The Musicians
Barbara Engle (Violin)
Member of the JSO: Since 1983
Hometown: Philadelphia
Education: Philadelphia Musical Academy
Why the Violin? My public elementary school had an instrumental music program, and the music teacher made a presentation about this in my third grade classroom. I was always curious and interested in anything new, and this was no exception. But in order to qualify for an instrument and instruction I had to pass a musical aptitude test. Over the course of a year I failed the test four times. On the fourth try, the teacher shrugged his shoulders and told me I had no talent but because I was so persistent he’d let me try. When he asked me which instrument I wanted to play, I was so afraid he’d say he didn’t have any of the one I’d pick, I responded by asking him what he had the most of. “Violins,” he said. I said, “I’ll take one of those.”
Performance Background: I spent about 12 years freelancing in Philadelphia and the Denver area before getting serious about taking symphony orchestra auditions. As a freelancer, I played just about every kind of music there is—from recording studio jingles to grand opera and experimental theatre. Freelancing was a very important part of my music education. Prior to the JSO, I worked with the Puerto Rico Symphony, the Festival Casals Orchestra, and played in a large salsa band in San Juan, where I recorded a song for voice, guitar and violin with singer Americo Bocchetti that became a No. 1 radio hit. Was a founding member of Camerata Pro Femina, a chamber group dedicated to the performance of music by women composers.
Memorable moment with JSO: It was very late at night and we were returning to Jacksonville after an out of town concert. We had just departed a rest stop when, a few minutes later, the bus was pulled over by the state police. It seems we had left one of us behind and had to go back for him. According to the police officer, he had been running after the bus as it was departing, trying to catch up and over take the bus, but the driver never saw him. Now we always especially look for him any time we’re on a bus.
Family: I live in a 1927 bungalow in St. Johns Park with life partner, Joan, and my toy poodle, Baby Girl.
Favorite Composer: I think Charles Ives is our great American composer. His works tend to be vastly neglected and under appreciated because they are not “easy” and always pleasant to the ear. I think in that respect he represents the USA perfectly through his musical essays, and was quite aware and sensitive to a true developing American culture. The Sibelius Violin Concerto remains one of my all-time favorites. I have an affinity for Mozart and the minimalists, especially the “Desert Music” of Steve Reich.
Interests, community involvement: I am on the AFM Local 444 Executive Board. Always concerned and active within the areas of labor, civil rights and the political, including working for several political candidates, and being a founding member of the local chapters of the Coalition of Labor Union Women and the TriangleJAX Democratic Caucus. I love to watch tennis.
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