Musical America Blogs

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

By: Edna Landau

As the year is about to draw to a close and the holiday gift giving season is upon us, I have decided to shine a spotlight on an individual who for the past fourteen years has given an extraordinary gift to music lovers in southern California and beyond. His name is Jim Eninger and every week during the concert season, he publishes The Clickable Chamber Music Newsletter for Southern California, an exhaustive summary of virtually all concerts taking place in the area, which is disseminated for free to over six thousand subscribers. (A typical print-out of this newsletter runs over thirty pages.)

When Mr. Eninger first launched the newsletter, he researched and compiled the comprehensive list of concerts himself, an investment of forty to sixty hours a week. Today, he has streamlined the process by suggesting that performing artists post their concert information directly on the website of Performing Arts LIVE, a valuable resource founded and maintained by fellow chamber music devotee Michael Napoli, who is its Executive Director. He then provides a link to the website in his newsletter so that his readers can peruse the comprehensive list of concerts in their own browsers. A particularly valuable section of Jim Eninger’s newsletter is called “Highlights and Hidden Gems: Select Concerts Not to be Overlooked.” This section typically includes the concert program as well as background information about the performers, which is generally infused with Eninger’s well-informed impressions from past performances. On occasion, he sends separate attractively prepared e-flyers to his readers about some of these concerts, having always enjoyed graphic design as a sideline. Mr. Eninger told me that he tries to feature fledgling series with high artistic merit that need extra help taking root. What a noble goal!

In recent years, with the help of a dedicated group of volunteers, Mr. Eninger has been able to expand the newsletter to include items of general interest to his readers, as well as reviews of recent chamber music concerts and interviews relating to upcoming concerts. (I particularly enjoyed the following listing, accompanied by a link: Dan Kepl interviews skydiving duo pianists Gavin Martin and Joanne Pearce Martin on the eve of their concerts with Camerata Pacifica.) Volunteers also contribute content regarding guitar, vocal and orchestral concerts in the region.

Who is Jim Edinger? In a Los Angeles Times article by Chris Pasles entitled “His Grapevine, an Arts Lifeline”, we learn that he is a retired TRW aerospace engineer. He enjoyed classical music as a child and took in occasional symphony concerts and opera performances during his student days at Stanford. While working at TRW, he learned about the South Bay Chamber Music Society and began attending their concerts. (He later became their president.) The precursor of today’s newsletter was an e-mail that Eninger sent out called “Chamber Music Letter from the South Bay”, informing people about upcoming concerts of the society. Jim Eninger’s activities as an impresario have always intersected with his “clickable” hobby. He co-produces the Classical Crossroads Concert Series with Artistic Director, Karla Devine, regularly proposing artists for her consideration, and is also actively involved with the planning and running of the Sundays at Two concerts at Rolling Hills Methodist Church. He has been an active supporter of the Beverly Hills Auditions and is proud that today, the Auditions provide a significant showcase for young performers to be heard in multiple concerts by a consortium of over fifty southern California chamber music presenters. All of this is pretty remarkable for someone who never had a formal music education. His generosity and dedication inspire immense praise from leaders in the southern California music scene.  Neal Stulberg, acclaimed pianist, conductor and Director of Orchestral Studies at UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music, has said: “Jim is one of the people for whom Los Angeles is named.” Movses Pogossian, Professor of Violin at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and Artistic Director of the Dilijan Chamber Music Series told me: “Jim certainly deserves to be serenaded and worshipped for all the service that he renders our community. He has been absolutely invaluable to countless small music organizations (such as our Dilijan Chamber Music Series, which can’t afford “real” advertising), spreading the most important information to his many subscribers week after week for many years. I have learned so often about wonderful concerts happening in the area because of Jim and his newsletter. Especially touching and useful is his support of start-ups and talented young performers. He lives for music and it is always wonderful to see him and his lovely wife Mary at many concerts in town. Heartfelt thanks and appreciation. My hat goes off to him!”

Bravo to you, Jim Eninger, as you enter your 15^th season as Editor-in-Chief of your invaluable newsletter. May you continue to produce it and inspire present and future chamber music aficionados for many years to come.

©Edna Landau 2013

Note to our readers: To receive the Clickable Chamber Music Newsletter, please make your request via e-mail to JEninger@yahoo.com.

“Ask Edna” will resume on January 9. A very happy holiday season to all.

By: Jessica Meyer

Note from Edna: At a recent conference for career development officers (NETMCDO), I met a dynamic young woman who was invited to participate on a panel of “guest musician entrepreneurs”. Her approach to career building and  her intriguing website “Chops Beyond the Practice Room” inspired me to invite her for coffee. I discovered that violist, teaching artist, ensemble coach and workshop leader, Jessica Meyer, was a veritable superwoman and the quintessential networker. Not long after we met, I read a glowing review of her composer/performer collective, counter)induction, now in its 13^th year and excited to be releasing its first cd, “Group Theory”,  on April 29. I thought that Jessica’s general career insights and specific experience in building an ensemble would be of value to our readers. It is my pleasure to welcome her as my first guest blogger.

I am very grateful to Edna for giving me the opportunity to tell the story of counter)induction and how it has attracted a growing audience and critical acclaim for its new music concerts since its inception in 1999. The successful evolution of the ensemble has depended in equal measure on hard work, persistence during difficult times, a clear sense of identity and artistic focus, tireless networking efforts, and of course, a dash of serendipity. Let’s go back to the beginning and explore the seemingly random ways in which some of our five performers and three composers came together.

I got to know composer Douglas Boyce during the few summers I spent in Aspen in the 90’s. During our last year at Juilliard, clarinetist Benjamin Fingland (now my husband) and I took day trips to Philadelphia to perform Doug’s pieces at the University of Pennsylvania. We subsequently booked a few concerts in Philadelphia, including the Fringe Festival, and additional concerts at the University where we first worked with c)i composer-member Kyle Bartlett. Also while at Juilliard, Ben and I were invited to perform undergraduate compositions at Columbia University. It was then that we met Deborah Bradley, who was interested in building up the music department as part of her new job. I contacted her several times without much luck but when she took the time to look at our website and explore what we were doing, it resulted in our first residency.

One of our first concerts in New York came about after I met composer Rika Iino at a random event. She was looking to present a multi-media opera that involved a string quartet and we signed on to the project. At that time, we were very intent on performing at Miller Theatre in New York, and inadvertently, getting to know her was a step towards making that happen. She introduced us to Bill Rhodes who was Director of Promotion at Carl Fischer publishing at the time. They were the publisher of composer Lee Hyla and Bill got us hooked on his music. Bill made the introduction to the theatre, and we wrote a proposal for their Composer Portrait series that revolved around Lee’s music. They wanted a more varied program that included some of his chamber orchestra pieces, so we took the responsibility of putting that together, even though we had to raise a fair amount of the money for the concert ourselves. This fundraising experience led us to the conclusion that we needed to get 501(c)(3) status if we were going to continue to fund and present our own concerts.

A chance cancellation at Merkin Concert Hall presented another New York concert opportunity and marked the start of a long series of (thankfully) favorable reviews from the New York Times. Our group continued to grow when our cellist, Sumire Kudo, happened to meet composer Ryan Streber at a recording session. She asked him to write a piece for her upcoming recital and later proposed that he write for counter)induction. After Douglas met composer Erich Stem of New Dynamic Records in an online social network for composers, we finally decided the time was right to apply for a Copland Recording Grant to fund our upcoming first release.

I know that reading this saga can be a bit overwhelming, but it is important to realize that significant things can happen in unpredictable ways and each can impact the other. There have certainly been some bumps along our winding road. A major funder backed out weeks before our big Miller concert, sending us into a fundraising frenzy. Major cutbacks in grant funding due to the 2008 financial meltdown kept some seasons pretty lean for a few years. Some concerts should have had bigger audiences. There were many times when we looked at each other and said, “What now? How can we get to the next level?”

Fortunately, our clear vision kept us focused. We wanted to always perform new music at the highest level and consistently create thought-provoking programs. We wanted to celebrate composers who were already in the public eye and also shed light on those who were emerging from the shadows of their early careers. We never presented concerts we couldn’t financially support and we worked hard to build our relationships with funders. We relied on each other to get the work done and to connect to like-minded colleagues and presenters to collaborate with along the way.

My advice to those who are starting out, or who are entering the next phase of their career, is to consider the following: What musically inspires you? Who shares the same passions as you do and might inspire you to play (and write) your best? Each time you meet someone new, what steps can you take to build that relationship in a meaningful way? And as you seek to expand the number of performances for your ensemble, what steps can you take to connect audiences to the music you so deeply care about?

 All of this takes a huge amount of patience, more than anything else, but it will be a great day for counter)induction when we finally tear through the shrink-wrap of our first CD, knowing that we have reached an important new milestone as a result of our collective efforts.

Note from Edna: After a week of holiday, I look forward to resuming the “Ask Edna” column on Thursday, April 19. However, please continue to send in your questions during this time!

To ask a question, please write Ask Edna.