Meet Our New Musicians – Part 2
Jason Karlyn
How did your audition process change throughout your life and how would you advise an aspiring musician?
Everyone responds differently to the demand of performing excerpts alone- an incontrovertibly awkward task for musicians used to performing this material in context. For me, I had to find a way to enjoy playing in this setting, project the expression of each excerpt, and strive for an unshakeable trust within myself. I would encourage anyone navigating this process to learn as much as possible from each audition and to take the time to understand what works and what doesn’t. One’s bulletproof approach could be a recipe for disaster for another.
What is a unique fact about the gear you are playing on right now?
My viola was made by Johannes Eberhardt Steger in the late 1600’s in Prague, predating Mozart! When I play Mozart’s music, I like to imagine that some of his most celebrated works (Don Giovanni, or the Prague Symphony) could have been premiered on my viola.
What is your favorite food spot in San Diego and why?
The incredible food scene in San Diego makes this impossible. For fresh fish I always find myself going back to Bluewater Seafood, but we have endless great Asian cuisine.
John Lee
What has been your most inspiring musical motivation over your career?
When I was 8 or so, I fell in love with Claudio Abbado’s live recording of Mahler 5 with Berlin Phil. I began cello not long after and it was a dream of mine during my childhood to play with him. I adore his spirit and to this day aspire to his youthfulness and love for his profession.
Do you come from a musical family? What do they play?
Both my grandfathers loved music – my maternal granddad would be able to pick up an accordion, flute, even pen caps and improvise with no musical training. On my dad’s side, he had collected LPs of Karajan, Giulini and Emil Gilels that I still listen to when I go back home.
What other hobbies are you interested in?
Coffee brewing
Aaron McCalla
44 years young
Duncanville, TX
How did your audition process change throughout your life and how would you advise an aspiring musician?
In my early years, I thought that just crossing all of my “t’s” and dotting my “i’s “ was enough to get to the end, but now this being my 23rd year with a job in professional orchestras, I know that it takes so much more to distinguish yourself. You have to set yourself apart, because the level of technique is so high in auditions, and play the music in a way that is true to yourself.
What do you enjoy most about playing with the San Diego Symphony?
The level of musicianship in each and every chair and the feeling of camaraderie makes it a special place and leads to such memorable performances. Plus, I get to sit next to my favorite Bass Trombone player of all time and great friend, Kyle!
Do you remember a specific reason or event that convinced you to pursue music?
I come from a town just outside of Dallas Texas, Duncanville. It is a special place that put the band program on the same pedestal as football or any other sport. The level of funding meant that every student had a private lesson every week from the time you started your instrument in sixth grade to the time you graduated. And, if you couldn’t afford it, the band boosters would pay for the lesson. It was the commitment to excellence from a town of 30,000 people that has led to so many professional musicians coming out of a seemingly unremarkable place. It made being a band nerd the cool thing to do!
What other hobbies are you interested in?
I love to play team sports. Especially soccer! I just moved to San Diego, but in Naples I played in the County soccer league for the last 15 years. When I’m not playing soccer on the pitch, I’m slightly obsessed with watching it as well. San Diego Symphony World Cup Watch Party?
Max Opferkuch
Musical Background:
My parents are both musically inclined — my father is a jazz pianist, and my mother took piano lessons growing up — so they felt it was important that I learn music from an early age. I played piano for a couple of years, then switched to violin, which I continued to play until college. I picked up the clarinet in middle school so I could join band class with my friends, motivated also by the fact that it conveniently allowed me to skip phys ed class!
I ended up loving clarinet, and in high school I joined the Mainly Mozart Youth Orchestra (then known as the San Diego Young Artists Symphony), led by San Diego Symphony violinist Hernan Constantino. I had so many great experiences in youth orchestra and really grew as a musician, and decided to audition for college music programs. I did my undergrad at USC, spent time abroad at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, and most recently attended the Colburn Conservatory before returning to San Diego.
Do you remember a specific reason or event that convinced you to pursue music?
At the end of freshman year of high school, members of my youth orchestra were given the opportunity to play in a side-by-side performance of Dvorak 8 with the San Diego Symphony. I was seated next to Terri Tunnicliff, who was the second clarinetist of the Symphony at the time, and she took me under her wing as I was also getting ready to perform the Mozart Concerto. She ended up being my teacher for the next three years before I left for college!
I was really awestruck by the sonic experience of sitting in a professional orchestra and the feeling of being onstage in a big concert hall, and I definitely left that performance seriously considering a career in music for the first time. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that, nine years later, I would become the Symphony’s new second clarinetist, taking over my former teacher’s position! Playing Dvorak 8 this season definitely felt like a “full circle” moment.
Dodgers or Padres?
While I’ve lived in both San Diego and Los Angeles, I think the only correct answer here is my home team, the Padres.