During every season at the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, we have orchestra members, soloists and conductors who push through a concert despite a cold or a sore back, but this week our soloist, IU South Bend's own Alexander Toradze is playing after emergency surgery just three days ago. For 10 days, Mr. Toradze had been experiencing blurred vision in his left eye. After a visit to his regular eye doctor, he was referred to Dr. Thomas Hauch at South Bend Retina and Vitreous who diagnosed him with a detached retina. Mr. Toradze hoped to wait until next week after his ISO concert dates, but Dr. Hauch told him the surgery had to be immediate. After a couple of hours which Toradze claims were utterly enthralling as he was awake enough during the procedure to hear the doctors discussing his surgery, he was back at home recovering. Not only had his retina been reattached, but the doctors had needed to perform a Vitrectomy (replacing the eye fluid with gas) making the recovery a bit more difficult.
At this point Toradze assumed he would call the ISO the next day and cancel his performances, but at a follow-up appointment that morning the doctor asked what what he had done about the concerts. Toradze had already "buried" the idea, but after double checking that performing would not harm the surgery, he began to think maybe he should try after all. His doctor told him it was amazing to even consider. It is unheard of only two days out from surgery to contemplate performing, but Toradze simply said it was the doctor who was the amazing one for fixing his eye. After the appointment, he went home and played through the entire concerto in order to make sure the pain was not too much and to see if he could find all the leaps on the piano. He found if he simply held his head slightly to the left he could see what he needed to, and Toradze decided to make the trip to Indianapolis. Now Toradze is interested what it will be like to perform in his condition.
He says he must, "rely on his past experience," but when he loses himself in a performance, there's no way to tell how his condition will affect him. Based on the rehearsals so far this week, I think what will happen is pure magic.
At this point Toradze assumed he would call the ISO the next day and cancel his performances, but at a follow-up appointment that morning the doctor asked what what he had done about the concerts. Toradze had already "buried" the idea, but after double checking that performing would not harm the surgery, he began to think maybe he should try after all. His doctor told him it was amazing to even consider. It is unheard of only two days out from surgery to contemplate performing, but Toradze simply said it was the doctor who was the amazing one for fixing his eye. After the appointment, he went home and played through the entire concerto in order to make sure the pain was not too much and to see if he could find all the leaps on the piano. He found if he simply held his head slightly to the left he could see what he needed to, and Toradze decided to make the trip to Indianapolis. Now Toradze is interested what it will be like to perform in his condition.
He says he must, "rely on his past experience," but when he loses himself in a performance, there's no way to tell how his condition will affect him. Based on the rehearsals so far this week, I think what will happen is pure magic.
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