CBA Ode to Joy

joined the CBASO in 2001. He discovered more than just a way to revive a creative outlet he’d enjoyed in high school. “What I discovered was a doorway to opportunity. I have formed many enduring friendships, enlarged my business network across the country, and received invitations to perform with other community orchestras. I met John Vishneski (clarinet) of the Barristers Big Band, which I joined in 2002. With the BBB, I have developed my musical skills further and taken up jazz singing. So, through the CBASO, I’ve met many wonderful people, played with some of the most talented musicians, and performed in venues that to my high school self would have seemed beyond my reach.” But the passage of timemakes certain changes inevitable, especially after more than three decades of existence. Maestro Katz, who used to commute from Michigan, now flies in from his home in Connecticut. As of the 2017-2018 season, he also began sharing conducting duties with Resident Conductor Marek Rachelski and Assistant Conductor and principal trumpet Michael Poulos (an original member). Many former members have of course moved on, but the CBASO still stands out on their musical résumé. Lisa Iadevaia Devlin (flute), who now resides in Washington, DC, says, “I loved being a part of the CBASO! I met such a fantastic and dedicated group of people who came together weekly to perform great music. It was hands-down the coolest thing I did when I lived in Chicago, and I continually talk about it with pride.” Katherine Erwin, who moved to Michigan with her husband Dirk VanKoughnett (bass) to be close to her college-age daughter as well as to pursue a new career, reminisces: “I have really missed the amazing feeling of being part of a group creating something beautiful. I always felt like rehearsal was a chance to exhale (no pun intended, really) after a stressful day at work. Turns out that being a new behavioral health therapist is even more stressful than lawyering, so I am really missing the outlet. I loved chatting with like-minded musical colleagues who became friends, and I miss the magic of David taking a new piece from a muddle of sounds to a polished performance.” But while legal careers can change, making music is an endeavor that will always live on. As Jon Duncan, principal of the percussion section, declares: “Retiring from work does not have to include retirement from continuing to make the music that we all love!” As the CBASO’s main liaison to the CBA, John Vishneski is continually working, with Maestro Katz and CBA Executive Director Terrence Murphy, towards the CBASO’s future. He says: “I would like to see the CBASO continue to do in the future what it has done in the past. Since I joined in 1988, the CBASO has continuously explored, stretched, and improved by tackling more and more difficult and interesting music. . . . In 32 years, we have performed a lot of music–but there is an endless treasure of pieces to mine and new pieces being written all the time.” Then he evokes the watchcry informally adopted by the orchestra from Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 : “Immer vorwärts–Ever onward and upward!” –Program Note by Emily A. Chen

CBA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS 53