# How does it work when a star soloist comes to town for a performance?



## Scopitone (Nov 22, 2015)

I was watching Hilary Hahn videos, as I try to do often, and it got me to thinking: 

How does it work when a star soloist comes to perform with a local orchestra - Detroit or Dallas, for instance? 

How much rehearsal does the orchestra get? Are they notified weeks or months in advance that the performance will be "Concerto X"? 

And do they get some run-throughs with the visitor, before the actual performance?


----------



## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

Scopitone said:


> I was watching Hilary Hahn videos, as I try to do often, and it got me to thinking:
> 
> How does it work when a star soloist comes to perform with a local orchestra - Detroit or Dallas, for instance?
> 
> ...


I spent some time following a violinist so know a little.

The program is agreed 1 year ahead. So the soloist knows what he/she will be playing well in advance - a piece from their repertoire.

1-2 days before concert - soloist arrives in town. Same or next day there is a rehearsal. The soloist is better prepared than the orch who may be playing the piece for the first time in ages. So much of the rehearsal is about getting the orch synched for the performance. Obviously some details/issues will be worked out with the soloist as necessary.

There may be just 1 rehearsal. The soloist I spent some time with had another run through in the morning with the orchestra in the venue.

The soloist will have left town by the next day, most likely.


----------



## Taggart (Feb 14, 2013)

We've had Rachel Podger in Norwich a couple of times with Norwich Baroque. The orchestra management hires the soloist for a specific concert on a specific day with a specific programme. The concert will be arranged months in advance and publicised widely to maximise ticket sales. The artiste will turn up either the day before or on the day for at least one run through with the orchestra and a chance to check the acoustics for their solo pieces.


----------



## Scopitone (Nov 22, 2015)

That’s good stuff. Just what I was looking to know.


----------



## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Sometimes a stand-in will play the solo part in early rehearsals so the orchestra gets the feel of how their part fits in. With a good soloist, usually one rehearsal is enough IF the conductor knows his/her job. When the conductor is incompetent, or hasn't studied the music, rehearsals can be extremely aggravating. I've also played concertos a few times when the soloist failed to arrive at the rehearsal for different reasons and we've played the concerto cold - it's exhilarating! Really keeps people on their toes. You need a calm, cool, professional conductor as well as performer to pull it off.


----------



## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

one rehearsal,m generally....the conductor and soloist may get together, beforehand, either in person or by phone, to clarify tempi, cadenzas, transitions, etc....for the standard concerti, it goes together quite quickly, as long as the conductor knows what he/she is doing.....the soloists will have it down cold, they know exactly what they want to do...the fun part for the orchestra is to establish the little dialogues between soloist and orchestra soloist... the two elements will feed off each other, hopefully...Yoyo Ma, Joshua Bell, Nadia Salerno-Sonnenberg were excellent about this - they really responded to the orchestra..made a real performance of it...sometimes soloists are wrapped up in their own world, and play rather oblivious of what the orchestra is doing - it's still good, and everything is in place, but it's much more enjoyable when there's a dialogue, a musical conversation established.


----------



## Scopitone (Nov 22, 2015)

Heck148 said:


> Nadia Salerno-Sonnenberg


I saw her many years ago, with the Dallas Symphony. She put on a great show. She was likely doing that orchestra interaction you mention, though I didn't understand at the time.

I think I would appreciate her performance a lot more if I saw it today.


----------



## skim1124 (Mar 6, 2019)

Thinking a bit more mundanely, how much is the orchestra/organizers directly involved in taking care of the soloist while he/she is in town: e.g. travel, food, lodging, or some idiosyncratic need. Is the soloist's every need met by the orchestra, or does the soloist (and his/her people) take care of those things without the orchestra's help?


----------



## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

skim1124 said:


> Thinking a bit more mundanely, how much is the orchestra/organizers directly involved in taking care of the soloist while he/she is in town: e.g. travel, food, lodging, or some idiosyncratic need. Is the soloist's every need met by the orchestra, or does the soloist (and his/her people) take care of those things without the orchestra's help?


The record company has a big say in that, when Sutherland performed in Holland Decca took care of everything. Guest conductors usually have a apparent in town they work often.


----------



## skim1124 (Mar 6, 2019)

Rogerx said:


> The record company has a big say in that, when Sutherland performed in Holland Decca took care of everything. Guest conductors usually have a apparent in town they work often.


Interesting. So even when the performance isn't going to be recorded, the recording company might be involved in taking care of the soloist?


----------



## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

skim1124 said:


> Thinking a bit more mundanely, how much is the orchestra/organizers directly involved in taking care of the soloist while he/she is in town: e.g. travel, food, lodging, or some idiosyncratic need. Is the soloist's every need met by the orchestra, or does the soloist (and his/her people) take care of those things without the orchestra's help?


orchestra takes care of it, most always...there may be exceptions, but generally the host orchestra provides.


----------



## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

skim1124 said:


> Interesting. So even when the performance isn't going to be recorded, the recording company might be involved in taking care of the soloist?


Yes, for sure a big star like Joan Sutherland, and it's still working that way, I called some old friends and they are still entertaining new and older talent from their catalog , so if H. Hahn should perform her, her company guides her.


----------



## Rach Man (Aug 2, 2016)

Does anyone know how much money a star, like Hilary Hahn, would get for a weekend performance (2 or 3 shows) from a top-tier orchestra? 

If someone knows these things, how much money would, say Rachel Barton Pine, get?


----------

