Episode #26: Linda Numagami

Hello and welcome back to the Dominic Brancazio Podcast, where we talk about all things classical music! In this episode, we’re joined by my friend Linda Numagami. Linda is a professional violist, an active orchestral musician, chamber musician, and teacher currently living in Milwaukee. She has earned degrees from some of the most prestigious institutions including the New England Conservatory of Music, the Juilliard School, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She has performed in orchestras all across the United States including the St. Louis Symphony as acting-section violist in 2018, and has also performed with the San Francisco Symphony, the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, and now currently with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.

In today’s episode, we continue talking about practice strategies in the orchestra covering her instrument, the viola. We specifically go over how Linda got into music, her general approach to practicing, exercises she enjoys playing, how she uses timers in her practice sessions, her thoughts on warming up, how teaching students has helped her own practice, about some of the projects she created including the concert she co-created called “Silence Speaks,” and we also share our thoughts on how musicians can enhance the concert experience for audience members.

If you would like to learn more about Linda, please check out the link in the description below. I had so much catching up with Linda in this episode! We were great friends in college so when you hear the conversation, I hope you share in the laughter and fun we had along the way. She is an incredibly thoughtful and fun person to be around and I hope you all get as much out of the episode as I did. Thank you so much for listening and please enjoy the show!

To learn more about Linda:

https://www.clarinetmaestrofestival.org/linda-numagami