Peterborough Ontario

Alberto and I took a trip yesterday to the beautiful city of Peterborough exploring some of my old haunts. I dragged Alberto all over Trent, then downtown to The Planet Bakery and then to the Silver Bean Cafe right on the river.

Peterborough Ontario

We were on the way back to the car when we both spotted a man carrying a violin case who was walking quickly several meters away from us. Alberto, always ready to speak to a potential client, and I began to pursue this stranger like spies ducking into a black door where the violinist had disappeared only moments before.


We found ourselves on the stage of the Showplace Performance Centre surrounded by musicians of the Peterborough Symphony setting up for rehearsal. In his element and without worry about his language limitations, Alberto immediately began speaking with any string player within reach. I was a bit nervous about the situation, but found that in this half hour before the rehearsal began the members of the PSO were welcoming and kind to us, two strangers who had essentially gate-crashed the place.

Showplace Performance Centre, George Street, Peterborough

We stayed through the first part of the rehearsal and had the chance to hear the soloist Bin Huang (violinist) work on Robert Gauldin's Violin Concerto, an original, vivacious piece dedicated to the PSO. The composer was at the theatre and gave his comments to this amazing, passionate soloist and to the orchestra which had clearly put in a great deal of time to interpret the piece precisely and beautifully. Unfortunately, Alberto and I had to back to Kingston early in the evening and did not have the chance to see the complete concert.