Get to Know our Concertmaster!
Violinist Amy Glick first played with the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival in 1992 as an undergraduate student in college. Since then, she has returned to play with the orchestra year after year, most recently as the Orchestra Concertmaster! Keep reading below to get to know Amy and how SVBF has helped shape her journey as a musician.
Q1: Where did you grow up?
A1: I was born in Bloomington, Indiana, but my family moved quite a bit while I was growing up. We lived in Minnesota, Kansas, Indiana and Germany before moving to Harrisonburg when I was in High School.
Q2: Where are you living now? What do you love about where you live?
A2: I currently live in Northeast Ohio, near Cleveland. I was surprised to find that I really appreciate many things about Ohio. The terrain is incredibly varied, from Lake Erie beaches to dense forests, river gorges to flat plains, enormous outcroppings of boulders for rock climbing to rivers for canoeing and kayaking. There are significant metropolitan areas that foster thriving arts communities, and a high regard for higher education and music throughout the state. And there are some awesome restaurants. And GREAT coffee.
Q3: Why and how did you first learn to play violin?
A3: My parents announced to me that I would be taking violin lessons when a new Suzuki violin teacher started a program in our town. My dad came to every lesson and practiced with me at home from the time I was 8 until I was 11. I credit my parents with giving me a strong musical foundation even when I was less than enthusiastic about it myself!
Q4: When did you first perform in the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival and what was the music?
A4: I believe it was the summer of 1992 — the first year of Bach Festival! I was an undergraduate student at the time, and was grateful for the summer job! I think the theme that year was “Bach and Mozart”, but that was a very long time ago!!!
Q5: Who was your most memorable music teacher and why?
A5: All of my teachers had profound influences on me, so this is a hard one! I think my very first teacher would be the most memorable: Mr. Lintz was kind and gentle, but insisted on correct posture, intonation and tone. I remember him demonstrating ricochet, playing Perpetual Motion (an early Suzuki piece) in 11 seconds, and insisting that it was indeed possible to be relaxed and play forte at the same time. He also introduced me to the idea that music is more than just the notes on the page — which is really the reason we all keep playing. We want to capture that feeling in the music.
Q6: Are any of your children in music?
A6: My children are all involved in music in some way (or have been). It’s an important part of our family culture. I don’t expect any of them to chose to do music professionally, but you never know! My goal has always been to gift them with musical literacy and the ability to create their own music.
Q7: During COVID, you started doing video projects (as many in the arts did) – did you continue to do that after COVID? What kind of creativity did you find in video? How did that work make life more possible as a musician during the pandemic?
A7: I did do quite a bit of video work during COVID, and I’m grateful for that experience. I will say, however, that it is less fulfilling than performing live — by a lot. Nothing can take the place of making music with colleagues in front of an audience. It’s a conversation that just can’t happen in a video. Audio and video recording definitely has its place in the music world, but it can’t replace the live experience.
Q8: What do you prefer – solo work, orchestral, chamber (or other)?
A8: I have never felt super drawn to performing as a soloist. Once in a while it is a great privilege and honor to have the opportunity to do it. But something about being part of a group where the final product is so vastly different from what you can do on your own — that is just so rewarding. The skills involved in playing orchestral music are a little different than playing chamber music, and I enjoy working in both of these settings because I feel the requirements make me a better player and human being.
Q9: What are you reading for fun?
A9: I love to read — lots of different things. My favorite books this year have been Being Mortal by Atul Gawande, and The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker.
Q10: What are your day-of-performance routines?
A10: I make sure I get enough rest and exercise. I play through my music slowly to make sure I remember how to play the violin. I can’t eat a lot before a performance, but I plan for a nice treat afterwards!!
Q11: What was the funniest thing that ever happened to you in a concert?
A11: One summer I was playing in a piano trio at a chamber music festival in Virginia. We did several concerts in small towns in rural Appalachia, and at one concert there was only an electric keyboard available — not a real piano. Our piece was the Shostakovich piano trio, which begins with an ethereal, serious, soft cello solo, and when the piano came in, the sound of the keyboard — I can only describe it as a “doink” — sent us all into a fit of giggles from which we never quite recovered. Somehow we made it through all four movements, and on the very last chord, our pianist changed the sound setting to “choral”. Our last, beautiful, moment of the piece rang out with an electric “Ahhhhh” and we could barely hold it together. Luckily, the audience had a good sense of humor, too, and we all decided that Shostakovich would have approved of our electronic interpretation.
Q12: Best post-concert meal?
A12: Copious amounts of sugar.
Q13: Favorite ice cream?
A13: I’m not a huge ice cream person, but I love me some mango sorbet!
Q14: Do you have any pets?
A14: We have a three legged dog (a Tri-pawed) named Sammy and two cats (who are relegated to the basement now because Sammy seems intent on eating them.) We also enjoy the wild birds that visit our feeders.
Q15: Favorite place to take a vacation?
A15: I prefer mountains and woods to the beach.
Q16: What makes the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival unique/special?
A16: For me, personally, being able to come back to my hometown to make great music is just so special. I get to see my family, and reconnect with musician friends who have all participated together to make this wonderful thing happen. It’s also a feather in Harrisonburg’s cap to have the festival a part of its community — a beautiful event in a beautiful town in a beautiful part of the country!
Q17: What’s your dream piece of music you’d love to play?
A17: Stravinsky is my favorite composer after Bach. L’Histoire du Soldat and Rite of Spring are my dream pieces (even though I’ve already played them). Playing Bach with wonderful colleagues is also a continual dream. Most of us don’t get to play Bach very often, and there’s so much of it!