Armenne Derderian
Peter Sheckman and Armenne Derderian have plenty of tales to tell from their thirty years with the Boston Philharmonic. Both are amateur cello players who were part of the orchestra’s original founding group of musicians, and they have been stand partners for nearly all of their time with the BPO. They arrive for dinner with BPO Program Book Editor Pamela Feo brimming with entertaining stories, but behind Armenne’s amusing commentary and Peter’s mild-mannered demeanor, both reveal a deep and sincere love for the orchestra, as they reflect upon their favorite memories in tones that are at times nostalgic, at times wickedly humorous.
“I think it’s very important to have a good connection with your stand partner,” Armenne says, speaking of her and Peter’s experience sharing the same stand. “You have a good sense of where you are together, musically. You have to feel comfortable with each other’s styles because if you do make a mistake—” “Which never happens! Never!” jokes Peter, “—you have to know it’s not going to throw the other one,” finishes Armenne. Armenne and Peter’s good rapport as stand partners clearly carries over into their friendship off the stage. They play off each other with ease and familiarity in their conversation, nodding in agreement, picking up where the other left off and interjecting to emphasize each other’s points, falling into their own rhythm of comfortable exchange.
As Boston Philharmonic veterans, Peter and Armenne have taken part in nearly every BPO concert during its thirty years. The request to name their favorite performances is met with smiles. “You first,” Peter nods to Armenne, but not surprisingly, Mahler performances spring to mind for both of them. “I think the highlight of my career was Mahler 3 at Symphony Hall,” says Armenne. Every note of that performance was done correctly, and I was so connected to the whole piece. I compare a lot of concerts to that one. Maybe Mahler 2 this year will be like that.” “The one I remember best is Mahler 5; I think it was the early eighties,” says Peter. “We also did Mahler 8 at Carnegie. It was the first time we went to Carnegie Hall.” Peter glows with the memory of his excitement. “That was huge, it was this lifetime event to be playing at Carnegie.” Here Peter digresses into a story about a cello player who fainted at the Carnegie Hall rehearsal, and this memory sends him and Armenne down a winding lane of memories of incidents that have become BPO legend. Guest artists, as well as their fellow orchestra members, have provided Armenne and Peter with a trove of stories. “For me it was just unforgettable having Yo Yo Ma play with us,” said Peter. “At the start of the first rehearsal with him, he was a bit late and he started by playing in the back of the room,” recalls Armenne. “He played the opening notes, and we jumped—we had no idea he was there! Then there was the time Arnold Steinhardt got to the concert late because his flight was delayed and we had to reverse the order of the concert, remember that? He came into the hall still putting his tuxedo on!”
Looking back on how the BPO has developed in its thirty years, both Peter and Armenne note that it has become more professional in that it has a greater number of professional players and has a stronger administrative team, but they agree that the orchestra retains the sense of a warm community which has been present from its earliest days, when the BPO was founded in the spirit of fearless music making by a group of passionate players. Peter says, “As a community we have become very good friends with each other and over the years we’ve supported each other through a lot of life. Everybody goes through lots of life. Every one of us, every time something has happened, go into this community of people who are very, very supportive.” Both point out that the orchestra’s unique atmosphere is largely due to its mix of students, amateurs and professionals, and that they are all brought together by their loyalty to the group. “The orchestra has developed so naturally as a community, like a flower, and it’s getting better and better all the time. Every aspect of it is fabulous. There have been hairy times but we’ve always managed to get through them because everyone puts the orchestra first,” says Armenne.
To hear Peter and Armenne speak about the profound effect that music has on their lives is to understand why the amateurs play in the orchestra when it is not their full-time profession: they play for the sheer love of the music. “Music is the core of my existence. If I don’t have music I don’t feel like I am alive,” Peter says with gravity, and Armenne agrees: “You just wonder how anyone can live without it.” Peter explains how the varied professions of the amateur players make a unique contribution to the orchestra: “When I was in my residency for internal medicine, I got such a sense of humanity learning about all my patients. I think that when I hear Ben describe for people the tragedy of Mahler’s life I feel as though I’ve seen it, breathed it, felt it, in the medical field. It brings something to music that is very different from what someone else’s experiences will bring.” “Maybe everybody gets hooked onto the music by whatever’s important in their own life,” reflects Armenne. “And when you find that and it makes things happen with your music, suddenly you’re on another level with your playing. Whether creating music alone or creating it with the orchestra, it’s special.” “It’s true, the intense emotion you feel in the music is coming from somewhere, and the other things you’re doing in life can only make it richer,” finishes Peter.
As if sensing that something was missing during their stretch of somber reflection, Peter suddenly remarks that they hadn’t mentioned what he calls “one of the key things that happen at our stand.” Armenne leans in eagerly to find out what he means, and Peter says “We laugh like hell.” At that, he and Armenne burst into laughter at this simple but accurate depiction of the fun they have. “Not that we don’t pay attention!” Peter rushes to clarify. “But a bit of joking is allowed because Ben has a wonderful sense of humor. He tells terrific jokes.” “And we try to bring in as many people as we can with us,” picks up Armenne. “I think the amateurs bring together the professionals and the students. We don’t allow everyone to section off. And the laughter adds to the feeling of community too, and then it’s not just another gig,” she continues, reflective again. Peter reiterates why the orchestra is so important to the two of them. “For Armenne and me, this is the playing that we do. It isn’t as if we’re playing all day long; this is the center of it,” he says, and Armenne nods, saying, “I don’t do any other music because I don’t want to go to any other orchestra to play. I can’t bear the thought of it. I’m not saying that this is the only game in town but it’s the only game in town that I want to have anything to do with.”
Written by Pamela Feo
Armenne is also a member of the Board of Directors. To visit her Board biography, click here.