Retiring Musician Spotlight: Q&A with Ellen Dinwiddie Smith
Ellen Dinwiddie Smith—who became the Minnesota Orchestra’s first-ever female brass player upon joining the ensemble in 1993—retires this summer after a trailblazing career during which she held both low and high horn chairs, a rare feat among major orchestras. Here she shares a variety of favorite memories, plans for retirement, reflections on more than three decades of service to the Orchestra and more.
As you think back to the start of your Minnesota Orchestra career, what memories of that first year have stuck with you?
In the first summer I performed with the Minnesota Orchestra, we had three to four different programs every week, with the addition of complete chamber music programs. I played everything and was thrilled to be immersed in the music! One night, we had a 7 p.m. concert and played two Beethoven symphonies and at a 9 p.m. concert we performed two more! There was so much music swirling around in my brain that when I slept, I dreamt about it.
The most memorable concert I’ve ever played was Mahler’s Second Symphony during the 1994 Sommerfest. After the famous Wunderhorn song, the Urlicht (Primeval Light) bridge to the last movement, the finale begins. The brass and percussion are supremely loud with a dramatic musical depiction of the Resurrection, followed by an ominous and blaring march, and then silence. My first son, Alex, in utero, did not move or react during all of this very loud and crashing music. It was only at that magical moment where Mahler introduces the human voice—a massed chorus singing their very softest, the Minnesota Chorale whispered “Auferstehen” with a magical quality in their voices, a fervent feeling of hope everlasting. It is a spine-tingling moment for even the most experienced musician, and it was only then that Alex stirred in my womb for the first time—and not just a little—he started drumming and doing somersaults. What an amazing moment! Music speaks to and moves us all, even before birth!
Can you name a few other favorite concert memories?
I brought a newborn to Carnegie Hall and the West Coast on two memorable tours. (Our sons are 30 and 28 now.) Other tours included Florida, Symphony Hall in Boston, Orchestra Hall in Chicago, the Tanglewood festival, Japan, Europe, South Africa, the Midwest and cities throughout Minnesota. The South Africa tour was an incredible trip. It reinforced to me how powerful music can be in connecting people though the power of music. South Africans were so open and expressive—the choirs that joined us brought an infectious energy to our performances! Amongst the bullet-riddled walls, the tune Shosholoza brought the audience into the aisles dancing and lifted spirits.
Favorite concerts include Bruckner symphonies with the late Conductor Laureate Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, the YL Male Voice Choir of Finland singing Sibelius’ Kullervo and Finlandia with Osmo Vänskä. The Minnesota Chorale's Brahms Requiem with Roger Norrington (played on natural horns!), Maya Angelou joining us for family concerts and Alan Page joining us for Copland’s Lincoln Portrait. Edo de Waart’s Flying Dutchman production and Mozart’s Magic Flute opera semi-staged, conducted by David Zinman. Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel that featured In the Heart of the Beast’s large puppets. Strauss’ Elektra semi-staged opera and Schumann’s Konzertstück for four horns with my colleagues (two different times!).
My favorite tour concert was at the Philharmonie in Berlin (Romeo and Juliet with Osmo), where my sons and husband surprised me and showed up in the middle of the tour and sat behind me in the audience. My favorite chamber music memory is Eleanor Alberga’s Shining Gate of Morpheus for horn and string orchestra. I played this piece with my colleagues on a live broadcast, sitting socially distanced (we were far apart!). The performance was one of the first TPT televised, so it was terrifying and exhilarating!
The opportunity to record Beethoven, Sibelius and Mahler’s symphony cycles with Osmo has been a highlight. My favorite recording memory was Mahler 7, the Nachtmusik movement that starts with the first and third horn call and response. The joy of performing that movement with my longtime colleague Michael Gast will remain in my soul forever.
What are some ways you’ve noticed the Orchestra has changed over the years?
One of the best things to come out of the pandemic is our partnership with Ashleigh Rowe and the team at TPT to broadcast our This Is Minnesota Orchestra concerts. I’m so thankful to the board and staff for making this a reality! We also have a fantastic social media team and really creative content.
What activities are on your to-do list after retiring from the Orchestra?
I’ll be teaching horn at the University of Minnesota and privately, scuba diving at the 16,000-gallon aquarium at Scheels in Eden Prairie, and working as a health coach. I also plan on volunteering, playing with my mini-schnauzers, focusing on underwater photography skills (while scuba diving!), and spending time with my husband, conductor Mark Russell Smith, and family.
What do you think you’ll miss most about being a musician in the Minnesota Orchestra?
Looking back, I feel incredibly fortunate to have worked alongside such talented colleagues. I am grateful that our strong reputation enabled us to attract some of the best musicians from around the world. Our recent recordings of all of the Mahler, Beethoven, and Sibelius Symphonies and tours across Asia, Europe, and South Africa have been the “icing on the cake” for my career. I’ll miss playing all the incredible repertoire with these marvelous musicians and working with our outstanding staff and stage crew. I’ll miss all the activities and volunteers in the Hall. I also recognize how the vision of our board brought everything together—they truly deserve a standing ovation for their contributions.
How did you become interested in your hobby of underwater diving, and do you see any connections between that and your musical career?
I grew up in a military family, and when I was young, we lived in Florida and Hawaii, which must be why I took to diving the first time I tried it. Now that I have over 1,000 dives, it is clear that I am passionate about the ocean and scuba diving. I love the quiet and the intense feeling that time seems to slow down. One must focus on many details while navigating the astounding beauty. The ability to control one’s breathing is essential in brass playing and diving, and remaining calm under challenging circumstances is paramount. I’ve met many extraordinary people from all walks of life on my dive trips and have made lifelong friends. I’ve learned so much about our world and how connected we are to the deepest oceans—we depend on it for our every breath!
Is there anything you want to say about our dedicated Minnesota Orchestra audiences?
I’ll never forget the concert that ended the lockout—it was overwhelming to see the Finnish flags and the solidarity colors (including face paint!) and be welcomed by the deafening roar of the hometown crowd. Reflecting on it all, the most rewarding aspect of my time here was bringing relevant and exceptional music to our fantastic and supportive community in Minnesota. This audience will hold my heart forever.
