Hi, my name is Kevin Lin. I’m the concertmaster and first violin with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, which means I lead the orchestra in tuning before concerts and play violin solos.
Day One
9 a.m. The day begins at Downtown Dental for my bi-annual teeth cleaning. I love that the staff here have seen me on stage at Hilbert Circle Theatre. I walk in and they’re asking about exciting shows coming up and also keeping me up to date with their children’s musical endeavors.
10 a.m. With my teeth feeling fresh (and a stern scolding about flossing), I walk over to Hilbert Circle Theater to teach a Zoom lesson. Auditions are always taking place around the country, and so friends and students often ask me for lessons and feedback. It’s nice to finally be on the other side, where I’m not the one auditioning, but the one doing the judging!
Noon. My much-better-half texts, “Hey, meet me at Yats!” The thought of a half/half of B&B and Maque choux is irresistible.
7 p.m. Tonight is Game 4 against the Cavaliers. I put on my Pacers #33 Myles Turner jersey and head over to Ralston’s Drafthouse on Mass Ave. With NBA tickets being pricey, Ralston’s is the next best thing. I walk into a sea of yellow and blue, and immediately am part of the family. A couple mango White Claws and chicken wings later, we beat the Cavaliers 129-109. No better way to end the night!
Day Two
8 a.m. I roll out of bed to the sound of text notifications. My running partner: “meet at canal?” With a slight headache and salt-induced bloat, I put on my running gear. Nothing like starting the day with a 5K to detox from the night before.
11 a.m. At Hilbert Circle Theatre, I take a quick look at the music that we’ll be playing this week. Rehearsals usually start on Wednesday, and this week is Dvorak Violin Concerto with International Violin Competition of Indianapolis winner Richard Lin. After intermission, it’s Rachmaninoff’s 2nd Symphony. Having worked with the London Philharmonic previously, I’m lucky that most of the repertoire are things I’ve performed before.
4 p.m. Feeling productive from the practice session earlier. I take it easy and find some time to lounge around with my cat, Chauncey. He’s a blind, senior cat from IndyHumane, and the absolute best. Some couch time with Chauncey and “Suits” on Netflix round out my night.
Day Three
8:30 a.m. The sounds of the hair dryer and makeup bottles banging together in the bathroom are a reminder that my fiancée needs to be at work by 9. We’re lucky to be working together, but for the sake of carpooling, I end up at work earlier than necessary. She’s awesome and I’m happy to commute to work together … but waking up is just hard sometimes.
10 a.m. Keitaro Harada is our guest conductor, and with a quick flick of his baton we dive straight into Rachmaninov’s 2nd Symphony. It’s an amazing piece of music that lasts about an hour, depending on the tempos we take.
12:30 p.m. Rehearsals are done for the day. We managed to do a full run through and work on the problem spots in each movement. Keitaro is efficient at working on problem spots, so rehearsal went by quickly.
6 p.m. Quick text to my gym buddy CJ, and we’re over at North Mass Boulder getting a lift in. With my wedding around the corner, he’s making sure I stay on top of it. At the end of the session I convince him to grab a drink at Ralston’s to watch Game 5 of Pacers vs. Cavaliers. It didn’t take much to convince him.
Day Four
10 a.m. 2018 Indianapolis Violin Competition winner Richard Lin is rehearsing with us. For those of us in the classical violin industry, the competition, which happens every four years, is one of the highest regarded in the world. Young soloists come from all over to have a shot at this title, and if they win, see their careers slingshot. Within the first couple notes, it’s very clear why he won this competition.
12:30 p.m. Quick lunch — the usual options are what’s on Washington Street.Today we go with the tried-and-true Chipotle, followed by Illumine Coffee before rehearsal at 1:30 p.m. The barista at Illumine already knows my order: a double espresso and a cup of sparkling water.
1:30 p.m. We’re back to rehearsing the Rachmaninov Symphony. Immediately, you can hear the improvement, as my colleagues went home last night and worked on their individual problem spots. It’s an amazing thing to hear how this orchestra improves day by day.
Day Five
10 a.m. We’re back at Hilbert Circle Theatre to put the final touches to our concert before the show at 7 p.m.
7 p.m. Show time. I’m standing backstage with Richard and Keitaro along with a handful of staff members. I get the nod from the stage manager as he pulls open the stage door. I hastily walk out to tune and prep the orchestra.
7:45 p.m. Oh yeah, today is my birthday. Keitaro surprises me by having the orchestra and audience sing “Happy Birthday” to me and a fellow colleague. This is a birthday I will not forget — here’s to 32!
9 p.m. The concert ends. Richard was stunning, as was Keitaro. The post-concert reception is at Oceanaire just down the street. It’s always a treat to share a meal with the guest artists after their performance, and many times we’re catching up from not seeing each other for many years!
Day Six
7:30 a.m. I drop my lovely fiancée off at Indianapolis International Airport as she heads to Connecticut for her bridal shower.
9 a.m. I’m at 54th and Monon at Breadworks to begin my run with my running buddy. Planning to do a 4-mile run … but we’ll see.
5 p.m. Back to Hilbert Circle Theatre to play our second and last concert for the week. It’s been a fantastic week with both our guest artists, and I think the audience and the orchestra would like to see them back in the near future.
8 p.m. As I’m going home solo tonight, I text a couple of friends to grab food and drinks after our “work week” is done. Tonight the hang is at Julieta Taco Shop and Turner’s Bar at The Stutz.
Day Seven
5 a.m. I’m headed to Indianapolis International Airport. Flying to Singapore for the week to work with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra! It’s my other “home orchestra” as I do a number of weeks with them every year. Looking forward to the 23-hour travel time and spending time with my other orchestra!
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