Musician Spotlight
Joseph Beverly, new clarinet/bass
clarinet
Linda Simon Hall, violinist
Violinist Linda Simon Hall is The Florida Orchestra’s very own
quilting master (@thequiltingviolinist). Here are a few more things
you probably didn’t know about Linda:
Joined TFO: October 1987
Originally from: White Plains, N.Y.
Education: Received her bachelor’s degree from the Peabody
Conservatory and her master’s degree from Northwestern
University.
If you could redesign the food pyramid without any dire health
consequences, how would it look?
Since we’re suspending reality here, it has a coffee base and is
covered in chocolate icing. The rest of it doesn’t really matter.
If you were to write an autobiography, what would it be called?
“You’re Going to Love It.” I say this so often at work that some
of my colleagues have threatened to have this engraved on my
tombstone.
When and how did you start quilting?
I took a beginner quilting class at a local quilt shop completely
on a whim in 1994. I enjoyed it and stuck with it. Fast forward to
2010: I was still quilting, and TFO was reeling from the economic
downturn. A dramatically shortened season meant that all of
the musicians had to figure out how to fill in the gaps in our
schedule. I viewed it as a heartbreaking event that also presented
an opportunity: less work as a violinist meant I was going to have
more time for quilting, so I took the plunge and opened my online
store! http://www.TheQuiltingViolinist.etsy.com
What has been your favorite piece of quilt you have ever made?
I love all of my quilts so I don’t have a favorite, but this one has a
nice story attached to it: It was a custom order made out of dog
kerchiefs that the customer had accumulated from 25 years of
going to the groomer!
What would you like the future of TFO to look like?
Since I joined TFO 30 years ago the communities that we serve
have grown tremendously, and if we want to be viewed as relevant
and important, we have to grow as well.
Can you remember the first classical concert you listened to?
Here’s a picture of what was probably my first classical concert,
in which coincidentally I was also performing. I was 3 and the
repertoire was (more than likely) “Twinkle”. You’ll be relieved to
learn that I’ve since learned how to play without my slip showing.
THE FLORIDA ORCHESTRA | 2018-2019 3617