This past week I had the pleasure of joining the percussion section of the Las Vegas Philharmonic for a performance of the Mahler Symphony #2. What made this experience extra special was that the Philhamonic was opening up it’s new home at The Smith Center For The Performing Arts.
I’ve played a in number of new concert halls over the years, but this is one of the best! It is both aesthetically and acoustically beautiful. The performance was to a sold out audience. I got to play the mysterious “Mahler” bells at the end of the piece (in addition to glock, triangle and gong). Needless to say, there was an abundance of Grover products including triangles, mallets,beaters, and a rare Grover Pro Concert Bass Drum used.
I took the opportunity to present two percussion masterclasses on triangle & tambourine. Presentations were hosted at the Las Vegas Academy of Music (Pat Bowen – Director) and the University of Nevada -Las Vegas (Tim Jones & Dean Gronemeir, Esq.).
Thanks to all who made this great trip possible!