A chance to blow his own horn with the best
WATERLOO — On Monday, as the rest of Waterloo Region was celebrating Victoria Day, retired music teacher Tony Snyder was playing first horn with the celebrated Berlin Philharmonic in Germany, under the baton of renowned conductor, Sir Simon Rattle.
For a musician, this was the motherlode of good fortune, a once in a lifetime opportunity. In a conversation in his Waterloo dining room not long after he received the official invitation, the affable horn player still seemed shocked by it all.
“My friend (music producer) Earl McCluskie ... he saw a call for musicians,” said Snyder. “I procrastinated, then I recorded in my living room Bach’s “1st Cello Suite,” then sent it off.”
Candidates were required to submit an unedited, three to 10 minute video recording for the chance to join the ‘Be Phil Orchestra,’ a special symphony organized once a year to perform at the Philharmonic’s opening day celebrations in Berlin. The amateur players would be intermingled with Philharmonic players to perform Brahm’s 1st Symphony.
The deadline for the application was Jan. 10 and just one month later, Snyder was surprised and delighted to receive an email advising he had been selected, out of 1,000 applicants from 30 countries.
Next, a more formal invitation arrived complete with sheet music attached and the only caveat was that all the invited musicians, all 92 of them, would have to cover their own expenses, there was no funding to support travel or accommodations. Snyder was fine with that, but he had not held any hope of succeeding, let alone being invited to play first trumpet, a high honour for any musician.
“I hadn’t even told anyone I applied, I didn’t want to have to tell people I didn’t get it,” he said.
“Initially I did it to get Earl off my back,” he said with a laugh. “I don’t think I realized how excited I’d be to go.”
Snyder had recently retired as a science and music teacher at Cameron Heights Collegiate — as well as director of the school’s jazz band — leaving him more time to pursue music. For several years he has played principal horn with the Guelph Symphony Orchestra, the Brassroots ensemble, the Wellington Wind Symphony and he substitutes as a horn player with the Kitchener Waterloo Symphony. Obviously Snyder is no beginner but it still came as a surprise to be chosen to perform with the Philharmonic.
Travelling to Berlin a few days ahead of the first scheduled rehearsal May 17, Snyder wanted time to get over any jet lag and settle his nerves.
As an orchestra, they only rehearsed five times, culminating in the opening day concert on May 21.
Opening day for the Philharmonic is a time of celebration, a chance to throw open the doors to the public in a series of events including workshops and guided tours. A highlight of the day of course is the performance by the Be Phil Orchestra.
Snyder is also a luthier, handcrafting classical guitars that fetch upwards of $8,000. He has even built a reputation as maker of fine wooden horn and trumpet mutes, used by principal players in the Boston Symphony and most major Canadian orchestras.
Playing with the Philharmonic has been the pinnacle of his career so far.
“The Berlin Phil is reported to be the best orchestra in the world,” he said, adding playing for Rattle, a conductor who “raises the bar” musically was both daunting and exciting.
“I have a lot to learn from him,” he said.