A Tucson native, violist Catherine Brubaker recalls her connection to Arizona

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s 2023 Winter Tour has a special meaning for viola Catherine Brubaker. The tour’s first stop is the Mesa Arts Center in Mesa, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix, and just 120 miles north of Tucson, her hometown. 

The Jan. 22 concert will mark the CSO’s first visit to Mesa, but it has performed in Arizona twice before: in 1973, at Arizona State University in Tempe, and in 1982, at the Tucson Community Center Music Hall, under Sir Georg Solti.

Before the CSO packed up and left on the road, Brubaker spoke about her connection to Arizona and the experience of touring.

What do you enjoy most about touring with the CSO?

One of the things I love most is the opportunity to explore different cities and to experience playing and seeing the different concert halls around the world. I find playing concerts on tour a special experience. I think the whole orchestra is more focused on the performance, maybe because it’s out of our norm, it’s a new venue with an entirely different audience. It is great to see Maestro Muti react to the excitement of a new place and audience.

What about your experience in Arizona helped to shape your path to becoming a professional musician and CSO member?

I’m excited to play in Arizona for the first time after a long career of touring with the CSO. This is a state where all my formative training happened. Tucson, where I am from, had a very strong music program in the school system when I was growing up. Also, very good private youth programs like Tucson Junior Strings and Philharmonia. All of this, along with some wonderful private teaching, gave me a strong base to build on. I was also fortunate enough to play with the Tucson Symphony for several years before I left for further study.

Are there friends or family who are looking forward to catching up with you at this performance?

I’m hoping that someone from my childhood past may show up at the concert. I didn’t spend a lot of time in the Phoenix metropolitan area growing up, but my parents had many friends from around the state.

What would you tell someone in your home state about why they should attend a CSO concert?

I hope that people in Arizona will come to hear our concert, although I’m sure there are many other great orchestras that come through on tour. The CSO has its own legacy and unique sound and has not played in Arizona in many years.

What is the first place you would go if you had two hours of free time during the tour stop in your home state?

I spent many summers in the Flagstaff area attending music camp at Northern Arizona University, and Sedona is a special place. And living in Chicago, I really miss the mountains. Walking on any kind of incline is not something we get to do too often in the Midwest.

I’m excited to be back in Arizona for a few days. I’m really fortunate to have some free time before our first concert. I’m going early with my husband and some other orchestra friends. We’re heading up to Sedona and hope to get some good hiking in and eat some great Southwestern food.