So this post is definitely way overdue, but I wanted to contribute something regarding my experience in St. Petersburg.  I was certainly excited about the idea of going to Russia the moment I found out I would be able to participate in the Kulmusik ensemble, but I would have never guessed that I would come away from the experience so enriched. 

One can really feel the history of such a place just upon entering the city with the way the old buildings and monuments were set up, and the canals added a sense of flare atypical of American cities.  The difference in the culture was also very apparent just by taking a walk down a few city blocks.  For our part, we had a rather busy week with many rehearsals in preparation for the concerts, trying to find some time to see the city a bit more, discovering and eating Russian food among other things.  I think my favorite part of the week was seeing the Russian Ballet.  In particular, the ballets by Russian composers were truly incredible, and to see them performed in that hall by some of the premiere Russian dancers was an unforgettable experience. 

On the musical side of things, I felt very honored to have the opportunity to play for an international music festival abroad.  We had a great program which seemed to be received very well by our audience, and having our ensemble come together to pull off this tour was very rewarding.  Just having the opportunity to work with some of our esteemed faculty was a reward in itself, and all of us in the group became very tight throughout the week.  Playing with the St. Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic was also an unbelievable experience for which I'm very grateful to have had.  It was an entirely new level of musical maturity which I had never had the opportunity to perform with until this trip. 

To sum things up, my trip to St. Petersburg was one of the most fulfilling and rewarding experiences of my life.  I was able to grow so much as a person and musician even though it seems like such a short amount of time that we had over there.  Working with the members of our ensemble was amazing and I would just like to thank each and every one of them for adding so much to this already great experience.

-Nate Gulla