If you want to be a soloist, there’s a ton more that you have to do besides watching a video I made. But I do have a few tips to share with you. Video is right below, and an abridged script is under that for your reference, too.

So many people have the dream of taking center stage as a concerto soloist. I know I had those dreams when I was young. I wanted nothing more than to get to live my life traveling the world, playing with orchestras all over the place. Saint-Saëns, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Dvořák, I wanted to do it all. While I never ended up making soloing with orchestras my full-time job, I have gotten to do it quite a few times. So in this video, I’m going to share with you some do’s and don’t’s of being a soloist, and then a little bit of advice for getting opportunities to do it in the first place. Let’s dive in by talking about how the process goes.

When you’re engaged to play a solo with an orchestra, the first thing you do will usually be meet with the conductor. This is an important step, because it takes place before the first rehearsal, and y’all can figure out the tempo stuff and everything beforehand, because you don’t need the full orchestra there to do that. The goal of this meeting with the conductor is basically to come to an agreement on the interpretation of the piece before you get in front of the orchestra. The conductor will probably either conduct along while you play, and maybe sing, or will play along at the piano. I’ve had both happen to me, and that’s just up to what the conductor thinks is going to be most helpful for them to get in touch with your ideas of the piece. Going into this meeting, make sure that you know what’s going on in the score. I had a couple of embarrassing moments once in a meeting like this, where I actually came in wrong a couple of times, and I had to be corrected by the conductor. But if you’re fully prepared, that means that you are tied with the conductor in your knowledge of the score. I’m happy to say that I did get my act together, and the performance went well, but it definitely taught me a lesson about the kind of preparation that is required.

In a meeting like this, be prepared to accept advice, and maybe even some criticism. Yes, you’re the soloist, but you’re not the only musician involved. The conductor might present some alternative musical ideas ,and you should consider them in earnest, without being defensive. Furthermore, they might bring up a practical issue that you’ll need to take care of. This is especially true with timing, where you may be asked to avoid rubato in certain passages, or something, because it would make things too complicated in the context of playing with an ensemble. All of this is to be expected, and if you show an ego with it, there’s a lower chance that that conductor is gonna want to work with you again. The point is, this is a time to make musical decisions as a team, and you should enter the space with that in mind, and with humility. Now, let’s talk about a few etiquette points for when you’re actually in rehearsal. Avoid practicing super flashy stuff when you’re onstage beforehand. If it’s in the piece you’re playing, it’s not the end of the world, but I find that kind of thing is better suited for the dressing room, or wherever, and then you can spend your time onstage just really exploring how your tone sounds in the space. Maybe with some long tones and some slow passages and things like that.

Once the rehearsal gets started, take whatever A the strings take. Don’t just jump in when the winds and brass are tuning. Now, that’s assuming you’re a string player, of course, if you’re not a string player, you play something else, I have no idea what the protocols are. Now, these are all little things. The really important stuff to discuss is for after rehearsal has started. And the main thing to note is that the conductor has to always be your conduit for musical ideas. If you want something to be done differently, do not address the orchestra directly. Ask the conductor quietly, you know, “is it possible for us to do a little bit of an accelerando in measure 37?”. Then, they can relay that to the band. Same with balance notes, just to be careful. You know, “can you check to make sure that the balance is okay right before C here?”. The only time I recommend actually addressing the orchestra is at the beginning of the first rehearsal, and at the end of the dress rehearsal. And that should just be a quick “thank you so much for having me, delighted to be here”, followed eventually by a “thank you so much, it’s been a pleasure working with you, and I can’t wait for the concert”. The rest of the rehearsal decorum that you need to employ basically boils down to being considerate, kind, and humble. So let’s move on and talk about the musical side of things. First off, tone production. It’s a lot different to try and project to the back of a hall than it is to just be in a room with your teacher for a lesson. The amount of sound that you need is way different. But also, you have some more room to exaggerate things, especially louder things. Gestures and contrasts that feel overblown to you will actually probably go quite nicely out to the audience. A lot of passages in performances like these will necessitate p- playing relatively close to the bridge, so that you can have a very projecting tone. And that also takes some getting used to. Because under your ear, it might sound a bit gritty. You don’t want things to sound downright nasty, of course, but some grit is to be expected. Embrace it, roll with it, and don’t let its presence deter you from using a solid contact point, so that your sound really carries through the hall. That little bit of grittiness that you hear is almost certainly not going to make its way out to the audience. Another thing, especially with regard to timing, is that you should really put your trust in the conductor. That is, if you want to move a little bit more, or hold back a little bit, or whatever, you often can do subtle experiments with this kind of thing, at least in rehearsals. This is something, though, where knowing the score well is super important, because some passages just aren’t logistically built for that. But when there is room for you to do some sort of little fluctuation in tempo, you often can do it. Just because the orchestra might not follow immediately, that doesn’t mean they’re not going to, especially with the conductor’s help. When appropriate, a great soloist feels free to assert themselves in this way. Don’t go too wild, but if the music calls for it, some subtle changes can be added in. Just make it make musical sense, so that you don’t catch anybody off guard, and don’t go off the rails in the concert and do things that you didn’t do in rehearsals. I already made a point before about the fact that you as the soloist are not the only musician involved. This is especially true once you’re playing with everybody onstage, because not every passage that you play is necessarily designed to feature you as the main voice. Make sure you know when to bring things down, so that someone else in the group can let their part shine. A good example of this is in Dvořák, the sextuplet passage after the second theme,

the [SINGING]. I think it sounds better on cello. The main musical material, though, is in the winds. And your job in that passage is just to add some delicate filigree to what they have. Your other job, of course, is to like this video, hit the sub button, and click the bell, if you’re enjoying it. If you’re not a fan, there’s a thumbs down button available, too. Let’s talk now about when it’s concert time. Make sure you arrive quite early to warm up in whatever space is provided to you, making sure to tune to whatever A the oboist will give later. Get comfortable and find out any pertinent information that you need to know, like if someone will come and get you when it’s time for you to get ready to go on stage, if they want you to play an encore, that kind of thing. When it’s time to perform, walk out with confidence, purpose, and smiles. As you near your place, make sure that you offer the concertmaster a handshake or fist bump, allow the conductor to pass behind you to the podium, and take a deep bow. Then, you can be seated, take a few seconds to get settled, and when you’re ready, give the conductor a gentle nod, to let them know that you’re good to start. Throughout the performance, employ the musical tactics that we’ve already talked about, knowing that it’s okay if mistakes happen here and there. Commit beforehand to not let them snowball, and work to just let them pass. Easier said than done, but it’s an important thing to practice. When you come to the end of the piece and the crowd roars with delight, rise with a smile to acknowledge the audience. Before taking your bow, acknowledge the conductor and the concertmaster. That can be fist bump, handshake, hug, whatever all parties are comfortable with. Take another deep bow, and then turn around to acknowledge the rest of the orchestra with some claps to them. After all, this wouldn’t have been a great performance without your friends in the symphony. Turn back to the audience thereafter, and take another bow. You and the conductor may want to join hands after that and take a bow together. Now, some of this is subjective. The order of things doesn’t always matter, and the most important thing is that you’re showing consideration, gratitude, and acknowledgment to all parties involved in the performance, including the audience. If they’re still applauding once you’ve left the stage, you may want to come back out for a curtain call, if the situation calls for it. If the audience is really going wild, it may be time for an encore. The first point I’ll mention, though, about encores, is that they should only be done if you have permission from orchestra management. Performances often run on a very meticulously-crafted schedule, and you don’t want to do anything that’ll mess with it in a way that they haven’t planned for. Don’t play anything super long, and unless you’re a really experienced soloist who knows that it’s gonna be okay, don’t do anything super flashy. Because I made that mistake once. I decided to do the Courante from, uh, Bach6 after a performance, and what I didn’t realize was just how much adrenaline was going to be pumping through my system. Because obviously, there are a lot of emotions, there’s a lot of excitement, all that stuff that goes on after you finish a performance with an orchestra. So I felt really shaky and unsteady. And especially if you’re relatively new to the game, it’s best to choose something lyrical that makes you feel grounded. I know if I do an encore again, I’m planning to do something like that. When you’re all done, stick around and make sure to thank everybody you see who is involved in this. If concertgoers come to greet, you receive them warmly. Even if you didn’t feel good about your performance, now is not the time to express that. If you’re complimented, simply accept it graciously, instead of saying “oh no, that was terrible, come on”. It’s not healthy for you, and it’s also extremely impolite. Now that we’ve gone over some tips for how to do these performances themselves, let’s move to how people actually get asked to solo with an orchestra in the first place. Because you can’t solo with an orchestra if there’s no orchestra to solo with…obviously. The most direct route is to win a competition of some sort. If you’re just starting out, that’ll likely be a concerto competition, maybe run by a youth orchestra or a summer festival. My first ever time playing a concerto with a full symphony orchestra was through a concerto competition by a local orchestra near where I grew up. I was the runner-up, I think, so I was offered the opportunity to play play with their youth orchestra. The next time I tried, I was the winner of that competition, and I got to play with the orchestra themselves. I think I did Rachmaninoff Vocalise and Tchaikovsky Pezzo Capriccioso. And I played with this orchestra again a year or two later. Not because I won a competition, but because I was cultivating a relationship. And that’s the main thing that’s important. Showing a conductor and an orchestra that you have what it takes to do a good job, but that you’re also a gracious and kind guest on their stage. That’s a big part of being asked to return, but more importantly, it’s the right thing to do. Solo opportunities sometimes can also feel like they’re coming out of nowhere. Perhaps somebody saw you on social media, or maybe you got a referral from somebody who knows you and vouched for your abilities, something like that. I had the latter happen to me once, actually, where I was hired to play with an orchestra, because they needed a cellist, and the conductor happened to be in touch with my teacher at the time, who recommended me, and I went on to do the performance. There are considerable amount of paths that can lead you to the concert stage, and a lot of of them have to do with your reputation. Take care of your reputation with kindness, generosity, and good preparation. And my advice is to pursue all of these avenues. Not out of a desire for glory, but out of a love for music, and a hunger to share it with others. You don’t have to win the Tchaikovsky Competition to get some opportunities to be a soloist. While it would be hard to launch a major international solo career without some kind of big catalyst to help propel you there, it is still possible to get opportunities to play as a soloist with orchestras by being gregarious, kind, and a great musician. Play for people, let people get to know you as a musician and a person, and keep cultivating relationships. Not for cold-hearted networking, but because you love music, and you want to share it. Your reputation is important. Be authentic and show people what you’ve got. Now, there’s still plenty to talk about, but for now, we have come to the end of today’s video. I hope that you found it interesting, and if you’re a musician, I hope you find this helpful in your pursuits. And if you’re not a musician, or not a cellist ,but you are an adult who wants to start learning cello, I’ve got a course for you. It has all the info you need to get started playing cello, even if you’ve never played an instrument before, and even if you don’t know how to read music. It’s available either by visiting the address on screen, or by clicking the link in the description. And if you’re still hungry for more cello- and music-related content, I cordially invite you to check out these videos here. Thank you so much for watching, and I can’t wait to see you next time.