The Principals of Music – Meet the Trabas
I often write about people I know personally, and even if I am well acquainted with them, I still like to do a little research. Usually, I will uncover a little something about them that surprises me. I’d like to share a fun fact about my old friend, Betsy Hudson-Traba, principal flute with the Sarasota Orchestra. But first I’d like to give you a little back story of her music journey.
Originally from Ohio, Betsy studied at Baldwin Wallace University before heading off to the Big Apple where she continued her musical journey at the Manhattan School of Music. Afterwards, she spent three years as the principal flute with the Hofer Symponiker in Germany before making her way to Sarasota. We met at the gym of the apartment complex when we were both newbies in town.
Fernando Traba, principal bassoon with the Sarasota Orchestra since 1992, left his native Mexico City to pursue a greater musical career beyond what was available in his country. His impressive background includes degrees at both the Cleveland Institute of Music and The Juilliard School in New York City. He played with every major orchestra in Mexico before spending a couple of years in Europe. In addition to playing in the orchestra, he is currently on the faculty of USF School of Music.
Changes were imminent and none more monumental than Betsy’s blind audition in Sarasota. Fernando, who was on the committee that hires new musicians, had no idea that he was about to become instrumental (pun intended) in the life-altering decision to select Betsy. Little did he know that his life was about to change, as well. It wasn’t long until Betsy and Fernando fell in love and began a journey of making music and a life together.
Not many people can work and play with their spouses. The Trabas have been doing both, quite literally, for 31 years. Despite the hectic and oftentimes chaotic lifestyle of professional musicians, the couple faced the challenges of raising a family. They have two beautiful daughters. When the girls were little, living in Florida meant it was crucial that they learned how to swim. What they didn’t’ expect was how much they loved swimming, so much so that they became competitive athletes. In fact, they were on the Sarasota Sharks swim team where they trained with Olympic winning coach, Brent Archey. It took a lot of coordination, cooperation and unwavering determination to navigate the waters (again, pun intended) so the girls could follow their passion. Betsy and Fernando dove in headfirst (I’m sorry to keep doing this) and managed a grueling schedule which included waking up at 4:00 a.m. to get their daughters to their daily practice. Their perseverance paid off as both girls have excelled as Division I swimmers for their respective colleges. Isabel is a University of Miami graduate and Mercedes is finishing up at Vanderbilt University.
Betsy has always been very active in many aspects of the orchestra community. She served multiple terms as the leader of the Sarasota Orchestra Players Association. She serves as a moderator in Sarasota Institute of Lifetime Learning and writes, among other things, the program notes for the Orchestra. She and Fernando both teach private students.
Needless to say, much has changed since Betsy and I met over 30 years ago. Life here on the Suncoast has changed dramatically, as well, going from a mostly retirement community to an exciting, progressive place where it seems everyone wants to live. Among the cultural community, the Sarasota Orchestra has remained an integral part of the arts. There are plans to build a new music center on 32 acres off of Fruitville Road.
If you haven’t been to a performance of the Sarasota Orchestra, you should treat yourself. The 2024/25 Season promises to be exciting. There are concerts that appeal to everyone from Masterworks to Pops, Chamber concerts and youth orchestras to name a few.
That fun fact about Betsy is that she has a secret desire to play drums in a garage rock band. I think I need to tell her that I can make that happen!
For more information, please visit Sarasota Orchestra.
Photos from Sheri Nadelman
Sheri Nadelman is an accomplished musician, nature photographer, and a frequent contributor to the Suncoast Post.
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