Music Academy

          I’ve spent a lot of time at the music academy this week, playing in a small orchestra for someone’s conducting recital.  We just have three short rehearsals, and the ensemble is not playing very well, but I can’t help but have fun because of the program.  We are playing an all Beethoven concert: the Egmont Overture and the Emperor Concerto.  I’ve been waiting to play Beethoven all year—we’ve yet to play him in the philharmonic.  I think I enjoy playing his music more than any other composer’s, and I’m not really sure why.  Good music plus fairly idiomatic oboe writing, I guess.

            I’m not sure I’ve described the Sarajevo Music Academy for this blog yet.  It is pretty much the equivalent of a US “conservatory”, with college and graduate students who specialize in music.  There are some very strong programs and teachers for certain instruments (e.g. violin and cello), while others are completely absent (e.g. there is no oboe program).  There are a lot of accordion players at the music academy, which is a novelty for me, and a nuisance, I think, for everyone else!

            The Sarajevo Music Academy is located in the city center, just behind the Catholic cathedral.  It is a convenient location for us philharmonic musicians, since it’s only about a 10-minute walk from the National Theater.  The building contains an elementary school on the ground floor, a music high school on the next floor, and the music academy on the top two floors. 

Being in the music academy makes me feel a bit nostalgic for my undergraduate days. The old, slightly run-down building reminds me of the Peabody Conservatory.  As do the clashing musical sounds bleeding into the hallways, and students sweating over their solfeggio exams.  I feel pretty comfortable in such an environment after going to music school for nearly an entire decade.

In other news, the weather forecast for the next few days is crazy!  Over the past 24 hours we’ve gotten maybe 6 inches of snow.  Tonight we are supposed to get another 2-4 inches, tomorrow 8-12 inches, tomorrow night 10-15 inches, and Saturday another 10-15 inches!  About one year ago was the “snowpocalypse” in Chicago, so I guess now it’s Sarajevo’s turn.  Man, I sure do have bad luck with winter weather!