The Chamber MusicianPublished by Chamber Musicians of Northern California | Volume 28, No 1 | March 2018 | www.cmnc.org

FROM THE EDITOR

Chamber music connections—at home and around the worldby Harriet Spiegel, spring newsletter editor

So many of you have contributed to thisedition of The Chamber Musician. In addi-tion to our regular columns and the springnewsletter feature It’s Instrumental, youwill also find contributions from ourmembers celebrating musical connections—from our own domestic chambers tothose of new friends around the world—inparticular those made through ACMP.Several CMNC members have beeninvolved with ACMP from its inception in1946. You will read about some early expe-riences with ACMP as well as more recentones. There are now over 2,500 members of

ACMP from almost every part of theworld, sharing the international languageof chamber music. ACMP publishes anannual world-wide directory, so that wher-ever you are, you can connect with otherchamber musicians—and you will read ofseveral such experiences in this newsletter.ACMP also encourages musicians to stayhome and play, offering home coachinggrants to bring a coach to you!ACMP regularly supports CMNC’s

workshops with generous financial grants.Several CMNC members have served onthe national Board, and we encourage allCMNC members to join ACMP. Checkout the ACMP website to learn moreabout this wonderful organization and itsmission to support chamber music activi-ties worldwide for individuals, groups, andinstitutions. b

THE NEXT CMNC WORKSHOP

College of MarinJune 2–3, 2018

by Bill Horne and the Workshop Committee

Your CMNC Directors arebusy planning our next chamber music weekend, to be held at Collegeof Marin in Kentfield on the weekend of June 2–3, 2018. The applica-tion deadline is April 14, so be sure to apply soon at cmnc.org. Collegeof Marin is a small campus, easy to get around, with plenty of nearbyparking, great staff support, and one of our favorite caterers. All participants will be coached on both Saturday and Sunday. On

Saturday, coaching will be followed by performance samplers at whicheach group will play a brief selection of the piece they have been work-ing on during the day. Sunday’s coaching session will be followed by anoptional performance sampler. All are welcome to perform, listen, or togo home at 4:00. You may come in a preformed group either or bothdays if you wish.For those of you who love to read, we are expanding your options for

freelancing Saturday night. We are inviting CMNC members, includingthose not attending the workshop, to join participants for the coaches’concert, dinner and freelancing. You can invite your friends, freelancewith other workshop participants, enjoy the library and in general readto your hearts’ content. You can even freelance during meals.With coaching both days, the workshop committee especially wants

you to enjoy your music assignment. Are there pieces you have alwayswanted to be assigned? New pieces in ourlibrary you would like to try? You can checkhere for exciting recent additions. Are you astring player eager to play with winds or viceversa, or a pianist with a particular combina-tion in mind? We can’t absolutely guarantee toassign you your wish, because it depends onhaving the other players needed to make the

group, but we will definitely do our best. So use the “Request” box onyour application and let us know what you would most like to play. Advance assignment notifications, including contact information

for your group members, will be sent to all players. You are stronglyencouraged to contact others in your group and start working on yourpieces. Want to build up calluses, toughen your embouchure, and toneup those playing muscles for summer workshops? This is the place todo it. We hope you will join us for a pleasurable weekend. b

Use the “Request”

box on your applica-

tion and let us know

what you would like

to play.

Jim Stopher and Dana Sadava,pianists, are the performing coaches.

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THE CHAMBER MUSICIAN

Greening Up

by Harriet Spiegel

As the CMNC foodand facilities coordina-tor for SFSU, I havebeen trying to leave agreener footprint, andI welcome your help.We have already madea few changes. Westopped using plasticwater bottles years ago,and we now providebiodegradable wineglasses on Saturday night. You can help with water andwine by bringing and using your own glass or thermos.Remember the CMNC water bottles we gave out for our20th anniversary in 2009? I still have mine in my car. Isyours still around somewhere?Common foods are complicated, as there are constant

compromises between economy, sanitary conditions, andconservation. For example, even though pre-packaged trailmix is less environmentally friendly and more expensivethan just putting out a bowl of nuts, the packages helpensure we share good times but not bad germs. We knowyou would never double dip into the hummus, or reachinto the bowl of grapes with your hands, or use your per-sonal utensil in any shared food or condiment. Then there are utensils. We could all eat with our fin-

gers, straight from the serving table, and not use cutlery orplates, but no! I’m sureour excellent caterers,Gold Coast, would liketo eliminate plastic uten-sils, but it is too expen-sive for them to keep andwash non-disposable sil-verware. Elizabeth Morrison hascarried a set of (dish-washer-safe) bambooutensils around in herpurse for several years.You may have seen herbring them out at

CMNC instead of taking plasticware. The set is calledToGo and has a bamboo knife, fork, spoon and chopsticks

Alice Chan offers bamboo utensilsets at registration.

Kate Capra manages to use allher bamboo utensils at once.

in a handy little case. This year she bought 50 of them atReal Goods, the store with straw bale walls, compostingtoilets, etc. that we pass each year on the way up toHumboldt, and donated them to the workshop. We gavethem out at registration until they were gone. What apleasure to see people using them at meals! If you tookone, please keep using it. Thank you Elizabeth! And weappreciate hearing from you with more ideas of how wecan go greener. b

Amazing Fantastic Totally FreeChamber Music Day in San Francisco

by Miriam Blatt

We are incredibly lucky, those of us who live in the BayArea. Because once a year we are able to go hear 7 hours offree professional chamber music performed at SanFrancisco Free Chamber Music Day. I've been to at leasthalf of these since they started 10 years ago. Every year,without fail, I discover at least one new group whom Iwould love to hear again, and I add myself to their mail-ing list. Every year, without fail, I discover at least one newcomposer who writes wonderful music that is a pleasure tohear. And often I hear compositions that are new to me bycomposers I'm already familiar with.Groups I heard for the first time at a free chamber

music day include:—ZOFO 4-hand piano. I still try to get to every concertof theirs I can.—SQWONK bass clarinet duo. Bought both their CDs,and love them.—Chamber Music Society of SF, especially when itincludes cellist Jonah Kim.—Farallon Clarinet Quintet, including incredible cellistJonah Kim.Performances are in three halls in the same building,

running in parallel. They include traditional classical, con-temporary classical, world music, and jazz. Often there willbe at least two groups I want to hear in a given time slot,so I have to make a guess when choosing where to go sit.For 2018, the date is Sunday September 30th at

Herbst, and the theme is small ensembles with piano. Thisdoes not exclude string quartets and wind quintets, it justmeans we can be sure there will be plenty of piano trios.Approximate timing likely to be noon through 7:00 pm.If you are able to, nail this date into your calendar, andplan to come! Hope to see many of you there. b

both have enjoyedimmensely. The coachingis excellent. We all havean opportunity to playour assignments in con-cert in the local church.The tuition includes ourlodging, meals, andcoaching. There are “fun”events planned. We also

have some free time to visit surrounding areas in the LoireValley. One of my contacts invited me to come to the SwissWorkshop in Blonay in October 2017—which was excellent. Thank you ACMP for this very special opportunity.

IN PRAISE OF ACMP—Part 3

ACMP Adventures

by Ralph and Elizabeth

Morrison

Ralph: At age 93, I am probablyone of the earliest adopters ofthe ACMP Directory stillaround to tell the tale. I haveenjoyed playing chamber music,especially string quartets, eversince I was introduced to Beethoven’s Opus 131 in theBrodetsky Ensemble shortly after the Second World War.In the 1950s I had my own manufacturing business, whichgave me an opportunity to travel about the country. Isomehow learned of the existence of the ACMP Directory.Whenever I traveled, I would use the directory to makecontact with people to play music with. I have many mem-ories, but I’m afraid the names and dates are now a bithazy. One name I remember very clearly is Helen Rice. She

was a friend of Leonard Strauss, a businessman and enthu-siastic violinist from Indianapolis who travelled a gooddeal and “saw how welcome it would be if there were someway of finding in a strange city fellow musicians whowould enjoy playing string quartets even with a completestranger, provided he shared their experience and couldhold up his part.” (The quotation is from a biography ofHelen Rice available here on the ACMP website.) Early in1947 Strauss got together in New York City with severalother enthusiasts, most notably with Miss Rice, a dedicat-

IN PRAISE OF ACMP—Part 1

ACMP Takes Us to New Places:Have Viola, Will Travel

by Kathy Wright

I travel to New Hampshire on a monthly basis, usuallystaying a week at a time. I connected with a wonderfulcouple and have played viola quintets and string quartetson numerous occasions. It’s been such a nice break frommy intense work week, and getting to know the area a bitbetter, and they've got a wonderful collection of music andinstruments, and of course snacks! Sometimes I stay inNew Hampshire over the weekend, so I did get to enjoyone of the local concerts as well. I also recently joined anew string quartet in the Sacramento area, and we'veenjoyed a couple of in-home coaching sessions, which has

been very helpful because most of us are stretching our-selves into new areas. For me personally, I've played violasince childhood, and violin for about 10 years, and mystretch is to play first violin. I've gotten some very con-structive feedback in these home coaching sessions. b

IN PRAISE OF ACMP—Part 2

Music Making in France andSwitzerland

by Nancy Rude

I am always interested in International Chamber MusicWorkshops. I applied to the Chamber Music Workshop inLoches, France, after finding the listing in the ACMPNewsletter. 2018 will be my eighth year attending. Mydaughter and I are pianists, and she also attends with me.We have made many musical and social contacts which we

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THE CHAMBER MUSICIAN

I had my own busi-

ness which gave me

an opportunity to

travel about the

country. Whenever I

travelled, I would

use the ACMP

Directory to make

contact with people

to play music with.

Continues on page 4.

Kathy Wright, right, with friends Robert Tabachnikoff, ArtOlsson and Jane Hanie-Olsson in New Hampshire.

Harmut Kuebler, Nancy Rude,Benoit Marin, Reinhild Hermann,Claude Vallette

Later, Elizabeth and I had many other adventures whiletravelling in Europe and Asia. She will tell you about someof them.

Elizabeth: When Ralph and I were married in 1991 hewas already experienced with the ACMP Directory. I hadnever used it but was eager to try. Our first adventure wason our honeymoon in France. We planned to spend a fewdays in Paris, then pick up a car and drive down intoNormandy, where Ralph had landed with the army in1945. We would then drive through the Loire Valley,return to Paris and enjoy a few more days there beforeheading for home.

Before leaving I sent off a letter to a woman listed in thedirectory, Elizabeth Moizo, who wrote back that she was“in charge of foreigners” in France and would be glad tohelp us find chamber music on our trip. She suggested thatwe contact a pianist by the name of Madame Bonet in thetown of Angers. A fabulous suggestion! We arranged tomeet at her home. Madame Bonet was kindness itself. She took us on a

tour of restaurants on the Angers riverside looking for theexact “little fish” that she wanted us to have for lunch,pointed out the bridge that the US army had crossed toliberate Angers, and arranged for us to play piano trios ata friend’s castle. Yes, castle. The place was amazing. Therewere pictures on the wall eight feet high. “Ask to go to thebathroom,” Madame Bonet advised me in a whisper, “andlook around.” She had a general piece of advice always tolook into an open door. “You might see something,” sheconcluded. The trios were fun too!

ed, skillful violinist. Together they formed an organizationthey called the Amateur Chamber Music Players to createjust such a directory. Helen volunteered to be its secretary.The first ACMP Directorycame out in 1947 and con-tained 1200 names. Helen lived in the same

apartment at 16 West 67thStreet in Manhattan from 1902,when she was one year old, untilher death in 1988. On one ofmy business trips I called her.She invited two other playersand we played quartets in thatvery apartment. I remember heras kind, polite and very supportive. Looking back, I was areal beginner in chamber music, but she made me feel likea pro. What an honor to have played with a founder ofACMP!From the beginning the Directory has invited players to

decide on their own rating, from A (excellent) to D (duf-fer?). Professional musicians can rate themselves as Pro.On a trip to Chicago I selected a contact with a Pro rat-ing. When I arrived for our session the meaning of “pro-fessional” became clear. The participants were all profes-sors of musicology, but had little experience actually play-ing. It was a difficult evening. I learned I had to ask morequestions when I made new contacts.Another way the Directory can help is when a travelling

musician reaches out to you. I lived in Pasadena,California, and was contacted by a cellist named JohnChesick. He was a chemistry professor at HaverfordCollege in Pennsylvania, and was spending a sabbaticalyear teaching at Cal Tech. We connected immediately andbecame lifelong friends. In the year John stayed on thewest coast I managed to arrange music with him at least adozen times. I also introduced him to both the Ashlandand Humboldt workshops, where we continued to meetfor many years.When John moved back to Haverford I made it a point

to visit him whenever I was in the area. He had a wide cir-cle of musical friends and the music was always a lot offun. I remember one of the violists in John’s circle. Sheplayed the viola vertically, like a cello, and did a fantasticjob. Originally a cellist, at some earlier date she was askedto serve when violists were scarce. To the other players itwas music as usual, but it took me time to adjust.

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THE CHAMBER MUSICIAN

One of the violists

played the viola ver-

tically, like a cello,

and did a fantastic

job. Originally a cel-

list, at some earlier

date she was asked

to serve when vio-

lists were scarce.

In Praise of ACMP, continued from page 3.

Left to right: M. Le Socialist, Mme. La Hotesse, the newlyweds.Front row, dog Figaro, grandson Pierre.

Continues on page 5.

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THE CHAMBER MUSICIAN

When we returned to Paris we followed Mme. Moizo’sdirections to an apartment just off the Trocadero, near theEiffel Tower, where she had arranged an afternoon ofstring quartets. She herself showed up although she wasnot playing, just to make sure we were comfortable and totranslate if needed. This was a good thing. My high school

French is limited, and thecharming woman who ownedthe apartment had English onabout the same level. The apart-ment was spacious and filledwith antiques, and they had acello for me to play the likes ofwhich I have seldom encoun-tered. I always say that it knewall the music. We playedMozart’s string quartet K575,and it was truly a highlight of myentire life. My car’s license plate,K575, was chosen in honor ofthat unforgettable afternoon.

The violist who joined us spoke almost no English.Each time we stopped playing I could see him moving hislips; he seemed to be practicing a phrase to himself. Finallyhe was ready to bring it out. It turned out to be, “I amSocialist.” He beamed happily. We beamed back, thrilledby the full and frank exchange of political views. The othermemorable linguistic moment came when Mme. Moizosaid, “J’aime votre robe.” Wow! Not only did an actualFrench person like my dress, she said so in French words Iwas able to understand. It doesn’t get any better than that.Another memorable adventure took place on a business

trip Ralph made to Singapore and Malaysia in the early90s. The ACMP Directory revealed that there was a vio-linist in Kuala Lumpur, and we made contact. I wish Icould remember her name. On the appointed evening wetook a taxi into a residential area we would never have seenotherwise. Our host led us through the garden to a ladder,which we climbed into a tree house her husband, an archi-tect, had built for her as a music room. Ralph had his vio-lin, but the cello I was to use was already in the beautifulleafy room. A violist joined us and we played Haydn froma pristine set of Peters parts. It was simultaneously exoticand absolutely familiar. The other part of this adventure was that we were

served durian fruit after music. This is the famous fruit

that smells so terrible it is not allowed on Singapore RapidTransit trains. Our host told us she brought it home in thetrunk of her car. When she cut it up, we ate the part Ithought she was going to throw away. The taste is mild,like a cross between a kiwi and a grape, but it took a bit ofnerve to take the first bite.When she learned we would be spending a few days in

Panang, a resort island off the coast of Malaysia, she sug-gested we get in touch with Datuk Lim Chong Keat. Heturned out to be an interesting character. Still around andGoogleable at age 87, Datuk Lim is a distinguished archi-tect as well as an amateur violist of a type that CMNCmembers would easily recognize. We ended up playingquartets in his home, one of the spectacular mansions inthe Somerset Maugham crumbling-Colonial style that linePenang’s east coast. We arrived by taxi, but when we fin-ished playing he insisted on waking up his chauffeur todrive us back to our Georgetown hotel, the Eastern andOriental. The E&O appears from its website to have beenspruced up a good deal since 1993, but the Malaysian foodthere was, and probably still is, incredible.Later on we played with Datuk Lim in his Singapore

apartment, where he somehow got me to redo the pegs andstrings on his cello, something I was uniquely unqualifiedto do. He is not an easy person to resist. He also sold mehis book, Penang Views, which I am glad to have.Altogether a great experience, thanks to ACMP!

Ralph: Over the years we had many other delightful expe-riences using the ACMP Directory. We played piano triosin Rome, where Elizabeth used a cello recently purchasedfor the young daughter of the house, somewhat to thedaughter’s dismay. In Florence, we were honored to meetthe great artist Richard Maury, whose work hangs in theUffizi Gallery. Later we toured the Uffizi with him, enter-ing through a special artist’s entrance where Mr. Maurywas addressed as maestro. His wife plays cello, and we hada wonderful evening of cello quintets in their apartment.Our Eureka string quartet accompanied the Redwood

Chorale on a choral tour of England, Scotland and Wales.On that tour we were able to use the Directory to play sex-tets in Glasgow. On the same trip our quartet played(briefly) in Westminster Abbey. None of this would everhave happened without chamber music, and Elizabeth andI are both thankful to ACMP for the joy it has brought toour lives. b

Our host led us

through the garden

to a ladder, which

we climbed into a

tree house her hus-

band, an architect,

had built for her as

a music room. The

cello I was to use

was already in the

beautiful, leafy

room.

Continues on page 6.

In Praise of ACMP, continued from page 4.

MARCH 2018

IN PRAISE OF ACMP—Part 4

My Vienna Connection

by Julie Fulkerson

My amazing ACMP connection to Martin Donner inVienna a few years ago led to chamber music with himand his friends each time I return and have the privilege toplay with the Camerata Medica, an orchestral ensemble heis a part of. When I found Martin through ACMP, I hadno idea he was on the Board. He was a welcoming musi-

cian from Vienna. It changed my visit entirely throughmusic.In 1956–57, my parents studied at the Wiener

Akademie. My father, Charles Fulkerson, studied con-ducting and did concert tours in Austria as a pianist. Mymother Jean played cello with the Bach Gemeinde. I stud-ied dance and took violin lessons because I spoke noGerman at first. Ahhh, music and dance, the internation-al languages. I am grateful for music and the connectionsto musicians where political boundaries are not barriersbut bring us together. I am especially thrilled to return toVienna at this time in my life for the music, art andGesellschaft. ACMP brings the Music to us. b

IN PRAISE OF ACMP—Part 5

Cheers for ACMP Home Coaching

by Miriam Blatt

I'm a huge fan of the wonderful ACMP home coachingprogram, and have used it many many times. Inevitably,most groups with 4 or more people include someone who

6

THE CHAMBER MUSICIAN

has financial worries and cannotafford to pay the full cost ofcoaching. Having coachingmakes so much difference whenwe are preparing pieces to per-form! It is fantastic that all weneed to do is ask everyone topay ACMP membership, andthen sign up to get the coachingdiscount. Cost issues areextremely common for any pro-fessional musician we play with.They usually do not earn nearlyenough, but are such a pleasure for us to be able to includeas part of a group, whenever they are willing. The ACMPhome coaching program makes it all possible. Thank you,thank you, thank you, and long may it last! b

IN PRAISE OF ACMP—Part 6

ACMP, my Family and I Go Way Back

by Andy Victor

Some time in the past decade I was the cellist in an (“in-home”) string quartet that lasted about two years. At somepoint in the first year we decided to hire a coach (it is agood way to avoid internal disagreeableness) and all fourof us joined ACMP so that we could get 50% support forfour sessions. We hired cellist Burke Schuchmann, and hewas most helpful, especially in improving and coordinat-ing our styles for the Haydn/Mozart musical afternoon wepresented on our last day of existence as a quartet.I had previously belonged to ACMP for many years in

the small California desert town of Ridgecrest, where Ilived for 33 years—but it got to be kind of silly becauseour telephone area code encompassed an area over 200miles long from San Diego to Ridgecrest, and as the onlyhigh-desert member I would receive calls from visiting“firemen” in San Diego who wanted a quartet session—and I knew all the local musicians anyway—and in allthose years there was only one visiting musician (a bas-soonist from Boston) for whom we assembled an octet—or anything else.Before that, starting just about with ACMP's founding,

my violinist father was a member after we moved fromNew York City to Maryland in 1947. So ACMP was inmy blood for a long time (long before the name waschanged). b

I am grateful for

music and the con-

nections to musi-

cians where politi-

cal boundaries are

not barriers but

bring us together. I

am especially

thrilled to return to

Vienna at this time

in my life.

Julie Fulkerson, far right, with Martin Donner, flute, WalterLadisich, viola, and Chia-Ju Tsai, cello, in Vienna.

In Praise of ACMP, continued from page 5.

IT’S INSTRUMENTAL

My Cabart English Horn H78

by Larry George, No-Bell Prize Winner

When I was little and listening to music, occasionally Iasked my father what instrument that was? Usually he toldme it was an English horn. On the recommen-

dation of my oboeteacher Sal Spano, Ibought an old usedCabart EH H78 for$300. Read that andweep; it’s worth$3000+ nowadays. Ona dark night in 1963, Istuffed the joints ofthis EH into mymotorcycle jacket, anold parka because Icouldn’t afford a fancyleather jacket, and I shoved the bell into a jacket pocket. (Ididn’t own a car.) Then I rode from Spano’s home inSherman Oaks over Sepulveda pass highway 405 to myslum in Brentwood. No kidding, there were some afford-able places in lower Brentwood in those days. When I got home, there was no bell. Next morning I

rode back and forth over the 405 and never even found asplinter. I wrote the Cabart distributor, and they took pityon me and sold me a replacement bell. I’ve been playing the EH ever since, except when work

interfered, which it did. The EH sounds like an EHshould sound. Conductors sometimes have to shush me,because it has a big voice; open-hole instruments projectbetter (like clarinets) than instruments with all coveredtone holes (like oboes and newer EHs). Dvorak’s 8th “New World” symphony has a familiar

EH solo. One Livermore concert with Dvorak 8th, beforeintermission I realized that I didn’t have an EH bocal [theessential piece connecting the double reed to the rest of the

MARCH 2018

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THE CHAMBER MUSICIAN

CMNC Board of Directors

PresidentElizabeth Morrison 650-207-2653 elizabethmorrison@mac.com

Vice PresidentCarolyn Lowenthal408-981-2392clowenthal@hotmail.com

TreasurerAlan Kingsley925-933-3746Treasurer.CMNC@gmail.com

Corporate SecretaryHarriet Spiegel530-966-5062hspiegel@csuchico.edu

Database ManagerHarry Chomsky510-527-9549harry@chomsky.net

Evaluations CoordinatorMiriam Blatt650-326-4721mblatt@pobox.com

Membership CoordinatorSheri Schultz530-526-3521sheri92836@cs.com

Webmaster/MailmergeSue Fowle707-441-9115fowlets@fastmail.fm

Music LibrarianCatherine Jennings415-317-4130cmnclibrarian@gmail.com

Coach CoordinatorAmy Apel510-527-9549amyapel@yahoo.com

Volunteer CoordinatorKaren Wright415-892-5577karen@nicebassoons.org

Wind CoordinatorSusan Kates408-253-4489Susankates@comcast.net

Members at LargeWilliam Horne415-388-3884Rahorne22@aol.com

Diane Larrabee571-338-1997diane.larrabee@gmail.com

Robert Nesbet408-997-7816rkn@earthlink.net

Maria Reeves510-525-7747mreeves@artists-at-law.com

instrument], so I offered to drive home and get it. I had alesson that day and forgot to pack the bocal in the doublecase. Dr. Barnes said go. I returned to see the audiencestaring at the orchestra staring at the door as I trotteddown the aisle with the bocal. I hyperventilated and near-ly passed out during the solo. I once lent the EH to someone who really wanted to

play an EH. She returned it somewhat later. It playedpoorly, and I finally gave up and sent it to Michele Forrestin Altadena. A long rod on the lower joint had been bent.Ugh. That happens when they fall over or are dropped.Michele fixed it. Nancy O’Connell, music reviewer in the local newspa-

per, raved about my EH playing in Livermore Symphonyorchestra; she never mentioned my oboe playing. I justfinished playing EH part in Nutcracker. My wife says,”Why don’t you play EH all the time, it sounds so muchnicer than oboe?” b

MARCH 2018

8

The Chamber Music ian is a publication of Chamber Musi cians of Northern California (CMNC). Member ship in CMNC includes a subscription to The Chamber Musicianand the annual CMNC Membership Directory.

Harriet Spiegel, editor; Lea Andersen and Amy Apel, work-shop photographers. Additional photos provided by JulieFulkerson, Larry George, Elizabeth Morrison, Nancy Rude,and Kathy Wright. Susan Wilson, graphic designer.

© March 2018, Chamber Musicians of Northern California

EQUIPMENT REVIEW

My FabulousStroboClip HD

by John Sellers

I was one of the early buy-ers of the StroboClip HD,and it is second to none forease of tuning for anyinstrument. I noticed atthe last adult chamber music sessions I attended that it ismore accurate than ways the members generally tune. It’san amazing device for $60. Crystal clear display, 92 display segments for the ideal

reading under any conditions including direct sunlight onits screen. It can automatically sort the presets so youdon't have to look through its 50+ presets if there are twoor three you usually use to tune. Its range is good enoughthat tuning a Double Base works just as well as tuning aviolin. The engine is almost identical to large profession-al Peterson Tuner Plus HD except low battery usage andclip on abilities. I used it to set up presets for pianos nottuned exactly to 440 A so that we could all tune off stagebefore going on to perform. Customized presets can be setup through an internet pc and then downloaded orshared. It is capable of being customized set up for a Luteor Harp or 12 string guitar as well as having standard pre-sets for the same. It has a USB port which has been updat-ed three times since its release in November of 2016. b

WORKSHOP DIRECTOR’S REPORT

San Francisco State University February 2018

by Carolyn Lowenthal, Workshop Director

CMNC‘s happy, successful winter 2018 workshop was acooperative production of the Osher Lifelong LearningCenter (OLLI), the SFSU School of Music, the Eventsstaff at San Francisco State, and many CMNC volunteersand Board members. Everybody worked together smooth-ly to ensure a highly enjoyable weekend. We had 134 applications (19 fewer than February 2017

workshop), and with cancellations and a few people wait-listed for instrument balance, we were able to welcome124 players (13 less than February 2017 workshop). In all,80 people attended Saturday and 91 on Sunday, with 47people coming both days. We were surprised to find morepeople coming Sunday than Saturday! A number of can-cellations occurred in the last week before the workshop,but thanks to heroic recruiting by Susan Kates andMiriam Blatt, and admirable flexibility by players whostepped up at the last minute, all positions were filledbefore Saturday morning.We were especially delighted to welcome 12 new play-

ers: three violinists, one violist, one hornist, one flautist,three clarinetists, one clarinetist/saxophonist and threesaxophonists. Four of the new players were recruits whostepped in at the last minute. Thanks to you all. We lovedwelcoming you to our workshop and hope you’ll comeback.

The Trois Bois trio, Laura Reynolds, oboe, David Granger, bas-soon, and Patricia Shands, clarinet, told us they became a triowhen performing at CMNC!.

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THE CHAMBER MUSICIAN

For the first time ever, a saxophone quartet applied forSunday and also played a piece by Philip Glass at theSunday Performance Sampler. Saxophones are a welcomeaddition to our chamber music experience.On Saturday, we had 12 assigned and eight preformed

groups. Members of assigned groups played String quintet,op. 29 by Ludwig van Beethoven; Quintet for clarinet andstring quartet, op. 31a by Paul Ben-Haim; Trio for clarinet,cello and piano, op. 114 by Johannes Brahms; Trio for clar-inet, cello and piano (1965) by Robert Delanoff; Aires

Our first-ever saxophone quartet: Erez Levi, Andy Ritger, SusanHartzman, Charles Stolarek. Hear their Phillip Glass quartethere.

Continues on page 10.

Tropicales for woodwind quintet by Paquito D'Rivera;Cascadian concerto for woodwind quintet and piano by EricEwazen; Lavottiana for wind quintet by Ferenc Farkas;Divertimento for wind quintetby Willy Hess; String quintet,op. 87 by Felix Mendelssohn;Piano quartet in G minor, K.478 by W.A. Mozart; Sevenbagatelles for woodwind quartetby Peter Schickele; and Stringquartet no. 8 in c minor, op. 110by Dmitri Shostakovich.The nine preformed groups

also brought interesting works,including String quartet, op. 89 by Amy Beach; PetitQuatuor by Jean Francaix; Trio for clarinet, cello and pianoby Carl Fruhling; Piano trio, op. 11 by FannyMendelssohn-Hensel; Piano Trio in A minor by Maurice

Ravel; Trio Sonata for viola, bass clarinet and piano by AlanRichardson; Trio for Clarinet, Cello, Piano by Nino Rota;and Like the First Bird byGwyneth Walker.Saturday’s coaching session

was followed by six master class-es given by our outstandingcoaching staff. These includedthe members of Trois Bois windtrio featuring Laura Reynoldson oboe, David Granger on bas-soon, and Patricia Shands onclarinet. Other coaches wereKate Stenberg, violin; RandyFisher and Veronica Salas, violas; Nina Flyer and BurkeSchuchmann, cellos; Jeffrey Sykes and Eric Zivian, pianos.Following the master classes came a concert by Trois

Bois that was fabulous. They played Spinning Song fromSpider Suite (2010) by Jenni Brandon; Three Observationsfor Three Woodwinds, Op. 41 (1943) III. Tangonic byMable Wheeler Daniels; and Trio for oboe, clarinet and bas-

Anne Prescott, Claire Wilson, Carolyn Lowenthal and MarianneCooper hope to use their bamboo utensils whenever plasticforks appear.

soon (1960) I. Comodo, II. Andante cantabile, and III.Introduction: Allegro – Allegro vivace by Donald Waxman.CMNC has expanded freelancing fun by inviting peo-

ple who are not attending on Saturday to join the work-shop for the coach concert, dinner and freelancing. At thisworkshop four people did so, and we hope to see moretake part in the future. We asked coach Burke Schuch -

For the first time

ever, a saxophone

quartet applied for

Sunday and also

played a piece by

Philip Glass at the

Sunday Performance

Sampler.

CMNC has expand-

ed freelancing fun

by inviting people

who are not attend-

ing on Saturday to

join the workshop

for the coach con-

cert, dinner and

freelancing.

SFSU Workshop, continued from page 8.

THE CHAMBER MUSICIAN MARCH 2018

10

SFSU Workshop, continued from page 9.

mann to help the freelance coordinator, ElizabethMorrison, to organize freelance groups after dinner for allwho wished to play. Many people commented on theirevaluations that Burke did a great job and was very help-ful. Ten groups took part and checked out 28 pieces fromthe library, including Voces de mi tierra by ElisendaFabrega; Wapango Woodwind Quintet by PaquitoD’Rivera; Cantares by Mario Kuri-Aldana; KatherineHoover’s Piano Quintet; and no fewer than four pieces byBrahms.Sunday found 14 assigned and eight preformed groups,

with a mix of standard and unusual repertoire. Assignedpieces included Divertimento for flute, oboe, and clarinet,op. 37 by Malcolm Arnold; Piano trio, op. 70 no. 2 byLudwig van Beethoven; String quartet, op. 132 by Ludwigvan Beethoven; Quintet for clarinet and string quartet, op.31a by Paul Ben-Haim; Quintet for clarinet and stringquartet, op. 115 by Johannes Brahms; Normandie Suite forb-flat clarinet quartet by Yvonne Desportes; Trio for flute,clarinet and bassoon, op. 61, no. 5 by Francois Devienne;

Continues on page 11.

by Francis Poulenc; Piano quintet in E flat, op .44 byRobert Schu mann; String quintet (two cellos), op. 1 byEthel Smyth; and String quartet no. 3 by Lucie Vellère. Wewere happy to include seven pieces by women composers,close to our goal of 20–25% music by women at eachworkshop.Two groups decided to get coached on additional

music. One group was assigned the Paul Ben-Haim clar-inet quintet; the other group was assigned the CharlesKoechlin wind trio.Pieces by preformed groups included Piano Trio, no. 1

in B major, Op. 8 by Johannes Brahms; Piano quartet in dminor, op. 25 by Dora Pejacevic;String quartet, op. 96 in F majorby Antonin Dvorak; two groups:String quartet, op. 105 in A flatmajor by Antonin Dvorak;String quartet no. 1, op. 2 byZoltan Kodaly; Jasper Quartet byMichael Kibbe; and SaxophoneQuartet by Philip Glass. Coachesfor Sunday were Yael Ronen,flute; Patricia Shands and AsherDavison, clarinets; LauraReynolds, oboe; David Granger,

Mendelssohn viola quintet in the Master Class: L-R NanaKurosawa, Kunal Mehta, Tony Miksak, Katherine Bukstein, GuyMatthews.

Sextet for winds and piano by Gordon Jacob; Trio for clar-inet, cello and piano by Robert Kahn; Trio, op. 92, flute,clarinet and bassoon (or strings) by Charles Koechlin; Stringquartet, K. 575 by W. A. Mozart; Quintet, clarinet andstring quartet, K. 581 by W. A. Mozart; Westerly winds forwind quintet by Paul Patterson; Sextet for winds and piano

We asked coach

Burke Schuchmann

to help organize

freelance groups

after dinner for all

who wished to play.

Many people com-

mented that Burke

did a great job and

was very helpful.

Happy musicians clockwise from top left: Susan Moore, JenniferZiebarth and Laurie Ho; Nick Carlin and Elizabeth CastroAbrams; Brian Colfer; Bruce Belton and Maria Reeves.

MARCH 2018

11

THE CHAMBER MUSICIAN

SFSU Workshop, continued from page 10.

by Ludwig van Beethoven; Wind trio by Malcolm Arnold;Clarinet quartet by Yvonne Desportes; Piano trio opus 8 byJohannes Brahms; String quartet number 1 by ZoltanKodaly; and Saxophone quartet by Philip Glass.As always, the workshop benefits from the skill and

hard work of many people. Computer support was provid-ed by Sue Fowle, who attended to the online applications,communications and evaluations, and even found time toemail a program for Sunday’s performance samplers to allparticipants. Harry Chomsky managed our database withperfect aplomb. Amy Apel was the coach coordinator andfound an outstanding lineup of musicians to help us learnand grow. Alan Kingsley managed our finances with hisusual seemingly effortless skill.

Catering coordinator Harriet Spiegel shows us Gold Coast'sdelicious Middle Eastern lunch.

Susan Roloff, Dan Scharlin and Jim Engleman talk the flute talkat lunch.

Continues on page 12.

bassoon; Zakarias Grafilo and Kate Stenberg, violins;Randy Fisher and Veronica Salas, violas; Burke

Schuchmann and Sandy Wilson,cellos; Jeffrey Sykes, piano.

After Sunday’s coaching,eleven groups signed up to playin three optional performancesamplers. We were treated toPiano trio by Ludwig vanBeethoven; Sextet for winds andpiano by Francis Poulenc; Triofor winds and piano by RobertKahn; Wind quartet by MichaelKibbe; String quartet by LucieVellère; String quartet opus 132

Harriet Spiegel oversaw the menus, food locations, andfacilities. Many people commented that this was the bestfood ever, and Harriet also shared her appreciation ofGold Coast Catering and the help she received from OLLIdirector Gwen Sanderson. Having good food and snacksavailable during the day makes everyone happier. Catherine Jennings, CMNC’s amazing music librarian,

did a terrific job of managing the music. Our workshoplibrarian, Mike Irvine, was helpful as always. SheriSchultz, our membership coordinator in far-off Corning,kept us up to date with the many communications beforeand during the workshop. Karen Wright worked effective-ly with the many volunteers, all of whom we appreciate somuch. The instrument coordinators, Maria Reeves, piano;Susan Kates, winds; and Miriam Blatt and ElizabethMorrison, strings; took excellent care of their respective

players. Miriam Blatt coordinates the evaluations, andnow is a good time to thank all who provide such thought-ful feedback via the evaluation forms and by email. Wealso thank the many people whodonate with their evaluations. Our biggest goal is that you

enjoy your music and are happyat the workshop. Assignmentsare a collective responsibility ofthe board. Susan Kates, BillHorne, Elizabeth Morrison,Harriet Spiegel, Miriam Blatt, Amy Apel, Bob Nesbet,Alan Kingsley, Maria Reeves, Karen Wright and I partici-

Harriet Spiegel

shared her appreci-

ation of Gold Coast

Catering and the

help she received

from OLLI director

Gwen Sanderson.

Having good food

and snacks makes

everyone happier.

As always, the

workshop benefits

from the skill and

hard work of many

people.

pated in the board meetings where the music and groupsare put together, helped by Board Member Emeritus BobGoldstein. Thanks to Amy Apel for hosting the post-work-shop meeting. I was happy to host the pre-workshop meet-ings.We are always grateful to Susan Wilson, who designs

and prints the programs for participants and for the coachconcert, as well as putting together all the registrationmaterials. We greatly appreciate the help we receive fromKirk Schiable, SFSU events coordinator, and the studenthelpers, who always do such a fine job; from ChristopherHepp, of SFSU Development; from Gwen Sanderson,Director of OLLI, and her assistant Cristina Alvarez; andfrom our great friends and sup-porters, the Alexander StringQuartet. Above all we appreciate you!

Your enthusiasm and love ofmusic are what makes CMNCsuch a joy to work with. Thankyou for coming, and we lookforward to seeing you again atCollege of Marin, June 2–3,2018. b

MARCH 2018

12

THE CHAMBER MUSICIAN

Left, coach Yael Ronen. Right, Gayle Strang enjoys the BenHaim clarinet quintet in the master class.

Coach Veronica Salas explores Shostakovich's 8th quartet with Tessa DeCarlo, TimKraus, Steve Harvey and Steve Alter.

Yes! The Beethoven viola quintet can be sung! Coach RandyFisher inspires Julie Erickson, Harriet Spiegel, Anne Carlson,Jane Moorman, and Harry Bernstein.

Felicity McCarthy andcoach Kate Stenbergenjoy a break.

SFSU Workshop, continued from page 11.

Above all we appre-

ciate you! Your

enthusiam and love

of music are what

makes CMNC such

a joy to work with.

Thank you for

coming.