This morning: Dvoràk

This morning at Marlboro we are hearing one of my favorite pieces, Anton Dvoràk's Serenade in D Minor, Op. 44, B. 77 with Frank Rosenwein, oboe; Kate Wegener, oboe; Yoonah Kim, clarinet; Víctor Díaz Guerra, clarinet; Jake Thonis, bassoon; Marlène Ngalissamy, bassoon; Ryan Williamson, horn; Gabriel Kovach, horn; Richard King, horn; Edvard Pogossian, cello; Nina Bernat, double bass. This is a wonderful, joyful work. We have heard many (seven or eight?) of these musicians earlier in the festival. One we have not heard before is Kate Wegener, oboe, who can't be much more than 20 years old! "Kate is an American oboist who will be going into her third year of undergraduate studies at Juilliard. Kate’s principal teacher is Nathan Hughes, one of the Principal Oboes of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Here is a little interview with Kate: *How old were you when you started playing oboe & why did you choose it?* I was about 12 years old when I started – I tried out several wind instruments and fell in love with the sound of the oboe! *What is your favorite piece & why?* I’ve always loved playing Benjamin Britten’s Metamorphoses – he uses the full expressive range of the oboe, and his ability to tell stories through music is remarkable! *What have you been doing to stay busy during the pandemic?* In light of the situation, I’ve been busy learning all the solo oboe repertoire that I can – I recently put on an outdoor, socially-distanced solo oboe recital! Also, my family has been fostering 6 adorable kittens – they were all recently adopted (except for one that we ended up keeping!) *What or who inspires you to be such a great oboist?* Going to school in New York and getting to see all the amazing performers who come through the city serves as constant motivation and gives me a level of artistry to aspire to! Particularly, getting to walk across the street and hear the Juilliard oboe faculty play at the Metropolitan Opera is incredibly inspiring.

Kate Wegener, oboe.****************************************** LATER Now we will hear another rehearsal of the George Benjamin opera, Into the Little Hill. Then we're going home to get some things done for our upcoming trip west.