"Gabriela is a world-class violinist and we're fortunate to have her," says Maestro Irving Fleming, who will conduct Demeterova in Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto. "She has performed with us before and is always very, very well-received."
Demeterova, who began playing the violin at the age of 3 and performing at 5, is matter-of-fact about her talents.
"It's fun," she says from her home in Prague, where she was in the midst of packing for a trip to Paris. "And playing the Tchaikovsky will be extra fun, because it's probably the most romantic of all violin concertos."
Although she performs with orchestras throughout the world, Demeterova is particularly fond of the Scottsdale Symphony.
"This will be my fifth time playing with the orchestra," she says. "Maestro Fleming heard a tape of mine when I was only 15, and the next thing you know, I was on my way to Arizona. Oh, I was so thrilled! It's always nice there, but it is especially nice to play in Scottsdale in the winter!"
Because of her immense talent and dramatic flair while playing, Demeterova has found herself more and more in demand with U.S. orchestras. After her Scottsdale appearance, she will perform with the Knoxville (Tenn.) Symphony, the Cincinnati Symphony, as well as at the Missouri Summer Festival and the San Francisco Mozart Festival.
And for even more concert thrills, popular guest conductor Warren Cohen will lead the orchestra in Beethoven's Symphony No. 7, and music adviser Michael Dixon will conduct Moussorgsky's "Night on Bald Mountain."
One of the most intriguing highlights of the Scottsdale Symphony's 2001-2002 season has been the performances/ auditions of conductors, one of whom will eventually take Maestro Fleming's place. Cohen, a Cave Creek resident, is currently the musical director of the Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra, and has proven to be a highly popular contender for the job.