Orchestra Italiano | Part 1, Twice in a Lifetime

A Lot Can Change in Two Years

Izzy, Gabe, Luke, The Bear, and me -- the "den mother" -- in Berlin, April 2022. Photo by Luke.

Two years ago, The Bear and I shared a "once-in-a-lifetime" adventure through Germany and the Czech Republic when her youth orchestra went on tour and played concerts in Berlin, Leipzig, and Prague. For several years now, she has had the great fortune to play oboe in the Hochstein Youth Symphony Orchestra (HYSO), a Rochester-based auditioned ensemble that draws the best players from regional high schools. I introduced HYSO and its origins in a prior post and will not revisit that history here. 

In April 2024, HYSO journeyed through Italy, granting us the privilege of experiencing another tour, a second chance at a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. As a rising senior in high school, it would be The Bear's final opportunity to travel the world with this amazing group of musicians.

The 2024 Hochstein Youth Symphony Orchestra. Photo from Hochstein.

A lot can change in two years and the 2024 tour was a distinctly different experience for both of us owing to several reasons.

The Bear and Izzy (front row, far left) ready to depart from Hochstein for Italy, March 30, 2024.

The Bear is older, more independent, and has assumed the role of HYSO Principal Oboist. As a result of her greater independence, I spent less time with her and her classmates Izzy and Luke than I did previously -- they simply did not need the level of adult interaction in their travels as in 2022. I am happy to say that they did not outright shun us, despite pre-trip rhetoric to the contrary.

Bus selfie en route to Toronto from Hochstein.

Speaking of "us", another big change for 2024 was that Kristy was not left behind! The tour to Italy became Kristy's first visit to continental Europe. And Izzy's parents, our good friends Mark and Dena, joined as well. This meant that our Italian odyssey was far more adult focused for me and far more peer focused for The Bear than the 2022 tour.

The Bear, Kristy, Luke, Dena, and Mark clearing YYZ security far more easily in 2024 than 2022.

Travel was easier. Impact from the COVID-19 pandemic was minimal compared to 2022, though not entirely absent. At least no one was barred from going (ahem...Kristy) or left behind in Europe due to COVID this time. Toronto's international airport was remarkably easier to navigate with better security staffing and no glitches with passport control. Most importantly, I was no longer responsible for a therapeutic agent for The Bear that not only required refrigerated storage but the challenge of daily identification of a palatable food vehicle for dosing. 

All in all, when compared to 2022, the 2024 tour was just easier.

Twins in the Toronto Airport. Photo by The Bear.

What remained congruent with the 2022 experience was a sense of wonder that comes with visiting amazing places that previously only existed for us as places on a map. Most important of all were the proud parent moments of watching our children give excellent performances in beautiful places to thunderous applause from European audiences. I may have given up the "orchestra den mother" title bestowed upon me by Yana in 2022, but could not have been prouder as a parent.

The next several posts will feature photos from the wonderful places we visited as we followed our children on tour with HYSO. There will be no general aviation flying adventures in this series.

Itinerary

Our itinerary took us from Rochester, NY to Toronto, ON to London, England to Rome, Italy. Over the course of the week, the group proceeded northward through Italy with our journey culminating in Milan.

Saturday, March 30, 2024: 

• Depart Hochstein (Rochester, NY) by bus for Toronto, Ontario.
• Depart Toronto's Pearson International Airport for London, England

Sunday, March 31, 2024:

• Arrive London, England
• Depart for Rome, Italy with arrival at Fiumicino Airport

Monday, April 1, 2024:

• Tour of Rome: Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, etc.

Tuesday, April 2, 2024:

• Tour of Vatican City, including the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica.
• Rehearsal and performance at St. Paul's Within the Walls Episcopal Church in Rome.

Wednesday, April 3, 2024:

• Bus to Florence with a tour of the city.
• Overnight in Montecatini.

Thursday, April 4, 2024:

• Bus to Pisa to explore the Duomo and the famous leaning tower with lunch in Pisa.
• Depart Pisa for Cremona.

Friday, April 5, 2024:

• Morning rehearsal and youth concert at Teatro Amilcare Ponchielli.
• Tour of Cremona
• Evening concert at Teatro Amilcare Ponchielli.

Saturday, April 6, 2024:

• Bus to Milan with tour of the city including the Dumo, La Scala, Gallerie Viktor Emanuelle, and the Castello Sforzesco.

Sunday, April 7, 2024:

• Travel home: Milan to London to Toronto to Rochester.

Repertoire

 HYSO's Italian tour program included the following works:

• Overture to The Magic Flute (Mozart)
• The Planets: Jupiter (Holst)
• Adventures on Earth from E.T. the Extraterrestrial (Williams)
• Romance in E Flat for strings (Finzi)
• Overture to The Force of Destiny (Verdi)
• Italian Caprice (Tchaikovsky)

Onward!

The only significant hitch in the outbound journey occurred when an HYSO musician lost their passport somewhere between London and Rome. This obviously caused some consternation for Italian passport control, but the student was ultimately allowed into the country and a new passport was issued from the American consulate before we departed Rome. Beyond that, because there is not much to say about the actual journey, we'll pick up with our arrival in Rome on Sunday, March 31, 2024.