It is a beautiful day in Boston today - I think it rained a lot overnight, but now it is sunny and in the fifties. Spring is finally coming!

I'm finally catching up to all the stuff I put off and put off until the competition was over. Speaking of which - the finals were last night, and this morning I saw Peter, who informed me that NO ONE knows who won yet. Not one person has announced anything. I checked the school of music office, as well as the scheduling, and it seems like its a very well kept secret at the moment. Peter charged me with letting him know as soon as I know.

In my opinion, the whole thing last night was handled weirdly. Ari played first, and I went to hear him, and the judges didn't seem like they were really paying attention (two of them were the former Boston Globe critic, Richard Dyer, and Tamara Smirnova, the assistant concermaster of the BSO - I don't know who the third guy was). They were whispering and then stopped Ari to tell him to start at rehearsal number 105 - and he looks at the piano score of the pianist playing and tells the judges that he just played rehearsal 105. Dyer then says "Just start somewhere near the end." What the heck is that?

OH! I just heard gossip - they are going to announce them in about an hour.

Good grief.

I played for my first Baroque opera orchestra rehearsal last night. We're doing Semele by Eccles. Beautiful music. I was SO uncomfortable for the first half hour (no shoulder rest+no chin rest+my long neck = a very slippery and tippy baroque violin). After awhile I was getting the hang of it more, no longer had to do this elaborate thing when I put it up to make sure it wouldn't fall, and started to enjoy myself.

This afternoon is the final three hour dress rehearsal for chamber orchestra. By tomorrow night around 9ish, this whole Haydn symphony leading extravaganza will be over. Thank goodness.