Overture Magazine: 2016-2017 Season September - October 2016 | Page 62

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60 O v ertur e |

L aura Farmer

Richard Field

Viola Principal Emeritus
Turns out, he can fix stuff, too.
BSO Viola Principal Emeritus Richard Field has
always had an interest in how stuff works.
As a teen, young Field built a radio transmitter
from scratch and broadcast his music and musings
for neighbors. He fashioned an amplifier with
parts from old TV sets. And when he started
collecting Citroëns in his 20s, he became known
as Monsieur Mechanic when the French-made
cars stopped running.
“I feel like I could repair just about anything,”
says Field. Which is why, for as long as he can
remember, his handyman skills have been put to
good use.
During the many summers that Field performed as
the principal viola for the Grand Teton Music Festival,
for instance, he piled whomever of his five children
were available into his old Bluebird motor home
for a cross-country trip to Wyoming. Inevitably, the
old Bluebird would start sputtering halfway there,
requiring Field to serve as roadside mechanic.

In addition to being a decent grease-monkey,
Field also has a knack for building things, like the
attached garage he added to his home in 2005.
“I hired people to do the slab and foundation and
built the rest myself,” says Field. “It gave me such
an appreciation for people who build things. All of
them are artists, too.”
A career as a professional musician has, of course,
limited how much time he can devote to such
pursuits. But at the end of this season, Field can
exercise his tool-belt skills to his heart’s desire
when he retires after 38 seasons with the BSO.
“The Baltimore Symphony has been the love of my
life,” enthuses Field.

M itro H o o d

“Playing in the viola section for so many years has
shown me how absolutely first-class every single
player is,” says Field. “It’s been a great privilege.
Also, looking back, I can see that I’ve been riding
a pretty great wave with the BSO over the past
several decades. It’s been a great adventure.”

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