Musicians from The Phoenix Symphony participated in local races and then performed at Symphony Hall on Feb. 14, according to an announcement on Mar. 24. Several members ran in city events, including the Mesa Marathon, and later played in the pit for Arizona Ballet during a full house performance on Valentine’s Day.
The story highlights how orchestra members balance demanding physical activities with their musical commitments. The musicians said they often trained separately but found themselves coming together both at the starting line and later for their performances.
After completing their races, some musicians changed out of running gear and arrived at the hall to play that evening. This was not the first time such a feat had occurred; in December, after participating in the Phoenix Marathon, some performed two full shows of “The Nutcracker” back-to-back while still wearing their medals.
Musician Isabel said running is practical because it does not risk injury to hands or shoulders—important for those who rely on these body parts professionally: “Running is one of the safer sports for musicians. We have to exercise, but we don’t want to stress our hands.” She also described how training for long-distance runs helped her handle pressure during symphony auditions: “If I could prove to myself I could do hard things, like running, then I could do hard things, like taking auditions and winning a job.”
One member, Viviana, completed the Mesa Marathon fast enough to qualify for the Boston Marathon—a milestone her colleagues recognized as significant: “That’s a major accomplishment. She’s a special story.”
Looking ahead, orchestra members are already discussing future races together before returning once again to perform on stage.
