Pittsburgh Symphony's new concertmaster, Noah Bendix-Balgley, learning to lead a bigger sound
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Noah Bendix-Balgley. -
Noah Bendix-Balgley says that since joining the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra "people have been welcoming personally and musically.'
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Violinist Noah Bendix-Balgley has the best seat in Heinz Hall, the way he sees it. Or better said, the way he hears it from his concertmaster's seat right next to the conductor's podium of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
Now in his fifth month as the classical music version of a lieutenant, Mr. Bendix-Balgley (pronounced ball-GLEE) has been caught up in a hurricane of duties and information.
"A big challenge is just being ahead of the game in terms of preparations for my part, other parts and the entire score so I can be flexible enough to react," says Mr. Bendix-Balgley in between sips of tea at the Big Dog Cafe on the South Side, one of the many Pittsburgh gems he has discovered (another recent one is the Carnegie Museums). He doesn't have a score of free time, however.
With: Pianist Rodrigo Ojeda.
When: 8 p.m. Jan. 29.
Where: Temple Emanuel, 1250 Bower Hill Road, Mt. Lebanon.
Admission: Free, but reservations needed; call 412-279-7600 or email lblattner@templeemanuelpgh.org.
"We cover a lot of repertoire and we don't rehearse much for each concert. There are pieces I haven't played and some I have only played at a different level."
But occasionally he makes it to the eye of this storm. Surprisingly, it often happens when the orchestra is performing on stage at Heinz Hall. In moments when he is not playing, he marvels at the musicians around him like any audience member.
"Sometimes, when a solo is played or another section is playing, I can't help looking over and being moved," he says with a smile that suggests he has goose bumps just thinking about it.
"When [principal horn player] Bill Caballero had his solo in the Dvorak Cello Concerto with Yo-Yo Ma, I thought, 'Wow! We have musical personalities in the solo chairs. That makes the orchestra special.'"
Noah Bendix-Balgley isn't just the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra's new concertmaster. He is one of the wave of young people (age, 27) who choose to live Downtown. Here's a look at the personal side of the violinist:
• My perfect weekend: Hiking in the mountains, eating good food and reading chamber music with friends.
• I'm surprisingly good at: Remembering baseball trivia.
First Published January 11, 2012 12:00 am
