Why play in Spain? Great coffee, long lunches, siestas….
mainLovely 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.
Thanks for picking up this interview! The Hot Seat page is designed to give stories, inspiration, practical advice and some lightness to life in an orchestra principal chair. Hope your readers enjoy it!
Spain’s economy may be in the tank, but when day-to-day life is as pleasant as Ms. Winsor reports, who cares?
Reminds me of the “bon mot” that was circulating around Central Europe in the early days of World War I:
“In Berlin, things were serious but not desperate; In Vienna, they were desperate … but not serious.”
Why do you say that Spain’s economy is in the tank?
https://www.focus-economics.com/countries/spain
The unemployment rate may have come down, but 17%+ is still in the cr*pper.