 
Connect in real time and interact with
the performing arts industry's top professionals.
Please read the
Guidelines
prior to participating. |
 Nestor
Herszbaum is the Principal Flute with the Kansas City Symphony
Orchestra.
Nestor has performed for European, North and South American audiences.
He has played with the Omaha Symphony, Lincoln Symphony, Charleston
Symphony, Cincinnati Philharmonia Orchestra and Sinfonietta de Lisboa.
Nestor has taught at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory
of Music Preparatory Department, University of Nebraska at Omaha,
Creighton University and has coached the woodwind section of the Omaha
Area Youth Orchestras.
Nestor's book 'Alternative Fingerings for the Flute' was published in
August 2003.
Transcript Recorded:
01-09-2006
- 07:01:05
PM
MyAuditions:
Greetings Members. Welcome to MyAuditions celebrity chat.
Our featured artist this evening is with Nestor Herszbaum,
Principal Flautist with the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra.
He has performed for European, North and South American
audiences and has played with the Omaha Symphony, Lincoln
Symphony, Charleston Symphony, Cincinnati Philharmonia
Orchestra and Sinfonietta de Lisboa.
MyAuditions: This is a
moderated chat and all comments are pre-screened and will be
pre-approved by Mr. Herszbaum prior to public display on
this forum.
MyAuditions: Hello
Nestor
Nestor Herszbaum: Hi!
Thank you for being here.
MyAuditions: Thank you
for taking time out of your busy schedule to join us this
evening
Nestor Herszbaum:
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to chat.
MyAuditions: Please tell
us how you got your start on the flute?
Nestor Herszbaum:
I started playing the flute when I was 16. Previously I had
played the guitar and sang in choirs.
MyAuditions: The forum
is now open to members. Please post your questions for
Nestor.
Jessica Hull-Dambaugh:
When were you in Charleston?
Nestor Herszbaum:
I lived in Charleston in 1996-1997. My wife, Maria Harding
got the principal flute job in Charleston so we left
Cincinnati.
Jessica Hull-Dambaugh:
Really? I'm principal in Charleston right now! She played
here in 96-97?
Nestor Herszbaum: Yes,
It was 1996. I remember it because that was the year we got
married! Is David conducting the orchestra?
Jessica Hull-Dambaugh:
Yup! And Mark and Tom are still here too!
<Debbi>: Where did you
go to school?
Nestor Herszbaum: I went
to school at CMM (College Conservatory of Music) -
University of Cincinnati. I completed an Artist Diploma and
I started a doctorate which I never finished.
<Terry>: Hello Nestor.
Thank you for coming. My question is about the audition
process and how it is conducted within the orchestra. Can
you describe the process for us?
Nestor Herszbaum:
Auditions vary from orchestra to orchestra. Most orchestras
have at least 2 rounds of preliminaries and then 1 or 2
final rounds. There are some auditions where you play with
members of your section or with piano in the final round.
All 3 rounds were behind a screen here in KC, even the final
round. I’ve heard that that's becoming the new trend in
orchestral auditions.
<Wendy Scott>:
Can you tell us about your audition with KC and how you felt
when you won?
Nestor Herszbaum: The
audition in KC was a very long one. I had to play 2
preliminary rounds and then a final round which was about 30
to 40 minutes long. I felt I played well and I think what
made it a successful audition for me is the fact that I
played the way I wanted to play. I didn't try to guess what
the committee or the conductor were looking for. I was very
happy.
Jessica Hull-Dambaugh:
How did you handle the acoustic differences between the warm
up room and the hall?
Nestor Herszbaum: That
was very hard!! The warm up rooms were very resonant and the
stage very dry. As I became aware of that difference I tried
not to force on stage. It's still very hard for me when I
play with the orchestra on the same stage to remember not to
force.
Maestrolover: What made
you decide to break your American career and take a post in
a European orchestra? Do you think the experience was
beneficial to you musically/personally?
Nestor Herszbaum: After
studying in Cincinnati and after listening to the Cincinnati
Symphony and realizing the level of the American orchestras
I wanted to be part of one. I have never been part of a
European orchestra, I just played with one as a soloist, but
the level in Europe is also very high.
Suzanne: Along the lines
of orchestra auditions: What do you feel it takes for a
flutist to do a successful audition and get a chair in a
major symphony orchestra?
Nestor Herszbaum: That's
a very good question that I asked myself many times. Truly,
I don't have a definitive answer, but the preparation to
auditions is the key. By preparation I mean both the musical
aspect as well as the mental aspect.
Suzanne: Elaborate more
on the mental aspect of preparing for an audition. How do
you go about this and overcome mental obstacles when they
arise?
Nestor Herszbaum: I read
a ton of books about mental preparation for sports and
things like that. Yoga, Qi-Gong or any other meditation
techniques really help. I used to have a list of books in my
web site. I’ll put it back so you can see it (www.herszbaum.com
flute info section). My main tip though is to be convinced
of what you play. To do that you have to know the excerpts
100% and you HAVE to know the score. Listen to the pieces in
the audition list 1000 times. Feel that you are playing in
the orchestra.
<Susannah>: Who did
study with?
Nestor Herszbaum: I
studied in Argentina with Jorge de la Vega, in Europe I did
some master classes with András Adorján, Peter-Lukas Graf
and Michel Moragues and in Cincinnati I studied with Brad
Garner, Jack Wellbaum and Randy Bowman. I owe the last three
teachers a good deal for my success in the US.
<Jonathan Brahms>: At
this time, 2 European-trained flutists, Mathieu Dufour
(Chicago) and Robert Langevin (New York) are Principal
Flutists of 2 of America's greatest orchestras. A third,
Jacques Zoon played for a number of seasons in a third of
the "Big Five", Boston, where an American-trained flutist is
now once again principal. Dufour, Langevin and Zoon are
great, great artists, that any orchestra would like to have,
but they were competing for those chairs with the best, most
experienced players America has to offer. My question is -
do European-trained flutists in general offer something that
American flutists do not?
Nestor Herszbaum:
I don't think so. I think the level of playing in America is
great and there are amazing American flutists around. Just
to mention a few: Randy Bowman (Cincinnati) Mark Sparks (St.
Louis) and many other orchestral players are among the best
in the world.
<Frank>: So how do you
like the Kansas City Symphony so far?
Nestor Herszbaum:
The KC symphony is great! I'm having a blast. We play an
amazing amount of music with great conductors and soloists.
Ticotico: How many
orchestral auditions have you taken before winning Kansas
City?
Nestor Herszbaum: The KC
audition was my 11th one. I took about 5 or 6 of those
auditions while I was still in school and very soon I
realized how much tougher auditions are than chamber music
or solo recitals!!
<Jonathan Brahms>: You
just remarked on not "forcing" when playing with the
orchestra. Flutists these days talk endlessly about the big
sound. How does one produce a big sound without forcing?
Nestor Herszbaum:
Forcing does not produce a big sound necessarily, but it
certainly produces a forced sound. In my view to produce a
big sound you have to relax both your thorax and your mouth
cavity. The lips should be as relaxed as possible without
losing control of the air stream. A pinched sound in my
experience doesn't carry. Now, the other problem about
forcing is how not to force when the orchestra is playing
very loudly and you have to project. The best answer I have
found is still to play relaxed and to worry about tone color
and not so much about volume.
Suzanne: You mentioned
in the beginning that you started flute at age 16. That's
older than most people traditionally begin their flute
studies. What do you think the advantages and disadvantages
are to starting at an older age and what advice would you
give to those who do especially adult beginners?
Nestor Herszbaum: I
think starting early has a big advantage. I started singing
and playing the guitar when I was about 5 or 6 and that
helped me train my ear. The disadvantages of starting at an
older age have to do more with life itself than ability in
my view. You have many hours to practice and focus on music
making every day as a young person, but you will improve no
matter what your age is.
Ticotico: What's your
favorite recording -- flute and/or non-flute?
Nestor Herszbaum: My
favorite recording is "Blue" by Joni Mitchell. I used to
listen to Galway a lot and he influenced my earlier years
immensely.
Ticotico: Which flutist
would you say influenced your concept of flute sound and
flute playing?
Nestor Herszbaum:
I listen to Pahud and Dufour as well as other well known
flutists. I very much like an open sound.
<Debbi>: Do you have any
tips for increasing breath control?
Nestor Herszbaum: If you
really want to increase breath control focus your practice
on that particular aspect. For example: plays scales at the
same metronome marking, but instead of paying them once and
take a breath aim to do it twice in a row and you'll
eventually succeed.
<Terry>: How do you feel
about the state of the industry as a whole? A lot of
negative press about the struggles financially orchestra's
are going through.
Nestor Herszbaum: It is
very tough to see what orchestras have to go through to
survive. I’m ashamed sometimes that so little money is spent
by the government in culture. I don't want to go into
politics, so I’d better stop... sorry.
MyAuditions: Members, we
have 10 minutes left. Nestor, would you like to extend until
8:15pm EST?
Nestor Herszbaum: Sure.
<Susannah>:
How do you mentally prepare for an audition? Any tips would
be greatly appreciated!! ;)
Nestor Herszbaum: That's
a good question. Obstacles will ALWAYS arise. The mental
preparation means to be flexible enough to let the obstacles
creep in, but not to get hooked on them.
Suzanne: I think
everyone suffers from a bad tone day every now and again.
When you're practicing or performing, how do you overcome or
work around it when you feel your tone is not at its best?
Nestor Herszbaum: When I
practice at home and I feel my tone is not the best I try to
fix that right away with some simple exercises. If my tone
is too tight I practice multiphonics. If it's not focused
enough I practice long tones ppp (triple piano)
starting on low c to high c (C4).
Lynn:
What are some of your techniques in mentally preparing for
and during an audition?
Nestor Herszbaum: The
main mental technique is focus. When I’m tired or nervous my
mental focus is the first thing that goes. If I can be
focused on the music both in an audition situation or a
concert I know that everything will tend to work the way it
should.
Ticotico: Do you prefer
a dark or bright sound? To me, Pahud has a very dark but
beautiful sound.
Nestor Herszbaum: If
Pahud has a dark sound, then I like dark!
<Jonathan Brahms>:
Playing the great first flute solos in any orchestra is a
great privilege; however, would you consider moving to a
better orchestra as a second or assistant principal flute or
as solo piccolo?
Nestor Herszbaum: Yes, I
would. Playing principal is lots of fun, but also means lots
of pressure (especially in big orchestras). I think I would
enjoy playing second or assistant principal.
I know that I wouldn't enjoy playing piccolo. Sorry to my
piccolo teacher and piccolo friends.
Ticotico: What is your
daily warm-up routine? Do you do long-tones? Etudes?
Nestor Herszbaum: I do
long tones only when I have too much time to spare. I did
etudes this summer after winning the audition and I wish I
had time to do them now.
Jessica Hull-Dambaugh:
Do you spend a lot of time on exercises in your warm-ups?
Nestor Herszbaum: No,
when I do have time to warm up I try to practice scales and
arpeggios. I usually warm up with scales and playing the
music that I need to play for the upcoming rehearsal or
concert. Most of the time I spend nowadays is learning tons
of music!
Flutegirl: What do you
think about when you're playing the Brahms 4 solo? I always
find this excerpt to be especially difficult to play out of
context on an audition.
Nestor Herszbaum: Think
of the horns playing in the background and think of the
theme in which the flute variation is based on. The theme is
at the beginning of the movement (long notes)
Suzanne: Have you had
much opportunity to get involved with the flute community of
Kansas City much yet? I am a grad student at the UMKC
conservatory and I think it would be amazing if you did a
master class and lecture here.
Nestor Herszbaum:
I had the pleasure of meeting Mary Posses and other flutists
at flute day a couple of months ago. I’d love to do a master
class with you guys! You are only 15 minutes away!
Suzanne: I wasn't here
last semester, so I'm sorry I missed the opportunity to meet
both you and Mark Sparks. I'll ask Dr. Posses about getting
you here!
Flutegirl: What
exercises or tips would you suggest for finding freedom
within the structure? I often find myself playing too
metronomically or stiffly when preparing orchestral
excerpts.
Nestor Herszbaum: Use
the metronome as much as you can tolerate it then play
without it, but still feeling the pulse. Playing too freely
does not work in auditions. The people behind the screen
will have no idea of what you are doing if your pulse is not
strong.
MyAuditions: Nestor, we
have time for one last question.
Jessica Hull-Dambaugh:
What's the most effective thing you feel you do in your
preparations for auditions?
Nestor Herszbaum:
First. Practice your part and know it by memory. I can't
stress enough how important it is to know the music by
memory. Then, listen to recordings and study the score. Feel
you are playing in the orchestra and play the music in the
appropriate style, but the way you believe it should sound.
MyAuditions: And that is
the last question for this evenings celebrity chat.
MyAuditions would very much like to thank Nestor Herszbaum,
principal flautist with the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra
for taking the time this evening to chat with us. A
transcript of this evening's chat will be made available to
members in the coming days. Look for the link “Event
Transcripts” on the celebrity chat main page if you wish to
access it.
Nestor Herszbaum:
Thank you very much for your questions. I really enjoyed
this chat!!
Suzanne: Thanks for your
insights!
<Terry>: Thank you!!!!
Flutegirl: Thank you
very much! I wish I had entered the room earlier!
Nestor Herszbaum: Thanks
to MyAuditions for providing this space and its great
website!
MyAuditions: Thank you
Nestor. Also, please make sure that you check our schedule
for next month's featured celebrity chat with Kevin Good,
second trumpet with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. This
event will take place Tuesday, February 7, 2005 at 7pm
Eastern Time
MyAuditions: This
concludes this evening’s program. Good night.
|
