(Newswire.net— June 15, 2020) — A young violinist joined an award-winning ensemble led by a famous composer, only to find out that none of the musicians are actually playing their instruments but are simply miming along to a CD instead, the Guardian reports.
Was the orchestra fake? No. The musicians were real and the orchestra is genuine, they just don’t play for real. Is this illegal? No.
Hindman was 21 in 2002 and was just looking for a job for herself when she came across an ad on a student internet forum. They asked violinists and flutists to “perform in an award-winning ensemble.”
For four years, between 2002 and 2006, the young violinist Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman “played” the violin with the orchestra in places such as shopping malls and large auditoriums. They traveled all over America and went on tour even visiting China. She spent years touring America in an orchestra filled with gifted players who mimed to CDs.
Hindman described this experience in her 2019 book “Sounds Like Titanic”, which looks more like a memoir than any kind of journalistic revelation – the conductor who conceived the whole scam was never named.
But was it a scam?
Performing under a backing track is not illegal. Some of the greatest musicians on the planet performed miming to a CD playback. And the composer, who has sold millions of records and performed in New York’s Carnegie Hall, is no evil genius, the Guardian cited Hindman accounting for the conductor.
The musicians were real, and they could play beautifully, but they never had any rehearsals. “That’s what made it so silly. He had these world-class musicians and he wasn’t using them. Some of the violinists sounded great! But no one could hear them.”
Hindman also described the conductor as “an exploitative boss” who is surprisingly ignorant. She said that after hearing one of the world’s famous classical masterpieces, Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, the conductor said: “I like this music. What is it?” He also asked questions like: “What is Barcelona?” Hildman recalls.
The author of “Sounds Like Titanic” said that the conductor was often generous, talking to his fans for hours after shows and that his tours have raised millions for charities.
Some American media houses managed to identify the conductor in question, but his identity was never officially confirmed.
Although Hindman addressed former colleagues from the orchestra while writing her book, she never spoke to the conductor again.