Q & A with Vadim Karpinos
By Bethany Tillerson (photo credit: © Todd Rosenberg)

I was honored to participate in a short Q&A session with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Assistant Principal Timpani and Percussion, Vadim Karpinos, who has been a member of the symphony since 2001. Many thanks to him for being willing to answer my questions regarding his experience in the orchestra and a few of his thoughts on music!

Q: What is one of your favorite pieces of music to play?

Karpinos: There are so many–one of them is Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2. The timpani writing is so rich in color and expression. I look forward to performing it every opportunity that I get.

Q: What is one of your favorite things about being part of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra?

Karpinos: [One of my favorite things is] performing with my colleagues, who are highly committed to their art. The synergy created is magical.

Q: If you could spend one day with any composer who would it be?

Karpinos: I imagine a composer during their lifetime: in that case, Dmitry Shostakovich. I admire his incredible skill as a composer, speaking truth to power through musical expression, and his ability to stay alive under the most dire circumstances while contributing to the global community for generations.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is a favorite of our listeners here at The Classical Station. You can listen for their recordings every day by tuning in to WCPE 89.7 FM, or request that we play one through our All-Request Friday and Saturday Evening Request form! You can also learn more about Dmitri Shostakovich and his contributions to music through a review of M. T. Anderson’s Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad.