Chris at tpr

Nice interview this morning with Chris O'Riley - watch for it in October when he returns to San Antonio for the Tuesday Music Club with cellist Carter Brey.
Come see From the Top tomorrow night at Laurie Auditorium at 7pm!

Pastoral not out to pasture

Some really old Beethoven...what a story!

Latest project

So in July I started some big projects...and in part this came about: an interview with Chris Brubeck. See the opening of our interview at his home in Connecticut.

Brubeck on Classified from John Clare on Vimeo.

Five Things about Musical Evenings

I heard soprano Angela Malek with La Follia Sunday evening at San Fernando Cathedral as part of Musical Evenings with Musical Bridges Around the World.

1. Things began before the concert, in front of San Fernando with period demonstrations of fencing, singing and dancing. There were also actors in costume, asking folks to come in for the concert.

2. The program featured just two composers, but what composers - Bach and Handel. There was a delightful mix of works, choral and instrumental.

3. Soprano Angela Malek has a pure, clear voice well suited for this repertoire, and was ably backed by La Follia. Diction was clear and the costume she wore was delightful.

4. Bach's Trio Sonata #1 and Handel's b minor trio sonata are two of the great chamber music hits of all time. La Follia was muddy in the first movement of the Bach, but that was the only falter the entire evening. Otherwise, technique, pitch and phrasing were exquisite.

5. Explanations of the period instruments from the performers, with questions from the audience, filled what would have been intermission. It was a charming program indeed, and reached an audience that might not have normally caught early music - kudos!

These musicians are going to teach early music technique in San Antonio, keep an eye out for more performances and lessons...on tap is an authentic Brahms' German Requiem.
Musical Bridges Around the World will continue the free San Fernando concerts on the first Sunday of each month- be sure to check it out and to come early for the demonstrations beforehand.

Global poets

Take a trip for good poetry:
http://thedansemacabre.blogspot.com/

Five Things about Emmanuel Borok

I heard the Musica Viva presentation of Musical Bridges Around the World of violinist Emmanuel Borok and pianist Anya Grokhovski-Michaelson.

1. The house of Susan and Aubra Franklin is gorgeous and set a wonderful background for the evening. Guests mingled beforehand and enjoyed the company, hors d'oeuvres, and house.

2. The program began with Kreisler's Variations on a theme by Corelli and was a perfect start. Balance was good and the tone singing.

3. Mendelssohn's F Major Sonata continued the program and while it is a gem, it is not a masterpiece. Borok and Grokhovski-Michaelson were enthusiastic and brought life into this lesser known work.

4. "Bonbons" consisted of more Kreisler, Brahms, Massenet, Kroll, Gluck, and a Russian gem "The Happy Violin." They were chosen by the Franklin's youngest daughter from a stack of music. Things were light and quick, with good taste and brilliant technique.

5. Borok is an old school violinist -his playing reminds me of Mischa Elman. His is a classic and very laid back approach, and his vibrato is lightning quick. Grokhovski-Michaelson was a delightful collaborative pianist who worked well in the program.

They play a similar program tomorrow afternoon at 3pm at McAllister Auditorium in San Antonio. Find out more here. Children under 13 are free! (and get to help pick the bonbons on the 2nd half of the program!)

Five Things about the Lee Trio

I heard the Lee Trio at Ruth Taylor Hall at Trinity University tonight as part of the Redeemer Fine Arts Series.

1. The concert was beyond capacity, about the time the concert was supposed to start, they added chairs on stage to fit more audience. What a great thing!

2. The Bernstein piano trio is a youthful work that shows alot of promise - and in the hands of Melinda, Angela and Lisa Lee, very convincing. I heard lines I hadn't before, and was convinced I should listen again. Especially fun was the March, with playful pizzicati and charming harmonic bends.

3. Franz Joseph Haydn put his stamp on many genres - the symphony, string quartet and piano trio. This performance was a real delight, showing the humorous side and long melodic lines. Lisa was especially agile in fluid passages and Melinda brought the right flavor to the keyboard, with Angela providing a solid foundation. It was music making without effort and truly charming.

4. After intermission, Schumann's dark d minor trio finished the program - as the Lees said from on stage, it ends "with hope." The brooding first movement was unclear to my taste, but things came together for the flashy second movement. Ensemble was precise and crisp, nothing was left without care - each line getting the right umph. Lyricism prevailed in all parts for the slow movement, with especially beautiful singing from the strings. The finale came and flew by, tempi were always fresh.

5. It was awesome to see people of all ages at the concert, but lots of young people (there must have been a third of the audience under 12 years old!) were enjoying it and were well behaved. If you have a chance to see the Lee Trio - do so, you won't be disappointed!

The Reedemer Fine Arts Series continues in February with John Patitucci.

Ask Hilary

In celebration of Arnold Schoenberg's birthday on Saturday, September 13th, violinist Hilary Hahn will launch a custom-designed YouTube channel that will include new video content she will create in response to fan questions about her most recent album - the violin concertos of Schoenberg and Sibelius - as well as a collection of past performance and related videos. Hahn's YouTube channel will give fans the chance to comment, rate, and respond to the new video content, and will allow users to embed the videos on their own websites, blogs, or any of the popular social networks such as Facebook or MySpace. Hahn will use her new channel as a hub for video content for her most recent release and future projects as well.
To submit questions about the album for Hahn to video-answer, please e mail questions@firstchairpromo.com. Twenty fan questions will be selected and posted on http://www.youtube.com/hilaryhahnvideos throughout the day beginning at midnight on September 13th.
Here's my question, How do you choose recital partners and cd collaborators? Read about Hilary's cd launch party in NYC this last April here.

Presidential support

I love this!

Very witty, and fashionable to boot! You can get them on T-shirts!

New piece in Dallas

Take a look at what is coming up in Dallas next month!

Bran Brahms

Enjoy - breakfast will never be the same!

3rd time is a charm

I got my hair cut today, for my third contribution to Locks of Love!

I thought I would be a little radical, and went ahead with a mohawk.

Composer news

The dems have a composer in residence next week!
David Amram
http://tinyurl.com/5arppz

Hear some solo horn music of Amram's here with Eric Ruske.

In theory

From a co-worker, just hilarious!

Roommate's birthday

Happy 72nd!

The sugar-free Chocolate Macademia Nut Layercake was made this morning by moi.

Tejas, sheesh

Ok...A Texas school district will let teachers bring guns to class this fall, the district's superintendent said on Friday, in what experts said appeared to be a first in the United States.
The board of the small rural Harrold Independent School District unanimously approved the plan and parents have not objected, said the district's superintendent, David Thweatt.
School experts backed Thweatt's claim that Harrold, a system of about 110 students 150 miles northwest of Fort Worth, may be the first to let teachers bring guns to the classroom.
Thweatt said it is a matter of safety.
"We have a lock-down situation, we have cameras, but the question we had to answer is, 'What if somebody gets in? What are we going to do?" he said. "It's just common sense."
Teachers who wish to bring guns will have to be certified to carry a concealed handgun in Texas and get crisis training and permission from school officials, he said.
Recent school shootings in the United States have prompted some calls for school officials to allow students and teachers to carry legally concealed weapons into classrooms.
The U.S. Congress once barred guns at schools nationwide, but the U.S. Supreme Court struck the law down, although state and local communities could adopt their own laws. Texas bars guns at schools without the school's permission.

Junior High all over again

The kind of headline you dream of in junior high:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/12/3?gusrc=rss&feed=artanddesign
Giant dog turd wreaks havoc at Swiss museum
Inflatable artwork blown from moorings and brings down power line

Mail

I just chuckled to myself as I prepared two envelopes to mail, one to the 1969 winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Music, and the other to the 2006 winner! I do lead a charmed life.

Maria on PT

Hear Maria Bachmann on Performance Today while in San Antonio:
http://www.publicradio.org/tools/media/player/performance_today/programs/2008/07/29_pt1

Return

I'll be back in the midstate this week for violinist Maria Bachmann and her recital at Gretna Music. Come to my pre-concert talk at 7 and stay for the performance at 8pm on August 8, 2008.

You might recall some of the previous performances I've been at with Maria:

http://classicallyhip.blogspot.com/2007/04/five-things-about-maria-bachmann.html

http://classicallyhip.blogspot.com/2006/12/klap-ur-handz.html
http://classicallyhip.blogspot.com/2006/11/5-things-about-lark-quartet.html
http://classicallyhip.blogspot.com/2006/02/hairy-weather-and-chamber-of-secrets.html

Bound to happen

Classical music has gone to the dogs. Literally!

Overheard

"Sunrises I like, Brahms I love!"

backstage

actually "side" stage after the ikif performance

rave

Nice to see they loved Phillipe in Vermont:

Entremont wins over Opera House audience
July 27, 2008
By Jim Lowe Staff Writer

BARRE — The Barre Opera House has hosted a number of famous pianists, but the historic concert hall's Steinway concert grand has never sounded like it did Friday evening.

Philippe Entremont, a superstar pianist of the 1960s and '70s, elicited sounds that were big, beautiful and colorful. More importantly, he used these sounds to deliver the grandeur of Debussy.

Entremont was also joined by members of the New York Chamber soloists in music of Poulenc in this Vermont Mozart Festival concert.

But, most of the audience was there to hear this great French pianist and whether, at age 74, he still had "it."

In the 1960s, Entremont was Columbia Records' (now Sony Classical) answer to RCA's Van Cliburn, who had just won the Moscow Tchaikovsky Competition. Unlike Cliburn, Entremont continued concertizing and added conducting to his plate. (He has conducted and acted as piano soloist with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra several times.) During his younger years, Entremont performed and recorded the virtuoso repertoire with the likes of Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic and Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Many of these recordings never went out of print.

Which begs the aforementioned question: Can he still do it?

The answer is a resounding yes. And I doubt that there was anyone in Friday's audience who would disagree, given the enthusiastic standing ovation (the only one of the evening, despite some excellent performances by the others).

Entremont plays "macho" Debussy, which seems a contradiction in terms. In this performance of the three movement "Suite pour le piano," his sounds and gestures were big, yet his coloring and nuances were subtle and beautiful.

He worked with the confidence and directness of a master. He knows this music and delivered its myriad moods with authenticity.

Entremont was joined by the young flutist of the New York Chamber Soloists, Jennifer Grim, in Poulenc's Sonata for flute and piano. She played with a brilliant sound and a singing expressiveness. Entremont was a bit reserved but employed his palette of colors with subtlety. (Interestingly, he performed the chamber music with the piano wide open, but never overpowered the others.)

Entremont's charisma was in greater force in Poulenc's Sextuor for winds and piano. This is a masterpiece of color and textures, which the winds largely delivered (particularly Grim on flute and Allen Blustine on clarinet) beautifully.

The remainder of the program was sans Entremont. Grim offered an expressive but less-than-powerful Debussy "Syrinx" for flute alone. Oboist Mel Kaplan, the festival's artistic director, Blustine and bassoonist Andrew Schwartz, despite some roughness, delivered a charming performance of Darius Milhaud's "Suite d'aprè Corrette," while the wind quintet gave a witty performance of Ibert's "Trois Pièces Brèves."

This Vermont Mozart Festival Barre Opera House concert proved an eminently satisfying experience — and more.

home sweet home

Nice to be back in SA, easy flights and connections after a very early start.

rehearsal

Phillipe Entremont practicing this afternoon at Mannes' IKIF.

filmin'

Yesterday on broadway and 57th...a great new project with violinist Anastasia Khitruk. Seen also the amazin' Jeff Lynch taking a picture.

Hard days work

It was a thrilling day in nyc and wilford, ct.

I'm now enjoying a cigar (my first today) in central park before seeing friends!

Besides a new project, I talked with composer/performer Chris Brubeck, seen in his basement studio (left)

Calm before the storm

So you may have noticed the lack of posts here...I have made some major moves and changes...and things remain very busy. Besides moving across the country (and I joyously told coworkers today how happy I was to get rid of my snow shovel), I have moved my parents to be closer with me so I might look after them.

But I have just upgraded to a nice laptop and have some work to do in NYC...I'll do my best to keep up with the projects (very exciting) here as I can and have already started several essays!

Don't lose faith, and feel free to email me! [violinsandcigars at gmail dot com]

I do still find time for a cigar, as seen this evening near the pool. :)

I do

Went to a wonderful wedding of friends the start of July in DC...there were charming decorations as you see on the left here at the Mansion at Strathmore.

I was an usher, here are other ushers and wedding party folks on the right.

It was awesome to see the couple and their folks. (left)

I walked Stu's grandmother down the aisle, here she is with her daughter, Stu's mom. (right)

More soon about the moving adventures that followed!

Happy happy

Lots of things to celebrate, and people to honor...today marks the birth of Jacob Druckman, one of the great American composers of the 20th century. Composer-in-residence with the New York Philharmonic, Druckman taught at The Juilliard School, Brooklyn College, Bard College, Tanglewood Music Center, and Yale University, and his students included Aaron Jay Kernis, David Lang, and Michael Torke. A student himself of Aaron Copland, Bernard Wagenaar, Vincent Persichetti, and Peter Mennin, he was president of the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, providing opportunities for young composers' works to be heard.
To quote Mark Swed: “At the heart of the works of Jacob Druckman lies the bold, sure, and often arrestingly physical dramatic gesture....Yet Druckman's scores have always exhibited another characteristic as well: that of careful structure, built with meticulous attention to detail. The process of integrating these two sides of his character...has been a consistent factor throughout the composer's development.”

Over at the KPAC blog, we'll honor another American composer who would have been 100 years old this weekend, Leroy Anderson. Don't miss hearing from Kurt Anderson - Leroy's son; and Maestro Leonard Slatkin, who is currently recording the complete Leroy Anderson on Naxos.

Ala the Schleptet

Ever heard the Yehudi Menuetto Hey Nonnie Nonino from PDQ Bach's brilliant Schleptet?
Well, listen to this phrase from a late Beethoven Quartet, I guarantee you will smile:

Nice going Ethan!

Small world

One of my friends has a cool wedding gig: playing on the Today Show! Tune in Wednesday morning to hear a killer harpist!

Sneak Peak

I talked with Leonard Slatkin yesterday for a KPAC project I think you'll like. Watch the new blog over there, http://kpac883.blogspot.com/ for updates and the entire coverage of Leroy Anderson's 100th birthday.

Here though, are a few questions I had a chance to ask the Maestro: about his move to Detroit, the new Made In America project, and Jennifer Higdon's Piano Concerto.

mp3 file

Friends

I'm blessed with alot of friends...not just acquaintances, but real people who mean alot to me. The problem is we're all so spread out across the world it isn't funny.
I always quote Mystery Alaska about my weight, "Everytime I meet a new friend, my heart grows - its gotten so big from having so many friends, which is why I'm this heavy."
Well, doctors could probably argue that, but anyway...here is a lovely shot of my going away celebration at Mangia Qui in Harrisburg.





Another friend is in the studio right now, here is an awesome preview:

Refresh

I've tweaked ClassicallyHip dot com, take a look at the new front page, and enjoy the pics!
It was fun learning a bit about php, hoot!
More soon on an awesome weekend!

ART

I'd really like to be in Denver right now. Don't get me wrong, I'm loving San Antonio, and this is the right move for me.
But the NPAC is going on right now, and I had entertained thoughts to attend - I have tons of friends there and would like to do some interviews, talk about trends, etc. I'll just have to hear from them about it, and read their blogs.
This article from the NY Times is quite interesting and the timing with NPAC is perfect I believe.

It's alive!

Well, it's a start...check out the new KPAC blog, a work in progress:
http://kpac883.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!

Great week

Well, it was a lovely first week! I went on air as of Tuesday and today I did my first interview for Classical Spotlight with composer Miguel del Aguila (seen with yours truly left). We had lots to talk about, from his Conga Line From Hell to new recordings being made, common friends like JoAnn Falletta to new aquaintances like Stephen Gunzenhauser.

I couldn't have asked for a better start.

For those keeping track, I was in the pool 5 out of 7 days this week. I am also walking to work, which helps the pocketbook and exercise. Expect to see me more healthy and tan!

Adjusting

Things continue to be groovy in Tejas. Learning how local names are pronounced (Bexar=bear) and settling in.
On other blogs though, some hilarious graphs from Derek, and brilliant discourse from Dick. Check 'em out!

First day

Awesome start at TPR...I'll be on the air tomorrow between 2 and 6pm.

From the Road

While I was driving, I caught this storm in Kansas...there is something beautiful about the Flint Hills, and this was taken between Emporia and El Dorado.

New City

More soon on my travels, but know that I have arrived safely to San Antonio. I look forward to catching up with everyone soon, and NOT spending time in my car. Internet access is still fairly limited until next week, so I will post whenever I can then.

New Lit

Danse Macabre XVII Erzählungen
featuring coloratura fiction from

Felicia Florine Campbell
E.T.A. Hoffmann
Joshua D. Miner
John Tait
Wayne Lee Gay
J. Sheridan Le Fanu
Steven Kilpatrick
Taylor Collier
A.H. Erdely-Siebenburgen

is now available for your summertime reading pleasures at http://thedansemacabre.blogspot.com/

Means the world

It was awesome to spend a few hours with friends at Mangia Qui tonight. We got together to celebrate great food, drinks and friendship.

No doubt we'll all see each other again, whether its in Central PA or in Texas, or whereever we find ourselves...but the people here have been special, so it was sweet to hang with them once more before I depart.

Update

Nice day in DC with excellent meetings and food. When I got home, I changed and caught the midnight show of Indina Jones 4 - very good, and quite enjoyable!

Senseless

I'm sadden to hear of a cellist's death in Georgia, the family is from Wichita and I saw David and his siblings grow up...there's more about it here.

Experimental

Beware of caninetesttudedinezenographs with your dog! He could end up looking like this:

If you go to the vet with your parents, don't believe that this is a side effect!

Serenade

Enjoy this unique performance of Benjamin Britten's Serenade...score here for French horn and dog!


Everyone is a critc? Good boy!

Weekend

The Dallas Stars won their game Saturday, I gave a talk for Concertante, then Sunday I saw a friend from NYC here to pick up her car I'd been storing and took her to Mangia Qui, the Pens won the eastern division to make the finals of the Stanley Cup with a 6 to 0 shutout, and I am still cleaning and packing.
Whew.

Visitors

Welcome to the over 36,000 visits to ClassicallyHip in just under 4 years!
We're read internationally, and have made over 900 posts so far.

Keep an eye out with moving updates and activities, projects and as always friends.
Thanks!

Musical memories

Talking with Barb last night at Eckels, I smiled as we talked about concerts. I mentioned I would be back in the midstate for some concert talks and other musical projects over the next year.
She told me about hearing Josh Bell in recital back in the 80s, and had a twinkle in her eye - and was proud to say she remembered it.
I love the power of music, concerts and performers.

From Jennifer

The Las Vegas Design Center
Invites You to Art Walk 2008
Hosted by
Scandinavian Collection
Join us…
Wednesday, May 21st
Building B - Suite B-158
Cocktails/ Hors d’oeuvres / Live Artists
3pm-6pm
•
The art walk will begin in the Scandinavian Collection showroom, B-158, where artists will be on-hand painting and sketching
•
Additional art pieces will be displayed throughout the 1st floor of Bldg B for guests to view
•
A percentage of proceeds will be donated to the Safe Nest organization
Please bring a guest and RSVP to info@lvdesigncenter.com

Mindful

I'm reminded by a friend, "Breath by breath, trusting in the True Nature of Being, every world is my world."
I'm very much looking forward to this journey and melting away the classless, disrespectful part of life that surrounded me, and focus on the magic of music.

Playing

Tomorrow night my friend Paul and I are playing at Eckels in Mechanicsburg. Come out, its one of my final appearances in the midstate as a Pennsylvanian!

Listen to us on an original tune by Paul Zavinsky, What More Can I Do?

Here are some shots of us playing last week for volunteers.

NYC

Springtime in New York...it was a perfect spring day and everything went splendid. It was nice catching up with friends and projects.

Job Search 3

So last month I was a finalist (1 of 2) for Texas Public Radio's Host/Producer position in San Antonio (30th Market).

I went down and had a chance to see the city, meet the staff, and learn more about the place in general. I had previously been to San Antonio for a cigar sales convention in 2000, and more recently in 2004 for a public radio convention.

Turns out, we all clicked. (The fresh guacamole the night before my interview, made by the charming Tanya pictured right, certainly helped!)

I have accepted the job and yesterday gave 2 weeks notice at WITF. I'll start next month at TPR as the new afternoon host (2 to 6pm) for KPAC. It's an all classical station and I'm very excited to have new adventures.

Job Search 2

So last January I was a finalist (1 of 2) for Buffalo's WNED (market #52) Program Director. As I scoped out the area by emailing my friend Gabe DiMaio, who worked at WBFO as assistant PD, I found out he was the other candidate! (picture at right is NOT from Buffalo in January, believe me!)

There were two phone interviews, and I had to listen to the air signal, doing what essentially were air checks - and discovered alot I liked, and lot I questioned.

Later in the month, I went up and met the staff and was interviewed, wined and dined. (The studios are seen right with a now former announcer.)

After a month of waiting, they chose Gabe.

It was fun to get up to Buffalo, but there was enough wackiness that it didn't seem right. I was bummed because a dear friend and brilliant conductor, JoAnn Falletta is the conductor there, and I would have loved to worked with her on a regular basis.

Everyone also kept mentioning the TV station as "an 800 pound gorilla" and their falling ratings.
I truly believe things work out the way they should.
As cool as Buffalo could have been, it wasn't meant to be.

Job Search 1

In December I was a finalist (1 of 4) for KUHF's Director of Cultural Programming in Houston (market #6).

I spent a day meting the staff and talking with the management. I had met Dean Dalton previously at a PRPD in San Antonio, and he knew my friend Joyce DiDonato when she was at Houston Opera.

Talking on the phone for the interview, we also had a good friend Andy Trudeau in common, when I worked at National Public Radio.

The day was long, flying out of Baltimore direct to Houston (see John on the plane upper right hand corner). A limo picked me up and took me to the University of Houston (John in the limo, pictured left). Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to see my old professor Andrzej Grabiec who teaches there, but I did get to see the studios and hear a taping for an upcoming Christmas show (including the Revels!) [The Irish Tenors taped for a show that day as well, seen below left]

A lunch followed with the key players. Afterwards a few more questions and it was back to the airport.

They selected St. John Smyth for the gig, which probably bodes well for them and me. As it turns out, I had much more to offer other stations, as you'll read in the next few days. [Cool radio scultpure, they call "The Head" at KUHF's studios, pictured below right]

Saddened

I'm profoundly saddened by the death of violinist James Ceasar.
[Jim is pictured at the right in the Brevard Festival Orchestra with conductor Henry Janiec and soloist Robert McDuffie]
In some ways, I've always been a Ceasar student. My first private teacher was Les Morrison, who taught me in 5th grade, and was one of Jim's students in Derby (Les was a high school senior himself, who wrote difficult etudes for me to play!)

In 7th grade, I took lesssons from Teresa Hiser, and went from 4th chair second violins to concertmaster. Teresa was a knockout, I had a big crush on her, and remember her playing Mendelssohn Concerto for me, and helping her figure out her teaching schedule! She was one of Jim's students, both her and her best friend Dana Venable, were stars at Wichita State, from Derby. (Dana is now married to a good friend, Galen Wixson, a fabulous cellist turned orchestra administator in Arkansas.)

After Teresa I went to Larry Dissmore, who was studying at WSU with Nancy Luttrell - a student of Jim's, and couldn't fit me in her schedule my freshman year in high school, so a year with Larry was productive (and I went to the back of the 1st violin section in high school.)

The next year, and throughout high school, I studied with Nancy Luttrell, associate concertmaster of the Wichita Symphony and stand partner of Jim Ceasar's for a long time, besides student. (I also rose to 3rd chair first violins [an outside seat behind the concertmaster for the next two years, and then became concertmaster] in Youth Symphony I was in the firsts, winding up in 5th chair my senior year.) Jim retired before I got to college and Andrzej Grabiec took over at WSU and at the Wichita Symphony.

Later when Grabiec left WSU for Rochester, there was a revolving door of teachers, so I went back to Nancy. It was Nancy who suggested I go study myself with Ceasar at Brevard Music Camp in North Carolina. I did for two summers, as an A.D. student and the following summer as a counselor. It was alot of playing, and alot of fun. Jim was always quick to point out that I focused on fun, but he certainly had lots to teach me.

It was two summers there that I really saw his best side, playing with kids and making a real difference - and telling stories - from the Glenn Miller Band to George Szell, who had him play in the Cleveland Orchestra. Jim took the job at Wichita State and taught several generations of violinists - I even ran into a Ceasar student when I moved to Harrisburg, who plays in the York Symphony.

After those two years, I studied with Jim off and on, for a lesson here and there, often before an important performance, and we also became social friends. At one point I lived a few blocks away, and he would invite me over for dinner. It would always be awesome food, and stories about Heifetz, Jack Benny or something local - I got alot of good perspective on conductors from Jim.

Later I had a roommate in college who Jim took a liking to who was from Norway (Jim's wife was Norwegian) and he would invite us both over, usually to try and set us up with Norwegian exchange students (unfortunately Ras and I were too old for these beautiful blonde high school students) but we always had fun.

Jim was a great man, teacher, husband and musician.

He was a mentor, friend and hero. I'm proud to say I knew Jim and loved him.

Blast from the past

I had the most charming experience last night, reconnecting with a friend that I have known since elementary school, but hadn't seen since the summer after our senior year in high school.
It was really sweet to catch up over dinner. From family to friends, old memories and laughter it was wild as we talked and remembered stories - sharing things that the other had forgot, and appreciating the background we have.
We also had laughs about age, pets and loves. There was something profound talking with someone that knew so much about each other - we never dated, but just from the fact we went to school for so long, it just makes me smile.
It was also wonderful to find out what was going on the last 20 years - while we had heard about each other through mutual friends, we hadn't been directly in touch. Now that our paths have crossed, I think it will be a case of more communication and hanging out.