Ming Luke, Conductor

An unexpected Serenade and ‘s Carmina Burana! Couldn’t have had a better time meeting with old friends, including former student , a whole contingent of (and appearance of ), (finally musically worked together!!), TianTian from . But meeting new friends and discovering the best of Birmingham really made it an exceptional week. was wonderful to work with and is such a fantastic orchestra. .adams brought so much character and color to this often abused score, Carmina can be finicky with lots of moving parts, and Quint, the chorus, dancers, and musicians made it not only easy to put together, but also incredibly musically satisfying. Paired with ‘s creativity and musicality - its no wonder there were standing ovations each nights.

And… some absolutely amazing restaurants - lots of wonderful things happening in Birmingham!

Timeless classic for a reason! ‘s Swan Lake with and . Will never tire of this potent score, and it’s always inspiring to see the hard work and dedication dancers and ballet companies put into iconic work. Always feels like a true collaboration and it makes every performance engaging and of the moment. Congrats to - beautiful dancing and beautiful music from the - let’s enjoy the run!!

Such gratification and joy from at the end of a thrilling run of three Balanchine classics - Diamonds, Serenade, and Stars and Stripes. Amazed at how the company manage this marathon at a full sprint with such precision, artistry, and (especially with Stars and Stripes) electric energy. And a very touching tribute to have flags from each of our backgrounds. Hopefully everybody is resting and recovering today!!!

Catching up on various events over the last few weeks - a few shots of the sold out concerts conducting ‘s playing ‘s brilliant orchestrations and on the keys! Beautiful music in a gorgeous venue with great people… what more could you want?