Always a lover of beautiful classical music, I jumped at the opportunity to attend an open rehearsal of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.
It was a cold, blustery December morning in downtown Calgary, Alberta, when I made my way to the Jack Singer Concert Hall. The rehearsal was $10 to attend but I would have happily paid much more than that to go to the moving event.
The auditorium was about one-third full, mainly with the two groups of people that were invited to attend - seniors and school children. Most of the kids were transfixed by what they were watching and sat without making a peep. The seniors thought they were whispering but spoke at a distractingly loud volume. Everyone was there out of their sheer love of music, that much was obvious.
As it was a rehearsal, the musicians were dressed casually. Ninety percent of them wore jeans with a sweater or a button-down shirt. The conductor wore black jeans with a solid red shirt, his cuffs tightly closed at the wrists to keep the shirt from flopping when he moved his arms rapidly. He was exciting to watch; he looked like a general leading his troops, his confidence and demeanor as commanding as a five-star. His gestures were fluid, elegant, and beautiful to watch. If he'd been an airplane, I would have expected him to take flight. Like any great conductor, he obviously felt the music and his passion for his craft came through with every movement he made. He could have made turning the pages of a phone book exciting.
I later found out the conductor was Roberto Minczuk, a Grammy and Emmy Award-winning conductor. Minczuk has been the Musical Director with the CPO for six seasons and is also the Principal Conductor with the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra (he was born in Brazil.)
Midway through the rehearsal, a beautiful, tiny woman glided onto the stage, her less than five foot tall frame enhanced a smidge by her four inch heeled boots adorned with shockingly fashionable gold trim. She wore casual clothes like the rest of the musicians - black leggings and a rainbow-hued sleeveless blouse. Her jet-black hair was pulled back in a ponytail. When she picked up her violin and did her solo, the music seemed to take off into another stratosphere. She didn't play music, she played emotions. Her violin poured out tears of joy and erupted in bursts of passion, fits that shook the woman's head in all directions and sent her fingers flying at speeds so intense her hands were a blur. She was pure magic, her pony waving violently.
I later found out the magical violinist was Yi-Jia Susanne Hou, the first ever violinist in history to capture three gold medals with unanimous decision at three international violin competitions. Her list of accomplishments and the renowned artists and directors she has played with are beyond compare. No wonder she gave everyone in the auditorium chills.
The music itself was nothing short of amazing. The four main pieces they played were Frenergy (John Estacio), Violin Concerto in D. Major, Op. 35 (Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky), The Rite of Spring (Igor Stravinsky), and Choros No. 10 "Rasga O Coracao" (Heitor Villa-Lobos). It was a rehearsal but the musicians had the music perfected. Between songs, the conductor chatted with his cohorts and got them to play snippets he wanted to work on. The musicians loosen up and joked with one another which humanized them, making them more than just vessels for their instruments. Seeing that side of the performance without the sometimes snootiness of a night out at the orchestra, I took away more from the event than I would have imagined possible. The music uplifted and refilled my soul; it was a day well-spent that I would highly recommend you take in if the opportunity arises.
For more information: Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra
Toby Welch - Toby is a full-time freelance writer who specializes in magazine articles, online writing, e-books, and manuscript editing.
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