Wellington City Orchestra rehearsal, 2024. Inbal Megiddo plays the opening bars of Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No 1, with conductor Donald Maurice. Photo: Supplied / Wellington City Orchestra
Sometimes Rowena Cullen is so caught up in the excitement of the music she's making, she loses track of where she is.
Cullen has been part of the second violin section of Wellington City Orchestra, an amateur orchestra, for over a decade.
Rowena Cullen. When she's not playing second violin, she writes books about management with the likes of Graham Hassall (left). Photo: RNZ Pacific Johnny Blades
These days, the Emeritus Professor in Information Management at Victoria University also helps out in administration as the president of its committee.
Speaking to RNZ Concert host Bryan Crump ahead of the orchestra's next concert, Cullen says she loves the thrill of being in an orchestra.
Earlier this year, performing the storming third movement of Tchaikovsy's Pathetique Symphony, Cullen says she was so caught up in the musical excitement around her, for a moment she lost her place in the score.
Crump points out that for an amateur orchestra, the Wellington ensemble takes on pretty ambitious projects.
As well as Tchaikovsky's 6th symphony, this year's programme has included the Prelude to Wagner's opera Tristan and Isolde. And when it takes to the stage in St Andrew's on The Terrace on Sunday 8 December it'll play Lilburn's Overture: Aotearoa, Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No 1 (with soloist Inbal Megiddo) and Anthony Ritchie's mighty First Symphony.
St Andrew's on The Terrace. Go-to venue for the Wellington City Orchestra. Photo: Facebook - St Andrews on the Terrace
Cullen says while musically they might not match a professional orchestra, to be part of a performance of a great work can be just as profound an experience as sitting passively listening to it.
She says most of the members lead busy professional lives, yet still find the time and energy to rehearse once a week.
Cullen has no doubt skills learnt mastering an instrument flow over in other parts of a person's life.
She tells Crump she came "late" to the violin in her mid-teens. While she wasn't good enough to become a professional violinist, she didn't give it away, and returned to the violin once her children were older.
Crump asks Cullen if the main benefit is playing, why the concerts? Why not leave them to the professional orchestras?
Because it's always better to have a goal, she replies. Besides, there are some pretty good amateur players in the ensemble.
And the good news is, there's no shortage of talented musicians wanting to join.
