| By Scott Roush
A typical concert day for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra is anything but typical for the dedicated orchestra and staff. Nearly 850 people, including many volunteers, provide support to the organization to ensure the concert experience is extraordinary and memorable for everyone in attendance.
Thursday, September 7, opening night of the 2006-07 season, is an especially hectic day. From the early morning until well past midnight, a workforce made up of musicians, administrative staff, affiliated organizations and volunteers ensure the day’s activities go smoothly. Special events keep everyone busy, including a joint staff and orchestra meeting, a media reception, television interviews, a donor dinner, an autograph signing and post-concert receptions. It also marks the first concert by Peter Oundjian as the DSO’s new Principal Guest Conductor and Artistic Advisor. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at how it all comes together for one spectacular season opening concert at 8 p.m.
7:30 a.m. – Assistant Director of Public Relations Marilou Carlin arrives at the FOX 2 studio in Southfield to meet up with pianist and tonight’s soloist Lang Lang, who is appearing in the morning news broadcast. “This is probably the best part of my job – getting to spend time with our great guest artists or DSO musicians as they warm up for a TV appearance – it’s my own private concert,” says Carlin. “Lang Lang was no exception – he’s absolutely delightful. And I got to powder his nose with my own face powder. Now, that was a thrill.”
8:02 a.m. – Principal Trumpet Ramón Parcells makes himself a fruit salad for breakfast at his West Bloomfield home before his morning practice. These sessions will vary depending on how much he has to play for the concert. Later in the morning, he goes on a five-mile run. Like professional athletes, DSO musicians have to be physically prepared for a performance. “Exercise is an excellent stress reliever,” he says. “It’s good for breathing, makes me feel better and keeps me more mentally alert.”
8:43 a.m. – Jill Woodward, Director of Public Relations, is backstage in Orchestra Hall with a camera crew from Detroit Public Television. They review plans to film a portion of the Orchestra’s rehearsal, an interview with Peter Oundjian and the opening night concert. Footage will be edited into a television special titled “Random Acts of Music” about “the role of the conductor.” She will spend the majority of the day with the crew setting up shots, staging backgrounds and lighting; reviewing the script and future shoot days with the director.
9:03 a.m. – Mari Vaydik, Manager of Development Research, goes over the RSVP list on her computer for the receptions before and after the concert in the Herman and Sharon Frankel Donor Lounge. Maestro Oundjian and DSO musicians will be in attendance. The development department hosts more than 15 of these receptions each season. The donor lounge is open to people who donate $2,750 annually and corporations that contribute $5,000 each year.
9:28 a.m. – DSO President and Executive Director Anne Parsons gives an interview to a reporter from Classical Public Radio a radio network heard in 50 U.S. markets. The DSO has been chosen as one of the orchestras to be profiled in a week-long series on “the 21st Century Orchestra.”
10:13 a.m. – Usher Coordinator Sue Black works on volunteer usher assignments and and event sheets for the front-of-house staff. “I like to see people go home happy,” she says. “Part of what creates that is what the usher does.” 350 people volunteer at Orchestra Hall each season. They are part of the DSO “family” and enjoy engaging the community.
12:41 p.m. – Anne Parsons and Peter Oundjian welcome the staff and orchestra to a new season during a meeting on the Orchestra Hall stage. They discuss the upcoming season and answer questions from people about what is planned for the future.
1:43 p.m. – Retail Sales Manager Paul Yee is in the middle of preparing the DSO shop in the Orchestra Hall lobby. He re-stocks all the merchandise for the season, places signs about the Lang Lang autograph signing after the concert and gives the shop a thorough cleaning. Lang Lang would set an all-time DSO record for CD and DVD sales!
2:03 p.m. – In Northville, Principal Bassoonist Robert Williams tests his reeds. He and his wife, Treva Womble, who plays the oboe and English horn, make reeds from Arundo Donax cane, which comes from France and Argentina. Williams uses many electric tools to make his reeds, while Womble makes hers mostly by hand. They each spend 15-20 hours a week crafting and perfecting reeds, using only 3-4 of the best examples in a concert. Orchestra Personnel Manager Steve Molina is in the.
2:51 p.m. – In Troy, violinist Gina DiBello spends her afternoon warming up for the concert. Later she takes a short nap. “I like to get as much rest as possible during the day so I’m fresh and alert for the concert,” she says.
3:00 p.m. – Security guard Ron Martin arrives for his shift and does a thorough patrol, checking to make sure the hall entrances and offices are secure. A retired Detroit police officer, some of his duties include assisting people who come in the stage door entrance, and making sure vehicles are properly parked.
3:21 p.m. – Violist Caroline Coade does long, slow stretching at her Southfield home to loosen up her neck, arms and hands. She finds that frequent stretching will help keep her loose and pain free while she is playing.
4:15 p.m. – Ross Binnie, Vice President of Sales and Service, walks the house to ensure everything is in place before the concert. This includes visiting the box office staff to see if there are any ticket issues and verifying the sales tables in the Atrium have enough DSO informational materials. Opening night is a special celebration, so he makes sure the complimentary champagne is ready. Binnie comments: “There is no typical day here. Every day is different. The challenges are constant and changing, which makes life interesting.”
5:25 p.m. – Roslyn Williams takes her post at the crosswalk between the parking structure and Orchestra Hall. In the colder months, she will work in the coat check room, taking coats and talking to patrons she has come to know in her six years at the DSO. “I like the atmosphere here and I meet a lot of very nice people,” she says.
6:01 p.m. – Woodward leaves the DPTV crew and heads for the opening night media reception. She comments about his job: “Hearing the DSO perform in Orchestra Hall is one of the great artistic experiences of my life. I enjoy being able to help support the tremendous art that happens onstage, and to see the impact the organization has on our city and community.”
6:20 p.m. – Percussionist Ian Ding leaves his dressing room in the basement, dressed in his tuxedo for the concert. He will soon head to the Orchestra Hall stage, to make sure the snare drum, bass drum, orchestra bells and other percussion instruments for tonight’s concert are on stage. “I like to be well rested for a concert,” he says. “I’ll try to get a nap during the day and avoid eating a big dinner beforehand because it’s hot on stage.”
6:33 p.m. – Conducting Assistant Charles Greenwell is in his second-floor dressing room reviewing the research he has prepared for the Ford ConcerTalks which take place an hour before the concert in Orchestra Hall.
6:41 p.m. – Group and Corporate Sales Manager Chuck Dyer greets people at The Max. In his 26 years with the DSO, Dyer has developed a special bond with many patrons, who he has come to know as dear friends.
7:04 p.m. – Coade arrives at Orchestra Hall dressed for tonight’s concert. Her pre-concert routine includes warming up in one of practice rooms of the Pincus Music Education Center. During her 45-minute practice session, she will rehearse tonight’s pieces as well as future programs.
7:21 p.m. – Volunteer usher Joann Ernst is passing out copies of Performance magazine to people as they enter Orchestra Hall. She starts her evening stuffing the program with inserts about upcoming concerts and other materials. “I enjoy seeing all the concerts and talking to people I’ve met here,” she says.
7:47 p.m. – Librarian Robert Stiles meets with Maestro Oundjian to get the scores from him and place them on the conductor’s podium in Orchestra Hall. “On a concert day, our priority is to make sure the concert happens, but we often confer with musicians on preparation for future concerts just before they take the stage,” he says. “In an average season, we provide 35,000 parts to the musicians.”
7:56 p.m. – In the box office, Bette Clary and other staff are expediting Will Call and walk-up sales before the concert starts. “I like helping people solve their problems and making our customers happy,” she says.aganini.
8:49 p.m. – Intermission is the busiest time of the evening in the donor lounge, with more than 60 people in the room to relax and socialize before the concert resumes. Drinks and desserts are available, and the development staff, including Vaydik and Anne Wilczak, Director of Special Events, is also on hand to visit with the DSO’s many supporters. Says Vaydik: “You’re always meeting new people. Our donors are so passionate about the organization.”
9:04 p.m. – The second half of the concert starts, with a performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7. Yee and his volunteers prepare for the Lang Lang autograph signing on the second floor after the concert. On the box level, Greenwell takes notes about the performance for the DSO’s GM radio broadcast series.
9:41 p.m. – The concert ends with thunderous applause from the audience. A sizable portion of the crowd heads to the second level of the Atrium, where Lang Lang will sign autographs for nearly an hour. Backstage, Coade lingers to talk to people and check out the music for the next concert before heading upstairs to the donor lounge to visit with people. “To me, this time is still part of the concert,” she says. “I like to be social, and this is the perfect time for me to do so.”
10:13 p.m. – Many orchestra and staff converge in the donor lounge after the concert to unwind and talk to donors. Vaydik visits with longtime DSO subscriber Timothy Love about his family. Williams, Womble and other musicians chat with donors and friends.
12:30 a.m. – Yee has just finished moving his supplies back into the shop and heads out the stage door entrance of Orchestra Hall. Anne Parsons is extremely pleased with how everything went tonight: “There is nothing like the energy of opening night. The chemistry between Peter Oundjian and Lang Lang went straight to the orchestra and the audience, which made for an electrifying evening. It is the ultimate reward to feel that sort of passion and energy, which only comes from experiencing an outstanding live musical performance.”
 
Scott Roush is Publications Manager and Public Relations Associate for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Contact him at sroush@dso.org.
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