Meet The Musician: Violinist Meg Thomas

Q.  How long have you been in the KCOHO?

I first performed with the musicians who would become the KCOHO in July, 1977.  The particular group who were playing for opera, ballet, and musical shows at the Kennedy Center were “free-lancers,” who had worked there, for the most part, since the opening of the Opera House. There had been much friction among musicians as many felt worthy of doing the work but hiring was done at the whim of a contractor.  Additionally, many people who were accustomed to working and earning a living there, suddenly saw their work possibilities vanish upon the death of one of the contractors. With that as the impetus, the musicians decided it was time to form a tenured orchestra that would offer both job security and more appropriate standards for being a part of that orchestra.  The original members of the orchestra were thus chosen on the basis of the amount of time they had performed opera in a specified period of time prior to the fall of 1978.  I was in a group of nine who had substituted in the year prior to the forming of the orchestra, but who had not been part of the main body of musicians. Those nine people were taken into the group provisionally with the stipulation that they would serve a year of probation with final approval or not given by the first music director, John Lanchbery. That is the long answer.  The short answer is that with the 2016-17 season, I am beginning my 40^th year in the orchestra.  

Q.   Where did you grow up and where did you go to college?

I grew up in Muncie, Indiana – a college town where I had the opportunity to participate in many musical activities from a very early age.   I graduated from Oberlin Conservatory of Music with a double major – applied music (violin) and music education for the sake of security!

Q.   What made you want to become a professional musician?

I think that from a very young age, I always thought I would be in an orchestra, having begun at the tender age of 9 to experience the excitement of doing so. From that point on, I participated on many levels. I attended the same school, kindergarten through 12^th grade, where music was a vital part of the curriculum on an everyday basis. I also played in a university orchestra and a civic symphony from 9^th grade through 12^th grade, prior to attending conservatory. My great love was to make music with others, thus my preference for an orchestral instrument.

Q.  How did you end up living and working in the metropolitan DC area?

My husband, baby daughter and I moved to metropolitan DC so that Owen could attend graduate school at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. At that time, I taught general music in Fairfax County in order to support our family. There was no string program in the public schools of Fairfax County and when I interviewed for a job in Alexandria, I was told that because I was a married woman with a small child, I would not be considered for the position because I was not a good prospect for longevity. The schools system in Fairfax County was growing rapidly and the year that I began teaching, middle schools were opening for the first time and integration was begun that year. It was an interesting situation but rather difficult. I had been trained to teach strings and did not feel particularly satisfied with teaching 8^th grade general music, seeing each group of children for only 9 weeks of the school year. 

Q.  What has changed since you have been a member of the orchestra? What aspects have stayed the same? 

I think that the one thread of consistency has to do with the integrity of the musicians and their support for one another. For the first several years of the orchestra’s existence, our position was tenuous and it was imperative that we have a collective spirit about our worth and our mission. It was important to have a mature Collective Bargaining Agreement – something that took several years and several work stoppages to achieve.  There was never any doubt but what the musicians would work together as a group and take pride in what we were doing. 

The changes have been many.

1)  The orchestra was originally formed as two orchestras – a musical show orchestra being one and the opera-ballet orchestra being the other. There were many who played in both orchestras, but those who were in the show orchestra only, could be hired if needed for the opera-ballet orchestra. Rarely, were musicians who were in the opera-ballet orchestra hired for the show orchestra. Eventually, the show orchestra was phased out by attrition and musicians in the opera-ballet orchestra were then hired to do the musical shows.

2)  The original orchestra had 61 members, but 3^rd woodwind players and a 3^rd percussion player were only hired for the week of ballet work if the hours exceeded 28 in number. And, they were only hired for the opera if called for in the score.  There was no rotation of work or relief.  Also, it was possible to hire less than the full complement. The front stands were hired first and the orchestra thus had a core group. One of the goals of the orchestra from the beginning was to ensure that every person was valuable and each person had an hourly guarantee of work, thus insuring that all were important and essential – no second-class citizens.

3)  Auditions – Originally, auditions were only open to local musicians.   It was at Maestro Heinz Fricke’s insistence in the mid-90’s that they became international in scope as he very much wanted to hire the best available person with no limiting factors. Also, originally, violinists always joined the orchestra through the 2^nd violin section, with move-up auditions scheduled for moving into any 1^st violin vacancy. Move-up auditions still take place but are open to the winner of the audition and 2^nd violinists.

4)   Mature Contract – It takes time to achieve a mature collective bargaining agreement and although many things were achieved in the initial agreement, there were many additions and improvements over the years, not the least of which was a requirement that we receive music in advance of the first rehearsal. Originally, we received our music at the first rehearsal for any give production with no bowings done ahead of time and no opportunity to prepare.

5)   Four music directors – John Lanchbery, music director for American Ballet Theater was our first music director. At the time, ABT was the resident ballet company of the KC and performed for 4 weeks in December and 2 weeks in the spring. Consequently, he was a logical choice, since we saw a great deal of him.  He remained for only one year.  The second music director was John Mauceri, who, although he remained for about 15 years, was mostly in absentia. Heinz Fricke became the music director in 1993 and remained with us for 15 years. It was during his tenure that the orchestra stabilized and advanced in so many ways. The current music director, as we all know, is Philippe Auguin. 

Q.   What has been your most memorable performance with the KCOHO?

I believe the opera which I loved playing the most was the production of “Der Rosenkavalier” with Maestro Heinz Fricke conducting and Mirella Freni singing. I also treasure the memory of doing “Othello” with Placido Domingo singing. My favorite ballets are those of Prokofiev – “Romeo and Juliet” and “Cinderella.”

Q.  You recently played a solo recital; tell us about that. Where did you play and what pieces did you perform?

I performed in Camden, Maine as a part of the Friends of Music Series at the First Congregational Church. I played with two other Maine musicians – one is the Minister of Music at the church and the other is a former member of the Greensboro Symphony. When I opted out of playing the “Ring Cycle” because of tendonitis in my thumb, I needed a goal to keep me playing and practicing. Consequently, I turned to chamber music and this opportunity. The program consisted of the Beethoven Violin & Piano Sonata in G Major, Opus 30 in addition to the Smetana Trio in g minor for Violin, Cello and Piano. It was a pleasure to have the time and energy to devote to that endeavor. 

Q.  How long did you prepare for this recital?

One answer to this question is:  all my life! In the past few years, I have summered in Camden, Maine where I have had the opportunity to witness a lot of very high quality chamber music. The setting in which this music is performed is so intimate that I have studied and witnessed many wonderful musicians in a very unique way, learning so much. Doing this recital has given me the opportunity to think in depth about each of these two pieces and come to terms with them myself rather than doing just as the conductor directs me to do. This has been both a challenge and a treasure. 

A second answer to this question is: since the beginning of this past summer, individual practice on my own and two weeks in October with the other chamber musicians.

Q.  How different was your preparation for the recital, compared to orchestral or chamber work? Do you have any special warm ups or routines in place in your practice?

Since I have done so much individual practice and playing by myself in the past 6 months, I determined that every sound coming out of my instrument would be a beautiful sound. That has required a lot of analysis and thought about my playing. Consequently, I think that I am playing better than I have for a very long time. Technically, the pieces of music are both within my normal abilities, but the mental preparation and the musical interpretation has been very challenging. At my stage and age, it is not easy to put my playing on the line and invite an audience. It is a challenge for two reasons – to see if I can still “do it,” and to achieve a high level in the doing! Special warm-ups and routines? Very much so – scales and arpeggios for 30 minutes; Bach every day; physical exercise 5-6 days a week; metronome practice; lots of slow practice; and probably of greatest importance, thought about why I am doing something, not mindless repetition.  

Q.  What words of advice would you give aspiring professional musicians, especially young violinists?  

It is really important to love what you do. It is always necessary to practice.  There is an old saying  - if you don’t practice for one day, you know it; if you don’t practice for two days, your stand-partner knows it; if you don’t practice for three days, the whole world knows it.  With this kind of standard, it is necessary to love the work involved.  

Always stay in shape physically. I found that as I got older, the only way to combat the deterioration of muscles was to workout with free weights. At one point, when I was discouraged about the deterioration, I started doing the free weights – vibrato control returned, bow control returned, and many aspects of left hand technique became easier.  

Do not expect orchestra experiences to be everything. There have to be other things of importance in your life. There is so much repetition in an orchestral situation and so many things over which you have no control.  You must have other interests, both musically and non-musically, to give your life meaning. If you expect orchestral playing to be the end-all, you will be disappointed.   It is important to have a balanced attitude about it.

Always be prepared by the first rehearsal. You will earn the respect of your colleagues and each rehearsal will be more meaningful and beneficial.   

Have a collegial attitude towards your colleagues. Discard the concept of competition that you may have had in music school.  It is important to work together as a group and want every person to do his/her best in order to achieve the common goal of perfection in as much as possible. 

Ready for The Ring

Ready for The Ring

Second Violinist Xi Chen describes what it takes as an orchestra member, to get ready for Wagner's Ring Cycle. Opening night is April 30th!

Second Violinist Xi Chen

The Ring of Nibelungen is comprised of four full-length operas. Musicians need to know about sixteen hours of music, inside and out. Our orchestra musicians also need to be able to perform these four different operas on consecutive days. We do not have a relief orchestra with which we can alternate. 

The musicians start learning the operas as much as six months to one year ahead of opening night. During the preparation of The Ring, not only do we practice and maintain our instruments daily, we also have homework to do! Here is the list of things you might find us doing:

1. Purchasing and studying the score, translating the libretto as needed. An excellent example of this is what our Principal Trombonist Lee Rogers has done to his scores to prepare for the Ring. He explains: "Here is an example of how words and music line up perfectly in Wagner's writing.  At the beginning of Scene 2 of Das Rheingold, Wotan is admiring his newly finished home, Valhalla, singing at the climax, "As in my dreams, I desired it, as my will directed, strong and fair, it stands in show, sublime, superb structure!" The entire passage is accompanied by the brass, most notably the Wagner tubas and the trombones, in their softest dynamic, punctuated by fanfares in the trumpet parts.

The score to Scene 2 of Das Rheingold

Castle Neuschwanstein

Funny enough, the next line uttered by Fricka, Wotan's wife, does not bode well! "Do you but delight in what I dread?" When I play this passage, I picture the castle Neuschwanstein, which Wagner used as a model for Valhalla."

2. Reading Ring-related books and getting to know the leitmotifs .

Ring Literature

3. Writing cues into the parts.

4. Getting to know the meaning and pronunciation of instructions in German.

5. Learning the notes. We repeat each note until they can be performed as easily as taking a breath so our attention can be placed on the flow of music

6. Planning musical phrases, intonation, tone and color of the melodies, and countermelodies based on harmony and drama.

7. Rehearsing with the orchestra:

a) practicing fitting intonation, articulation, rhythm and dynamics within the section 

b) practicing fitting intonation, articulation, rhythm and dynamics with other sections of the orchestra

c) adjusting for physical distance between the sections

d) adjusting to Maestro's interpretation 

8. Attending Sitzprobe, which is a seated rehearsal focused on integrating the singers and the orchestra:

a) practicing responding to singers

b) practicing responding to chorus

9. Attending the technical rehearsal to rehearse with lighting, scene changes, entrances and exists: 

a) adjusting musical performance and performing space so each performer can have visual contact with the Maestro as well as each section leader.

b) adjusting musical performance to the pit space; adjust to singers who can sing differently because of scenery and movements

10. Attending the dress rehearsal, which usually is our last rehearsal before opening, complete with costumes, scenery and audiences: 

a) adjusting sound and energy level according audience response

b) working out the extra adrenaline related to public performance  

11. Visiting massage therapists, chiropractic doctors, physical therapists to reduce injury caused by repetitive movement .

12. Exercising, stretching and meditating to reduce performance related injuries and anxieties.

13. Performing chamber music on the side to develop and maintain cooperative relationship with other members of the orchestra and express ourselves in different ways.

14. Striving to perform consistently yet with fresh ideas at each performance. This is our favorite part! 

All of the above except for items #7-10 are self-motivated and assigned based on individual needs. 


There are moments in our musical life when everything is ideal. Many of us started training to be musicians when we were toddlers. We go to sleep and wake up thinking about music. We are able to play music decade after decade and don't grow tired of it because of those ideal moments we experience when everything aligns between the performers and the audience. We are looking forward to those moments in the Ring cycle March-May 2016!

Meet KCOHO Violist, Philippe Chao!

"The main differences between performing fiddle and classical music include cultivating a sense of easy musical freedom, internalizing the musical ‘vocabulary’ of articulations and bowing choices, and finding the groove in the music’s internal rhythm. The perception of control and idea of ‘presentation’ are worlds apart between the two styles."

Where are you from originally? 

I grew up in Lexington, Massachusetts. 

Where did you go to school? 

One year at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, and then I followed the renowned pedagogues Roland and Almita Vamos to the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis to finish my undergraduate degree. I earned my Master’s degree at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California and went on to study at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

How long have you been in the orchestra? 

I joined the orchestra in the fall of 1998. 

With former KCOHO Music Director,
Placido Domingo, 2000

What ensemble did you play with before joining the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra?

Previously, I was the Assistant Principal Violist of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. 

You play both viola and violin in Bright Star, the musical by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell. What are the differences between the two instruments? When did you learn to play violin? 

I began my musical studies on the violin at the age of seven and began to study the viola at fourteen. In my experience, the biggest differences between the instruments (aside from the learning to accommodate the differences in size) lie in the response-time of the instruments and the amount of effort it takes to activate the sound. One example of this showed up at one of the early rehearsals for Bright Star when I was asked to try out one of the fleet fiddle passages on the viola (to manage the logistics of a quick change of instruments at one point) only to discover that idiomatically, the sound, character, and response just didn’t sound right on the viola.

The music in Bright Star requires you to play violin in a bluegrass fiddle style. Was it easy to pick up on the style? As a classical musician, how did you prepare to play fiddle music? What are the main differences you’ve noticed between performing classical and bluegrass? 

When I was first engaged for the show, it was made known to me that this was a fiddle part, but in the final product, the fiddle segment appears in the big dance sequence of the work which is more of a swing dance number with touches of the fiddle style. As a classical musician, we are expected to be flexible and versatile when it comes to different styles of music. While this is not my first encounter with this style of music, I did take it upon myself to take lessons from a bluegrass fiddler in preparation for this role. I wanted to make sure that I could sound as authentic as I could, that I could perform the role as truthfully as possible. In Bright Star, I have the pleasure of working with a first rate band that not only includes a fabulous fiddler (I have the second fiddle part), but also the other essential components of the a bluegrass band...I take inspiration from and learn from all of them. The main differences between performing fiddle and classical music include cultivating a sense of easy musical freedom, internalizing the musical ‘vocabulary’ of articulations and bowing choices, and finding the groove in the music’s internal rhythm. The perception of control and idea of ‘presentation’ are worlds apart between the two styles.

You make an onstage appearance in the show! Is this your first time performing in-costume on stage? 

For this show, all of the ten musicians are costumed and visible to the audience. My group (with the cello and mandolin/guitar/lap steel players) is stationed on stage right, on a raised balcony. One of the original ideas of the staging included an onstage appearance, with my fiddle, but this was eventually abandoned due to the logistics (musical and physical) of switching out from the viola in the previous number to the violin and getting onstage with a portable microphone/monitor system in time for the scene. And yes, this is only time I’ve ever been costumed for a show! One of the great things about this show is the fact that we are all onstage, actors and musicians alike. Aside from being more involved in the action (and the perk of seeing the show!), there is a stronger sense of community amongst the entire production, from the actors to the musicians, the stagehands, producers, electricians, sound engineers, costumers, and on and on because we are all sharing the same space. The separation that is usually built into the physical detachment of the being in a pit simply does not exist in this production; this is a real gift and joy. 

What is it like working with Steve Martin and Edi Brickell? 

Both Steve Martin and Edie Brickell (and Paul Simon a couple of times as well!) were in the house and backstage for nearly every preview show (I think there were 15 or 16 previews) and the official opening night, hanging out in the lounge with the rest of us, sharing observations, tweaking various aspects of the show. Both were relaxed, gracious, and easy to talk to. I found it to be a great privilege and honor to work with these two wonderful and creative people.

What is one of your favorite memories at KCOHO? 

Being in my 18th year(!), it’s hard to choose just one! In terms of productions and projects over the years, the ones that stand out include hearing Placido Domingo sing in one of my very first operas here (or any opera, really), Giordano’s Fedora, our production of Wagner’s Parsifal with Heinze Fricke, and our performance of Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven for Led Zeppelin with Ann and Nancy Wilson during the Kennedy Center Honors a few years ago. And I suspect that this production of Bright Star will remain with me for all of the camaraderie, excellence, and excitement. Time will tell! Overall, the community and family that is this orchestra will have a lasting impact on my time here. 

Members of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra performing 

for Led Zeppelin at the 2012 Kennedy Center Honors

What do you do for fun when you’re not performing? 

Aside from the never-ending task of preparing for the next performance, I enjoy hanging out with my wife and two children. We enjoy our annual road-trips out West and have recently discovered the joys of family bike rides and ropes-course adventures! Cooking and discovering obscure composers also rank high on my list.

Philippe with his wife Eva at the Bright Star opening night celebration