In Canada, a dog was called to an orchestra rehearsal

Billy at the orchestra rehearsal

screenshot from TikTok

A dog named Billy was invited to the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra for the first rehearsal of the season. The dog is 2.5 years old and he “grows up” in a family of musicians.

About this writes Washington Post.

A couple of musicians – 33-year-old violinist and violist Lucian Barz and 27-year-old pianist Teresa Bowes – took Billy as a puppy from a shelter in Texas (USA) in June 2022.

They didn’t know about his commitment to classical music until they brought Billy home to Canada.

Shortly after Billy was “adopted,” the couple realized how receptive he was to the tunes he heard every day. Teresa often plays classical music at home.

“It is such “food for the soul” – just to see how an animal enjoys music. For us, this is a reminder that music is a universal language“, remarked Lucian.

He added that he was not surprised by such a reaction of his pet. Lucian had not only heard that animals love music, he had seen it for himself as a child when he played the violin for the cows on the farm.

A friend of the couple, 29-year-old Esther Hwang, was one of the first to play for the dog. She is concertmaster of the Vancouver Orchestra.

“I played for him as if I were performing in front of a live audience – with the same quality and delivery. I was very moved when I performed in front of him for the first time, and he was very calm and just listened with his eyes closed.” she says.

In social networks, many users noted that they want to see Billy in a big live performance. So the accompanist suggested that the rehearsal would be an ideal opportunity for the dog.

“Billy is bringing new audiences to classical music, which is exactly what the industry needs. Classical music can be very niche, but Billy invites new listeners, and that’s very moving“, added Esther Hwang.

During a rehearsal, Vancouver City Orchestra conductor Ken Hsieh decided to play Schumann’s Symphony No. 4.

He noticed how sociable the dog was with the musicians and assumed that the dog would be active during the performance. However, to his surprise, Billy sat quietly and respectfully listened to the music.

“He lifted his head when he heard the timbre and lowered his head when the music was soothing. It’s a really intense composition, and I really want my listeners to do the same – experience it emotionallyKen Hsieh said.