It’s a Busy Summer for RPO Musicians!

Summer is finally here and the RPO conductors and musicians will be scattering across the country—and world!—to enjoy their summer vacations, play in various music festivals, and enjoy a little rest and relaxation before the start of the RPO summer season on June 29th, or before the next season begins on September 30th. 

For instance, Principal Timpani Charles Ross will spend his fourth summer on the faculty of the Brevard Music Center in Brevard, NC. Located at the western tip of the state, near Asheville, Brevard attracts students and faculty from all over the world. This now-annual trip is something the Ross family greatly looks forward to each summer.

Principal Clarinet Kenny Grant also has a busy summer planned. Kenny will take part in three music festivals this summer—the Round Top Festival outside of Houston, the Aria International Summer Academy at Mount Holyoke College, and the Marrowstone Summer Music Festival, north of Seattle. He then plans to remain incognito until the end of August. 

Round Top will host another RPO musician this summer—Peter Kurau, Principal Horn. In addition to being on faculty at Round Top, Peter also will spend time at the Kendall Betts Horn Camp in Littleton, NH. Then, Peter and his wife, Pamela, will take a much deserved week of rest on Cape Cod with Principal Keyboard and Personnel Manager Joe Werner and his wife, Diane. 

Violinist Lara Sipols will spend time performing with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra this summer.  Another familiar face at Chautauqua this summer is Christopher Seaman, who will conduct the CSO on July 19 and 21.  Click here for more information about those two concerts (and a planned bus trip to Chautauqua with the RPO). 

Principal Cello Stefan Reuss plans to perform in a few chamber music concerts in the area. Then, Stefan and his wife, Valerie, towards the end of summer, will spend two weeks in Germany. The Reusses will be in Tegernsee, near Munich, where they plan to hike in Stefan’s beloved Bavarian Alps. The photo to the left is Stefan hiking last year with his son, David.

Cellist Christopher Haritatos plans to perform at the Victoria Bach Festival in Victoria, Texas. Christopher also plans to visit his family in California, as well as his wife’s family in Sweden.

Concertmaster Juliana Athayde and Principal Oboe Erik Behr are spending two weeks in the first part of June performing at the Mainly Mozart Festival in San Diego. Juliana and Erik will be back in Rochester to perform with the Orchestra for the summer season, before leaving for Sun Valley, Idaho in August to play with the Sun Valley Summer Symphony.

Gaelen McCormick, double bass, is playing with the RPO for the summer season before heading out west, along with Bill and Nancy Hunt, to play in the Music in the Mountains festival in Durango, Colorado. Gaelen said, “I always look forward to getting into the dry air and brilliant blue skies of the southwest. I'm bringing my toddler daughter, Clara, and my fiancé, Steve, with me for a real family adventure!” The picture to the left is Gaelen hiking last summer.

As Principal Conductor for Education and Outreach, Michael Butterman, puts it, his summer is pretty low-key—and planned intentionally to be that way! Michael and his family are headed to NYC to spend some time with friends and take in a ballet (or two!) with American Ballet Theater before returning to Rochester to conduct Red, White and Boom! on July 2, an Independence Day Celebration on July 4, and Phenomenal Fortepiano, part of the Midsummer Classics series, on July 6. The Buttermans also plan to spend some time at the beach before visiting family in San Francisco. (Pictured at right are Michael and Jennifer at the Education Luncheon in March.)

To learn more about the RPO’s world-class musicians, click here.