Holly Mulcahy

[box type=”note” icon=”none”]Over the past several months, I’ve had a front row seat watching my very dear friend and spectacular cellist, Michael Samis, rediscover a lost cello concerto. Normally, music that has been lost and forgotten is usually on purpose. But listening to Michael work up the solo part, and joining him by playing off of the piano reduction early on, all skepticism was replaced with a sense of joy. And that is why I’ve asked Michael to share his journey, step by step, on how he found and brought back to … Continue Reading

There is a point in every adult life where we miss being children. We occasionally long for the freedom of unbinding imagination where anything is possible. We miss the unstructured play time, the long carefree days of no responsibility, and the sense of endless time. Visiting my brother’s family this past weekend there was a point where I realized I missed being a kid. “Let’s play My Little Pony!” my niece said. “How do you play that?” I’d asked. It was the dismay in her eyes that gave the answer she didn’t … Continue Reading

There are so many opinions on orchestral dress codes and it’s such a well-worn topic it’s actually getting boring to read anything new that comes along such as Is it time for players to put away their penguin suits and Orchestra must ‘shed elitism’ in order to survive, says Universal Music boss. Both were entirely  banal while full cliché remarks and plenty of obvious temptations for readers to duke it out in the comment section. Together, the articles hinted that the elitist dress codes were a primary problem in the survival of … Continue Reading

Anytime there is discussion about changing orchestral dress codes, my ears perk up. Initially, the thought of change is a positive; how wonderful it will be to finally have a uniform appearance on stage with everyone looking sharp. But then reality sets in. Everyone has their own opinion, and debates range from how body types dictate personal choice in attire to whether or not the tuxedo should remain the king of onstage attire. The latest page in this decades long story is from the Baltimore Symphony, who managed to generate some news … Continue Reading

At morning rehearsal, the conductor probably had no idea that his favorite moment in Elgar’s Enigma Variations was documented as such in the violin part. Yet his sentiment was etched above the 6th measure of the variation titled Ysobel by someone sitting on the first stand of the Detroit Symphony. I enjoy coming across these little forensic gifts or memories shared by the last violinists that played the parts. Sometimes you get lucky in photo copies of well used parts; like a CSI investigation you can uncover previous thoughts, mishaps or hilarious points … Continue Reading