When interviewed for a KCMF Artist Profile last year, cellist Clancy Newman mentioned: “One of my favorite things about performing chamber music is that you never know what’s going to happen. Something unexpected always happens! Performing music is always fresh, always interesting, and always challenging in predictable and unpredictable ways.” His observation turned out to be prophetic this year.
One of my favorite things about performing chamber music is that you never know what’s going to happen.
Clancy Newman
Last Monday, after playing at a festival in Portland, Oregon, and catching a flight to Minneapolis, he planned on flying from Minneapolis to Providence to get to KCMF. Something unexpected always happens, though, and this time it was a major global IT outage. Like many other travelers, Newman was stuck waiting in seemingly endless lines trying to re-book flights. His situation was unique: Because he travels with his cello onboard, he needed two seats together. This proved impossible for flights, and when all other options were exhausted, he was finally able to reserve a rental car–the only one available–and drive to a friend’s house in Chicago. Upon arrival at the Chicago airport on Wednesday morning, the day he was supposed to perform Frédéric Chopin’s Cello Sonata in G minor, Op.65 with Artistic Director Natalie Zhu, his flight to Providence was delayed–so meanwhile in Kingston, Zhu was considering alternate plans for scheduled repertoire.
“On the airplane I did mental practice,” he notes. “I took out the music and went through the whole piece in my head.” And even though he hadn’t played his cello at all the full day before the performance–something he’s never not done–he credits the mental practice with helping him be more relaxed when he got on stage. “Usually there’s a whole big buildup. This distracted me from worrying or getting nervous!”
Thanks to Gary Brownell’s service as chauffeur, Newman eventually made it to Edwards Hall–but only two hours before the concert began. Those who experienced the elegance, passion, and flawlessly delivered performance from both Newman and Zhu that night would have had no idea they’d never even been able to practice the full piece in rehearsal!
Above, Newman is pictured performing on the Chopin piece when he finally made it to Kingston! Photo credit: rec today.
