My day, by Chicago’s apprentice conductor

A diary entry by Lina Gonzalez-Granados, who stood in last night for Riccardo Muti with the Chicago Symphony and Anne-Sophie Mutter:

Yesterday:
4:30 am: take my morning coffee, and somehow thinking I should not go to the gym and just take and extra look to Beethoven and Brahms….will go later this afternoon
9:20 am: walk in the crazy heat to Symphony center and just enjoying the day, said hello to everyone and sat down on my chair to enjoy the performance and general rehearsal. Talking to my dear friend Claire Liu about the pieces, taking notes…thinking
”One day I will use all this Info I have written in this score”… “Wow, I need to really program this Brahms”…” I DONT THINK I WILL EVER HEAR THIS PIECE IN SUCH WAY”…
(I have used my time here in Chicago to sit learn and listen, and later on the season I program the pieces with different orchestras I guest… so I can get my hand on the rep I study, it gives me time to absorb and experiment what I learned elsewhere, so I was staying away from Brahms……win win)
Break: Sitting in my Chair…”LINA, COME DOWNSTAIRS”…
Those words… and then kind of a blur….Conducting BEETHOVEN VIOLIN CONCERTO With Ann Sophie Mutter…and going home to prepare for the concert…Do I even have my clothes?…my parents run to find me a jacket (thank god they are here)…and shoes…
Anyway, Im just so thankful to EVERYONE IN THE ADMINISTRATION, AND THE MUSICIANS AT THE Chicago Symphony Orchestra WHO HAVE BEEN NOTHING BUT GENEROUS, AND KIND. special thanks to Stephen Williamson, Esteban Batallán Cons, Stefan Ragnar, Susan Synnestvedt…and honestly everyone
BUT MOST OF ALL: TO MY DEAR MAESTRO MUTI, AN INCREDIBLE MENTOR, WHO HAS TREATED ME WITH SUCH KINDNESS, TRUST, RESPECT, AND HE ALWAYS WANTS ME TO SUCCEED. I WISH HIM A FAST RECOVERY SO I CAN HEAR THIS PIECES UNDER YOUR BATON. COME BACK SOON!
THE PRIVILEDGE OF A LIFETIME