Are you coming back to Milwaukee?
That’s themillion-dollar question. The opportunity presented itselfToronto’s a great city and a great internationalorchestra. It would be silly to not go. It’s really difficult for me because Ilove it hereit’s a great city and a great orchestra and it’s not as if I wasin a situation I wanted to get out of. It would be so easy to not go. I havebeen in orchestra for 16 years, since I was 21, so I know what I want and donot want, so it will really have to be a good deal in Toronto for me to stay.
Are you saying that this might be a step toward becoming a soloist?
No.Everyone is interested in a child prodigy and I am not 15 anymore. I’m notreally interested in moving around a lot and am not interested in being a big soloist. I like staying at home andbeing in my own city, as long as I have a few solo opportunities, which I havenow. Toronto isa bigger citythey do international concerts as well as Carnegie Hall. The financial situation will also begood, so I need to check it out. However, I do not like living in a big citysuch as New York or Chicago or being in a “Big Five” orchestraplaying in a huge hall.
Why not?
Because they work too much. Theyplay all year long. In Milwaukee and Toronto you have thesummers off. I want to lead a nice, well-rounded life with time off to do thethings I like. I am not in it for the fame and acclaim.
How did you feel about the solo performances you gave in Milwaukee, and the duostint you did with Yo-Yo Ma?
It wasgreat. A cellistdoes not get solochances very much. I met Yo-Yo when I was 17amazing musician; my idol for manyyears. He had asked me if I had an encore solo that we both could perform. Itturned out great.
Do you care to make a comparison between past and present MSO musicdirectors, Andreas Delfs and Edo De Waart?
Delfs ismore passionate in his outward motions where Edois more inward, more subtle. Still, I thought from the first day of rehearsalthat the Mahler Eighth with Delfs was one of the best concerts I was ever a part of in all the time I was inorchestraso incredibly intense.
You are still on the sunny side of 40. Can you see yourself doingsomething else?
I was alate bloomer, not a child prodigy. As you get older it’s harder to play. If my playing were goingdown, I would not continue to play cello foreverI’d pursue other interests, do something different. I have played all the great symphonies andsometimes I do get antsy for something different.
Do you think the symphony is well supported in Milwaukee?
I thinkthe symphony plays a lot better than its pay scale. One of the biggest problemsfacing the orchestra is the hall. Uihlein Hall is an all-purpose hall and the players on the far rightcannot always hear the far left. Edo has saidthat we only hear 60% of the music. We have a world-class orchestra, but only amediocre hall. Having Edo here increasesprestige and awareness, and the orchestra should have a large symphony hall.
