SDSO principal trumpet Chris Smith explains how he has come to be a YouTube star posting nearly 500 etude videos. In 2013, while on tour with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, I was giving a masterclass in Bogotá, Colombia. It became
Kaelan Decman has become a beloved member of the San Diego Symphony while playing multiple one-year contracts with the Orchestra. He is kind and compassionate, a really fun guy, and brings incredible energy to the music. He has become part
The San Diego Cello Foundation was conceived by Yao Zhao in 2019. Its goal is to improve access to music education through instrument loans, masterclasses, competitions, and festivals. I briefly spoke about the Foundation with President Yao Zhao and Artistic
By Hanah Stuart Composer, violinist, and Pittsburgh native, Tommy Dougherty, was commissioned to write a piece for the Laurel Arts Exhibit in Somerset, PA, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11. The piece, titled “Blue Steel Cranes” and scored for
Every time the San Diego Symphony steps onstage at The Rady Shell there are so many people working behind the scenes. Like an anthill, where you only see a percentage of the colony, backstage at The Shell is alive with
“I love it and I love what I was doing and that was why I did it,always because I loved it and I thought it was really neat.”-Matthew Garbutt In 1956 the parents of a joyful, eager little 5 year
By Julia Pautz This summer we will welcome audiences into our much anticipated permanent outdoor home. These days, to say the orchestra is excited understates the emotional tenor among the musicians onstage. Collectively we have been transformed, reawakening from the
by Julia Pautz Tell us about your profession – you’re a teacher correct? Yes, I teach classroom music to grades K – 4. For many years, I was a fulltime professional musician, performing solo and with my band throughout the
by Yumi Cho For how long have you been cooking and baking? As a kid, I grew up watching several cooking shows on PBS such as Yan Can Cook, Julia Child and Jacques Torres’ Dessert Circus. These shows inspired me
by Terri Tunnicliff I am always interested in the outside “non-musical” lives of my San Diego Symphony colleagues. Our own amazing English Horn player, Andrea Overturf, is an example of a musician who is living a life filled with creativity
During my time off from playing at the symphony, I have been hanging out at home in Point Loma cuddling my two crazy cats, reading tons of books and drinking entirely too much coffee. It took some time, but eventually
Excerpts from an interview with new SDSO members Abraham Martín and Nathan WalhoutBy Sam Hager and Andy Watkins The process of getting a position with a symphony orchestra has got to be one of the weirder ones in the job
