The concertmaster position is the second most important position within the orchestra, following the conductor. You’ve seen her walk out and signal the orchestra to tune. But being the leader of the Violin I section is a more important role.

In order to create a cohesive sound within the section, the other Violin 1 musicians watch her closely for how she moves her bow, how she articulates the notes, and the expressivity she adds to the music. Other orchestra members also watch the concertmaster. The principals of the other string sections watch Katherine to know what leadership to offer to their respective sections. And instrumentalists from across the orchestra may watch her in order to play simultaneously with the strings.

During rehearsals, Katherine frequently acts as a bridge between the conductor’s wishes and what is needed for the string players to create the desired affect. Often she will speak directly to the violins to clarify details in how to play something.

Well before rehearsals start, Katherine also is responsible for making choices in the music as to how and when the violinists will move their bows up or down. (These markings are called bowings.) The other string principal players will look at Katherine’s bowings and to make informed bowing decisions for their sections. Because the bowings are marked in the each string player’s part, the entire section’s bows will move in synchrony.

Katherine brings to AZ Phil a wealth of experience, musicality, and kindness. If you haven’t had a chance to read her biography in the program notes, allow us to point out a few highlights:

• Since her debut with the Oregon Symphony at the age of 15, she has made well over 100 appearances as soloist with orchestras across the country on repertoire spanning three centuries. She is a frequent guest artist at summer chamber music festivals across the world. Katherine McLin appears on 19 compact disc recordings. Her live and recorded performances have been broadcast on NPR’s Performance Today, NYC’s WQXR, and local television and radio stations throughout the country. She also serves as concertmaster of the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra in Columbus, Ohio.
• On top of this, Katherine has made an impact on the music world’s future. In her 25th year as Professor of Violin at Arizona State University, Katherine has garnered multiple teaching awards. Her former students can be found not only in Arizona Philharmonic and across the state, but also in orchestras all over the world as concertmasters or section violinists.

We hope you join us on Sunday’s Arizona Philharmonic Concert, where you can hear Dr. Kathereine McLin up close as soloist on J.S. Bach’s Violin Concerto No. 2 in E Major. If you don’t already know the work, please listen below to a preview of it in the video below.

– Henry Flurry, Executive Director