Karina Castañeda
At thirty-seven, Karina Castañeda can tell from the first scrape after a rest whether the second stand has adopted a new down-bow. She still holds a grudge against the dental office where she spent six years calling patients from the sterilization bay, because that was where a quartet corrected her bowing at rehearsal mark 42 and denied the change at the next rehearsal.
Articles by Karina Castañeda
Retirement-Age Conductor Refuses to Acknowledge Existence of Music Written After 1900
The 81-year-old maestro has programmed exclusively pre-20th-century repertoire for 34 consecutive seasons and recently described Stravinsky as 'an unsubstantiated rumor.'
Music Critic Attends Wrong Concert, Writes Glowing Review of Piece That Wasn't Performed
The review, which praised the 'luminous string writing in the Sibelius Second,' ran in the Sunday edition despite the orchestra having performed the Sibelius Fifth, a work the critic apparently also enjoyed but failed to identify.
Second Violinist Hasn't Been Heard in 14 Years, Colleagues Unsure If He Still Plays
The musician, who sits at the back of the second violin section, has attended every rehearsal and performance since 2012 but has not produced an audible note according to stand partners, section leaders, or recording equipment.