Silver and Brass

How did you meet?

Eve - I was in Sydney participating in an Australian Youth Orchestra program and Pete was living there at the time. We had met previously and ran into each other at the North Annandale Hotel pub, had a few drinks together and the rest is history...

Peter - We met at a pub in the inner west. I was living and freelancing in Sydney as a musician and Eve was there on an AYO tour (I believe). Through common friends we met and ended up being the last two left at the end of the night. So, I guess you could say we met through music!

What do you love most about WASO?

Eve - The vibe in the orchestra is so inclusive and friendly. WASO is an absolutely world class orchestra and we are so lucky to have such wonderful colleagues. 

Peter - Some people would say that the thing they love most about WASO is the great variety of music we bring to WA audiences, the stellar conductors and soloists or that as a professional musician, we get to do what we love and get paid for it. I used to think all those things, but as the years tick by I am starting to realise that it is the people that make this orchestra so special. This is a family, and with that, comes a sense of belonging. I am just one small part of this very crazy, beautiful, talented family.

Do you have a favourite concert you have played during your time in WASO?

Eve - Where to start... I remember one of my very first concerts playing Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony. Jon Tooby was leading the cello section but had a family emergency so I had to step up and lead the section. It was both nerve-wracking and exhilarating! Another favourite was performing Metamorphosen by R. Strauss with Simone Young conducting. 

Peter - It is hard to narrow 14 years of concerts into a favourite. I have two that stick out in my memory however. As a child growing up, I had two posters of trumpet players on my wall (in addition to lots of others of cricketers and footballers). One poster was of Wynton Marsalis (multi Grammy award winning Classical and Jazz artist) and Håkan Hardenberger (in my opinion, the greatest Classical trumpet soloist of the last century). When both of these guys came to perform with WASO (in the space of about a year I seem to remember), it was quite literally 'the thrill of a lifetime' to share the stage with such great artists and musicians I had idolised growing up.

Is there any competition in your household between strings and brass?

Eve - A definite no. I played the trumpet for a few years in high school so I feel like I’m an honorary brass player. Pete is an exceptional trumpet player and I don’t mind listening to him practice at all. We do however have a separate studio space so we can separate ourselves from each other and the kids if we need to practice. 

Peter - There is no competition between us. Eve wins. Hands down. No contest. Period. She even sounds good playing the trumpet! Grrr...

How do you juggle work and home life if you’re both playing in the same concerts?

Eve - Lots of babysitting! Neither of us have family in Perth so we rely on babysitters to take care of the kids outside of school times. It takes a lot of organizing but we have some very reliable sitters who love our girls so we are extremely lucky. 

Peter - As we do see a great deal of each other every day, when Eve and I finally get home from work/teaching and our two young girls have FINALLY gone to bed, we tend to go to opposite ends of the house and spend some quality time apart. As we do not have any family here in WA, we do rely a lot on our wonderful 'team' of babysitters. I am very lucky that Eve is much more organised than I and always takes care of organising this seemingly endless aspect of parenting.