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Has anyone met any of the musicians at a concert or recital?

8K views 56 replies 30 participants last post by  distantprommer 
#1 ·
As I recently posted, I met Steven Isserlis in Harrogate at his recital with Connie Shih., Got his autograph and had a chat. Really nice.
Also met pianist Boris Giltburg at a concert in Leeds, beginning of the year. Also nice!!
 
#4 ·
I met the violinist, Augustin Hadelich, after his recent concert at the Bridgewater Hall. I was with my thirteen year old daughter, who is learning to play the violin, so thought that it would be quite a nice experience for her. Whilst she appreciated his performance, he was, unfortunately, rather abrupt and unfriendly, when we met him afterwards. Maybe he was just having a bad evening.
 
G
#7 · (Edited)
I've met dozens, but to name a few: Lazar Berman, Yevgeny Sudbin, Denis Matsuev, Daniil Trifonov, Yo Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Melos String Quartet, Juilliard SQ, Alexei Sultanov, Bela Davidovich, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Ruth Laredo, Esa-Pekka Salonoen...the list goes on and on.
 
#9 · (Edited)
I've never met an opera singer to speak to. However, I did once see the baritone Thomas Hampson as he exited the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. This occurred during the day, and apparently he was leaving after a rehearsal for a recital he was giving there (I didn't go to the recital; I was at the Kennedy Center for something else). I only saw him for a few seconds, but I recognized him right away.
 
#12 ·
I shook hands with Maestro Charles Dutoit at Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires in 2007 after he conducted a great performance of Wagner's Die Walküre ....and last year I got a autograph by Evgeny Kissin also at Teatro Colon after an unforgettable rendition of Mozart and Beethoven sonatas plus a varied repertoire of Spanish sparkling music........)
 
#15 ·
If one attends the right music festival one can meet all sorts of musicians. In festivals the artists frequently mingle with the audience.

At the 2016 Ojai Festival I met Kaija Saariaho. Very nice lady.

At the 2016 Staunton festival I met and had friendly discussions with several composers and musicians. Link to the artists who appeared at Staunton: http://www.stauntonmusicfestival.org/artists/
 
#16 ·
I should have said hello to trumpeter Peter Evans last night. He is an amazing musician. Maybe I'll meet some musicians this Thursday night at the chamber music concert? The Borromeo String Quartet will be in town.
 
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#20 ·
Dozens. Jerome Hines (I was a super in a production of Boris Godunov), Sir Thomas Beecham, clarinetist Eddie Daniels (stayed at his New Mexico home a few days, our wives are long time friends), all members of the Modern Jazz Quartet, (more later...)
 
#23 ·
Gerard Schwarz gave a lecture at my university my junior year, and afterwards I got to shake his hand and talk about the recording industry. Had the hour not been late and Mr. Schwarz needed to leave, we probably would have been there all night. Very cordial, interesting man.
 
#24 · (Edited)
I met Rolando Villazon after the concert he did with Cecilia Bartoli at the Barbican last year. He was stuffed up with cold, and hung around so I could take a picture of him with my then-girlfriend (I enjoyed the concert, but I'm not a great fan of old repertoire, so I don't personally follow either Villazon or Bartoli, so I personally didn't bother with photos or autographs or whatever else). He seemed like a nice guy, but I did mistake him for Rowan Atkinson at first...

I met John Zorn in 2013 when he did a few concerts in Huddersfield, although it was brief - it was right before Arditti Quartet played some of his stuff (good performance, but Arditti was doing a lot of sniffling), he went to de-occupy his bladder and was leaving the toilets as I was about to enter - but I didn't go beyond a simple acknowledgment, as it was getting pretty close to the performance - Zorn's a man for whom I have many questions, and there was no time for anything more than insipid pleasantries.

I wanted to meet Penderecki when I saw him in Manchester, and then London, but sadly, it was not to be. Got a front row seat at the Royal Festival Hall, though, so I got to see the little man wave his arms around up close!
 
#26 ·
Oh, you lucky! How I would have loved to have met Birgit Nilsson! My favorite dramatic soprano of all time, and Brünnhilde in Die Valküre at the old Met in the first live opera I ever saw. She had me from "Yo."
 
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#29 · (Edited)
(to continue)

But most of my access later was due to being a photographer/photojournalist/journalist/activist in Los Angeles during the 1960s and '70s. Many were pop, folk and other genre musicians: Cass Elliot, Gene Clark, Country Joe, Grace Slick, Mike Nesmith, Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Eartha Kitt (really, I need to download my memory or go through my files before completing this.)

Meanwhile, I mentioned this thread to my wife and asked whom she had met while in L.A. before we had got together. Her long list, which I learned for the first time, included George London, Jan Peerce, Jerome Hines, Eileen Farrell, Marilyn Horne, Paul Robeson, Brian Sullivan, Leopold Stokowski and Igor Stravinsky!

Leslie was a child then. Her father, Lee Wintner, was a bass baritone who performed frequently in Hollywood Bowl concerts, many of which were sponsored by Warner Brothers, for which he also appeared in films as an extra and/or voice in several of their productions. A sweet and personable girl, she met and charmed many of the guests and performers backstage.

Stravinsky, then under contract to WB, was present at one concert in which some of his music was featured. In the "green room," Leslie was introduced to him and they had a brief chat. He signed an autograph for her, which Leslie said is still somewhere amongst the piles of stuff that accumulates, but lots of luck finding it. She was 6 years old at the time.

Update: Now she tells me she sat on Stravinsky's knee :eek: ! Yow! Can this marriage be saved? ;)

Another update: Jan Peerce called her up and sang Happy Birthday to her. Oh, my head!
 
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#30 ·
I used to be on the Sydney SO Youth Concert Series subscribers committee here in Sydney back in the 80s. We hosted receptions for musicians after concerts; I drove Zdenek Macal & his wife from the Sydney Opera House out to Randwick one night. We had Nigel Kennedy at a reception too. I used to go backstage at the SOH; there wasn't security in those days. A group of us had a chat with Neville Marriner when we toured here with the Minnesota Orchestra. I have a heap of autographed programmes from those days still sitting around somewhere. I also personally had CDs autographed by Gidon Kremer, Jorge Bolet, Wolfram Christ (another car passenger!), Peter Hurford, Charles Mackerras & Arvo Part.
I've also played (orchestrally) with a few people over the years, most notably Wanda Wilkomirksa, but also with some names who'll be big (or bigger) in years to come: Simon Tedeschi, Amy Dickson, Alexander Gavrylyuk...
cheers
GG
 
#36 ·
I also saw a mate of mine sing in the choir that Penderecki conducted in Manchester. Wish I could say I'd gigged with a legend like that. I think that was last year, if not the year before. It was a good concert, and I was lucky enough to catch old Krzysztof later that year in London (this time without my mate Kamil in the choir - in fact, there was no choir at all that time)
 
#37 ·
Only 3. Last year I said hi to David Kim - Philadelphia Orchestra 1st Violin after he played a concert with the NH Phil. A few years back I got an autograph of Alexander Kobrin after a recital. Also have Joyce Yang's autograph after one of her recitals. I want to get her autograph again after I get a recording of the Torke piano concerto that she premiere last year in Albany. A recording will come out eventually.
 
#39 ·
While the Florestan Trio had their annual Florestan Festival at Peasmarsh I became a Friend - this gave access to the wonderful Christmas parties where the Trio would play then chat to everyone. Also, at each festival there was a Friends event with drinks and the opportunity for a chat. One of my daughters had recently started playing the 'cello so talking to Richard Lester at length was inspirational for her. Since the demise of the Florestan, Richard and Anthony Marwood continued - renaming the festival as the Peasmarsh Festival - and the tradition of Christmas parties continues. Off to Fairlight Hall next month - Richard and Anthony will play, there will be drinks and canapés - sponsor a band!!
 
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