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A Message from Edna Landau

Wednesday, September 10th, 2014

To All Our Loyal Readers:

Over this past summer, I came to the sad conclusion that it is time to take leave of “Ask Edna”. I have greatly enjoyed addressing a wide variety of questions on this blog and will continue to offer career advice through my other professional career development activities.

I will miss being part of the Musical America family and am deeply grateful to them for their unwavering support of this column over the past 3 ½ years. Publisher, Stephanie Challener, helped me develop the concept and her encouragement and insight contributed greatly to its longevity. I will do my best to continue to answer any questions that come via my website, http://www.ednalandau.com, and wish everyone a wonderful season ahead.

Edna Landau

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Commencement Address Excerpts to Inspire Your Summer

Thursday, May 29th, 2014

By: Edna Landau

To ask a question, please write Ask Edna.

The summer is a special time for many of us, presenting an opportunity to take a break from our normal routine and relax sufficiently to enable us to reassume our job responsibilities with increased vigor and renewed enthusiasm. For those who are graduating, the summer may offer the possibility for self-reflection and preparation for new roads that lie ahead. It can also offer a great opportunity to network, make new friends, and experiment with new artistic initiatives. Recognizing the great significance of this moment in their students’ lives, music schools and conservatories go to great lengths to arrange for distinguished artists and exemplary role models to address the graduates as they embark on this next step of their professional careers. A review of recent commencement addresses revealed a level of eloquence and wisdom that impressed me greatly and inspired me to incorporate various excerpts into my last blog post of the academic year. I strongly encourage our readers to savor these speeches in their entirety. Each and every one of them is remarkable.

A little less than a week ago, I watched the Juilliard School’s 109th Commencement Exercises online.  The beloved mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, who was awarded an Honorary Doctorate, delivered the Commencement Address. Remarking at the outset that it took her until age 29 to obtain management, she enumerated “four truths” related to her personal odyssey as a singer that she hoped would empower the graduates, when confronted with challenges in their artistic lives, to transform themselves and the world. Among them were the following:

You will never make it. That’s the bad news, but the “shift” I invite you to make is to see it as fabulous, outstanding news, for I don’t believe there is actually an “it.”  “It” doesn’t exist for an Artist. One of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, right here, right now, is to decide, without apology, to commit to the JOURNEY, and not to the outcome. The outcome will almost always fall short of your expectations, and if you’re chasing that elusive, often deceptive goal, you’re likely in for a very tough road, for there will always be that one note that could have soared more freely, the one line reading that could have been just that much more truthful, that third arabesque which could have been slightly more extended, that one adagio which could have been just a touch more magical. There will always be more freedom to acquire and more truth to uncover. As an artist, you will never arrive at a fixed destination. THIS is the glory and the reward of striving to master your craft and embarking on the path of curiosity and imagination, while being tireless in your pursuit of something greater than yourself.

It’s not about you. You may not yet realize it, but you haven’t signed up for a life of glory and adulation (although that MAY well come, and I wish with every fiber of my being, that it WILL come in the right form for every single one of you)…The Truth is, you have signed up for a life of service by going into the Arts. And the life-altering results of that service in other people’s lives will NEVER disappear as fame unquestionably will.

The world needs you…We need you to remind us what unbridled, unfiltered, childlike exuberance feels like, so we remember, without apology or disclaimer, to laugh, to play, to FLY and to stop taking EVERYTHING so damn seriously…Fly out of this building armed with the knowledge that YOU make a difference, that your art is NECESSARY, and that the world is eagerly awaiting to hear what YOU have to say.

NICHOLAS McGEGAN, SAN FRANCISCO CONSERVATORY COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS, 2013

Very soon, you will be going out into the world, perhaps to study further, perhaps to audition for orchestras and opera companies, or perhaps to begin a career teaching future students to love and be skilled in music. It is vital to keep extending your horizons, keep experimenting, keep questioning…It is all very well to know a lot about what we might call the “how” of music, but more important is the “why”: to strive to understand the meaning of the music you perform, to give it heart and soul, to let it sing with your personal voice…Challenging oneself, pushing boundaries, not accepting the status quo, are certainly not the safe options or some rosy path to success. But the easy way is also perhaps the shallowest and sometimes leads nowhere…To quote from Mark Twain: “Life is short, break the rules, forgive quickly…love truly, laugh uncontrollably, and never regret anything that made you smile. Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did.”

ERIC BOOTH, NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS, 2012

Your job is not to go play the hell out of the music you will play for the rest of your years. Your job is to be an agent of artistic experience…You can play perfectly, but if I didn’t make a personally relevant connection, if my sense of the world didn’t expand, art didn’t happen…We need you to expand your toolkit beyond the marvelous musical skills you have developed to make great music, to be irrepressibly curious, unstoppably experimental in using all the tools and discovering more, to open up these works of art.

JOHN ADAMS, THE JUILLIARD SCHOOL COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS, 2011

We need the artistic experience to pull us right out of our skins. In order to achieve that element of surprise, you have to set up expectation…Your expertise in setting up expectations depends on two factors that would at first glance seem to be contradictory: one is supreme technical mastery, mastery of a kind that is so secure and so thoroughly internalized that it functions at an almost subliminal level. And another is a gift for the outrageous, having the willingness and readiness to make that sudden, spontaneous departure from the norm—the ability to depart from the script and make the unexpected leap out of the box, and to do it when it’s least expected. Such a gift is impossible to teach. It has to come from the core of the artist’s personality…You have to be restless, searching, ready and willing to take risks.

ROBERT LEVIN, CURTIS INSTITUTE OF MUSIC COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS, 2009

You need to understand that an art which does not renew itself is an art which becomes dry and museum-like and will ultimately lose relevance for its audience…No matter how much you like improvising cadenzas in Beethoven or Mozart concertos, as I do, you commission pieces year-in and year-out. You have to do that! You have to make our art new…Go out to the race track and bet on a horse. Choose the composer or composers that speak to you. Play their music. Go to the barricades. Fight for them. If your horse comes in, you become part of music history. You become the Joseph Joachim, who premiered Brahms and Schumann and Dvorak. You become that person of the twenty-first century. And if you don’t, you still fought the good battle…Make the music new. Make it indispensable. Make it as exhilarating and terrifying as life really is.

AUDRA McDONALD, THE JUILLIARD SCHOOL COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS, 2007

My time at Juilliard was confusing and full of angst… I just felt like I was on the wrong path. Looking back, I realize that I was so directly on my path that NASA couldn’t have charted it any better. My path had nothing to do with what others wanted me to be or do. It had even less to do with what I thought I wanted. My path was the road to joy. Loving what I do gives me the joy I didn’t think to seek. Joy gives me the courage to persevere.

I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it what I can.

********

With these words of wisdom, I take leave of all of our readers until September. I thank all of you for your loyalty and wish you a most enjoyable and fulfilling summer.

To ask a question, please write Ask Edna.
© Edna Landau 2014

 

 

Posted in Ask Edna, Listening to Your Inner Voice | Comments Closed

Everything in its Right Place

Thursday, May 15th, 2014

By: Edna Landau

To ask a question, please write Ask Edna.

When I visit with students at conservatories and music schools around the United States, the question I am most frequently asked concerns the right time for approaching management. I tell students, as well as young artists who are already actively concertizing, that developing artistic recognition, positive word of mouth and distinct marketability can take considerable time. We then discuss the various aspects of this process over which they have control and a strategy for embarking on the journey.

Sybarite5 has been on my radar screen since March of 2012. In October of that year, I featured them in my blog post titled A Flair for Marketing. The instrumentation of the group (two violins, viola, cello, double bass) and their varied and untraditional repertoire did not make them an obvious target for management, but I sensed that their gift for marketing themselves in a very warm and appealing way could be a strong plus for attracting attention in the management world. It was also of utmost importance that they play at a very high level and this was borne out in several of their performances which I was able to hear. Despite all this, I was very surprised (albeit delighted) to read, about two weeks ago, that Frank Salomon Associates had added Sybarite5 to its roster, the first new artist to join this prestigious management’s list in seven years. I wondered about the process that had led to such a momentous announcement and decided to call the Salomon office, as well as Steven Shaiman, Senior Vice President and Director, Artist Management, at Concert Artists Guild, which has managed the group since they won their 2011 Victor Elmaleh Competition.

I asked Steve if he remembered Sybarite5’s 2011 audition and what made them stand out. He told me that they were like a breath of fresh air. “They weren’t trying to be innovative. They had already hit on something very engaging and were able to get your attention and keep it.” He also said that they had very good presentation skills and a polished program which showed the variety of what they did. That program had already served them well when they performed a showcase at the Chamber Music America conference, an opportunity that had already opened some doors for them. The group had also showcased at other booking conferences (Western Alliance and Arts Midwest) prior to the Concert Artists Guild competition. They came across to Steve as extremely confident and had already released a five-track disc Disturb the Silence, which gave CAG an immediate marketing tool as they further introduced this unusual group in the marketplace. CAG released Sybarite5’s second disc Everything in its Right Place (ten arrangements of music by Radiohead) in 2012 on its own CAG Records label. The title of this album would seem to be a most apt description of how the ensemble has developed over the years.

How did Frank Salomon Associates (FSA) turn out to be the right place for Sybarite5? They seem like an unlikely choice for an agency that has been very discerning but also traditional in its roster choices over the years. In a call to its director, Barrie Steinberg and associate, Chris Williams (manager of Sybarite5), I was reminded that TASHI had been a long-time client of the firm and that they had performed in untraditional concert dress, announced programs from the stage, and offered both classical and crossover repertoire. Chris first heard Sybarite5 at a Midwest conference showcase and found them to be artistically compelling and “super cool”. Several of the FSA staff subsequently heard the group at a Young Performers Career Advancement (YPCA) showcase in January of 2013 and Chris heard them again three months later at one of their self-produced concerts at the cell in New York. He was impressed by the diverse crowd and found the concert experience to be very different and a great deal of fun. A classically trained violist with undergraduate and graduate degrees in Viola Performance, Chris had also developed a strong interest in pop music during his college years. He advocated for Sybarite5 at the Frank Salomon office, reinforcing the positive impression that Barrie had of the group, having heard them when they first started out, followed them through their newsletters, and spoken to presenters about them from time to time.  FSA had also been regularly updated by Concert Artists Guild with regard to the group’s development. Both Barrie and Chris confirmed to me that several additional factors contributed to their having been signed by the agency:

1)      Sybarite5’s  varied repertoire and style of presentation bring in a younger audience.

2)      The group is always finding ways to be visible, and they work hard at it. They never look solely to management to make things happen for them. Their newsletters are unfailingly gracious and informal, but also very informative. As I wrote this column, Sybarite5 were in Sarasota, Florida for their inaugural Forward Festival (described as the world’s first portable chamber music festival). It was launched, in part, with the help of a Kickstarter campaign that exceeded its goal of $50,000. The group’s choice of Sarasota reflects their innate business sense in undertaking a new enterprise in the home town of one of their members (bassist Louis Levitt). They also undoubtedly created a good deal of excitement and community engagement by including top-notch local musicians in their five programs, presented in five different venues, and offering outreach activities along the way. The programming, which featured repertoire ranging from Debussy and Bach to Bjork and Radiohead, also included the world premiere of Andy Akiho’s RESOLVE, commissioned with an award from Chamber Music America. It should come as no surprise that the festival attracted no less than six media sponsors.

3)      Sybarite5 have an ongoing commissioning program that contributes to their vitality and their ability to continue to offer presenters new programs. In spring 2015, they will premiere the world’s first concerto for string quintet and orchestra by American composer Dan Visconti. Their residencies sometimes include an innovative New Music IDOL project, which invites collegiate level composition students to write short pieces that are performed and critiqued in a casual concert setting, complete with a panel of judges. A winner is chosen via a live text-to-vote system. The group hopes  that one or more of these pieces may someday become part of their  repertoire.

4)      The group is very well-structured (they are a 501c3) with an effective division of labor. They have a policy of answering everyone within 48 hours – a manager’s dream! They have worked tirelessly to create themselves as a brand, making it easier to approach presenters about them.

My own favorite manifestation of Sybarite5’s ingenuity and creativity is their online merchandise store. Featured alongside the expected T-shirts, sweatshirts and tote bags are bibs, an organic baby bodysuit, a license plate frame, pet bowls, and a T-shirt for your dog – all complete with the group’s logo.

I commend Frank Salomon Associates for signing this exciting, boundary-defying group and wish them fortitude in keeping up with them as they achieve new heights!

To ask a question, please write Ask Edna.

©Edna Landau 2014

 

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Piano Retailers as Resources

Thursday, May 1st, 2014

By: Edna Landau

To ask a question, please write Ask Edna.

In a column I wrote in February (Using Google to Find Concert Opportunities), I addressed the challenge that pianists confront in identifying new venues in which to perform or run through repertoire in advance of major recitals. I have always been sympathetic to the limitations they face in not being able to bring their instrument with them. I recently began to investigate the opportunities for piano stores and dealers to be a resource – both in terms of providing performance spaces and advising regarding specific locations with suitable pianos.  I was helped greatly in my research by Bonnie Barrett, Director, Yamaha Artist Services in New York, who led me to some very dedicated individuals whom I otherwise might never have met.

Let me say at the outset that this is not a column about the advantages of becoming an official artist of a particular piano company. There is no standardized information that I can offer about that as it is a personal decision for each artist. However, it does seem to me that the tide has turned and whereas piano companies’ rosters of artists were once populated primarily by “household names”, they have made an effort to reach out to younger performers in ways that can be extraordinarily meaningful. Substantial information about this can be found on the Yamaha Artist Services and Steinway & Sons websites. Yamaha’s range of services even extends to career advice and Steinway now has a special Young Steinway Artists roster for classical, jazz and pop artists.

Can piano dealers offer helpful information to pianists hoping to secure performing opportunities on their own? The answer is both yes and no. Vivian Chiu, Operations Manager, Concert Services at Steinway & Sons in New York, confirmed that dealers obviously have information about pianos they have sold or rented to institutions in their area. In all likelihood, they are in fine condition but she does find herself on the phone with artists who call to request  information about a particular piano. The dealers are usually not a resource for general locations of venues with pianos and they do not keep such a master list. However, a call (for example) to a church to whom the dealer has sold a piano may yield information about other churches with pianos. Most dealers have websites which list the institutions with whom they have had an affiliation.

How common is it for piano dealers to have a performance space and host concerts in their showrooms? Such an arrangement is not uncommon, especially in the larger cities. The New York City headquarters of Steinway and Yamaha have hosted concerts and press events for years.  The Yamaha Artist Services Piano Salon is equipped to offer its artists use of their unique Disklavier TV recording technology that allows them to connect to remote concert stages throughout the world. On a more fundamental level, students who need to prepare DVD’s for professional auditions are welcomed into the facility, provided with an excellent concert grand and assisted in the preparation of their recording.  Klavierhaus in New York City, which is in the business of piano restoration and sales,  built a state of the art concert space and recording studio several years ago which was used on a rental basis and attracted a very cultivated audience. The company has since relocated and is constructing a new showroom and recital space at Le Parker Meridien Hotel near Carnegie Hall, where it will also begin curating a recital series in the penthouse. Both Michael Harrison, Managing Director, and Nicholas Russotto, Director of Events, are excited about the possibilities that these venues will afford and note that it will allow Klavierhaus to continue to be a haven for pianists at all stages of their careers. Gavin English, General Manager of Steinway’s West Coast retail stores, told me that if you go on Steinway’s website, click on Dealer Finder and enter the zip code in which you are located, it will list the contact information of the closest Steinway & Sons showroom in that area. Another way to find your local Steinway & Sons showroom is to call 1-800-STEINWAY and it will reach the local showroom in the area code you’re calling from. He mentioned that there is no charge for Steinway artists, and often local artists, to use concert spaces in their dealers’ showrooms but advised that some showrooms are larger than others and availability may be limited to the daytime hours.

The motivations for hosting concerts vary from city to city. Many showrooms cultivate a relationship with local teachers and open their facility for student recitals. The typical showroom concert space has a seating capacity of 69-95, although some can seat as many as 150. Faust Harrison Pianos hosts concerts in all three of its New York area showrooms – New York City, White Plains and Huntington. Sara Faust, owner of Faust Harrison and a prizewinning pianist herself, told me that hosting concerts is a good way for the company to give back to the community and support artists. Understandably, she also explained that it provides opportunities to bring potential customers to the store. In White Plains, concert audiences attend for free and are also offered a factory tour. A dealer might host a showcase for an artist if local presenters (who can be good customers) are interested in hearing them. If an artist can bring a local audience of at least 50 to their performance, Faust Harrison won’t charge for the space. Sam Varon in Faust Harrison’s Huntington showroom adheres to the same general guidelines, with strong deference given to teachers for student recitals.

If my travels take me to Maryland any time soon, I will be sure to visit Downtown Piano Works in Frederick. The owners, Dan and Theresa Shykind, do very little traditional advertising, preferring to draw customers into their store via a free concert series which they present using the finest pianos from their exclusively Yamaha inventory. They have presented 100 concerts over the past six years, featuring some of the finest established and emerging pianists of our time. (They’ve even been known to sneak in a violinist or cellist.) Young artists receive a small honorarium. The space holds 65 and they generally have a wait list of over 150. The concerts are free and a percentage of seats are set aside for students of the Downtown Piano Works Music School, led by Theresa, herself a musician. On occasion, artists performing in the store offer master classes to the students. The Shykinds have no expectation of the artist bringing in an audience. They see the series as an opportunity to give back to the community in which they raised their children. Dan told me that he receives materials and CD’s every week from artists interested in performing there. He books the concerts over a year in advance and suggests that artists send YouTube links for his review to DowntownPianoWorks@yahoo.com. The company’s website  has an extensive list of institutions to whom they have provided pianos (albeit not always grands), which artists might find helpful. It is not uncommon for concerts at DPW to be reviewed and/or broadcast if the artist is willing, and for senators and congressmen to be present in the audience.

Despite the many visits I have made to Chicago over the course of my career, I only had occasion this week to connect with Thomas Zoells, owner of PianoForte Chicago, Inc. (a piano store) and founder and Executive Director of the PianoForte Foundation. After a time working in artist management, and a longer time spent in banking, he decided ten years ago to respond to his passion for pianos and enter the piano business. He told me that what drives him and gives him fulfillment is “to get people excited about the piano and to promote piano culture”.  Although the recital hall in the store is available for rent and the recording studio for a fee, they are also used for the classical and jazz concerts, and the radio series, curated by Thomas Zoells himself through the foundation. Moderately priced tickets are sold to the performances and artists receive a fee. Many of the concerts are broadcast live and students are particularly encouraged to attend those concerts. The application process for participating in the Foundation’s series is detailed on their website.

A Google adventure of mine led me to Coral Gables, Florida (perhaps in a subliminal search for better weather than we are currently experiencing in New York) where I discovered the Steinway Piano Gallery. I had a delightful conversation with the General Manager, Doug Thiel, a 40-year veteran of the piano business. The Gallery has a 90 seat hall which is used almost every day. They host hundreds of student recitals every year, as well as master classes and educational activities. There is no charge for the space. Doug Thiel sees his role very clearly as sustaining the evolution of classical music and jazz. He told me: “We’ve got to support the young people’s efforts in order to continue to cultivate an interested and appreciative audience.” I was impressed with Doug’s wonderful spirit and hope to have the opportunity to meet him in person someday.

By necessity, this column has focused on retail establishments in the U.S. Fortunately, there are many piano stores and showrooms around the world which also host concerts and educational activities and which are staffed with dedicated individuals who are often musicians themselves.  I encourage all young pianists to seek them out during their travels. They will undoubtedly prove to be great sources of information and may also become lifelong friends.

To ask a question, please write Ask Edna.

© Edna Landau 2014

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An Extraordinary Musical Pilgrimage

Thursday, April 17th, 2014

By: Edna Landau

To ask a question, please write Ask Edna.

House concerts are a wonderful way to discover new talent. My friend Michael Reingold, who is the founder and Artistic Director of New York House Concerts, recently invited me to hear a young American cellist by the name of Dane Johansen in a concert consisting of two Bach solo suites and a solo suite by Gaspar Cassadó. I knew very little about Mr. Johansen upon arriving at the concert but quickly ascertained that Michael Reingold’s advance words of praise were well-deserved. What really captured my attention, apart from the very fine playing, was the following note in the program:

Dane’s Walk to Fisterra: In May 2014, Dane Johansen will travel to Spain and walk close to 600 miles – with his cello – along the Camino de Santiago and record Bach’s Six Suites for Solo Cello in ancient historic sites along the route. To learn more about Dane’s journey to Spain and to help him with a contribution, please visit WalkToFisterra.com.

As someone who rarely walks more than two miles a day (without a cello), you can imagine my fascination with the prospect of Dane’s journey. Was this a stunt designed to attract media attention? I introduced myself to him after the concert and had an opportunity to meet with him over coffee a few weeks later.

Dane explained to me that El Camino de Santiago is a famous pilgrimage route dating back to medieval times, which culminates in Santiago de Compostela and Fisterra in northwestern Spain. It attracts thousands of walkers a year, some of whom are ardent hikers and others who welcome the spiritual reflection that the historic route inspires. For Dane, the idea of undertaking this journey dates back to 2008 when he was talking to a friend at the Marlboro Music Festival who had just walked 2000 miles along the Appalachian Trail and whose next adventure was to be the Camino de Santiago. A native of Alaska, Dane’s passion for the outdoors has always taken a close second to his passion for the cello. He had been studying the Bach suites for many years and was seeking a way to experience them, and eventually record them, in a new and meaningful way. The historic spirituality of the route seemed to be a perfect match for the spirituality he has always derived from his daily commitment to music and the cello, as well as these suites in particular. He writes on his website:

Generations of cellists have considered mastery of the Suites a pinnacle of artistic achievement and a rite of passage. A life spent in pursuit of such a singular goal is like a pilgrimage; it is endless and requires extreme effort, daily commitment, and absolute resolve.

Realizing that there are hundreds of churches along the route, Dane began to envision a project that would not only allow him to perform and deepen his mastery of this music but to meet young musicians in Spain and offer them master classes along the way.

Dane’s plans have now blossomed into a six-week journey that will see him traveling with an eight-member team including audio engineers, award-winning filmmakers and a three-time Grammy Award winning music producer, perorming in 36 churches along the way and teaching at regional conservatories. Their goal will be to merge the narrative of Bach’s cello suites, the Camino de Santiago, and memorable moments of human interaction into what should be a visually stunning and compelling documentary film. They will be equipped with state of the art equipment that will enable them to capture the particular acoustic of each venue and recreate it in the film, allowing the viewer to be sonically transported to the original locations while watching footage that will accompany Dane in live recitals upon his return.

The beauty of Dane’s Walk to Fisterra is that it incorporates every aspect of what is important to him as a musician and a person. He will be traveling on foot to new locations every day where he can share his fascination and passion for Bach’s music with other people.  A dedicated teacher, both privately and at the Juilliard School, he has reached out to cellists in Spain via colleagues at various conservatories to help him organize master classes and mentoring sessions with young cellists along the way. He told me the poignant story of his special relationship with cellist Bernard Greenhouse, a treasured mentor with whom he spent considerable amounts of time during the last five years of his life. Dane had asked himself, “if you could study with anyone in the world, who would it be?”  The answer was clear – Bernard Greenhouse – but he had no idea how to get to him. Menahem Pressler kindly provided Mr. Greenhouse’s address after a coaching of Schubert’s E-flat Major Piano Trio at the Steans Institute in Chicago.  Dane wrote to him – one letter every month for ten months! One day, as Dane was mowing the lawn at his parents’ house, he received a call from Mr. Greenhouse who said he’d love to hear him play. He mentioned that he was giving a master class in Frankfurt and Dane jumped at the chance to participate. He subsequently played for him on a regular basis and spent several weeks at a time with him at his home in Cape Cod.  Greenhouse, who himself felt privileged to count the great cellist Pablo Casals as his mentor, seemed to welcome the chance to continue the tradition with the young Dane Johansen.

As I write this article, Dane is launching a Kickstarter campaign through his fiscal sponsor, Fractured Atlas, to raise the money he needs to bring his team to Spain. I have no doubt that he will be successful in this endeavor, just as I have no reservations about his ability to walk 100 miles a week. (He has been training for a while by walking the length of Manhattan  with his cello.) This project could be described as “long distance” in more than one way. Dane conceived of it six years ago and it was part of his proposal to the Artist Diploma Committee at Juilliard, in which he described what he hoped to accomplish during his time in the program. It could have been derailed at various times along the way and he hopes that the realization of this odyssey will encourage others not to give up on their dreams. He is grateful for the support of many, including his colleagues in the Escher String Quartet, who gave their blessing to this project two years ago.

I look forward to following Dane on his journey through a blog he will be posting on www.walktofisterra.com.  I also fervently hope that the excellent team that will accompany him will create such an exemplary film that it will be singled out as “Best Documentary Film” at a future Academy Awards ceremony. That would be a thrilling culmination to this musical pilgrimage, bringing honor to its visionary creator and the incomparably profound and beautiful six cello suites of Johann Sebastian Bach.

To ask a question, please write Ask Edna.

© Edna Landau 2014

Posted in Ask Edna, Listening to Your Inner Voice, Uncategorized | Comments Closed

Playing by Heart

Thursday, April 3rd, 2014

By: Edna Landau

To ask a question, please write Ask Edna.

Early one morning, a few weeks ago, I was listening to radio station WQXR, when I heard the following:  “All of the artists you hear on WQXR play with heart, but not all of them play by heart.” It was the intro to an announcement of the Chiara String Quartet’s upcoming performance in WQXR’s Jerome L. Greene Performance Space. The announcement really caught my attention. What was this all about? I have always thought of the Chiara as one of the most prominent and innovative quartets of their generation. Was this a gimmick to differentiate them from the pack?

Unable to attend the Quartet’s live performance, I made sure to view it via the link on WQXR’s home page. The audience was clearly energized by the excitement flowing from the group and responded with hearty and prolonged applause to their performances of works by Ravel and Brahms. During the interview portion, I learned how the Chiara arrived at the decision to perform most of their concerts and record their newest Brahms CD by memory. It resulted in large measure from an eight year process of recording the complete Brahms quartets, only to conclude that the product didn’t meet their own standards. In a quest to go deeper into the music and internalize what the composer wrote on the page, they invested the time in memorizing the music (individual parts and the totality) and began to rehearse by memory. Their new Brahms recording on the Azica label, which also includes the String Quintet No. 2 with violist Roger Tapping, is called “Brahms by Heart”.

The Chiara Quartet is not unique in playing by memory. The Kolisch Quartet, an early 20th century European ensemble, were renowned for playing by heart. Other quartets who have performed at times by memory include the Zehetmair Quartett , the Parker Quartet and the Ariel Quartet. However, the Chiara’s commitment to this idea seems considerably more far-reaching. I spoke to two members of the group: violinist Rebecca Fischer and violist Jonah Sirota. Still a bit skeptical about what WQXR referred to on their website as “a feat” and “scaling a very different artistic Everest”, I wanted to ask them directly about the motivation behind making a commitment that undoubtedly requires many extra hours of learning on their part. In calling their latest album “Brahms by Heart”, I couldn’t help but feel that they were playing on the novelty of this approach. They told me that the title had additional meaning for them because they feel it reflects the closeness they feel to the music as a result of having committed it to memory. I asked whether presenters were marketing them on the basis of this aspect of their performances and they said no. I also asked whether the number of works they have been performing  by memory (including Ravel, four Bartok quartets, Haydn Opus 20 #2, Schubert’s “Death and the Maiden”, and the complete Brahms) were an indication that all future performances would be by memory. I was especially curious about new music, in light of their Grammy nominated recording (2011) of Jefferson Friedman’s String Quartet #3. They confirmed that their intention is to offer some new works by memory but explained that there is a tendency for newly commissioned works to be finished very close to deadline, which can create a challenge with regard to memorization. In addition, the decision to commit a new work to memory might be influenced by the number of opportunities to perform the work. Jonah and Rebecca told me that they will limit the amount of repertoire they offer by heart and that all four players must feel equally comfortable in all instances. At present, they seem almost euphoric about the sense of release and freedom that they feel when they are no longer tied to a printed page. They spoke of the galvanizing effect it has had on them, changing both their dynamic and their sound. They have also been gratified by the enthusiastic response from audiences who welcome the absence of music stands, which they view as a barrier between them and the musicians.

I am not in a position to comment on the before and after of the Chiara’s transformation. I have never been privileged to hear them live in concert and much of what is currently on YouTube is performed by memory. In these video clips, as well as in the broadcast from the Greene Space, the group plays with infectious ebullience, technical assurance, stylistic cohesion and a rich sound that emanate from a warm and confident dynamic between the players.  Recognizing that they have been Blodgett Artists-in-Residence at Harvard University over the past six years, I decided to contact a professor in Harvard’s Music Department, Anne Shreffler, who was happy to speak to me. She is very impressed with the artistic growth of the Quartet during their tenure at Harvard, independent of their new initiative to memorize their concert repertoire. However, she does believe that this new approach has enhanced their sound, their blend, and their artistic collaboration.

It is very common today for students at music schools and conservatories to be strongly encouraged to focus on their “vision statement” and “branding”.  I personally do not embrace that exact approach because I find it vague and overly corporate.  However, with such a crowded field of extraordinarily talented musicians and less opportunities for securing management and performance slots on established concert series, I do encourage young artists to try to identify their strongest skills and attributes, as well as their greatest passions, in hopes that this process will help to define them and allow them to build a profile that presenters, managers and the media might find compelling. At the same time, I always try to emphasize to them that this self-reflection process can only be productive if the level of their performances is as high as it can be. Recognition that is not rooted in significant musical accomplishment will not prove to be lasting. I commend the Chiara Quartet for identifying an approach that has elevated their performance level and brought audiences an extra measure of involvement and appreciation. I am not convinced that other ensembles are prevented from performing  with the same freedom and meaningful communication by having their music stands in front of them but I am convinced that the Chiara did not embark on this journey as a marketing ploy. While audiences may grow to speak about them as “the quartet who perform by heart”, thus helping them stand out among many gifted colleagues, I know they understand that it will always be the quality of their playing that truly defines them and that will be central to their ongoing success.

To ask a question, please write Ask Edna.

© Edna Landau 2014

Posted in Ask Edna, Communicating with Your Audience | Comments Closed

Thank You Notes

Thursday, March 20th, 2014

By: Edna Landau

To ask a question, please write Ask Edna.

A young artist who seeks my advice from time to time recently asked me about a note she was planning to write to a conductor following what she thought was a very successful collaboration. She wanted to be sure that what she had drafted was appropriate. The conductor had given her his personal e-mail address and had taken a picture with her. In her note to him, she expressed appreciation for having had a chance to work with him and attached the picture. No problem at all. I found that charming. She then went on to inform him that her first concerto cd would be coming out soon and that she would have four additional concertos in her repertoire for the 2015-16 season. I told the young lady that unless the conductor had specifically asked her to forward her repertoire list, she was better off leaving that part out – especially inasmuch as she has professional management and that kind of follow-up should be left to them.

This particular question prompted me to approach a few conductors and presenters to ask them how often they received notes from artists and whether a nicely written thank you note following an engagement made any difference in the likelihood of an artist being re-engaged. I learned that such notes were not uncommon and were certainly appreciated, but unless a note to a conductor specifically addressed a conversation that had taken place during the visit regarding a particular project, work or composer, with an eye toward a future collaboration, the note was not likely to have long term impact. An exception to this might be a note about specific repertoire that wasn’t discussed, but the artist and conductor had connected personally to a sufficient extent that the artist’s suggestion would feel totally natural. Here is an example: “It occurred to me after we worked together that hardly anyone plays the Busoni concerto. I happen to love that piece and in light of the fact that two years from now will be a Busoni anniversary, I thought I’d mention it in case you like the piece too!” I was advised that if a conductor specifically says to an artist that they’d like to know what they are doing from time to time and that they should stay in touch, the artist can feel comfortable taking that comment at face value. An exchange of e-mail addresses would further confirm the conductor’s sincerity. The artist must understand that there may not be any outcome from such communications for quite some time and that they need to be patient. They should also carefully gauge the frequency of their communications as it would be counterproductive to come across as pushy or, even worse, relentless. One conductor told me about a note from a violinist that has stayed in his memory because it was very thoughtful and genuine and didn’t ask for anything at all. It simply expressed appreciation for the opportunity to work together in the Sibelius concerto and went on to say how the artist’s further performances of the concerto benefited from their collaboration.

The presenters I spoke to cited a few instances where a thank you note might seem very much in order – if the presenter helped the artist to commission a new work, if the artist stayed in the community for an extended time, or if a staff member did something out of the ordinary during the artist’s stay. They quickly added that anyone taking the time to write a thank you note would be well advised to write it by hand, rather than send it by e-mail.

To round out my “research”, I decided to speak to violinist , Philippe Quint, who has always impressed me as an artist with great savoir faire. I also knew that he had been the founder and Artistic Director of the Mineria Chamber Music Festival in Mexico City and thus could respond to my questions both from the perspective of a performer and a presenter. Philippe told me that his teacher, Dorothy DeLay, had encouraged all young artists who were starting out in their careers to write thank you notes following their performances. He concurs with that approach, since even the smallest probability of getting re-engaged as a result of such a gesture can be extremely valuable at that critical time. Today, when Philippe’s career is in high gear, any thank you notes he may write are typically to a conductor with whom he may have discussed repertoire and shared a meal during the course of an engagement, or an artistic administrator at an orchestra who may have driven him around and extended themselves in a special way to make him feel comfortable. He stressed, however, that at any stage in an artist’s career, it is important that their note come across as sincere, not contrived. It would be refreshing if the artist focused on an element of the experience that demonstrated the importance to them of returning to the community — perhaps something human and memorable, rather than career based.

As a presenter, Philippe has welcomed the occasional note from an artist who has had a connection to him, apprising him of a significant and exciting new development in their career. Constant updates with information that is easily accessible via Facebook or Twitter often get instantly deleted. He suggests that a periodic newsletter, prepared for family, friends and close industry contacts, may be well received by a professional contact  if forwarded with a personal note that acknowledges something nice that has just happened for them, or an expression of enthusiasm for a recent performance or recording of theirs that the artist might have heard.

Philippe’s last words of advice concerned an artist’s general behavior during an engagement.  He cited examples of some of the most beloved artists of our time, such as Yo-Yo Ma and Joshua Bell, whose humility, kindness and generosity to everyone they encounter on their travels, regardless of function or stature, has become legendary. Their special efforts to connect with donors at post-concert events have been of incalculable benefit to the presenter and resulted in memorable experiences for the donors that will always be treasured. All artists should be inspired by their example and remember that acts of kindness mean so much to all those who work hard to make an engagement a success. Thank you’s on site and thoughtful gestures are likely to be remembered. Coupled with an artistically memorable performance, they are certainly likely to enhance the chances of being re-engaged in the future.

To ask a question, please write Ask Edna.

© Edna Landau 2014

Posted in Ask Edna, Career Etiquette | Comments Closed

The Road to a Grammy Nomination

Thursday, March 6th, 2014

By: Edna Landau

To ask a question, please write Ask Edna.

Gloria Cheng has always impressed me as someone with very high standards, impeccable taste, and an unerring sense of how to do something correctly. Add to those qualities brilliant artistry, keen intelligence, an inquisitive mind, and a soft-spoken endearing presence coupled with steely determination, and one begins to understand how this artist has won a Grammy (Best Instrumental Soloist Performance, 2009) and been nominated for another (Best Classical Instrumental Solo, 2013) without the benefit of a manager or being signed to a record label. Heartened by this realization, I asked Gloria if she would walk me through the process of creating her latest Grammy-nominated disc, The Edge of Light, from its conceptualization through its release. It is my hope that sharing what I learned will give encouragement to young musicians who would benefit from making recordings but who are still waiting for someone else to take the first step.

My first question to Gloria was why she chose to record music of Kaija Saariaho and Olivier Messiaen. She told me that when she was an orchestral substitute with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and appeared regularly on their Green Umbrella series, Ms. Saariaho was a frequent visitor, as works of hers were held in high regard and performed by the orchestra and its music director, Esa-Pekka Salonen. Gloria was intrigued by the composer and made a point of getting to know her and her music, in particular, her electronic music which she found bold and daring. She began to wonder how she might write for solo piano. A compelling example materialized in the form of a ballade, commissioned in 2005 by Emanuel Ax as part of his larger exploration of this musical form. This Ballade and Ms. Saariaho’s Prelude, written a year later, received their first recorded performances on Gloria’s disc. She is particularly honored that the composer chose to attend the recording sessions. Messiaen is a composer who has figured frequently in Gloria’s concert programs over the years. She saw a kinship in the thinking of these two composers and when she approached Ms. Saariaho to ask about it, she in fact confirmed that Messiaen had been one of her major inspirations. The idea of pairing these two composers now became a plan, with the eight Messiaen preludes (1929) joining the repertoire to be recorded. There was one small challenge still to overcome – the imbalance of 35 minutes of music by Messiaen and only a little over eleven minutes of Saariaho. Knowing that Messiaen had written a work for piano and string quartet (1991) and that Kaija Saariaho had written Je Sens un deuxième Coeur for piano, viola and cello, she invited her good friends and frequent collaborators, The Calder Quartet, to join her in recording these works.

Gloria has never been interested in producing and packaging her own albums. Her earlier recordings were produced and released by Telarc, which had largely wound down its classical recording activities. She knew of Robina Young, Vice President/Artistic Director and legendary producer of Harmonia Mundi USA, through a mutual friend who was happy to assist with an introduction. Although Gloria must have felt nervous walking into the meeting, she was put at ease when Ms. Young said that she had been following her recordings over the years. Gloria appears to have been beautifully prepared for the meeting. She came armed with all of the timings for the music to be recorded and was bolstered by having Kaija Saariaho’s blessing to record her works. She knew that she had a valid concept for the recording and that her most important role was “to speak of the project with love.” She also guessed correctly that the involvement of the excellent Calder Quartet would be a plus. Ms. Young agreed to the proposal, but with the proviso that Gloria would deliver a finished master to Harmonia Mundi, a condition that has become quite common in the recording world today. Gloria quickly proceeded to secure the services of the highly acclaimed recording engineer, Judith Sherman. An additional touch of class was lent to the album when Harmonia Mundi agreed to Gloria’s choice of Peter Sellars to write the liner notes. Her relationship with him also dated from her days as a performer with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and as he had directed operas by both composers, she knew he was the perfect choice. It was actually Mr. Sellars who came up with the title of the album after Gloria told him that it seemed to her as if the music was transforming in some way from sound into color and light.

Gloria devised a budget for the entire album and it came to $15,000 (including hall rental, piano moving and tuning, guest artist fees and expenses, engineering and editing costs, and production of the master). She didn’t feel comfortable mounting a Kickstarter campaign and chose instead to tap into her network of friends and supporters who had come to her concerts over the years, or given donations to organizations with whom she appeared regularly. Knowing that tax deductions could be a significant incentive to donors, she arranged to have Piano Spheres (of whom she has been a performing member for 20 years) act as fiscal sponsor, with the understanding that they would receive a cut from the funds raised. Her next step was to approach dear friends to see if they would host a concert in support of her recording. They had just built a beautiful home and Gloria had helped them choose a Steinway piano. They immediately said yes. The cost of admission was set at $200. One guest contributed $5000. The Calder Quartet graciously agreed to participate and the concert was a complete success. All contributors received thank you notes and, subsequent to the record release, were sent signed cd’s. Following the concert, Gloria was only $1500 short of her financial goal. She secured a small grant from UCLA (where she is on the faculty) and contributed the remainder herself. Gloria was deeply touched by the generosity of her supporters, some of whom she didn’t know personally, and wrote an additional round of thank you notes when the recording was nominated for a Grammy.

I asked René Goiffon, president of Harmonia Mundi USA, about the elements of Gloria’s proposal that had been compelling to them and that had engendered the trust they felt in entering into a special arrangement with her. Apart from citing her wonderful artistry, he said: “Gloria is a good example of an artist who has her stuff together. She is very thorough and driven, and brought in the Calder Quartet (a hot property now), as well as Peter Sellars to write the liner notes. She was able to organize a fundraising party, hosted by an attorney with access to many people of means who are interested in the arts. The whole package was there and it was very well formed.”

My last question of Harmonia Mundi concerned the process by which Gloria’s recording of rather esoteric repertoire succeeded in attracting enough attention to capture a Grammy nomination. I suggested that maybe the label’s superlative reputation for top quality could have been a factor. While he didn’t deny that, both Mr. Goiffon and Robina Young commented that as a past Grammy Award winner, Gloria already had a boost in visibility among the voting members of The Recording Academy. It is standard procedure for a recording company to submit their recordings to the Academy for initial consideration. In addition, Harmonia Mundi makes the music available for streaming and features the release in their newsletter. It is then in the hands of the Academy’s voting members to determine the short list of nominations. That is where all of Gloria’s hard work during the course of her career to date paid off. Thankfully, it would appear that the votes are being cast by an increasingly knowledgeable and discerning group of advocates for top quality performances of a wide variety of repertoire, regardless of its general popularity. This bodes well for the future and should give hope to present and future recording artists that there is a level playing field, and that the results of their efforts stand an equitable chance of receiving this important form of industry recognition.

© Edna Landau 2014

 

 

Posted in Ask Edna, When It Comes to Recording | Comments Closed

Using Google to Find Concert Opportunities

Thursday, February 20th, 2014

By: Edna Landau

To ask a question, please write Ask Edna.

I am often asked: How can I find opportunities to perform? There are several possible answers to this question but they all have one thing in common. There is a lot of work involved and there are no shortcuts that I am aware of. One approach is to set out on foot in your target area, as Julia Villagra did on behalf of her tertulias (see my last blog post), to explore performance possibilities in spaces that haven’t offered concerts in the past. The possibilities are many and might include galleries, restaurants, churches, banks and private clubs. However, in all likelihood, you will want to undertake a much broader search. Before approaching anyone, there is a considerable amount of research to be done. The most obvious solution is to target a geographical area and then look at newspaper listings and websites to ascertain where concerts are already taking place that feature performers at your level. It you live in a big city, be sure to consult publications and listings in the surrounding areas, which may include smaller community newspapers.

One approach, which I find most fascinating, is to make Google your best friend in launching your campaign. Since I live in Westchester County (NY), I decided to begin my Google search with “arts councils in Westchester County”.  (Arts councils are always an excellent place to start.) The first port of call proved to be a treasure trove of information.  ArtsWestchester bills itself as “Your Complete Guide to the Arts in Westchester” and indeed, it seems to be just that. From the Events category, I learned about several concert series that were totally new to me: Bronxville Women’s Club (whose upcoming event was a mandolin and piano recital), Downtown Music at Grace (Grace Episcopal Church in White Plains), Harrison Public Library concerts, and Friends of Music in Sleepy Hollow, NY, now celebrating their 60th year! The home page of ArtsWestchester also features a Cultural Organizations Directory which yielded further information about these presenters and others, as well as smaller arts councils in the county. I googled “Churches in Westchester County with Pianos”, and although it didn’t produce a comprehensive list, it directed me to church event listings on NYTimes.com and also musical events taking place at individual churches in the county.

I have always been sensitive to the fact that it is particularly hard for pianists to identify places to perform, as creativity and resourcefulness do not necessarily lead one to a space with a piano. Out of curiosity, I googled “Senior Centers with pianos in New York City”. On page 5 (!), I found “Seniors Partnering with Arts Citywide”, which is part of the website of the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. It had a list of Participating Senior Center Facilities, and indicated which had pianos. Many such facilities are eager to be approached by performers, although often, they are not able to pay a fee.

The most undoubtedly delightful moment of my Google searches resulted from my discovery of ArtsWestchester. Nestled in their Cultural Organizations Directory was a true gem: The Really Terrible Orchestra of Westchester. I kid you not. Check it out, and happy googling!

To ask a question, please write Ask Edna.

©Edna Landau 2014

Posted in Ask Edna, Managing Your Own Career | Comments Closed

Tertulia

Thursday, February 6th, 2014

By: Edna Landau

To ask a question, please write Ask Edna.

Have you ever heard of the word tertulia? I hadn’t, until January 15 when I was perusing the registration list for the imminent Chamber Music America conference in New York, with the goal of setting up some last minute meetings with people I didn’t know or hadn’t seen in a long while. That is when I learned of Julia Villagra, Founder and Artistic Director of a chamber music series by that name. An e-mail to Julia elicited a prompt response and we were set to meet a few days later.

My research in advance of the meeting revealed that tertulia is the Spanish word for a social gathering with literary or artistic overtones, which is similar to a salon in that the atmosphere is informal. From Tertulia’s website I further learned that “Tertulia is a regular chamber music series in New York City that transforms restaurants into concert venues for an evening.  Paired with a prix fixe menu and drinks, guests listen attentively to world-class chamber music performed in a relaxed, informal and welcoming setting.” Fortunately, there was a Tertulia planned for five days later which I made arrangements to attend, thanks to Julia’s gracious help. The event at Brio Flatiron proved to be everything promised on Tertulia’s website. It was closed to the public that evening for this private event, as is the case with all Tertulias. The attractive three course dinner was interspersed with three substantial chamber music works, beautifully played by the excellent Attacca Quartet: Six selections from John’s Book of Alleged Dances (1994) by John Adams; Beethoven’s String Quartet in F Major, Op. 18 #1, and Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel’s String Quartet in Eb Major (1834). My husband and I were seated at the Britten table and, thanks to the ample opportunity to chat during dinner, made some new friends that night. The sold out audience of about 70, which ranged in age from about 23-40, could not have been more attentive. Attractively produced programs included substantial and informative program notes, a bio of the quartet and personal notes regarding the program they were performing, and some basic etiquette guidelines (also on the home page of Tertulia’s website). Examples were: arrive on time, respect the performance (shhh), show your love (two clapping hands), and mingle. The waiters suspended all food and drink service during performances, though I did see several standing around and listening attentively. Everyone in attendance, from those who paid $25 per ticket to sit at the bar and forego dinner, to those who paid $80-$100 a ticket, listened with rapt attention to the musicians’ enlightening and personal introductory remarks, as well as to the performances. Although the etiquette basics in the program stipulated that there are no rules about clapping at Tertulia, and if you feel inspired to clap after a movement, you shouldn’t hesitate to do so, the appreciative audience reserved their enthusiasm for the end of each work. After the final quartet, a good number of audience members stayed around to mingle and meet the musicians, even though they had been there already for three hours. I viewed the evening as a complete success.

What is the story behind this successful initiative and what can other young entrepreneurs learn from it? Julia Villagra was born into a musical family and studied violin as a child. Her parents hosted musical soirees and she had opportunities to play chamber music with her pianist and cellist siblings. She later switched to voice and received a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Performance from Boston University (2006). After graduation, she decided not to pursue a career in music because the financial outlook was too uncertain. After a brief time in retail, she saw a posting on Craig’s List for a technical recruiter and she got the job. Quick to learn and attracted by the skills and intelligence of her co-workers, she advanced in her field to the point where, thanks to a cold call she intrepidly made in 2008, she gained the position of Head of Recruiting and HR at Hudson River Trading LLC, an automated trading and technology firm. When, after a few years, she started to miss attending concerts, she decided to reconnect with old friends via Facebook and to go to their concerts. She wanted to invite new friends to join her but was depressed  by the typically small audiences at those events and the less than inviting venues in which they took place. Aware of a growing trend for concerts to be presented in untraditional spaces, she decided to write a business plan for her own new initiative. It would seem to me that from that point on, she did everything right. Here are some pointers I have derived from her story:

Start with an innovative idea, backed by considerable passion. It was Julia’s father who actually came up with the name Tertulia. She loved it instantly and it helped her feel ownership of her concept. It also helped her explain it to others. Working a full-time job, it can only be her passion that simultaneously allows her to find the time to oversee all aspects of running eight concerts a year and maintaining a classy image for Tertulia.

Do your homework.  Julia studied what others were doing and figured out what she could uniquely bring to the table (upscale venues, fine dining, fees for the performers).  Having never written a business plan, she studied a variety of them on the Internet and made her own template. The business plan kept her focused on her objectives. When it seemed realistic that investors would support her project , she also organized a successful Kickstarter campaign, supported by an attractive video from her first concert. Later, she structured Tertulia as a 501(c)3 through pro bono help from a law firm, enabling her donors to receive tax deductions.

Be willing to invest your own money. Today, Tertulia’s contributed revenues, as well as money from ticket sales, allow Julia to pay an honorarium to the musicians and to bring in an excellent quality piano for select performances. However, she covered her start-up costs largely from her own savings.

Maintain an attractive and vibrant identity. Julia undertook the cost of creating a professional looking logo for Tertulia. Before officially launching her project, she had business cards, stationery, and professional looking flyers in place. Her vibrant personality and effervescence, joined with her meticulous attention to detail, have undoubtedly played a role in attracting new fans to her cause.

Work tirelessly to get the word out. Julia created a website for Tertulia even before the first concert took place. She always understood the importance of social media in growing her organization and, in fact, one of her biggest breaks came via Twitter. The New York Times had published an Invitation to Dialogue: Saving Classical Music. She wrote a letter to the Times about her series but it was never published. Six months later, she posted the letter on her Tertulia blog and tweeted about it. A minute or two later, Steve Smith of the Times retweeted it. An hour later, he asked for information about tickets to her next Tertulia, which resulted in a highly complimentary article in the Times.

Never lose sight of your ultimate goal. Julia has written on her blog: “ At tertulias, music whets the artistic and intellectual appetite and wine, food and conversation put people at ease. What keeps both experienced and new listeners coming back, over and over, is that the music is paramount.” Julia has excellent musical taste and also has the good sense to allow musicians to pick their collaborators, if they desire to do so.  She works with them on the programs, ensuring the most stimulating presentation possible for her audience.

I asked Julia about her long-term goals and she said she would love to expand the Tertulia concept to other cities. She also would be exceedingly gratified to someday have her own venue where high level culinary and musical experiences would co-exist, and which would be a staple of chamber music in New York City. I have no doubt that these goals are well within her reach.

To ask a question, please write Ask Edna.

© Edna Landau 2014

Posted in Ask Edna, For Chamber Music Ensembles | Comments Closed

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