Now that the kids are back in school and we're getting into a scheduled groove, I have the time to reflect back on this summer - a season filled with music, friends and travel.
The summer kicked off with five days in Atlanta at the League of American Orchestras conference. The highlights of the conference for me were the two Atlanta Symphony concerts I attended - my first time seeing that world-class orchestra, as well as Robert Spano conducting. I was blown away by Verdi's Requiem with soprano Christine Brewer, Theofanidis' Rainbow Body (beauty!) and eighth blackbird's creative performance of Jennifer Higdon's On a Wire.
Soon after returning home, I delved into 6 weeks of concerts and events at the Colorado Music Festival, a festival I've been attending for the past 17 years. I'll long remember the concerts that gave me chills: ukulele phenom Jake Shimabukuro, a spreader of joy, love, peace and awesomeness; Time for Three's Colorado premiere of Chris Brubeck's Travels in Time for Three (listen); soprano Jane Eaglen singing Brünnhilde (that's some big blow-your-hair-back music); William Barton's singing and didgeridoo playing in Kalkadungu; and the majesty of Mahler 5 to close the season. Thanks, as always, to Michael Christie, who is an inspiration to me - he always tries new things and gives 110%.
In between, I spent a long weekend on the Central California Coast at Festival Mozaic (a client), where I enjoyed Patrick Zimmerli's energetic Piano Trio No. 1 (listen), performed by Scott Yoo (violin), Madeleine Kabat (cello) and John Novacek (piano). The weekend also included a day trip up the Big Sur Coastal Highway, culminating in a heavenly lunch (with a nectar-of-the-gods Pinot Noir) at Nepenthe.
I also hopped up to Vail to see one of my favorite pianists, and an intellectual humorist, Jeremy Denk perform Grieg's Piano Concerto with the Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by the ever-smiling Ludovic Morlot.
The musical finale of the summer was catching John Corigliano's The Ghosts of Versailles again at the Aspen Music Festival. I got to meet him this time around and enjoyed comparing and contrasting this production to the one I saw last summer at the Opera Theatre of St. Louis.
All in all, it was a memorable summer, and I feel so blessed that my job and my passions have come together, allowing me to work and play in connection to the music I love. Life is good.
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