I’ve really been having a great time here in Hidden Valley Music country. Everyone has been so much fun to work with, and the opera The Gift of the Magi really appeals to me. Tomorrow we have our final performances, and then it’s back home to reality. Or something. I guess true “reality” won’t hit until 2012, when I’m back to teaching and performing.
Maybe I’ll try and get some photos up there tomorrow. Right now I’m hitting the hay. I can’t keep my eyes open any longer!
From an interview with Gregory Vajda:
What is the size of the Huntsville Symphony?
Vajda: The orchestra has 15 core members who have a yearly salary and play all of the services, including classics and pops concerts. This orchestra has a rule that if you win the blind audition, you have the job, but you don’t have to live in the area. So outside of the 15 core members and some, most of the orchestra doesn’t live in the Huntsville area. They fly in from all over the place. Last month we just had an audition for violin, and the person who won the position lives in San Jose, California.
… so of course I’m wondering who it is.
In case you are curious who is singing here …
Aimée Puentes is Della, Gregory Gerbrandt is Jim, Lisa van der Ploeg is Maggie, and Krassen Karagiozov is Henry
Side note: Aimée sang with Opera San José a while back (I still remember her lovely singing in Carmen) and Krassen is still with the company.
The opera is directed by Robert Darling, and Stewart Robertson is conducting.
We have two performances to do today, and two tomorrow. Then it’s back home to reality. This has been a sort of magical week for me, being in such a beautiful location to play gorgeous music!
I could listen to John de Lancie’s oboe playing all day long.
I was going to save this for Christmas, but I know so few will be looking at blogs then, so I’m going to post more Christmas music this week.
it always is a good day when I get in my car and an Oboe concerto is on the radio.
I mean … c’mon now. We are as normal as can be!
Opera singers … they astound me … and they sometimes have to deal with dangerous situations. I’ll stay seated in my little chair, thank you very much.
Officials at New York’s Metropolitan Opera say mezzo-soprano Wendy White was recovering Sunday from an 8-foot fall during a performance.
White was taken to a Manhattan hospital Saturday night after tumbling from a platform above the famed Met stage while singing the role of Marthe in “Faust.”
I read it here.
More information. It appears she is okay.
The perils of singing opera, I guess.
