Jeremy Black

The glorious interior of the American Hotel's bar/restaurant in Leidseplein, Amsterdam.

Critics are notorious for arriving at concerts and events at the last minute, and I am no exception, but this time I was early. I touched down in Amsterdam earlier today about eight hours before the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra flew in from Spain. I had plenty of time to fight off jet lag and set out into the city before the musicians arrived.

Actually, I had the good fortune of running into one early. First violinist Jeremy Black was on the flight from Pittsburgh. He was joining the PSO for the second leg of its current European Tour, its swing through Germany, Austria, Hungary and Croatia with conductor Marek Janowski. I suppose it has already been four years or so since Black joined the PSO, but I still consider him part of the young core of talent in the orchestra. I have heard him solo before and it's no surprise that he also has landed the concertmaster position in the Grant Park Orchestra, which convenes in the summer in Chicago.

He is a delight to hang out with, and remained cheerful despite the fact that the airline lost his luggage. Thankfully, his violin was at his side.

Interestingly, that violin has been in the PSO before. The Italian instrument built in the 18th century was originally owned by Ozzie DePaul, a former violinist in the group who died in 2003. Black bought the violin a few years ago and loves it, and the fact that it remains in the PSO family.

Black was nice enough to accompany me into town and among other things we ate in the fabulous American Hotel bar/restaurant. It may sound like a tourist trap, but it is actually a scintillating art deco building, completed in 1902, whose interior is stunning (he took a nice shot of it). Heinekens on tap only made it better.

More as I recover from jet lag and attend the concert at the Concertgebouw tomorrow (Tuesday, Jan. 29)