Washington, D.C.’s National Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Gianandrea Noseda perform at Carnegie Hall.
In Wednesday’s (2/21) Washington Post, Michael Andor Brodeur writes about the National Symphony Orchestra’s European tour: “Just outside the [Kennedy Center] stage doors, a pair of temperature-controlled trailer trucks sat … awaiting a cargo of 76 precisely fit trunks containing everything the orchestra could possibly need as it embarks on its first multi-city European tour since 2016, and its first overseas trip under maestro Gianandrea Noseda…. The packing of an orchestra is a finely tuned and precisely orchestrated operation, requiring months of advance planning and permitting, a crew of nearly a dozen workers and an all-hands effort by the musicians themselves…. Over 16,000 pounds of musical instruments, musicians’ wardrobes and specialized equipment … must get packed, shipped and accounted for at each stop along the way, traveling by plane and truck as the orchestra moves from one city to the next…. [The orchestra] must comply with airline rules and TSA requirements, as well as international customs rules regulating the international transport of endangered species materials … NSO Executive Director Jean Davidson says … ‘People talk about soft power and cultural diplomacy … But … when I see 123 artists and staff members interacting with people in all of the cities we’re in—it really does build relationships.” Symphony’s “Touring and the Climate-Smart Orchestra” reports on how the NSO is working to lessen its environmental impact.
