Anthony McGill nearly shivers when he recounts how cold he was performing at Tuesday’s presidential inauguration.
“It was freezing, let me tell you,” said McGill, the 29-year-old Chicago native who played clarinet at the Washington D.C. event, as part of a quartet that included Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman and Gabriela Montero.
“By the end I could barely feel my fingers, but then I looked up and saw that view, and I forgot about the cold. It was absolutely stunning.”
That “view” was the National Mall, packed for the swearing-in ceremony, and countless dignitaries staring back at McGill.
“I was just amazed looking down at [former Vice President] Al Gore, [California Gov.] Arnold Schwarzenegger and, of course, Obama.”
“With everything, plus the cold, I think I was in shock,” he said with a laugh.
McGill, a principal clarinetist with New York’s Metropolitan Opera, returns to the Chicago area on March 14 for a rare local show, performing with the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra.
McGill said he’s looking forward to that night — even though there will be about 2 million fewer spectators, give or take, than there were this week.
“It’s work, so I’ll love it.”
Plus, that concert’s inside with heat.