Rodion Belousov
Upbringing/Roots/Family
I grew up in a very musical family, music has been around me from a very young age. Even though my parents aren’t musicians, they both have backgrounds in music – my mom plays piano, my dad plays accordion. They would always take me and my sister to concerts so we could absorb the music culture and develop love and appreciation for it. I vividly remember playing with toy cars under a piano while my sister was practicing. Picking up an oboe seemed like a really fun idea at first. After all, what kind of a 7-year-old wouldn’t want to get his hands on this really cool and shiny brand-new toy with lots of peculiar-looking keys attached to it?!? So when I saw oboe I knew right away that was exactly what I wanted. Taking part in competitions, nationwide and international, became a natural development of my studies. And then I started winning. At a certain point this organically led me towards pursuing a career in music.
What other hobbies are you interested in?
I enjoy learning languages. I speak English and Russian. I’ve studied French for about 10 years, and I’m currently working on Mandarin Chinese. It’s unlike any of the languages I speak and therefore presents quite a fun challenge. I’ve been learning it for about three years now and I’ve been really enjoying the process.
And I love playing duduk, a traditional Armenian double-reed instrument much like an oboe. I have always been fascinated by this enchanting instrument. I picked it up a few years ago and immediately dived into recording the oboe and duduk solos for Netflix’s blockbuster fantasy series The Witcher starring Henry Cavill. It was an incredibly exciting opportunity, and, being a huge fan of The Witcher universe myself, I was beyond thrilled to record for the series and give my own voice to the main characters.
What do you enjoy most about playing with the San Diego Symphony?
Playing with the San Diego Symphony has been an amazingly exciting experience so far! The fact that almost every month, or sometimes every week we get to perform alongside some of the most incredible and renowned artists is super awesome! I never thought that I would be able to play with Emanuel Ax, Jennifer Hudson, The Beach Boys, Yefim Bronfman, and Tower of Power in the span of just 3 months. Wild!
But what makes my experience with the symphony really special is my colleagues. Everyone is incredibly supportive of each other and every day when I come to work I feel extremely fortunate to be surrounded by such an amazing group of people.
Aaron McCalla
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?