Symphony schedules classic trip

TONY DODERO

I made a vow some time ago to become more attuned with classical

music.

My parents listened to it, sure, but I avoided it for most of my

life.

My musical heroes were the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, David

Bowie and Neil Young.

It was rock ‘n’ roll all the way for me.

When I got older, I expanded my horizons and added jazz to the mix

and spent many a night in my early days at the Studio Cafe, both in

Balboa and later at the second version in Corona del Mar at what is

now Bandera Restaurant.

I became familiar with jazz greats like Charlie Parker and Stanley

Turrentine, but classical music was still something I knew little

about and had little interest in.

I hate ballet (one of the worst nights of my life was sitting

center stage as the Bolshoi performed “The Nutcracker”), and I vowed

I would rather get my gums scraped than to ever again have to go to

the opera (my second worst night was watching the “Magic Flute” as my

dad snored in my ear).

Then, I got married and had children, and classical music became a

regular part of my life as my better half pumped it into our living

room and our automobiles at every opportunity.

My oldest daughter at the age of 5 can even cite the names of

classical pieces.

And I have to admit, I like it too. I still don’t know much about

it, and I’m not buying ballet or opera tickets anytime soon, but I do

enjoy listening to Mozart and Beethoven and Vivaldi and Strauss.

So when I heard there was big news coming out of the Pacific

Symphony, I signed up for the Wednesday morning event.

“This a whole table of writers,” said Pacific Symphony Music

Director Carl St. Clair as he walked up to the table I was sitting

at, and I was just happy that I actually knew who Carl St. Clair was.

“You should write about that.”

The news, of course, was big for St. Clair, director of the

symphony for the last 15 years -- his orchestra was going to tour

Europe for the first time in its 25-year existence.

“This is one of the most important events in the life of the

symphony,” he told the breakfast crowd at the Performing Arts

Center’s Founders Hall about the planned tour for 2006.

The news was also big for art patrons like Henry Segerstrom, who

was sitting a couple of tables away from the writers (good move) with

his wife, Elizabeth.

But even bigger for his relatives, John and Sandy Segerstrom

Daniels, who helped fund this European tour to the tune of $750,000.

I know that the Segerstroms and other local art philanthropists

are very proud when the homespun artistic endeavors in Orange County

get nationwide or even international attention.

John Daniels really hammered home that point with these comments:

“When the Pacific Symphony steps onto the stages of Europe, the

music of Orange County will be stepping onto the stages of Europe.”

OK, so I might not know much about the classical stages of Europe,

but I do know that this is one awesome moment for the Pacific

Symphony.

Good luck across the pond.

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