Blair Francis Paponiu Artist Interview

Five career highlights:

Performing with the New York Philharmonic and going on tours to Asia/Europe
Appointment with the San Francisco Symphony
Being on an album with music director Esa-Pekka Salonen
Performing the entire Daphnis and Chloe ballet during my trial for San Francisco Symphony
Returning home and performing as soloist and in recital as an alumna of my alma mater, the University of South Carolina
Bonus - Ultimately having the opportunity to make music with so many wonderful musicians and soloists

Tell us about your audition journey with the San Francisco Symphony:

I took the first Principal Flute audition that occurred after the pandemic, started in prelims and advanced to the finals, but ultimately the job was offered to someone else. After this initial audition, I was invited to play guest principal a couple of times and played a final round behind the screen in the second Principal Flute audition that occurred. From there I was awarded a trial, and was fortunate enough to be offered the Associate Principal position.

How many other auditions have you done?

24

What would you recommend as special tips to win an audition?

This answer could take up a lot of space, but the top tips would be - first and foremost, be true to your own playing. If you try to cater your playing to what you think the committee would like, you will always come away not feeling your best. The right fit for you will embrace your individual playing. Second, have something to say. It is so important in addition to playing with a beautiful sound, great intonation and solid rhythm. Having been on the other side of the screen, I always found myself rooting for the player to really go for it and make a statement. Next, prepare in a way that you are incorporating your skill on the instrument, your mental well-being, and your physical well-being. Preparing for an audition is much like preparing for the Olympics (or as best as I can imagine). Olympians have coaches and trainers helping them along the way, so it helps if you have a solid team of mentors and supporters behind you - you don’t have to do it alone! Lastly, practically, schedule mock auditions and simulate the real audition as much as possible, with every detail accounted for. Record yourself constantly to see that your playing is reflecting what you want to put forward in your audition.

What do you like best about performing?

I love playing with other people and experiencing how performances vary from night to night - from how people play their solos differently, to tempi shifting and feeling everyone reacting around you. It is even fun to see how the audience can respond differently! I also love to see the work that happens in practice and rehearsal come to life in performance that is ultimately shared with the audience.

CD releases?

I would love to release a CD in the future - a bucket list item of mine!

What does your schedule look like for the next 6 months?

In the next 6 months, I will be performing - in the San Francisco Symphony summer season (with Ben Folds and John Legend), at Festival Napa Valley, and the Lakes Area Music Festival.  August holds travel to see family (Romania with my husband, Naples FL with my family), and possibly a cross country road trip! In September the new season with the SFS starts, which will be full of exciting and challenging programs, and chamber music with friends. I am also looking forward to exploring San Francisco and the Bay Area more - nature, restaurants, sights!

What are your goals personally and professionally?

Personally - start a family, travel more internationally, learn to surf, work towards becoming fluent in Romanian, volunteer in ways to help those in need, dabble in photography.

Professionally - record an album, start a music school somewhere that is in need, fill in the gaps in my personal repertoire list, write a flute method book.

What inspires you the most in life?

Seeing how different people overcome adversity in their lives - everyone has their own personal battles, and to see how people come out victorious and stronger than ever is really inspiring to me. We are all stronger than we believe.

What has been your professional greatest challenge?

Letting go of mistakes made has always been a great challenge for me. This comes from the perfectionist in me, which I think a lot of musicians undeniably carry through this journey. It is built into our whole practice system and adds a lot of unnecessary pressure. Continuing to strive for a great performance in lieu of a perfect one has been a challenge but a great goal for me.

What has been your personal greatest challenge?

I naturally love to say “yes” to everyone and everything, but learning to say no has been a great challenge for me in order to protect time and energy.

Who were your music mentors? And what did you learn from them?

I was blessed with an amazing set of formative mentors throughout my education and career.
Cynthia Hopkins (high school teacher) - solid playing foundation
Vince Clayton (high school band teacher) - love for ensemble music
Jennifer Parker-Harley (undergraduate teacher) - too much to list, but I learned how to perform, how to push myself, how to be open to opportunity, how to make music and how to make it special
Scott Weiss (undergraduate wind ensemble director) - how to be a strong ensemble player
Marianne Gedigian (graduate school teacher) - again too much to list, but how to embrace individuality, strength and resilience in performing and also in the career, how to build on music making in terms of colors and styles
Robert Langevin (graduate school teacher) - great orchestral playing, how to build an arsenal of color, discipline in routine and technique
Tim Day and Jim Walker at Music Academy of the West - ultimate expression

Can you give us 5 quirky secret fun hobbies or passions

Watching reality TV
Sitting in my car watching Reels after concerts to decompress
Online shopping
Making lists
Cleaning!!!

What 3 things would you offer as advice for a young flutist?

Don’t let disappointment get in your way - keep going and keep trying, and always remember and hold on to why you started playing in the first place.
Play music that makes you happy and that brings you joy.
Play in front of people as much as possible to share your gift!