the ex•position

started out a little dark…

but the day brightened up from there.

hair like a waterfall.

introspective.

love the designs on the door.

bright eyes.

shining through.

lines.

and spaces.

- ty

europe is a cool place. it’s culture has had millennia to evolve, unlike the states. it’s an especially cool place when you get to tour it with a youth orchestra, playing in the famous halls of mozart, bach, and mendelssohn. that’s what i did last summer with the chicago youth symphony orchestra (cyso). i am currently majoring in (french) horn performance at northwestern university, and i owe so much of my career to the cyso. the highlight of my time with the cyso was probably our 11-day tour of eastern europe (although playing at lollapalooza makes the decision harder than you might think, but you can read about that here.)

our first destination was warsaw, poland. thanks to the time change, it ended up being about a 38-hour day – the last 2 of those hours spent rehearsing through exhaustion:

we spent some time enjoying the city, like good tourists:

the concert went well, and we were off to the next city.

wroclaw, poland:

after another good concert, we said goodbye to poland and ventured off to prague, the great capital of the czech republic. the city, its cathedrals, and its concert halls were exquisite:

our concert in prague’s smetana hall was nearly sold out, here we are in rehearsal:

our last destination was leipzig, germany. the long bus rides can be fun (for those who consider a 6-hour game of spades fun), but somehow induce hunger:

leipzig is probably the greatest city i have ever experienced – it has a population of around half a million and its music/arts culture is brilliant.

for example: the organ bach frequently played on:

we were fortunate enough to catch the beginning of a recital on that organ.

our leipzig radisson was classy (down comforters, flat-screen tvs, heated bathroom floor…) minus one awkward issue – a transparent, anti-fog side of the shower that had a perfect view into the room and into the hallway when the door was open. i don’t understand the decision but whatever the germans prefer i guess…:

one of the greatest concert halls in the world (aesthetically and acoustically) is the gewandhaus in leipzig. the list of conductors-in-residence at this place is ridiculous (it includes felix mendelssohn):

myself and cyso’s maestro allen tinkham, after a great show:

and then it was off home for us. thank you cyso for the experience of a lifetime. and thank you for reading.

- nelson

a little camera shy, perhaps?

quirks a smile.

across the way.

earth and sky.

sunlight in her hair.

- ty

her eyes…

love the focus.

playful.