Robert Walters says he's as excited to play the Lied Center for Performing Arts as he was the first time he played Carnegie Hall.
And as far as the Lincoln native is concerned, Lincoln's arts scene can rival any of the big cities around the country. He speaks from experience, as he was submerged in it until the age of 16.
"Lincoln has a lot of culture," he says. "The University [of Nebraska-Lincoln] has a centralized, magnetic force of performing arts. The Sheldon Museum of Art is my favorite space. I love going there, I love going to First-Plymouth Church. And there is just great music in Lincoln. I was exposed to lots of cultures while I lived there."
Although he may have left Lincoln 30 years ago to pursue his dream of playing in an orchestra, Walters says he would never be the person or musician he is today had it not been for his experiences as a Nebraskan.
"I was prepared to do everything in Nebraska," he says. "Life in Lincoln taught me how to live everywhere else."
On Thursday, Walters will perform at the Lied Center in Lincoln as an oboe and english horn player with the Cleveland Orchestra, his first time ever on that stage. He says playing at the Lied Center is something he has always aspired to.
"Growing up in Lincoln, all I ever wanted to do was play at the Lied," he recalls. "I am excited to play in Lincoln for sure. And in Lincoln, the Lied is Carnegie Hall."
Walters, who moved to Lincoln from Los Angeles when he was six months old, can trace his aspirations to playing the Lied Center all the way back to 4th grade when he first knew he wanted to play in an orchestra.
"When I was in elementary school, we went to an educational concert at Kimball Hall where the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra was playing, and they played a piece with a big oboe solo," he remembers. "I thought it was the coolest thing and after I went and talked to the oboe player. I went home and told my dad and then the next week he bought me an oboe and got me lessons."
Although Walters' father was the chairman of Union College's music department and a viola player in the Lincoln and Omaha symphonies, Robert says his dad never forced him to play music. In fact, his father set up an incentivized method to make sure Robert only practiced as much as he wanted to.
"He had this system where my allowance was tied to how much I practiced," he says. "I just had to practice like hell and log the hours if I ever wanted anything. It was a good system and there was no pressure but a lot of motivation."
Throughout elementary and middle school, Walters played in his school's band all while continuing to practice in his free time in pursuit of his goal of playing in an orchestra. When he was 15 at College View Academy, he sent a tape of himself playing to Philadelphia Orchestra oboe player and Curtis Institute of Music oboe teacher Richard Woodhams. Upon hearing his work, Woodhams immediately contacted Walters' father, telling him very simply, "I want to teach your son."
After deliberation with his parents, Walters decided to take his GED exam at 16, so he could graduate early from high school. He attended Union College and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for a semester each and then left for Philadelphia to study at the Curtis Institute under Woodhams. He would later go on to receive his masters from Columbia University.
Since graduating, Walters has performed with a plethora of orchestras — most notably the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra and now the Cleveland Orchestra.
Walters, who has played music all over the world and now resides in Cleveland, says no matter where he goes, Lincoln will always stay in his heart.
"My dad is buried in Brownville, Neb. and I come back every couple of years to visit his grave," he says. "I left when I was 16 and have been gone 30 years, but it still feels like home."
This will be Walters' third time returning to Lincoln to perform since he left when he was 16. In 1999, he returned to play a benefit show for his deceased father. Most recently, he played Lincoln's Sheldon Museum of Art with the Jasper String Quartet in 2012.
For Walters, Thursday's performance is a family reunion of sorts. He says he still has several close friends in Lincoln and is looking forward to going to dinner with them before the show. He also jokes that his high school algebra teacher will be in attendance at the performance and asked during the phone interview, “How is the movie Nebraska? I want to see it.”
Sean Holohan is Hear Nebraska’s editorial intern. He hasn’t seen "Nebraska" yet, either. Is it good? Reach him at seanh@hearnebraska.org.