Chapter 217 (1/2)
Volume 6 / Chapter 217
TL: LightNovelCafe
Editor: adkji
Sponsored: James W. & Fletcher P. & Chimemerie
Jun Hyuk and Danny finished getting ready to go to the concert hall. President Stern sat on the sofa and drank a cup of coffee.
“Jun. Your concert is at night, right? Maestro Carras is in the afternoon?”
“Yes. Maestro Carras is at 4. I’m at 8.”
“Tara, take care of him. I’ll go with Mr. Yoon and Amelia in time for the afternoon performance.”
Tara nodded and left the apartment.
“Tara, are we walking today too?”
“No. We can’t do that on the day of the concert. I have a great limousine waiting. Oh, and don’t forget to wave at the fans waiting out front when you’re going out to the limousine.”
The employees left first with the tuxedo and suit, and Danny’s agent also took his violin.
Reporters and dozens of people outside the apartment applauded while Jun Hyuk got into the limousine, and he did not forget to wave as Tara had told him to do.
The limousine arrived at Lincoln Center in under 10 minutes. He had not taken the limousine for convenience, but a service for the reporters who would be taking pictures of him.
Avery Hall was busy with setting up sound equipment. There were tons of cords, microphones, and small cameras hanging to finish the album recording, live broadcasting, and blu-ray package all at one time.
The first thing that Jun Hyuk, Danny, and Maestro Carras needed to do is to stand in each of their positions on stage to set the camera angles to them.
When Maestro Carras stood on the podium, Jun Hyuk at the piano, and Danny on the opposite side, the film crew moved busily to adjust the camera angles while radio in to the director.
The director okayed everything and the film crew disappeared from stage, allowing the orchestra members to enter.
The first rehearsal with sound check under Dimitri Carras’ conducting started.
Page Break
***
Even though it was early, a lot of special guests were gathered backstage.
“What is that? So, all of the harsh critics flocked here. I’m sure you’ve all come fully prepared to pour out the criticism?”
“What are you talking about! We don’t care about your conducting at all. We’ve come all the way here to see pianist Jun and maestro Jun.”
Maestros like Berlin Philharmonic’s Simon Lettle and Serril Petrenko, Philadelphia’s Bruno Kazel, and Boston Symphony’s Patrick Quinn shook hands with Dimitri Carras and joked around.
“Jun, is this your first performance as a pianist?”
“Yes. Don’t expect too much. I’m just flowing along with the orchestra.”
“Well? I’m sure we’ll know who’s helping who once the concert is over?”
The maestros kept joking to help today’s anxious performers relax.
After chatting for a while and it was neared time to go into the theater, the maestros left. They went back to the theater entrance to interview and take pictures for reporters.
The audience began to enter with anticipation an hour before the concert. Maybe because Juilliard is inside Lincoln Center and Jun Hyuk is from Clayton, there were a lot of young spectators.
New York press was camped out in front of Avery Hall. Today’s visitors are worth making news. The jazz, blues, and rock musicians participating in New York’s Midsummer Night Festival entered, and maestros took part in interviews.
When Amelia arrived in a splendid dress with President Stern and Yoon Kwang Hun on either arm, reporters gathered around her. She could become the main shot of an article just because she is Jun Hyuk’s girlfriend. Her image also makes a good picture.
***
“Alright. We have practiced so much that we don’t need to be nervous. What we need to do now is not to give a perfect performance without mistakes, but to show everyone what a great piece the choral concerto is.”
Maestro Carras was relaxed as he spoke his last words to the orchestra.
“Danny.”
“Yes, Maestro.”
Maestro Carras tapped Danny’s shoulder as he spoke,
“When today’s concert is over, your agent is going to become really busy.”
“Excuse me?”
Danny had not been able to shake off the anxiety yet and did not realize what Carras was saying right away.
“If you perform as you did in rehearsals, the world is going to go crazy. You’re going to have a flood of requests, since I’m already thinking of the violin concerto for next season’s repertoire.”
“Oh, thank you, Maestro.”
Danny gained confidence from a great maestro’s compliments, and was able to calm himself down.