Chicago Classical Review

Many people have wondered where Robert Chen has been for the past several weeks.

After playing the opening week of the season in September, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s longtime concertmaster has been absent from all CSO performances, causing discussion and some concern among Orchestra Hall regulars.

The reason is nothing more than the usual reason that classical violinists sometimes need to take a break—a persistent repetitive-stress injury that needed time to heal.

“It started out as tendonitis in the rotator cuff,” said Chen. “Then the muscles got inflamed in the neck and shoulder areas.”

The technical diagnosis was nerve impingement caused by muscular inflammation and rotator cuff tendonitis. 

“It got really bad,” he said. “When I first went to the physical therapist, I could barely lift my arm. It was radiating pain.”

The prescription is nothing novel or exciting, Chen said. Primarily just taking time off to rest and doing a variety of exercises to regain flexibility in his arm and shoulder.

He sees a physical therapist twice a week for massage and exercises to stretch the muscles and nerves around the neck and left shoulder. Chen says he also does exercises with bands and a gyroball art home two to three times a day.

 “The therapist prescribed a lot of exercises, which I’ll probably have to do for the rest of my life,” he said. “It’s just about getting strength back in my arm and my hand.”

“I’m sorry to miss a lot of the music-making,” Chen said. “I was especially unhappy about missing Maestro Muti’s weeks.”

Associate concertmaster Stephanie Jeong has done a fine job holding down the first-chair fort in Chen’s absence. Still, most CSO patrons will be heartened to see the orchestra’s popular concertmaster return to duty.

The good news is that the violinist—who is marking his 25th anniversary season as concertmaster—will be back soon.

“It’s much better now,” he said. “I should be able to return in a couple weeks.”

While involuntarily off the past two months, Chen said he took the rare opportunity to attend a CSO concert and hear his colleagues from the other side of the stage. “It was very different,” he said with a laugh. “They sounded pretty good!”

__________

Yevgeny Faniuk, who was appointed CSO assistant principal flute in 2022, was denied tenure before the start of the season. Hence his name missing from the CSO roster.

In other CSO high wind news, Walfrid Kujala, longtime CSO piccolo player, died November 10 at the age of 99.

Fritz Reiner hired Kujala as assistant principal flute in 1954. Three years later Kujala became principal piccolo, a position he held for 44 seasons until 2001, serving under Reiner, Jean Martinon, Sir Georg Solti, and Daniel Barenboim.

Frank Villella’s remembrance of Kujala can be read here.

Posted in News
No Comments