Sphinx Chamber Orchestra Tour

I feel terrible that I haven't written anything on this blog yet, especially considering how much I've been chattering about the Sphinx tour to anyone who will listen! The past few weeks have become one of the most wonderful experiences I've ever had, musically and otherwise. Every Sphinx event that I've been a part of since 2003 has been full of laughs, great hangs, and such awesome people, and this tour has been no exception. I always tell everyone (from newspaper interviewers to concert audience members to other musician friends who are curious as to what Sphinx is all about) that Sphinx is like a family. To be honest, I feel like this tour has taken that sentiment to a completely new level. True, whenever there's been a gathering of Sphinxies, whether it's been at the competition itself, at a Carnegie gala, or at a concert in another city to which members of the devoted staff have traveled to support their laureates, there's always that "family reuinion" feeling -- TONS of hugs and catching up, even if you'd only met a member of the Sphinx family once before. Obviously, living in such close proximity to the other SCO members has played a huge part in bringing us closer -- we've partied together in our PJs, explored middle America in all its red-state grandeur, braved some nauseatingly long bus rides -- and, for the most part, we've been laughing and happy the whole time (at least I have!). But it was an incident that wasn't so positive that made me realize how truly special this group of people is, and that no matter how well we all knew each other before, these will be ties that would be tough to break, post-tour...a lot like family.
Five of our members got in an awful car accident the night after our concert in Granville, Ohio. I had left my phone in my room that night while a group of us were taking advantage of Granville's GORGEOUS hotel's hot tub, but when I returned at whatever ridiculous hour we had all decided we were appropriately pruney, I had two texts from Melissa explaining the car wreck. My heart SANK...it was one of the scariest things I had ever felt; I can only imagine what the five people in the car had felt. I won't describe the accident in further detail because it still makes my stomach drop every time I think about it, but thinking about my precious little Melissa, and the other four people in that car...AAAAAAAGHHHHHHHH. Awful. When Melissa finally got back to the hotel at 6 a.m., I felt what I can only assume a parent would feel in a situation like that -- the most unbelievable relief and love. She told me all about the accident, and we were giggling about the fact that (no matter how silly) we were so unbelievably lucky to have another chance to play our national anthem together. A few days later, onstage during our concert in Detroit, I was looking around at the orchestra around me, and I couldn't believe how lucky I felt to be playing with such amazingly special, kind people, and I starting tearing up thinking about what could have potentially happened a few nights earlier. Cliche or not, things can happen in a flash (and music always has a way of giving things a heightened intimacy/sentimentality), and I am so relieved and thankful that everyone in the Sphinx family is okay and we can play two more amazing concerts together.
This has become astoundingly sappy -- I apologize! Meanwhile, I am battling bronchitis -- so convenient that it set in two days before the Carnegie concert! Oh well, I really can't complain; it's been a lovely few weeks and I will be EXTREMELY sad to see it end. Thanks for dealing with this cheesy post...but then again, this is from a girl who has started listening to Christmas carols already!
love,
Elena