Baily Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
Program – Tchaikovsky
Marche Slave, Op. 31
Symphony No. 6
No, I didn’t go to Ithaca for this concert. I was sent a link for their live broadcast,
which I sat through.
I played in this orchestra in the 1970s, the conductor
was Karel Husa. It was an enjoyable experience,
so it was good to see these young people participating.
A few changes are quite evident after 40-odd years.
First, Bailey Hall seems to have been renovated. The last time I was there was when the Chinese
(or Asian, I forget) Student Association put up a play that my son wrote,
titled “A Sister’s Love.” That would be
the late 90s, and the hall was basically the same then.
Second, I remember both the concertmaster and principal
second violin were older people (when you are eighteen even thirty year olds appear
old.) Today’s orchestra were mostly
young people, including the two lead violin positions. However, I suspect some are graduate
students, as those “old folks” might well have been.
Screen grab. Evidently 67 people were watching this on line at this time.
I recall only myself and a woman from Singapore were the
only Asians in the orchestra. That woman
eventually married my high school (and college) classmate, and is now a
professor at a prestigious Ivy League school.
Now both women and Asians are well represented.
Before the music began Kim asked the senior to stand up
to be acknowledged by the audience.
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