Photo: Lauren Desberg Media
This past year has been a period of re-inventing the Seattle Baroque Orchestra: While the pandemic forced us to cease our usual activities, we still made good use of the time by re-grouping our personnel, re-thinking our repertoire and mandate, and re-considering what makes our offer to you special. At the same time, the retirement of our beloved concertmaster Linda Melsted prompted us to look for a new leading artist to start the post-pandemic era.
Ancient Greek knows two words for “time”: ‘chronos’ and ‘kairos’; while ‘chronos’ is the passing of time, ‘kairos’ is the particular moment of time. I feel we are experiencing these two meanings, right now, the stretch of a valley to walk through, and at the same time the incredible serendipity in the fact that Rachell Ellen Wong just moved to town. She has graduated from the Juilliard School of Music in NYC, one of the most prestigious institutions of our time, and she combines everything we were looking for in Linda’s successor: the highest artistic integrity and true musicianship, the authority that comes with being an outstanding virtuoso and the warm collegial spirit needed in our world.
In short, I could not have dreamed of such a beautiful choice for the position of concertmaster to the Seattle Baroque Orchestra, and I am simply overjoyed that Rachell has accepted our invitation.
While we still have to endure and be patient, I know that when we make music again, and have you, our audience, back with us, it will be a truly new experience to listen to and to participate in the process of music being born.
Thank you and stay well!
Alexander Weimann
Seattle Baroque Orchestra Music Director
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