We classical musicians have idiosyncratic behaviors when it comes to eating. Did you know that composer Eric Satie ate only things that were white?—eggs, sugar, rice, turnips, coconuts and white cheese. Once Jean Sibelius was due to conduct a concert

Recently pianist Lang Lang played a recital to a packed house. Nature called. He left the stage to pee. Hundreds of spectators started to leave thinking the concert was over. Lang Lang soon came back to the diminishing numbers in

A few years ago a friend of mine had an encounter with a cat. Paul Vance, cellist, taught at what was then called Moorhead State University while the cello professor was on a leave-of-absence. The responsibilities included acting as the

The tension and pressure onstage at Orchestra Hall is formidable. Classical musicians must maintain intense concentration to attain our lofty goal—perfection. Attempting these standards night after night sometimes results in giddiness that becomes impossible to muzzle. Soon the conductor notices,

Beyond Stage Fright is a series of video interviews featuring many of today’s most significant performers exploring issues around performance stress. Initiated by pianist and performance coach Charlotte Tomlinson, this exciting project is representative of a growing openness about these

Bad reviews hurt! Why else would we remember Word for Word our first bad review? When I was a college student, I performed one of my first solos with an orchestra. I had just won the school wide concerto competition

String players in an orchestra are captive. We have to sit still in our chairs no matter if the conductor is rehearsing woodwind intonation or percussion ensemble. Frequently there are entire movements where brass players are not needed. We are

“What Could be More Embarrassing?” Recently, Madonna fell backwards down a staircase tripping on her Matador cape during a live performance on the BRIT Awards. Beyoncé and Lady Gaga too have taken embarrassing tumbles while performing.