Ever personally met a famous Artist / Conductor?

[Josquin des Prez]

I have a friend who works as a sound technician and he is often able to get stage passes and the like. One time he invited me over while he was doing some work for the Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna and i had a chance to personally meet Abbado and Carmignola. The first had that familiar colloquialism typical of Italians. He even reproved my friend for the way he dressed in a facetious manner (my friend is a metal head). Carmignola was in contrast quite reserved. They were very brief encounters though, just the time to shake hands and exchange a few passing words. 

[Luke]

I thought I'd posted on here before, but clearly not - I've met a few big or biggish name composers - John Adams, Brian Ferneyhough, and then my tutors at Cambridge, Robin Holloway, Sandy Goehr, Hugh Wood, Jonathan Powell, also John Woolrich, Tansy Davies, Richard Causton, others of the younger UK composers. I was at Cambrdige with Daneil Harding (he was there for half a term before he went off to be Abbado's assistant) and knew him there, as well as being good friends at the same time with the composer Huw Wood and a few others who are now established name to a greater or lesser extent - the conductors Ed Gardner, William Lacey and Justin Doyle and the tenor Andrew Kennedy, for example. Stephen Cleobury too of course. As a kid I was conducted by and spoke to, amongst others, Paul McCreesh, Martyn Brabbins and David Willcocks. Much more recently and painfully (so please can we stop with the Hilary stuff lol!) I had a girlfriend for a couple of months last year who was at that point and presumably still is the agent for Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Freddy Kempff, Hilary Hahn and others - I went to a concert of one of her artists (Henning Kragerrup) at the Wigmore Hall at which she introduced me to him, to the Belcea Quartet and to Piotr Adrewszewki. There are probably a few others.

[karlhenning]

I sort of know about it, have for a while . . . but it still strikes me as funny when someone has my family name as a given name . . . .

[owlice]

I had a conversation with Lili Kraus in the early 80s; I have a photo from that event which I would share, but I don't see a way to upload it here. We were guests at a dinner that was held for a piano festival. She was very gracious. Tiny, too! Very much a "grande dame" in the nicest sense of that term.

I knew pianists Alvin and Alan Chow (twins) when they were studying with Nelita True at UMD; they are at Oberlin and Northwestern now (respectively), and Alvin is married to Angela Cheng. I also went to school (junior high and high school) with pianist Eric Himy; Eric lived within easy walking distance and stopped by occasionally to play the (horrible) spinet piano that I grew up with. Eric studied with Schumacher at UMD. Alvin, Alan, and Eric are all very nice and immensely talented. Eric is a polymath; very smart guy, has a degree in biochem, and the last time I talked to him -- a couple of decades ago -- he was involved with a computer company (I ran into him at a trade show!). I cannot hear nor see scores of Chopin Ballades without thinking of him, even all these years later!

I took class voice and collegium with Russell Oberlin. I had no idea who he was at the time, which is probably good, because I'd have been too scared to audition for him had I known! He's a sweetheart, a peach, a good egg. Good sense of humor, too; he told some fun stories! I still sing some of the songs I learned with him.

I also met a violinist who is now pretty well-known, but I've had only one cup of coffee and am drawing a blank on his name, darn it! I have a recording of his... oh, what is his name?! Another pianist I knew from UMD, who was good friends with the Chows, introduced me to the violinist after we'd heard him in concert at the Kennedy Center; he was just out of school then, I think. (I have often wondered where this other pianist ended up; she was a lovely person in every way, and we lost touch after she left UMD to study with Pressler.)

I had brief (fawning and/or stammering and/or possibly incoherent on my part) exchanges with Dorati and Rostropovich, and missed my chance to form a lasting friendship (or have a wild romance) with Nelson Friere when we were both at a private reception after one of his concerts. I was young, stupid, and far too graceless to talk to him; he looked quite alone, as no one else would talk to him, either, poor man. Despite our hostess's encouragement, I did not approach him, something I have regretted ever since, not for the possibility of friendship, but for my unkindness in not trying to make him feel more comfortable.

I think my first conversation with a well-known pianist -- hardly a real conversation, of course, but a few words exchanged -- were with Van Cliburn when I was but a child. I had several of these, as I heard him several times while young, and tried to at least say hello after each concert, as I greatly admired him. I met other pianists, too, but mostly years ago. Oh, and soprano Renata Tibaldi, too, when I was in high school! I had almost forgotten that. Gracious people, all of them.

[owlice]

I sort of know about it, have for a while . . . but it still strikes me as funny when someone has my family name as a given name . . . .

I know the feeling!!

[Kontrapunctus]

A few: Birgit Nilsson, Gidon Kremer, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Yvegni Sudbin, Juilliard Qt, Melos Qt, Ruth Laredo, Lazar Berman, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Magnus Lindburg, Jean Yves Thibaudet, Anton Kuerti, Julian Bream, David Russell, Eliot Fisk, Bela Davidovich, Jonathan Powell, Valery Gergiev, Denis Matsuev...I'm sure there are more, but that's a good start!

[PaulSC]

A few: Birgit Nilsson, Gidon Kremer, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Yvegni Sudbin, Juilliard Qt, Melos Qt, Ruth Laredo, Lazar Berman, Jean Philipe Rameau, Magnus Lindburg, Jean Yves Thibaudet, Anton Kuerti, Julian Bream, David Russell, Eliot Fisk, Bela Davidovich, Jonathan Powell, Valery Gergiev, Denis Matsuev...I'm sure there are more, but that's a good start!

If you see Jean Philippe again, please tell him "bonjour"! 

[Kontrapunctus]

If you see Jean Philippe again, please tell him "bonjour"! 

Oh man, that's a good one! I meant JP Rampal!!!

[DieNacht]

I rarely go to live concerts with celebrated musicians. Strictly on a foot-soldier level, I checked in Heinrich Schiff in a Copenhagen hotel, where I worked, he is a quite frequent soloist and conductor here. He was polite and a bit gruntingly absent-minded. Likewise in a tourist kiosk I sold a Japanese newspaper to Michuko Uchida, who seemed to live in another world, very affected and yet distant at the same time. In a record shop I sold some Sibelius/Maazel symhonies to Per Nørgård and was able to inform him that "Out of Doors" was a piano suite, not an orchestral work. We had other relatively well-known customers including the composers Ilya Bergh and Bernhard Lewkowitch, the pianist Ivar Mikhashoff (whom I helped producing a cassette copy of "Lulu" at short notice),  the member of the Koppel family Thomas Koppel, originally a classical pianist and composer but mainly active in the interesting rock group "Savage Rose" (he bought the "Wanderer Fantasy" with Richter), Michael Schønwandt, and a lot of other local musicians and record label people, including people from Danacord and EMI and people from the Danish Radio SO.

[Mirror Image]

A few: Birgit Nilsson, Gidon Kremer, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Yvegni Sudbin, Juilliard Qt, Melos Qt, Ruth Laredo, Lazar Berman, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Magnus Lindburg, Jean Yves Thibaudet, Anton Kuerti, Julian Bream, David Russell, Eliot Fisk, Bela Davidovich, Jonathan Powell, Valery Gergiev, Denis Matsuev...I'm sure there are more, but that's a good start!

Wow! You met Lindberg and Salonen?!?!? What were they like? Every interview I've seen with Lindberg seems like he's a nice guy. Salonen seems like a nice guy but his mind isn't always present.

[prémont]

I rarely go to live concerts with celebrated musicians. Strictly on a foot-soldier level, I checked in Heinrich Schiff in a Copenhagen hotel, where I worked, he is a quite frequent soloist and conductor here. He was polite and a bit gruntingly absent-minded. Likewise in a tourist kiosk I sold a Japanese newspaper to Michuko Uchida, who seemed to live in another world, very affected and yet distant at the same time. In a record shop I sold some Sibelius/Maazel symhonies to Per Nørgård and was able to inform him that "Out of Doors" was a piano suite, not an orchestral work. We had other relatively well-known customers including the composers Ilya Bergh and Bernhard Lewkowitch, the pianist Ivar Mikhashoff (whom I helped producing a cassette copy of "Lulu" at short notice),  the member of the Koppel family Thomas Koppel, originally a classical pianist and composer but mainly active in the interesting rock group "Savage Rose" (he bought the "Wanderer Fantasy" with Richter), Michael Schønwandt, and a lot of other local musicians and record label people, including people from Danacord and EMI and people from the Danish Radio SO.

Det er selvfølgelig ikke noget, du behøver svare på, hvis du ikke ønsker at gøre det, men det er meget nærliggende at spørge, om du rent faktisk er dansker.

[DieNacht]

Udover den lidt irrelevante avatar har jeg gentagne gange ladet det skinne igennem :-). Du er det da vel ikke ?

[prémont]

Udover den lidt irrelevante avatar har jeg gentagne gange ladet det skinne igennem :-). Du er det da vel ikke ?

Jovist er jeg så, og det har jeg heller aldrig lagt skjul på - bemærk min meget relevante avatar.

[DieNacht]

 

I climbed that one last year 

[classicalgeek]

In college, I attended a lecture by (and met afterwards) John Williams (the composer, not the guitarist!)

I also participated in master classes with a few notable composers: Jonathan Harvey, Pauline Oliveros, Justin Dello Joio (Norman's son), Oliver Knussen.

Witold Lutoslawski was supposed to conduct the Cleveland Orchestra in a concert on our campus in the spring of 1994, as well as presenting a master class, but he unfortunately passed away before that happened.

[Cato]

As I have mentioned (probably ad nauseam for the more established members here) I had a correspondence with Alexander (and Madame) Tcherepnin over 40 years ago.

George Secor, who was the composer chosen by Motorola to promote their Scalatron microtonal synthesizer, also corresponded with me.  He seems to have gone underground: the Internet brings scattered references - no personal webpage - although this page, if you scroll to the bottom, offers a link to a 2009 composition of his in a special tuning.

http://www.sagittal.org/

[hemmesjo]

In the 70s I was pretty much a stage door Johnnie at the opera houses I attended.  Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, Metropolitan, New York City Opera, Philadelphia, Covent Garden, Paris etc.  So I very briefly met many opera stars, ie Boris Christoff, Pauline Tinsley, Joan Sutherland, Marilyn Horne, Lucianno Pavarotti, Sherrill Milnes, Jon Vickers, Birgit Nilsson, Magda Olivero, Maria Callas, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Monserrat Caballe, Placido Domingo, Carlo Bergonzi, Leontyne Price, Beverly Sills, Kiri te Kanawa, Norman Treigle and many others who don't come to mind right this instant.  I didn't discover symphonies, concerti and chamber music until CDs came out and operas were hard to find.

Dan

[prémont]

I climbed that one last year 

I did so when I was about ten years old, but later I preferred to sit in the church and listen to the organ, which would bring me to even greater heights.

[TheGSMoeller]

I've been around a bunch because of my brother, never really met them, for example I was in the same room as Paavo Jarvi, does that count?

My brother has met many conductors, he currently works with Andrew Davis quite a bit, and speaks very highly of him.

[Mirror Image]

I've been around a bunch because of my brother, never really met them, for example I was in the same room as Paavo Jarvi, does that count?

My brother has met many conductors, he currently works with Andrew Davis quite a bit, and speaks very highly of him.

Very cool, Greg. Andrew Davis is a good conductor.