Ed Meltzer
Hometown: Newton, Mass.
Year joined the BPO: 1986
Hobbies other than music: Skiing, certified ski instructor at New England Disabled Sports at Loon Mountain in Lincoln, NH. Sailing and power boating.
Earliest musical memory: Played the drums in kindergarten at Bowen Elementary School in Newton Mass. Taught by Ms. Taylor, one of the great music teachers. Years later, she sang in the Tanglewood Festival Chorus in a performance of Mahler 2nd at which I was also playing in the BSO percussion section.
What's on your iPod? Porcupine Tree, a British Indy rock band. Dream Theater. Fusion Jazz like Mike Stern and Yellow Jackets and lots of BPO recordings.
Other than performing music, I've always thought it would be fun to be a: Ski guide in the Rockies.
Who is one person from musical history (living or deceased) you'd like to have dinner with, and why? Shostakovich. His 5th symphony was my first real love, performed at Tanglewood during my first visit as a kid. It is still one of my favorites. He had such a storied life. I would love to discuss the passion he put into his music.
Funniest concert experience: I will think about it and come back to it later…