Christopher Dozoryst, Principal Viola, has been performing with the Madison Symphony Orchestra since 2006. Chris holds the James F. Crow Chair. This Q&A is part of our Home Is Where the Art Is series of artist stories featuring our musicians.
How do you prepare for concert rehearsals?
Practice, of course! Whenever possible, I like to begin learning a concert program a full week prior to the first rehearsal. For very demanding programs, even more lead time if I can swing it! Since I sit in a principal seat, it is very important that I at least look like I know what I’m doing.
Describe the things you do to warm up before rehearsal.
I always try to allow for variables. Bad weather, traffic, construction, farm vehicles, you name it! I prefer to arrive with a generous amount of time to get settled. Our concert seasons run through the winter months, so warming up in every regard is important. It can be very challenging to play tricky passages with cold hands!
Tell us about what you most love to do outside of your career as a musician.
I am a die-hard road tripper and fitness enthusiast. While travel is completely on hold for the time being, I still start the day with a five mile run. I also immensely enjoy the company of friends and family, and long to have that back.
What do your daily or weekly routines look like these days?
I home-school my 4th grade daughter Lily and 2nd grade son Trevor during the week. They miss their classmates, but are enjoying the more “relaxed” curriculum that I am administering! My wife Shannon works from home, so I get my office back in the late afternoon hours. I practice daily; lots of scales, etudes, and things of a more technical nature. Gotta keep the cobwebs off! And a full hour of every day is devoted to cardio; this is vital for maintaining a robust immune system. All that said, we VERY MUCH look forward to getting back out into the wider world once it is acceptable to do so.