Wow is all I can say right now - this has been the most ridiculous July of my life. As you, fellow reader, might know I just got back with the Manhattan Philharmonia of New York (Columbia Union College and Friends) from an outrageous tour through Eastern Europe.
It went like this: the first two weeks of July were spent on the island of Syros in the Aegean Sea (that's Greece territory) performing Mascagni's "Cavalleria rusticana" during the Festival of the Aegean. Rumor has it we will be going back next summer to perform another opera after good newspaper reviews, standing ovations, and a packed house - which I am ecstatic about. The Apollo Theatre is a gorgeous Italian-made opera house situated in central Hermoupolis' town center - shops, restaurants, plenty of people and action, etc.
After days of lovely beaches, resort relaxation, and music we made our way north to Istanbul, followed by Budapest, and number of smaller cities throughout Bulgaria and Romania, followed by the grand finale: a performance at the Dome Cathedral during the Salzburg Festival in Austria. And of course, we played a number of concerts along with way. Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Rimsky-Korsakov, and others were common in the repertoire. The C.U.C. choir also accompanied the orchestra during the Festival of the Aegean, some smaller venues, and at the Romanian Cultural Arts Center.
A wonderful time (despite long bus rides through the countryside). The only downer for me was when I lost my camera on the choir bus. However, the other musicians were able to snap hundreds of photos for me to "borrow" from facebook. In hindsight, this is definitely 20/20.
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