Lovely interview here with Dianne Winsor, principal flute of the Orquesta Sinfonica de Castilla y Leon.
Among other things:
R: How did you find the transition from life in America to Spain – were there many hurdles to jump and how did you adapt to a new musical and life style?
D:The biggest hurdle was, and often still is, the language. I studied French in school and didn’t speak a word of Spanish when I arrived. Fortunately, neither did many others in our new orchestra. It was like the Tower of Babel at 1st, with many languages spoken among our musicians. Fortunately, our Manager sent us all to the local University for Spanish classes every day until we could communicate with each other!
The Spanish lifestyle is delightful – very different from that of the US, but quite enjoyable to adapt to: great coffee, long lunches, afternoon siestas, lively nightlife and lots of socializing – be it walking down the street chatting with friends or out for a late dinner.
Read on here.
