The glamorous life, DTW edition: 
Two weeks of travel await, full of adrenaline, teaching, reunions with great people and great cities, and some brand new repertoire. The sleepy eyes in this picture don’t tell you how excited I am!
And if I’m tired, I’m happy too. The three quick days I had in Michigan were fantastic, connecting with the wonderful singers and pianists at UMich and MOT and getting some great work done. While I’m gone, they’ll be auditioning for scholarships, gigs and programs, and getting important performances ready to launch. Get ‘er done, y’all.
Next stop, Los Angeles, to serve as a judge for one stage of the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions. It will be great to reconnect with Bruce Donnell on the panel, and to hear the singers. And I won’t lie – the sunshine will be very nice too!
Monday I head to DC, a second home for sure. The WNO artists await, as do many friends. Music to make, necks to hug, and some good commiserating on future plans: perfection.
Next weekend is a trip to NYC to attend the Tucker Gala. This event is Peak Old Home Week! Colleagues/artists/friends from every stage of my life will be at Carnegie Hall, where we’ll sit back to hear some of the best singing around. Fancy 🙂
And then, back to the DC area, for concerts with the Alexandria Symphony. I get to lead Vivaldi’s Four Seasons from the harpsichord, which is a bucket list kind of item for me – don’t laugh! I know it’s cool to hate on the Stagioni, since they are so overplayed. But 10-year-old me thought that music was the most amazing on the planet, and I can’t wait to be part of making it sound. Another dream piece on this program is the Siegfried Idyll – Wagner writing just to write, beautiful and quiet and intimate. Missy Mazzoli’s “Violent, Violent Sea,” a striking, unique, gorgeous piece, completes the program. I can’t wait.
In the meantime, incredible colleagues are visiting my students in Ann Arbor to share expertise with them: Ryan Taylor, Craig Terry, David Daniels, and Michael Heaston. I’m so lucky to know these artists and more grateful to them than I can say.
Time to leave on that jet plane. Next post will be on Pacific time…