Sleep after such a premiere? Forget it. Adrenaline kept me buzzing well into the night. This morning, I took a little extra time to get up, have breakfast, pack my suitcase (yes, I’ve become a real pro 😉), and get ready for the next leg of the tour.
A lot of kilometers were on the agenda. Tonight, we have a concert in Andong, 250 km from Seoul, and after the concert another 160 km to the hotel. Glamorous tour life, you say? Uh… well, luckily we travel in beautiful coaches. And I have my own driver, Mr. Young Kim – a man you instantly like. Halfway through the ride, he surprises me with an iced coffee (the national fuel here) and a bag of chips. Perfect combo, believe me.
The Andong hall is smaller than yesterday’s Seoul giant. But honestly, everything is smaller than the Seoul Arts Center. 😅 It holds 996 people, which still feels impressive. When we arrived, an orchestral version of Schubert’s Ave Maria played through the entrance speakers. My driver and I exchanged a look of: “Do we…?” — and then burst out laughing.
I thought the orchestra would be tired after the bus ride. Not at all — they were eager and full of energy. Rehearsal allowed us to fine-tune the sound, as this hall is much more analytical than Seoul’s. Touring is always fascinating: every hall has its own character, and the orchestra has to adjust lightning-fast.
The concert? Wonderful! A bit different from Seoul — different ideas, different tempi — but full of energy. The audience went wild, and our soloist HaeSun Paik shone again. And as if that wasn’t enough, she brought a little gift for every BNO musician. How sweet is that?!
Meanwhile, life back in Europe keeps going. During bus rides, I run final rehearsals for my opera in Helsinki, talk with the Finnish National Opera’s Head of Music about the children’s choir, call the producer of my Sibelius Academy project, and coordinate with Twan from the National Youth Orchestra about their winter tour rehearsals — which includes the premiere of the new film Loss starring Emma Thompson and Greg Wise!
All in all: a packed day. And now? I’m exhausted. Good night!
Antony
