'There's no point pushing to find the right orchestra. It's like a relationship and needs to happen naturally'
THE BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE INTERVIEW
Back in the late 2000s, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO) was on the lookout for a new chief conductor to follow in the footsteps of Marin Alsop. A young Ukrainian had made an impression on the band, so they invited him back for a tour to test his mettle. But Kirill Karabits's schedule was tight: he'd have to hot-foot it from a concert in São Paulo, Brazil, to Poole overnight. Things didn't quite go to plan. Before his flight, he was eating with some Ukrainian acquaintances. And they gave me fresh peanuts, which I'd never had before. Twenty minutes later, my face was unrecognisable,' he says. Undeterred and not so unwell he couldn't fly, he hopped on the plane and put in his earplugs to get a good kip. But thanks to his swollen face, one of them became stuck. And so, I had to go to hospital in Poole to take it out. All before the first rehearsal. It was an unusual start. But it went well, and I thought, if I can survive this and still finish the week, something special could happen. Life was throwing me a test.'
This story is from the December 2023 edition of BBC Music Magazine.
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This story is from the December 2023 edition of BBC Music Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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