I’ve never seen Andy Roddick play such amazing tennis as he did in his attempt to beat Roger Federer at Wimbledon. Federer won, but Roddick outdid himself in ways I thought were not possible for him. His concentration and spirit,…
CSO conductors, 08-09 season
To sum up the Columbus Symphony Orchestra 2008-2009 Winter season, the following is a chronological review of our guest conductors (who were also music director candidates), along with my personal opinions of them. DAVID LOCKINGTON, music director of the Grand…
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Stanley Drucker!
So I don’t appear out of touch. Here’s a great tribute to Mr. Drucker, retiring from the NY Phil. after 60 years service. To me, Drucker IS the Corigliano Clarinet Concerto! (written for him) If you haven’t heard his version,…
Five Traits of Great Players
A few months ago I stumbled on an lecture/article from the International Clarinet Society archives which I shared briefly, but did not write about. It’s worth reviewing and quoting here because it outlines the map to becoming a great player.…
Alan Balter
I’ve been thinking about previous teachers recently. I was practicing some excerpts when I turned to a xerox of Till Eulenspiegel and saw the signature of Alan Balter at the top. I took a few lessons with Alan during the…
Taking Charge
When a capable leader takes charge, he/she doesn’t simply command, but instead leads with experience and integrity. That’s what George Manahan did tonight with the Columbus Symphony. Neither ego nor excessive choreography were needed for him to impress or convince.…