SPRING 2015

SPOTLIGHT
JOSEPH HILL RAYMOND J. MELANSON JOSEPH CHAROTTE-MILLOT ANNE COLE
NICOLAS GILLES CARLO ANTONIO TESTORE ANTOINE CAUCHE DIDIER NICOLAS
BOYD POULSEN PAUL HART JAMES B. MIN CARLO CARLETTI GIOVANNI TONONI
GUY COLE RENATO SCROLLAVEZZA CHRISTOPHER SANDVOSS LAWRENCE WILKE
AMEDÉE DIEUDONNE DIDIER NICOLAS E.H. ROTH JOSEPH HILL W.H. HAMMIG
EDWARD DANIEL TETSUO MATSUDA PAOLO ANTONIO TESTORE GAETANO COLAS
BRONEK CISON DANIEL HACHEZ ANDRANIK GAYBARYAN CHRISTIAN PEDERSEN
STANLEY KIERNOZIAK GIOVANNI TONONI DAVID TECCHLER WILLIAM FORSTER
GUNTER VON AUE DIDIER NICOLAS JOHANNES CUYPERS J.B. VUILLAUME SACQUIN
robertson reCital Hall
www.RobertsonViolins.com
Tel 800-284-6546 | 3201 Carlisle Blvd. NE | Albuquerque, NM USA 87110
2014 Cello ColleCtion
partial
If you live on the East Coast in the United States, chances are your
image of musicmaking in Missouri and Kansas probably involves
guitars and harmonicas. In American classical music culture, a
tremendous amount of focus tends to center around the Northeastern
region, with old references to the “Big 5” orchestras in the country
being heavily inclined toward Philadelphia, Boston, New York.
The Kansas City Symphony, under the leadership of Michael Stern
(son of the great violinist Isaac Stern), provides an incredible foil to
that image musically rich and competently run. In addition to steady
growth in wages and a stable orchestra roster, the orchestra moved to
a new hall in 2011, the beautiful Helberg Hall in the Kauffman Center.
With a history stretching back to the beginning of the 20 th century,
including numerous incarnations and alternating stretches of
expansion and contraction, the Kansas City Symphony as we know
it today was founded in 1982, only a short time after the dissolution
of the Kansas City Philharmonic earlier that year. Progressive at heart,
the organization has embraced many modern strategies to stay
relevant in today’s tumultuous climate of orchestral uncertainty.
Having a world-class orchestra in a city known primarily for its
barbecue and jazz music demonstrates that American treasures exist
around every corner. In today’s competitive audition environment,
the Kansas City Symphony and orchestras of similar size and budget
are attracting applicants in the hundreds, and the ensemble’s level of
musicianship is incredibly high. We spoke with newly minted cello
section member Matthew Beckmann about his experiences as a
member of the Symphony and what makes playing there such a treat.
What type of repertoire do you feel most excited about?
I am most excited about lesser known and seldom played repertoire,
both contemporary and from other style periods. It is very exciting
for an orchestra to add to its repertoire and explore a new piece
together; those experiences are fulfilling for both the audience
and the orchestra.
Did you change or adapt your playing
to fit in with this section?
Well I have only been with the orchestra since September, so this is a
work in progress! I try to balance blending with the section and fitting
into its sound with making my own contributions to the style of the
section. All of the members are great players individually, and it’s been
exciting seeing how they adapt to different repertoire and different
conductors. Flexibility is the key!
How is playing with your orchestra different
from playing in other orchestras?
The KCS is a very close-knit group. Everyone is very supportive
of each other, and especially welcoming of new members. The
management and orchestra have a great relationship, and with
so many cases of the opposite of that in the news these days, it’s
something we’re proud of. ■
4 SPRING 2015 NEXT LEVEL CELLIST
SPRING 2015 NEXT LEVEL CELLIST 5