A Cello Concerto
??Illustration by Emma Rand??
It was not very hard to spot cellist Eric Tinkerhess among the 35 or so other orchestra members. On a raised wooden platform directly facing the audience, the Community High School sophomore had center stage in an orchestra where trained and adult musicians make their living.
Tinkerhess won the Toledo Symphony Orchestra’s Young Artist Competition back in 2006 as a freshman. On top of the $350 cash prize, he was awarded with a chance to play as a soloist with the well-reputed orchestra. It was on February 11, 2007 at the Tecumseh Civic Auditorium that he had this opportunity.
The Cello Concerto No. 1 in A-minor was French composer Camille Saint-Saëns’ first cello concerto and served as Tinkerhess’ display of ability that day. The performance was a very important one to Tinkerhess; it was one of the first major competitions that he has won. Since his win, he has entered other music competitions and done about two per year now.
Coming to memorize the roughly twenty-two minute piece took a lot of time. He started working on it in June/July of last year and spent about six months off and on. At the time of his concert Tinkerhess admits that he “got quite a few butterflies” but when he got on stage and started playing he was “pretty confident.”
While playing, a lot of things go through his head. He thinks about the physical movements that he has to make, making sure “every muscle and bone is in the right place at the right time” and other technical aspects. Also essential is paying attention to the audience and what sort of images or emotions he wants to convey to them. What he finds the most important, as well as the most difficult, is “playing in the moment. Really valuing every second of what you’re playing.”
Judging by the powerful applause and the number of people that rose to their feet at the end of the piece, valuing what Tinkerhess played was something the audience in the auditorium could easily do.
To view Eric’s performance, click here
Filed on 02/24/2007