Many of us enjoy The Nutcracker this time of year, we found someone with an even greater reason to like it. She's Boerne's 18 year-old Victoria Klaunig, and her reason is this.
"I will be performing The Swan to open the Moscow Ballet's performance of The Nutcracker on Monday night at 7 p.m. at the Majestic Theatre."
She played the piece after we spoke (hit Listen to hear more). The distinctive, mournful sounds are made only more dramatic by the circumstances when it happens.
"I will be performing The Swan--the music--as one of the principal ballerinas of the Moscow Ballet, will be dancing to the music."
By that she means all eyes and ears will be on just the two of them.
"Yes, it's just me and her."
Victoria's been playing for about 7 years, about 5 of them with the Youth Orchestras of San Antonio.
"Yeah, it's a really great experience, especially starting in YOSA, it was the first time I got to play with full orchestra, and get the full experience of being in the middle of the big production."
And, in fact, being involved in YOSA is how she ended up playing with the Moscow Ballet.
"My youth orchestra conductor, Troy Peters, he nominated me to play as a soloist with the Moscow Ballet for this performance."
While the Nutcracker is staged both Monday and Tuesday, her only performance is Monday. Music will very likely soon move from a passion for her to a vocation.
"Yes, I'm actually a senior in high school so I'm going to be starting to audition for music schools in the spring."
Just a guess, this won't be her last solo.
Find more on The Nutcracker event here.
