Roger Argente, Milt Stevens, Matt Vaughn
play in Super World Orchestra 2002

 

What do fish and chips, sushi, Philly cheese steak, and US Senate bean soup have in common? Well, they are all forms of nourishment, albeit of varying nutritional values. How does this tie in with the Super World Orchestra? First, what is the Super World Orchestra?
The SWO was begun in 1999 by an enterprising Japanese man named Takafumi Tsuji who runs an artist booking agency called S. T. Japan, Inc. His concept was to convene annually an elite group of "first desk" and principal players from various orchestras around the globe for two weeks of intense rehearsals and concerts in Japan. Comprised of about 92 musicians, the 2002 SWO listed players from Austria, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, USA, and of course Japan, the host country. An even dozen musicians hailed from American philharmonics and symphonies, representing the orchestras in Boston, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, and Washington, DC.
Talk about time warp and the feel of experiencing a nightmare?!? Those of us from this hemisphere boarded jets in our respective cities on Friday, June 21st, traveled the 12 to 15 hours to Japan's Narita International Airport, bused to our modest business class hotel, and finally checked in during the evening hours on Saturday, June 22nd. Common sense dictated that we force ourselves to sleep, because it was night time in Japan and a hellish day awaited us on Sunday morning, but it was only about 9:00 a.m. on the east coast of the US and our bodies were ready to wake up!
Sunday morning hit like a ton of bricks! We started rehearsing at 10:30 a.m. local time in Japan and finished at 8:30 p.m. after 7 hours of rehearsal time, but that felt like sitting in a daze from mid-evening until daybreak the next morning. Am I glad for the contracts we in the American Federation of Musicians have in place after years of negotiation in collective bargaining agreements! The folks in Japan must have thought we were superhuman or maybe aliens from another planet (slaves?). During our first four days, we rehearsed an average of eight hours a day, while our bodies began to adapt to the wicked time change.
So, who were the low brass players in the Super World Orchestra? Would their musical training and styles blend? Just as you can order sushi in Washington, DC, and fish and chips in Philadelphia, we found that musical tastes have melded around the world. We all play large bore symphonic equipment, perform the same repertoire, tune up to the same standard of pitch (it's a good thing, since the low brass section sets the pitch for every other section of any orchestra), see the same conductors, and tell the same jokes. Roger Argente, Bass Trombonist of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London, brought his wide bore, double trigger, large bell trombone and his side-splitting humor all the way from England. Milt Stevens, Principal Trombonist of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, DC, brought his tour books and love of burnt roast Starbucks coffee, which you can purchase in any of 160(!) Starbucks coffee shops in Tokyo. Matt Vaughn, Associate Principal Trombonist in Philadelphia, spread his fondness for tempura, sashimi, and tall Japanese beers to the back row of the orchestra, and Kensuke Yao, Tubist with the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, showed us foreigners a really good time in Japan while off stage.
The concerts, oh my gosh--I almost forgot why we were there! During the two weeks, after all of that rehearsing, we had some shows to play. Lorin Maazel led a brilliant performance of the Beethoven Ninth Symphony in the famous Orchard Hall in Tokyo. The following day, we were bused to the gigantic Yokohama Arena, which was transformed into a Japanese garden for a televised, sold out concert fronted by the world famous three tenors: José Carreras, Plácido Domingo, and Luciano Pavarotti. The Super World Orchestra became an on-stage "pit" orchestra for this occasion. Traditionally held during events leading up to the World Cup competition, this concert by the Three Tenors took place just a few days before Germany lost to Brazil in the Finals of the World Cup Soccer Tournament in Yokohama.
A pair of pops concerts was played in the huge Tokyo International Forum, directed by Dirk Brossé, conductor from Belgium. During the final couple of days in the land of the rising sun, the Super World Orchestra performed two all Tchaikovsky concerts, conducted by the young Finnish conductor Mikko Franck, in the acoustically splendid Suntory Hall. In the finale chorale of Tchaikovsky's "Pathetique" Symphony, the low brass section worked together like a charm. Miraculously, the curious culinary combination of sushi, bean soup, fish and chips, and Philly cheese steak turned out to be wonderfully well balanced cuisine.
Would we all do it again? Probably yes is the answer, because the experience is fulfilling and exhilarating; that is, if we were fortunate enough to be asked back. (The honor of being invited to play in the Super World Orchestra is rotated among many countries and orchestras.) It's easy to forget the fatigue and remember the camaraderie, the sake, and all of that raw fish! Sayonara!

Milt Stevens
9/29/02