Zoltán Kodály’s Dances of Galánta is an interpretive and virtuosic giant in the orchestral clarinet repertoire. CSO Principal Clarinet Stephen Williamson demonstrates how crafting one’s own personal narrative can fuel expression. “It's important to have imagery in mind when you play a piece like this,” Williamson said. “Actually, when you play any piece, you should have some form of imagery, and so I've basically come up with my own idea.”
CSO Concertmaster Robert Chen performs and guides listeners through his interpretation of the famous violin solo from Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben. “It's very important to be prepared technically to play this piece, but I think the technical and the expression, they go hand in hand,” Chen sa...
For CSO Principal Bass Alexander Hanna, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 is one of the most important pieces in the history of music, and the recitativo from the work’s fourth movement presents an opportunity to convey profound emotions on the bass. “There's a real feeling of optimism,” Hanna said. “Th...
CSO Principal Flute Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson guides listeners through his interpretation of the famous melodies from Rossini's William Tell Overture and shares his wisdom about how to prepare these multifaceted orchestral excerpts. “Auditions are difficult because of the context they'r...
