Heinz Hall Backstage Tour

The PSO invited new subscribers and new donors to a backstage tour, followed by a few selections by PSO Concertmaster Noah Bendix-Balgley accompanied by David Allen Wehr on piano. The first selection was Tartini: Devil's Trill Sonata which they pair will be performing at Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland Tuesday, March 5, 2013 at 7:30 pm. The tour was very interesting, as you can see in the photos. There was a question and answer period afterwards. One person asked "I don't know what honey you dipped your violin in, but it sounded so sweet." Mr. Bendix-Balgley plays on a Lorenzo Ventapane violin, made in Naples in the early 19th century. He explained in answer to one question about why the older violins are best that the artists were at the pinnacle of their trade. Another question delved into the duties of the concertmaster -- my favorite part of his answer: To determine the bowing for all the sections that the string section plays - it's not just random, they are artistically set to bow in the same direction together, and Mr. Bendix Balgley, as the concertmaster, determines the bowing ahead of time - wow that would be time consuming. I asked how the symphony is able to synchronize so well. More on that later.