Springtime Gala 2024 Featured Performance

Glens Falls Symphony Interview Feature with Oboist/ English Horn: Holly Patterson

GFS: Please share with us a little bit about yourself, and your instruments!

HP: My name is Holly Patterson and I am an oboist.  I also play the English Horn and Oboe d’Amore, two instruments that are the medium and large members of the oboe family. I have been playing the oboe since joining the sixth-grade public school music program, and have been playing professionally since I was 17.  I grew up in California and played professionally there for over 40 years, most notably with the Hour of Power television show for Robert Schuller at the Crystal Cathedral.  I play Loree instruments that are made in France.  My oboe is a special 125th-anniversary edition of the Loree oboe, and it (atypically for Loree) has gold keys and an inlaid amethyst stone in the bell.

GFS: How long have you been with the Glens Falls Symphony, and what do you value most about being a part of this great orchestra?

HP: I was appointed to the Second Oboe/English Horn chair beginning with the 2022-2023 season. I’d subbed with the orchestra for a good ten years prior to the appointment. The orchestra is fabulous and I    am often challenged by the literature played and the caliber of the players around me.  The overall sense a new musician has when walking on stage to rehearse for the first time with GFS is the feeling of being welcomed. It starts with Charles Peltz, who personally greets musicians as they arrive and particularly welcomes each new musician. That culture has been adopted by the instrumentalists, and one has a sense of walking into a room full of friends. That is not typical - a symphony orchestra can have a strong competitive vibe. I greatly value that feeling of being welcomed, especially in an orchestra that plays at such a high level.

GFS: What is your favorite memory over your time thus far with GFS? Or, perhaps a favorite piece you have played with our orchestra?

HP: There are so many great memories! Playing English Horn in an orchestra is a unique experience. Not every piece calls for the English Horn, but when a part is written, it is often important. I’ve played a few of the great English Horn solos with GFS, and those solos start with a cue (a motion that indicates when to start playing) from Charles Peltz. The look on Charles’ face when he cues you for an important solo is a mixture of “I can't wait to hear you play this solo;" "You are going to play beautifully;" and "I’m so glad that you are here.” He instills confidence and inspires great playing.

GFS: What are you most excited about as this year's featured performer at the 2024 Springtime Gala, and can you give us a little preview of what we will be experiencing at the event?

HP: I was honored to be asked by Bryan Kirk to join him in playing music for the Gala. Bryan and I have played music together for many years, and we really enjoy collaborating. We will be playing several short works from Mozart to film and Broadway. I’m especially looking forward to playing Summertime by Gershwin, and Gabriel’s Oboe, from the movie The Mission.

GFS: From a Musician perspective, what would you like audience members to know, about why supporting the symphony at events like the 2024 Springtime Gala is so important for keeping great music right here in our region?

HP: The Glens Falls Symphony is truly a gem. The orchestra plays at the level of a symphony located in a major American city, yet it is located in a community that is situated in a beautiful part of northern New York State. Residents of the area don’t have to travel hours to hear great music - what a gift!  Putting on each concert requires so much planning on so many levels, and ticket sales cover a fraction of the operating costs. It takes a wonderful group of supporters to keep the symphony playing, and events like the Springtime Gala and the donations it generates are essential to keeping the orchestra alive and well in Glens Falls. 

GFS: So tell us what’s next for Holly Patterson and her amazing woodwinds this summer?

HP: I’m joining GFS Concertmaster Michael Emery and GFS Personnel Contractor Stephani Emery on tour with Varna International Orchestra for most of July. We are playing Verdi Requiem in several venues from Rome to Verona. We’ve done these types of tours almost every summer for almost 30 years, and it’s always the highlight of my summer. I owe my connection to the GFS to these tours. I was playing tours with a California-based orchestra and one summer, the promoter put the Emery’s New York-based orchestra together with ours. Michael, Stephani, and I, became good friends, and Stephani subsequently invited me to sub on a July 3rd concert with GFS. I was so impressed by the orchestra: the level of musicianship, the friendliness of the players, and the fabulous leadership from the podium, that I told Stephani that I’d be happy to sub in the orchestra anytime. I joined the local union, and I used to fly from California to play concerts. It’s an easier commute from my current residence in Maine, but it’s still a 6-hour trip. The travel time is worth it for this unique musical experience.

For More Information on Holly Patterson visit her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-patterson-6943804/