Concert master turns soloist for next PGSO show
A familiar face will be in an almost familiar position at the next PGSO concert. There will be a significant difference.
José Delgado-Guevara is the concertmaster for the Prince George Symphony Orchestra. The position calls for him to perform each show in the bandleader’s position – the first chair in the violin section.
Not so on Nov. 25. He will be on stage, but he will be standing about 10 feet north of his usual musical geography. This time, Delgado-Guevara will be the feature soloist. He will deliver two pieces in that coveted spotlight: Havanaise by Camille Saint-Saens and Romance by Johan Svendsen.
So as a veteran leader of the city’s premier music ensemble (he has also held the title of artistic director in the orchestra’s recent past), how will it feel to step into this special position often reserved for out of town guest stars?
“Playing with my colleagues is being surrounded by a very supportive team,” he said. “We want to make the best music we can. I have played as a soloist with the PGSO on three other occasions and it always has been a rewarding experience.”
For this concert event Delgado-Guevara chose the Svendsen piece himself while the orchestra’s new artistic director, maestro Michael Hall, selected the Saint-Saens piece.
“Both pieces are very violinistic. They show off the violin capabilities as a singing instrument as well as a virtuosic one,” Delgado-Guevara said. “As a violinist we want to sound like the best ‘singer’ – beautiful round notes, expressive, almost like saying words. The virtuosic parts are the flashy parts, when we show off speed or playing multiple strings at once at a very high speed.”
Two forces pushed Delgado-Guevara onto the apron of the stage for this event. One factor is his personal skill. He is an acclaimed teacher of the violin, and has been with the PGSO in strength positions since he arrived in Prince George in 2007.
Since then he has been involved in bands like Navaz, the Bulkley-Cariboo Trio, the Prince George String Quartet, and the Zavan Trio, plus prominent roles in special events like Casse-Tête: A Festival Of Experimental Music and the El Sistema program to boost music education for local children.
The other force that drew DelgadoGuevara to centre stage was the new mandate enacted by the PGSO to put this region’s best talent in the soloist position as much as possible. It doesn’t preclude the orchestra from having an incoming VIP, but when there are capabilities close at hand it is important to showcase it.
“Having local talent helps the audience see a familiar face in a different role,” Delgado-Guevara said.
It also helps the rehearsal regimen that goes along with any PGSO feature presentation because a local person can communicate more directly with Hall and others involved in the event.
“The preparation is intense, and focused due to other commitments like teaching and painting,” DelgadoGuevara said. Oh yes, did we fail to mention?, he is also one of the city’s acclaimed visual artists as well.
The music bursts from his violin, and from the array of instruments in the PGSO assemblage, on Saturday at the Prince George Playhouse beginning at 7:30 p.m. Many other pieces will also be played, gathered by Hall under the title Classical Treasures. Tickets are available online at
or charge by phone at 250-596-0020. They can be purchased in person at the Central Interior Tickets desk at 3540 Opie Crescent or at the Playhouse door while supplies last.