Where We Trained:
Summer Festivals/USA
The musicians of GRSMA credit their summer festival experience as an important step towards eventually winning their positions with the Grand Rapids Symphony. Ranging from east to west coast, our members describe their training at these fine institutions in the United States.
TANGLEWOOD MUSIC CENTER (MASSACHUSETTS)
GRSMA clarinetist Hyunwoo Chun, backstage at Tanglewood, with composer/Boston Pops Conductor Laureate John Williams.
"My time at Tanglewood was a truly wonderful experience. It was inspiring to hear the Boston Symphony Orchestra perform each week and to learn directly from such remarkable musicians. Beyond orchestral training, performing repertoire ranging from chamber to contemporary music greatly broadened my musical perspective. In particular, the weekly masterclasses with BSO members gave me the practical advice and confidence I needed to start my professional career.” Hyunwoo Chun (clarinet)
GRSMA harpist Beth Colpean at Tanglewood in 1996, with then Boston Symphony Orchestra Music Director Seiji Ozawa (who nicknamed Beth "Cleveland Harp!").
"I was a fellow at Tanglewood, and that experience prepared me for orchestral work, working with different conductors and figuring out how to learn music quickly!” Beth Colpean (harp)
GRSMA flutist Dominique Kim and friends, with their quartet coach Richard Svoboda (former principal bassoonist/Boston Symphony Orchestra) at Tanglewood.
"I had the great pleasure of attending Tanglewood for a few summers, which was invaluable to my training. It was such a gift to play with and be inspired by my talented peers, work with legendary conductors, and hear the BSO live multiple times a week. And this was all on top of receiving fruitful instruction from BSO symphony members! These summers were definitely one of the most enriching experiences of my musical education.” Dominique Kim (flute)
"I went to Tanglewood Music Center in 1987 and 1989, the summer before my audition for the GRS. I was immersed in challenging music and had the great opportunity to work with some amazing musicians, including Seiji Ozawa, Leonard Bernstein, Yo-Yo Ma, Joel Krosnick, and Oliver Knussen. The intensity and pace of the program really got me ready for an orchestra job!” Alicia Eppinga (cello)
ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL (COLORADO)
GRSMA contrabassoonist Andrew Genemans, with Nancy Goeres (then principal bassoonist/Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra) and Harrison Miller (future principal bassoonist/Baltimore Symphony Orchestra).
“I spent three summers at the Aspen Music Festival, where I was selected for one of the Orchestral Fellowship programs playing the contrabassoon. During the eight-week festival, I would perform with one of the joint faculty/student orchestras, as well as receive lessons from the bassoon faculty, Nancy Goeres and Per Hannevold. It was an incredible experience getting to perform so much orchestral repertoire under the guidance of my teachers while getting to collaborate with professionals from many great orchestras. It helped to prepare me for the intense and demanding lifestyle that is required of musicians, learning music for multiple concerts at a time while keeping up with making reeds and practicing in my free time. I also met so many fantastic fellow students there who have become lifelong friends, and in some instances, colleagues!” Andrew Genemans (bassoon/contrabassoon)
GRSMA bassist Jonathan Reed, with Ian Hallas (section bassist/Chicago Symphony Orchestra and former principal bassist/Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra).
"I trained at a few different summer music festivals during my college and early professional days before winning my GRS job. All of these experiences were transformative to my growth in different ways. Aspen Music Festival was particularly inspiring, though, due to the sheer size of the festival, its orchestral focus, and the beautiful scenery. I regularly heard spectacular performances given by students, faculty, and soloists all summer. Perhaps most importantly, though, is that I decided in Aspen where I wanted to apply to graduate school after coming across many bassists and pedagogies from different schools.” Jonathan Reed (bass)
"I was fortunate to attend the Aspen Music Festival in the summers of 1995 and 1996. I spent eight weeks in the beautiful mountains of Colorado studying orchestral performance with Abe Torchinsky, a legendary figure in the tuba world who had a long career as Principal Tuba with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and later served as the Tuba Professor at the University of Michigan. In addition, I had wonderful chamber music experiences with instruction by the members of the American Brass Quintet, one of the most prominent chamber music groups in the world. I also spent much of my free time enjoying spectacular fly fishing and mountain biking in the Aspen area, so it was truly a well-rounded experience for me.” Jacob Cameron (tuba)
MUSIC ACADEMY OF THE WEST (CALIFORNIA)
One of GRSMA’s musician couples, violinist Jaewon Seo and cellist Shirley Kim, first met at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara CA.
"We both attended the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara in the summer of 2021, during the pandemic. It was an enriching and fun experience, and some highlights for us included working with conductors like Larry Rachleff, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Marin Alsop. For Jaewon, he sat alongside Jorja Fleezanis in orchestra and played Jeno Hubay’s “Carmen” Fantasy in a masterclass for her. As for Shirley, she got to play for Steven Isserlis and compete in the duo competition with the Rachmaninoff cello sonata. For both of us, we were finalists in the London Symphony Orchestra’s Keston Max exchange. It was truly a highlight of our summer music festival experience!” Shirley Kim (cello) and Jaewon Seo (violin)
"I loved the Music Academy of the West because it had such a nice balance of chamber, solo, and orchestra experiences. The faculty and conductors were amazing as well.” Clara Schubilske (violin)
Other GRSMA musicians who attended the Music Academy of the West include Jenna Buchner (violin), Mark Buchner (bass), Jonathan Reed (bass), and Jinn Shin (cello).
BREVARD MUSIC CENTER (NORTH CAROLINA)
"I was very privileged to attend the Brevard Music Center for two summers during my master’s degree. At Brevard, I learned lessons about playing in the orchestra and audition preparation that were formative in my path.” Robert Johnson (bass)
Other GRSMA musicians who attended Brevard Music Center include Kimia Ghaderi (violin) and Jonathan Reed (bass).
NATIONAL ORCHESTRAL INSTITUTE & FESTIVAL (MARYLAND)
"I had the special opportunity to attend the National Orchestral Institute & Festival, which was a four-week orchestral training program. Each week the orchestra prepared and performed a program under the guidance of coaches from the country's greatest orchestras and under the baton of renowned conductors.” Ryan Basset (bass)
Percussionist Jack Latta also attended the National Orchestral Institute & Festival.
NATIONAL REPERTORY ORCHESTRA (COLORADO)
"I was a member of the National Repertory Orchestra in Breckenridge, Colorado, during the summer of 2001. It was an eye-opening experience for me. Although I was already an orchestral player, I had never experienced such a demanding schedule. At NRO, we performed a different program every week including outreach programs, operating exactly like a professional orchestra. On top of the artistic inspiration, I learned invaluable lessons about what it truly means to be a good orchestra citizen.” Haijin Choi (violin)
"The summer that I won my current GRS position, I was playing in the National Repertory Orchestra in Breckenridge, Colorado. I had the time of my life, mountain biking through the ski resorts every morning before rehearsals, and I was also able to prepare very effectively for my audition, thanks to the high level of musicians I was surrounded with there.” Andrew Plaisier (cello)
Beth Colpean (harp) and Jo Preece (violin) also participated in the National Repertory Orchestra.
TEXAS MUSIC FESTIVAL (TEXAS)
"I attended the Texas Music Festival in Houston for two summers. It was so hot outside that I felt extra motivation to practice more, since it was in air conditioning!” Andrew Plaisier (cello)
Violinist Kimia Ghaderi and percussionist Jack Latta also attended the Texas Music Festival.
MEADOWMOUNT SCHOOL OF MUSIC (NEW YORK)
“The two summers I attended Meadowmount (1992, 1993) were so formative for me. First, it taught me what musical excellence sounds like. Second, that I had found my people. The first summer (at age 12), I was assigned to a room that shared a wall with Mrs. G (as in THE wife of Ivan Galamian). This meant she made sure I was practicing every minute of the required five hours each day. I had never practiced this intently ever before in my life. Weekly performances of chamber music and solo string repertoire blew my mind. I was a small fish amongst musical giants, but it was these summers that set the tone for the rest of my violin career. It showed me how high one must aim to be an artist. What a privilege it was for me to experience such quality, dedication, and fun.”Jo Preece (violin)
Other summer music festivals that GRSMA musicians attended in the United States include the CHAUTAUQUA MUSIC FESTIVAL (Jo Preece, violin), the HOT SPRINGS MUSIC FESTIVAL (Jack Latta, percussion), ROUND TOP MUSIC FESTIVAL (Jack Latta, percussion), and the VERMONT MOZART FESTIVAL (Jonathan Reed, bass).
GRSMA musicians are pleased to bring the experiences that we learned at these summer festivals to our jobs in the Grand Rapids Symphony. Watch for the next article in this series "Where We Trained" which will feature international summer music festivals.