Art Supporting Budding Artists

Last week, my husband Larry and I went to Baltimore to donate one of his photographs to the Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestra (BSYO). The photograph, valued at $10,000, was given without any instructions as to what to do with it: the youth orchestra could choose to sell it in a live or silent auction, or hang onto it as an investment, or any other way the BSYO saw fit to use it. It is done in a style of abstract expressionism made up of multiple photographs, and is pictured below.

Unsure Fantastique by Lawrence D'Attilio

Larry named the photo “Unsure Fantastique”, after the famous “Symphonie Fantastique” five movement piece by French composer Hector Berlioz.

Unlike some youth orchestras, the BYSO is actually part of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and so shares some staff and has its own line items within the BSO budget. Our son, Aubrey, is principal Tuba in the BSO, and we’ve gotten to know many of the orchestra members and supporters over the years. When it became clear that Larry was a well-known fine art photographer, and we were asked to donate a piece, we didn’t hesitate. For one thing, Aubrey may not be where he is today had it not been for the outstanding training he received at the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra program, which I also participated in thirty years before him. And for another, Larry’s career included twenty-eight years in the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra as assistant principal bassoon. We needed to pay off that karmic debt.

We arrived at Meyerhoff Hall in downtown Baltimore last Sunday night, with the large (40x60”) framed photo. Staff helped us get it backstage, as it was to be unveiled just before the concert began. It was then moved to the lobby area for attendees to see up close during intermissions and after the concert.

Aubrey’s wife Emily and I went into the hall to listen to the younger of the two main orchestras. I have been to many “children’s” orchestra performances over the years, but this concert was on an elevated level. For one thing, they were playing real repertoire, such as the “Fantasia on a Theme By Thomas Tallis” (the second tier younger group) and Mahler’s Symphony #1, “The Titan” (the senior orchestra). For another, it wasn’t just good, it was stunning playing!

I remember performing the Titan as a student at Indiana University and finding it terrifically challenging. Now high school kids are tackling it, and doing it great justice. This says a lot about the program in Baltimore and other similar cities across our country. They are vital to the forward movement of our country.

The children piled out into the lobby after the concert, riding high on performance bliss with happy faces and high fives. There’s nothing like working hard for something like a concert and having it come off in an inspiring way, with plenty of chills along the way.

There was quite a bit of interest in the photo, with many people wanting to know how Larry managed to make a series of photographs into a cohesive piece of art, and others mistaking it for a painting.

We will be so gratified when it finds a home, and makes someone’s life “fantastique”!