My father, Michael Head, was the architect for a (much-needed) remodeling of the Bowl in the 1970s. I remember going down with him to help measure and watch the work, sometimes (I was just a teenager). It seemed like a pretty grand project to me, though I didn’t think the cylindrical sound diffusers were very aesthetic!
Soon after that remodeling, I remember hearing Boulez conduct Stravinski’s Firebird Suite as part of the Festival. It was the first time I ever spontaneously jumped up (from sitting on the lawn, of course), and gave a standing ovation…just like everyone around me.
