It wasn’t the bright lights of Broadway that attracted Western graduate student Lucy-Ana Gaston to New York City for a week. It wasn’t even the shopping and sightseeing. The violinist traveled to the Big Apple to sit in a darkened Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Centre to hear the Vienna Philharmonic and London Philharmonic orchestras rehearse.
Gaston spent the last two summers studying with the Vienna orchestra and was invited to attend its week in residence at Carnegie Hall. She was able to watch as conductor Zubin Mehta put the orchestra through its paces, and take lessons with members between rehearsals.
“It was a really inspiring experience,” said Gaston. “There is so much you can learn by observing these great musicians. As a student, it was such a great opportunity to see how they rehearse, being able to ask questions about the music or orchestral playing. Being that close to the orchestra was an incredible experience.”
Part of the experience was learning about the Viennese sound, created by special wind instruments and the blend of tones. “They all play with the same intent. Often students think that in an orchestra, you can relax because there are so many playing. But when all play in sync, it’s a powerful result.”
Gaston brings that approach back to the UWO Symphony Orchestra where she has been concertmaster for four years. “I love to lead. I also enjoy being able to offer my experiences to help the orchestra. I have developed a rapport with conductor James McKay. I joined Symphony Hamilton, which he conducts, when I was 14.”
Gaston leads other orchestras, as well as a chamber orchestra called Arcady and a piano trio.
“Orchestra musicians can be looked down upon and they stop thinking like a soloist,” she said. “You need to play chamber music to maintain the facility of a soloist to bring the ensemble to the highest level.”
While in New York, Gaston was also able to attend rehearsals and concerts by the London Philharmonic at Lincoln Centre. “I was completely immersed in music played by two of the greatest orchestras.”
Back at the Don Wright Faculty of Music, she is trying to apply the ideas and lessons she learned to her own playing. “I have so much to work on from the experience. I have things to improve for my goals to play in a great orchestra in the future.”
Gaston’s future includes a trip back to Vienna where she will spend the summer again with the Philharmonic. She is also applying for post-graduate diploma in Germany or Vienna.
First is her graduation recital, April 3 at 8 p.m. in von Kuster Hall. The repertoire spans the ages with a Mozart Violin Concerto, Ravel Sonata and a work by Canadian composer Gary Kulesha, with whom Gaston has worked several times.
“We’re very fortunate to have Annette-Barbara Vogel at Western because she’s helped my playing so much over the past five years.” (As well as earning her undergraduate degree at Western, Gaston condensed her master’s into two semesters.) “This summer continues the training of the last two years, to be a better orchestral musician in the tradition of the Vienna Philharmonic. It will help me prepare for auditions and play better in ensembles.”
The summer program includes a stint in Salzburg, Mozart’s birthplace, to play his opera Cosi fan tutte. Students were selected from previous summer programs.