50 Stories for 50 Years: Danielle Maddon
Story #1 — Concertmaster since 2000
Danielle Maddon moved to Boston to study violin performance at Boston University. Her teachers included the renowned violinist Rafael Drurian, who had been concertmaster for New York Philhamonic and the Cleveland Orchestra. Drurian invited her to Boston to join his studio on scholarship following her two Tanglewood fellowships. Mr. Drurian was a fountain of advice and experience who taught her the ropes of the concertmaster position. After he retired, he recommended Dani continue studies with violinist Bayla Keyes.
Both at Tanglewood, the LA Philharmonic Institute and at BU, Dani had formative concertmaster experiences with conductors Kurt Masur, Leonard Slatkin, Seiji Ozawa, Michael Tilson Thomas and Sir Charles Grove.
Once she began performing in Boston area orchestras and chamber groups, she discovered she was drawn to leadership roles.
During a lesson, Bayla Keyes mentioned that the NEP had an opening for a concertmaster, and Dani decided to audition. Richard Pittman knew of Dani from Tanglewood and from other local concerts, and he agreed to give her a try-out.
Dani auditioned with the complex and compelling "Chain 2, Dialogue for Violin and Orchestra" (1985) by Polish master Witold Lutoslawski, a demanding work that moves between free tempo, improvisation, wild modern violin techniques and strict meters. Dani remembers this performance as a “spirited dialogue with the orchestra”. On the same program, she performed concertmaster duties for Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream incidental music. All went well, and both Dick Pittman and the Orchestra welcomed her into this challenging and enriching leadership role.
Since then, Dani has performed a modern violin concerto annually (some 26 in all) with the NEP. A prominent Boston composer once called this annual concerto exploration "the Grand Tour.” Dani commends her NEP colleagues as “an absolute joy to work with”. “I strive to be an effective, positive leader, and to bring a sense of teamwork to the string section.”
Her years with the NEP have also included memorable collaborations with Richard Pittman and composers Bernard Hoffer, Andy Vores, and David Rakowski, including concertos written specifically for her. Among the performances she remembers most fondly are Alban Berg's Wozzeck and Violin Concerto and John Harbison's Violin Concerto.
During Dick Pittman’s tenure, Dani founded the NEP Chamber Players, creating programs in collaboration with the Boston Athenaeum, the Peabody Essex and Cape Ann Museums, and the Boston Children's Museum. On February 27th 2027, Tian and the Chamber Players will perform Bernard Hoffer's brilliant score synced to Buster Keaton's silent film "Sherlock Jr." at the Colonial Theater in Keene NH.
Following Richard Pittman's retirement and a music director search, NEP welcomed Tianhui Ng. Dani describes Tianhui as "wonderful for the orchestra; a creative artist with an expansive, global vision."
One of Dani’s favorite memories with Tianhui came during his audition performance with NEP. Dani was the violin soloist in Chen Yi's 2005 concerto, Spring in Dresden. Standing next to Tian, she remembers how she could hear the orchestra "shining" as Tian brought to life the dramatic spring storms depicted in Chen Yi’s work.
As another season begins, Dani looks forward to working with Tian and the NEP. “Always learning, growing through challenges, and working with excellent and trusted colleagues, the NEP feels like home to me.”