Happy July 4th!
I’ve been on tour with the Vermont Symphony tour since the 26th of June–we’ve just played our 8th concert in our 8th city and we still have two more to go.
VSO blog link
Some photos…
It was pouring on this day but people actually still came and brought umbrellas, raincoats, etc. It was really nice to know that people were still enthusiastic about the concert regardless of the terrible weather!
Duchess getting a piece of chicken…She looks like a giant here…
This is from one of the concert sites! We actually had great weather this day and drew quite a crowd!
Duchess studying the nuances of violin chin rests…
Fireworks! We had them every night.
Hello Everyone,
Please pardon my very delayed blog update. These past few months have been very busy and exciting!
A few weeks ago my violin underwent an operation. The neck of my violin was a bit larger than the norm, so after many months of hesitation and consideration, I finally decided to take it to New York to get the neck thinned. I’m so attached and used to having my violin with me all the time that it was very nerve wrecking to leave it at the shop for longer than normal.
Now that the neck is smaller, everything feels much better. I can really feel the difference. It’s funny how such a minute measurement can make the biggest difference! While I was in New York, I had the chance to see one of my favorite operas, La Traviata. The Metropolitan Opera stage production was so colorful, everything was extremely detailed and on top of that the singers were phenomenal! Krassimira Stoyanova played an excellent Violetta. Not only did her voice sound wonderful, but her stage presence and acting really fit with the characteristic of Violetta. She took a lot of rubato in a few of the arias, but it showed her own personal style, and was still within the boundaries of being tasteful.
Right now, I am in Bloomington, Indiana. I only have a couple more weeks of school and then it’s off to Vienna for a concert. I haven’t been to Vienna in a very long time so I’m really looking forward to the trip. I’ll write more when I get back.
Until then, Auf Wiedersehen!
-Esther
Hi Everyone!
Thanks for visiting my website. I hope you had a wonderful holiday. My break has been fun. Right now, I’m at home in Southern California visiting my family. It’s a lot warmer here than in Indiana, and I’ve really enjoyed hanging out with my family and dogs. There are some photos of my dogs up on this site so check it out!
As you can tell, this website is a lot different than the last one. I’m excited about this new blog feature which I’ll be updating often. There are also streaming videos, music clips, a photo album, RSS feed and a message forum.
I recently returned from Japan where I played a few concerts. For one of them I collaborated with some very talented jazz musicians. The jazz atmosphere was very warm and I felt like I was really able to connect with the music and the audience. During the trip, I also had the opportunity to perform for a NHK television broadcast. Performing for a studio audience was a lot different from other concerts I’ve done; I enjoyed and appreciated the experience. Here is a photo of my sister and me from after the NHK performance:
Thanks again for visiting and check back soon!
-Esther
P.S. I’d really like to hear from you so please leave a comment!
