In Saturday’s (10/14) Toronto Star (Canada), William Littler writes that Teng Li, principal violist of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, is “one of Peter Oundjian’s luckiest recruits since becoming its music director. A star pupil of Michael Tree’s at Philadelphia’s prestigious Curtis Institute, she didn’t intend to become an orchestral player…. Then came an unexpected call from Peter Oundjian, inviting her to audition for principal violist of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Until then her career plan had been to become a soloist and chamber music player but she accepted the invitation, was invited to return and wound up playing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony under Oundjian’s direction. ‘It was such powerful music I thought, “Wow, so this is why these people want to play in a symphony orchestra!” ’ … Beginning with the 2004-2005 season, the orchestra hired its youngest player, a 21-year-old former violinist from Nanjing [China]. It was to celebrate a decade with the orchestra that she recently decided to make a CD, teaming up with one of her Curtis coaches, pianist Meng-Chieh Liu, in a challenging program surrounding the year 1939.… ‘I love my life as a violist, playing recitals and with my trio as well as in the orchestra.’ ”
Posted October 28, 2015
