Front Page News

It's not too often that a non-profit performing arts organization makes the front page of the local newspaper.  But such was the case yesterday, when my employer was featured in the St. Petersburg Times:

http://www.tampabay.com/features/performingarts/florida-orchestra-cleared-to-perform-in-cuba/1172827

CUBA.  Wow.  That could be a very interesting tour.  Of course, the whole orchestra isn't scheduled to go there until the 2012-2013 season, with other, smaller exchanges taking place leading up to then:

Cuba timetable

The Florida Orchestra's cultural exchange with Cuba will include these mileposts:

• Summer: The orchestra will collect instruments and string and woodwind accessories (such as reeds) for donation to the Amadeo Roldan Conservatory in Havana.

• Sept, 26-29: A wind quintet from the orchestra will perform in Havana and offer master classes to students at the conservatory. Ensemble members will be principal flute Clay Ellerbroek, principal oboe Katherine Young, principal clarinet Brian Moorhead, principal bassoon Anthony Georgeson and principal French horn Robert Rearden.

• Early 2012: Music director Stefan Sanderling has been invited to conduct the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba.

• May 11-13, 2012: Enrique Perez Mesa, music director of the Cuban orchestra, is scheduled to conduct the Florida Orchestra.

• 2012-13: The goal is for the Florida Orchestra to perform in Cuba during this season.

Well, we'll see how this turns out.  2012-13 is a long time away.  And while things like this of course take a huge amount of advance planning, it feels a little like planning what you're going to cook for dinner in, say, 8 months.  A lot of things can (and probably will) happen between now and then.

In more immediate news:

 This is what's currently keeping me busy!