-written for a solo performance with the ECO on 10/12/12

I would like to dedicate my playing in this concert to my father: Wayne Rapier. His birthday was on October 12, 1930. He passed away in 2005. I miss his being in the audience here as he used to drive out from Massachusetts from time to time.Wayne Rapier was principal oboe of the Baltimore Symphony when I was born. He then went on to play with the Philadelphia Orchestra under the direction of Eugene Ormandy. That's when I fell in love with classical music even to the point of getting dressed every morning to a recording of Tchaikovsky 6th Symphony (scherzo). Wayne was Professor of Oboe at Oberlin Conservatory of Music for 5 years before winning a position in the Boston Symphony Orchestra. I was privileged to go with him to rehearsals and performances of chamber music in Oberlin. One of his colleagues saw me listening intently and commented to my father: “He is hopelessly going to be a classical musician!”The Boston Symphony gave me a beautiful dose of symphonic music playing to the highest degree. I loved hearing the orchestra, but especially the french horns. Dad set me up with a couple of great teachers from the BSO: Tom Newell helped me become more confident playing the french horn, and Ralph Pottle taught me much about playing musically. Dad gave me

my first on the road driving experiences on our way home from Boston to Duxbury (the South Shore) after many a concert when I was 14 years old and up! He also passed on to me a love of flying small aircraft and helped me earn a student pilot's license on my 16th birthday.Dad loved teaching students privately and also coaching them in varying sized ensembles, in spite of performing over 200 concerts a year. One summer he invited college students over to play some woodwind quintet music when I was in high school. I was terrified! But they were very kind to me. I have enjoyed playing in woodwind and brass quintets ever since then.After attending the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, I came to Cleveland to pursue Melody (a beautiful harpist, and now my wife!) and Master's degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music studying with one of the greatest orchestral horn players of all time: Richard Solis. My father encouraged me to audition for every orchestra within a 100 mile radius of where I lived. Bruce Morton Wright was kind enough to listen to me play for him and let me join Erie Chamber Orchestra in 1984. Bruce invited me to play several Mozart horn concerti with the ECO over the years. I will never forget his great love of music, his personal hospitality and unstoppable drive to provide free concerts to the most wonderful people of the greater Erie area.

Chris RapierPrincipal French Horn

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