Dena T. Gordy Berquist
Cello
Has played with the Salina Symphony since:
1989
Hometown: Ponca City, Oklahoma
Current City: Salina
Education:
Bachelor of Music in performance – University of Kansas
Job Title:
Private music studio in my home teaching violin, viola, and cello.
Earliest musical memory:
When I was about 2 years old, I remember lying on the wood floor of our family room in the warm sunshine, listening to Arthur Rubenstein play Chopin. My daddy was always playing records on the stereo.
Best part of being a Salina Symphony musician:
The joy of creating beautiful music with all of the members of the symphony. It takes every one of us working hard to create a beautiful concert experience, and I am so grateful to be part of that good work.
Most memorable performance with the Salina Symphony:
Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, May of 2008
Favorite composer:
If I could choose only one type of music to take to a desert island, I would choose the complete Beethoven string quartets.
What kind of music do you enjoy listening to?
Classical, Jazz, Opera, Chamber Music, Folk. I listen to Country Western when on a long car trip to stay awake. It makes me laugh.
How do you spend your free time?
Working in my rose or herb gardens, enjoying my dogs, reading, sitting and sipping tea.
Whom do you admire?
Anyone who is able to live peacefully, joyfully, and gracefully, serving others and loving God.
What is your greatest accomplishment?
Learning to heal myself after injuring myself with overplaying the cello, over-use of the computer, and not taking care of myself. I had to re-learn how to play the cello and as a result of that, I have changed how I teach my students. I try to emphasize comfort and ease of playing now, and to encourage my students to listen to their bodies and play with more freedom.