One of Rockville Centre’s own to return as violin soloist

On May 22 at 8 p.m., an extraordinary event will take place at South Side Middle School: The South Shore Symphony will play Brahms’ Violin Concerto and Rockville Centre native Nadya Tichman will be the soloist.

This event is extraordinary because Tichman is the renowned associate concertmaster of the San Francisco Symphony conducted by the famous Michael Tilson Thomas. Tichman will perform from the same stage where she played as a member of the junior high school orchestra some 40 years ago. It will be her homecoming — she has never played publicly in the village since her graduation from South Side High School 34 years ago.

I have known Ms. Tichman ever since she started first grade at Wilson Elementary School with my daughter. They became good friends during their 12 years in the Rockville Centre school system. Nadya began playing the violin when she was a fourth-grader at Wilson and played for both the junior high (as it was then known) and South Side orchestras. She lived on Muirfield Road with her parents and two sisters — all professional musicians.

Following her graduation from South Side High School, Nadya entered the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where she studied under luminary artists such as Jaime Laredo and Ivan Galamian. After receiving her degree in 1980, she secured a job as violinist with the San Francisco Symphony. She is now in her 30th year with the orchestra.

Her rise through the orchestra’s ranks has been consistent and spectacular. From the back of the string section, she steadily moved up over the years to the point where in 1990 she was appointed associate concertmaster. For three years (1998-2001), Tichman filled in as the orchestra’s acting concertmaster. She enjoys rock star status in the San Francisco music community. When I visited the city last fall, you could see her face beaming down on you from utility pole poster flags advertising the orchestra on every downtown block .

Her accomplishments are too numerous to mention completely. But in 1995, Tichman was invited by Sir Georg Solti, the famous music director of the Chicago Symphony, to be a member of the orchestra "Musicians of the World" which gave a special concert in Geneva commemorating the 50th anniversary of the United Nations.

Tichman, who plays a 1724 Stradivarius purchased for her exclusive use by the San Francisco Orchestra, has performed as soloist with the San Francisco Symphony on many occasions, most recently in April 2009 in Vaughan-Williams' “The Lark Ascending.” That performance was selected by the San Francisco Chronicle’s music critic Joshua Kosman, in a year end review of classical music (12/27/09) as one of the top ten San Francisco concert events of 2009. (She was mentioned fourth and said to have set a “personal best”).

Tichman has participated in the Aspen Music Festival, Grand Teton Music Festival, Chamber Music West, the Olympic Music Festival, Music in the Vineyards and the Gualala Summer Arts Festival. In addition, she was a founding member of the Donatello Quartet and co-director of Chamber Music Sundaes.

A champion of contemporary music, she has had pieces dedicated to her by composers Peter Schickele and Jim Lahti. Recently she premiered a duet written for her and her husband, guitarist John Imholz, by composer Allen Shearer.

Tichman is an artist of the highest caliber in addition to being a highly intelligent woman with a pleasing, laid-back personality featuring beauty and a ready smile. Thus, if you want to hear great music and, at the same time, welcome back one of Rockville Centre’s own, come to concert to welcome Nadya and to enjoy what promises to be a memorable, quality musical event.