Sunday, January 21, 2001

The four buses carrying the DSO tour party from 
Orlando to Sarasota stopped for a lunch break at 
the Cracker Barrel.Assistant Principal Oboe Brian 
Ventura (left) and piccolo player Jeffery Zook (right) 
test out rocking chairs for sale on the porch.

Just another day on the road. Violinist Bruce Smith plays
checkers on the porch of the Cracker Barrel. 

Greetings!

Yesterday was filled with meeting family and friends. First off, my wife Jana, who is an extra cellist on the tour, and I had breakfast with her aunt who lives in Orlando. This was my first time meeting her. She had attended our concert at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center the night before, along with a friend, and enjoyed it very much.

The hall is called the Van Wezel, which is a big purple building by the water. They just finished a $20 million renovation in October. During the construction, the musicians performed in a temperature- controlled circus tent next door.  

On this tour we are really enjoying the warm weather, even though touring can be difficult -- especially trying to stay in playing shape. That is because you’re never quite sure when your instrument will be available! Also it seems that your body is not in its normal condition due to travel. But overall, it’s quite an experience. 

Kenneth Thompkins 
Principal Trombone

Designed by William Wesley Peters of Taliesin 
Associated Architects (of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation), 
the Van Wezel Performing Arts Center is affectionately nicknamed “The Purple Cow.”

Neeme Järvi, the DSO and violinist Joshua Bell 
perform Sibelius' Violin Concerto in Sarasota.

Hello from chilly Sarasota!

Its 40 degrees!! 

Tonight we had the long-ago sold-out concert in a purple hall!  It turns out the lead donor for the Van Wezel concert hall gave money with the condition that it be purple and resemble a clam shell!

We had many guests join us tonight.  DSO Resident Conductor Thomas Wilkins lives near Tampa (45 minutes away) and came to join us with his wife.  DSO Composer-in-Residence Michael Daugherty brought his father, and DSO board member Herman Frankel and his wife, Sharon, were also in attendance. 

As I noted, the concert was sold out and the audience was once again most appreciative, especially for Sibelius' Violin Concerto and Daugherty's MotorCity Triptych. 

Our last concert is Monday night in Ft. Lauderdale, a four- hour drive from Sarasota. 

Thats all for now!!      

Emil J. Kang
President & Executive Director  

Monday, January 22, 2001

Dear DSO Fans:  

Spent the day off on Friday wrestling golf clubs at the infamous “Blue Monster” at famed Doral. The Monster won but we survived - just barely. I haven’t seen so many bunkers since the last time I watched a documentary on the D-Day Invasion of Normandy. They were also protecting the course for a LPGA tournament the following week. We must have walked twelve miles and the greens were slower than continental drift. But at least there was no obstacle course under heavy machine gun fire. We got a rain check freebie for the adjacent “Great White” course next Tuesday. Hey - are we gluttons for punishment or what?

A drive Monday across “Alligator Alley” en route from Sarasota to Ft. Lauderdale. I went over to the side of the road and issued my Crocodile Dundee mating call, but to no avail. No doubt my 6’7” black leather-jacketed bulk intimidated them. Or perhaps it only worked on crocodiles.

The concerts? Ah yes, the concerts! Very successful - in front of large enthusiastic audiences. I had a fun time at the Saturday concert playing principal cello. I had been incommunicado that afternoon and when I walked on stage, the only empty chair was the “hot seat.” Clearly the only polite thing to do was to sit there. It is very good for one - cleans out all the vital internal organs. [Editor’s Note: Acting Principal Cellist Marcy Chanteaux had become suddenly ill that evening and could not perform].  

Somehow, I sense that Floridians feel a certain affinity for the DSO - this most interesting collection of individual characters - this formidable ensemble of great musicians - this peerless ambassador for the Motor City. Perhaps some in our audience down here remember when the DSO Florida Tour was a tradition. When I joined the Orchestra back in ancient times - around 1970 or so - the DSO toured Florida every winter.  

There is always enormous interest in great music down here due no doubt in large measure to the many highly-cultured retirees who continue to gravitate to this extraordinary and very special "state-of-being" called Florida. 

John Thurman
DSO Cellist

John Thurman peers through the tropical foliage
in the hotel lobby in Sarasota.

Brian Jones on one of many bus rides.

Dear DSO Fans:

Thought I’d drop you a line as the Orchestra rides through Florida’s Big Cypress National Preserve on our way from Sarasota to Ft. Lauderdale. The Sunshine Tour is coming to a close, and we’ve had a good time and been very well supported. 

Julie and Peter Cummings treated us to a relaxing harbor cruise and an incredible dinner at the Palm Beach Yacht Club to kick off the week in style. We were also treated mid-week to a nice reception in Orlando where the folks make a concerted (pardon the pun) effort to bring the world’s best orchestras to town.  

The concerts have sold well, and the nightly change in venue has been challenging and stimulating. It’s interesting what you can hear from the Orchestra in one hall that you can’t hear in another. I’ve been doing my best to adapt my mallets and my touch to each venue. 

At the same time my fondness for both the patrons and acoustics of Orchestra Hall has grown during our absence. It’s been very nice here (can’t knock the weather!), but there really is no place like home.  

See you soon! 

Brian Jones
Principal Timpani