One day I told my father that I liked the piano too. And so I started studying it, in addition to the violin. Years later, he asked Claudio Abbado which of the two instruments I should choose. The Maestro replied: “Carry them both forward!” And so I did.
When I Entered La Scala… with Two Instruments!
I joined the Orchestra of Teatro alla Scala after the audition, while I was privately preparing for my piano diploma. I didn’t want to give up either instrument. And it was precisely by playing the piano that I was accepted at the Mozarteum in Salzburg for a violin course with Maestro Šandor Végh!
The Concertmaster Audition… and “Luck”
I took the audition for Concertmaster of the first violins at La Scala twice. A talented young man, Francesco De Angelis, won, but I still qualified. When he was away for courses abroad, it was my turn: for nine years I often stood in as Concertmaster. Sometimes, luck is preparation that meets opportunity.
Muti’s “Blessing”
When I told Muti that I was leaving the “principal” position to study orchestral conducting, he looked at me seriously: “Are you abandoning us?” Then, with a smile, he invited me to attend rehearsals with the singers. It was his way of giving me confidence. I’ve learned much. La Scala was my true school.
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