> 00:29:10.630 She's not, she knows when to turn her energy 00:29:10.630 --> 00:29:12.970 on and off. So when we're outside, she's crazy. 00:29:13.009 --> 00:29:15.730 And then when we go home, she's very chill. So 00:29:15.730 --> 00:29:17.950 it's, it's the best of both worlds. Perfect. 00:29:18.009 --> 00:29:21.269 Yeah. They're sprinters. Yeah. Okay. Cooking. 00:29:21.970 --> 00:29:23.170 What sort of things have you been cooking? Has 00:29:23.170 --> 00:29:25.130 there been a specific book or handful of books 00:29:25.130 --> 00:29:27.089 that you've been delving into? I love smitten 00:29:27.089 --> 00:29:29.930 kitchen. Most of my recipes come from smitten 00:29:29.930 --> 00:29:33.890 kitchen. Um, yeah, I mean, I'm, I've been loving 00:29:33.890 --> 00:29:37.569 experimenting with making Italian food and, uh, 00:29:37.670 --> 00:29:41.349 risotto tomato sausage risotto that I really, 00:29:41.349 --> 00:29:46.049 it's been a staple in my household and, uh, bolognese, 00:29:46.049 --> 00:29:50.680 uh, rigatoni alla vodka. Um, What else have I 00:29:50.680 --> 00:29:53.940 made spaghetti with meatballs, of course and 00:29:53.940 --> 00:29:56.279 Trying to think of I'm sure there's more those 00:29:56.279 --> 00:29:58.680 are just like the basic basics But yeah, and 00:29:58.680 --> 00:29:59.900 you've been going to spit in kitchen for those 00:29:59.900 --> 00:30:02.480 recipes, too. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah Yeah, so 00:30:02.480 --> 00:30:06.700 so like straightforward and not super difficult 00:30:06.700 --> 00:30:10.039 Yeah, yeah Italian food isn't complicated. No, 00:30:10.200 --> 00:30:12.740 no, you know any food can be complicated in like 00:30:12.740 --> 00:30:16.259 a fine dining setting, but Italian food is about 00:30:17.039 --> 00:30:19.059 That's uncomplicated. Uncomplicated. Quality 00:30:19.059 --> 00:30:21.279 ingredients. Yeah. Let them shine. And in that 00:30:21.279 --> 00:30:23.339 way, I always think that Italian food and Japanese 00:30:23.339 --> 00:30:25.660 food have a lot in common in terms of like have 00:30:25.660 --> 00:30:28.059 great ingredients and don't do much to them. 00:30:28.539 --> 00:30:31.119 My favorite restaurant actually in the city is 00:30:31.119 --> 00:30:33.480 an Italian -Japanese fusion. Oh, tell me about 00:30:33.480 --> 00:30:35.680 this. It's called Carino. I've never, I don't 00:30:35.680 --> 00:30:37.579 know this one. It's on Fourth Street. It's a 00:30:37.579 --> 00:30:40.099 hidden gem for sure. Like in Mission? In Mission. 00:30:40.140 --> 00:30:43.460 Okay, okay. It's so good. Okay. We've gone there 00:30:43.460 --> 00:30:46.509 a couple times. It's just been... Absolutely. 00:30:46.769 --> 00:30:49.349 Like you don't expect that it's going to taste 00:30:49.349 --> 00:30:53.109 that good because the fusion doesn't sound particularly 00:30:53.109 --> 00:30:58.069 like edible, but it is. And it's so incredible. 00:30:58.150 --> 00:31:01.049 I highly recommend. Yeah. Cool. I'll definitely 00:31:01.049 --> 00:31:04.549 check that out. Put it on my list. Yeah. OK. 00:31:05.789 --> 00:31:08.329 Now, what about coffee shops in town? I don't 00:31:08.329 --> 00:31:10.750 drink coffee. It just like makes me really shaky, 00:31:10.990 --> 00:31:13.289 really anxious. And are you a tea drinker or 00:31:13.289 --> 00:31:15.930 no caffeine at all? I, I'm a tea drinker. Okay. 00:31:16.009 --> 00:31:18.210 Tell me about the teas that you like. I like, 00:31:18.430 --> 00:31:20.690 you know, I used to love to go to David's tea, 00:31:20.690 --> 00:31:23.750 but since they shut everything down, I've been 00:31:23.750 --> 00:31:26.089 trying to just find like, you know, at Farmer's 00:31:26.089 --> 00:31:28.769 Markets, just like local. I have a recommendation 00:31:28.769 --> 00:31:31.950 for you. The true David's tea, David Sussman's 00:31:31.950 --> 00:31:34.309 tea, the place that David Sussman goes for tea, 00:31:34.329 --> 00:31:36.630 which is the tea trader in Ramsey. They used 00:31:36.630 --> 00:31:38.049 to be right in the main dragon, Inglewood. Now 00:31:38.049 --> 00:31:40.630 they're in Ramsey. They're amazing. Okay. When 00:31:40.630 --> 00:31:43.660 I, when I reduced my coffee intake, I, I went 00:31:43.660 --> 00:31:45.359 there on David Sussman's recommendation and I 00:31:45.359 --> 00:31:47.000 said, I don't want to think about tea. Can you 00:31:47.000 --> 00:31:49.539 like give me a sampler or something? And they, 00:31:49.539 --> 00:31:51.980 you know, whisked into action and provided me 00:31:51.980 --> 00:31:54.579 with a wonderful variety of things. I've sort 00:31:54.579 --> 00:31:57.680 of figured out what I like and I'm well stocked 00:31:57.680 --> 00:32:01.140 now. So I'm really, really excited about that. 00:32:01.279 --> 00:32:03.500 So yeah, you got to go. I'll send you home today 00:32:03.500 --> 00:32:06.180 with, uh, with some stuff to try. Sure. Yeah. 00:32:06.220 --> 00:32:09.500 Excellent. Yeah. Sensational. So now we've talked 00:32:09.500 --> 00:32:12.539 about dogs and cooking, but as for Patrick, you 00:32:12.539 --> 00:32:14.319 better tell him to get on this podcast so I can 00:32:14.319 --> 00:32:15.819 talk to him, because this episode's about you, 00:32:15.839 --> 00:32:20.039 not about him. Absolutely. Him working on it. 00:32:22.220 --> 00:32:24.079 So, Lisa, this is now, I believe, your seventh 00:32:24.079 --> 00:32:26.119 year in the orchestra. You've heard a lot of 00:32:26.119 --> 00:32:27.900 great playing from a lot of great colleagues 00:32:27.900 --> 00:32:30.299 on stage. Who inspires you in the orchestra? 00:32:30.650 --> 00:32:33.170 This is a tough question. There are so many amazing 00:32:33.170 --> 00:32:35.589 musicians in our orchestra. Something I've learned 00:32:35.589 --> 00:32:37.930 over the years is that making music feels even 00:32:37.930 --> 00:32:40.549 more inspiring and special when I get to share 00:32:40.549 --> 00:32:42.289 those memories with people that I love, one of 00:32:42.289 --> 00:32:44.410 which is of course Patrick Staples, who is an 00:32:44.410 --> 00:32:46.950 excellent bass player in the CPO and inspires 00:32:46.950 --> 00:32:49.009 me in many different ways, not just musically, 00:32:49.670 --> 00:32:51.829 as well as my close friends Maria Vandersloot 00:32:51.829 --> 00:32:54.509 and Aaron Burkholder, both incredible violinists. 00:32:55.289 --> 00:32:57.809 These are my super close people who I absolutely 00:32:57.809 --> 00:33:00.579 love and cherish making music with. However, 00:33:00.720 --> 00:33:02.579 there's one other person I'd like to give a shout 00:33:02.579 --> 00:33:05.519 out to, one of our cellists, Danny Posada. I 00:33:05.519 --> 00:33:07.599 feel like as section players, we may not get 00:33:07.599 --> 00:33:09.480 as much attention as our principal colleagues, 00:33:09.539 --> 00:33:11.660 so I wanted to share that anytime I'm rotated 00:33:11.660 --> 00:33:13.940 into the inside of the third stand, Danny is 00:33:13.940 --> 00:33:16.500 usually rotated in to sit right next to me, and 00:33:16.500 --> 00:33:19.559 his sound is quite something. Like, my most recent 00:33:19.559 --> 00:33:22.480 memory... was sitting next to him for Scheherazade, 00:33:22.539 --> 00:33:25.240 which we played last season. And he was so much 00:33:25.240 --> 00:33:27.799 fun to sit next to. He has such a grounded, direct 00:33:27.799 --> 00:33:31.339 sound. So, yeah, I'm a huge fan of Danny's sound. 00:33:33.559 --> 00:33:37.180 Also, one more person. Gwen Claussen is the piccolo 00:33:37.180 --> 00:33:40.119 queen. Anytime that she has one of those quiet 00:33:40.119 --> 00:33:42.880 piccolo solo moments, it just shivers everywhere. 00:33:42.880 --> 00:33:45.880 And I just wanted to shout out to her as well. 00:33:46.200 --> 00:33:48.720 Wonderful. Oh, that's so great. Well, Elisa, 00:33:48.740 --> 00:33:50.700 thank you so much for sitting down with me. It's 00:33:50.700 --> 00:33:52.819 always great to chat with you and good luck for 00:33:52.819 --> 00:33:54.660 the rest of this season. Thank you so much for 00:33:54.660 --> 00:34:00.660 having me. This was so much fun. Notes from the 00:34:00.660 --> 00:34:02.440 Stage is an independent production of the Calgary 00:34:02.440 --> 00:34:04.980 Philharmonic Players Association. The opinions 00:34:04.980 --> 00:34:07.000 expressed here are our own and do not reflect 00:34:07.000 --> 00:34:08.679 those of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. 00:34:09.559 --> 00:34:11.460 Our thanks to Nathan Chandler for his technical 00:34:11.460 --> 00:34:14.719 expertise. The music in this episode was the 00:34:14.719 --> 00:34:16.940 Sonata for Violin and Piano by César Franck, 00:34:17.119 --> 00:34:19.440 here performed on viola by Alisa Klebanoff and 00:34:19.440 --> 00:34:22.860 pianist Fred Lacroix. On our next episode in 00:34:22.860 --> 00:34:25.039 two weeks, I'll be talking with Assistant Principal 00:34:25.039 --> 00:34:27.440 Double Bass, Jonathan Yeo. Talk to you soon!