Week 6 in Aspen
I can’t believe that the summer is passing by so incredibly quickly. The final note of tonight’s Festival Orchestra concert marks the official end of the 6th week of the music Festival (in reality I have been here closer to 8 weeks). This week, my orchestra was conducted by James Conlon and played host to guest pianist Peter Serkin. The concert opened with Dvořák’s Scherzo capriccioso. Then came a contemporary work about a mythical bird by Peter Lieberson called Red Garuda. Finally the show came to a close with a phenomenal performance of Dvořák’s Eighth Symphony in G major. There was something extra special about tonight’s concert however. James Conlon, throughout the week, had managed to connect with the students on a heightened level that produced results, in my opinion, way above that of any conductor thus far. This is not to say that the orchestra did not sound wonderful under the baton of greats such as James DePreist, David Zinman, or Robert Spano, but tonight was just…extraordinary, truly breathtaking.
The conclusion of week 6 brings the harsh realization that only three more weeks of concerts remain. After the students leave, the Fellows have another week in town with League program director Hilary Field, Aspen president Don Roth, and leadership guru John McCann before we disband and head our separate ways for the first of three remaining residencies at major orchestras around the States. As you may already know, I will be heading to Los Angeles at that time to work with the LA Chamber Orchestra and this means that I NEED to find housing fast. Any suggestions?
Let’s see…what else? Over the past week, I have finally been able to find some spare time to relax. When I’m not in the office or at rehearsal these days you can usually find me on the golf course desperately trying to improve my game, listening to a concert at the tent, reading, or planning some kind of a social activity for staff and students (we just had a nice potluck the other night). Tomorrow morning I will be joining a group of about 5 people to hike up the ski trials of Aspen Mountain. This should be lots of fun as well as a great workout. After tomorrow’s day of relaxation and only a half day in the office, I will continue to plan for the final three AFO concerts. Final three concerts…where does the time go?
The conclusion of week 6 brings the harsh realization that only three more weeks of concerts remain. After the students leave, the Fellows have another week in town with League program director Hilary Field, Aspen president Don Roth, and leadership guru John McCann before we disband and head our separate ways for the first of three remaining residencies at major orchestras around the States. As you may already know, I will be heading to Los Angeles at that time to work with the LA Chamber Orchestra and this means that I NEED to find housing fast. Any suggestions?
Let’s see…what else? Over the past week, I have finally been able to find some spare time to relax. When I’m not in the office or at rehearsal these days you can usually find me on the golf course desperately trying to improve my game, listening to a concert at the tent, reading, or planning some kind of a social activity for staff and students (we just had a nice potluck the other night). Tomorrow morning I will be joining a group of about 5 people to hike up the ski trials of Aspen Mountain. This should be lots of fun as well as a great workout. After tomorrow’s day of relaxation and only a half day in the office, I will continue to plan for the final three AFO concerts. Final three concerts…where does the time go?
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