Louisiana Philharmonic Drawing Musicians from Around the World

In Sunday’s (3/29) Nola.com (New Orleans), Matthew Haines writes, “When the approximately 70 full-time musicians that make up the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra stand at the end of each of their 120 annual performances to acknowledge your applause, they are often dressed uniformly … Behind the tuxedos and dresses, however, there is an unexpectedly diverse cast of characters. ‘I think some would be surprised to learn all of the places our musicians come from—everywhere from Chalmette to Seoul, South Korea,’ LPO Executive Director Anwar Nasir said…. Meagan Gillis is a timpanist from Annapolis, Maryland. When she’s not playing with the orchestra, she busks with bands on Frenchmen Street or plays backgammon and other board games with friends at Vaughan’s Lounge. Manuel Papale is a cellist from Buenos Aires who plays weekly soccer pick-up matches with other orchestra members. Another cellist, Geunseon Han from South Korea, enjoys exploring the city’s bakeries and coffee shops…. While a third of the orchestra hails from the American South, the rest of its members come from every region in the country, as well as from South Korea, Japan, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Peru and Argentina. It isn’t only the musicians who benefit from being in New Orleans. New Orleans is also benefitting from its newest residents.”