I have had the pleasure of soloing with the RSO many times, sometimes standing in front of my colleagues, other times from within the orchestra. As Principal Trumpet, it kind of comes with the territory. Standing in front of supportive colleagues and audience members is both a thrill and a terrifying experience, somewhat akin to walking on a balance beam. You know it is a straight line from one end to the other, but if you take your mind off the task at hand, you may find that you are on the mat earlier than you expected! Soloing is our opportunity to show our love for the art and our appreciation to the composer for writing great music for us.
—Wesley Woolard, principal trumpet & guest artist for the March 2016 concert