Welcome to our new email newsletter!
Help us go green! Walden is trying to reduce the amount of printed material we produce. If you would prefer to receive your newsletter via email, contact us at [email protected]. Other than our annual season brochure mailing, we will contact you only electronically.
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Violinist Yehonatan Berick Joins Walden
We are pleased to announce that the eminent violinist Yehonatan Berick has joined the Walden Chamber Players. We first collaborated with Yehonatan during our recording sessions for a cd of music by Augusta Read Thomas and we were thoroughly impressed with his beautiful playing and complete professionalism. Since then, "YB" as we call him, has joined us on several more occasions and has become a fast favorite of the ensemble.
On joining the group he says, "Walden Chamber Players is one of the most versatile chamber groups in existence: repertoire that spans every musical period imaginable; original and adventurous programming; an ensemble of exceptional players which allows to explore pieces with practically any instrumentation; a strong commitment to ever expand the chamber music repertoire through commissions, alongside good old tested-and-true favorites; and above all, a most positive and enthusiastic spirit of love for music and for each other. I am thrilled about our future projects, and cannot wait for our next concert."
YB, Associate Professor of Violin at the University of Michigan. is a soloist, recitalist, chamber musician (violin and viola), and pedagogue, was a prizewinner at the 1993 Naumburg Competition and a recipient of the 1996-97 Prix Opus. He has performed with the symphony orchestras of Quebec, Winnipeg, Jerusalem, and Haifa, and the Israel, Cincinnati, Montreal, and Manitoba chamber orchestras. He has played recitals with such pianists as James Tocco, Louis Lortie, Stephen Prutsman, and Michael Chertock, and collaborates with artists including members of the Guarneri Quartet, and cellists Peter Wiley and Stephen Isserlis. Berick's festival credits include Marlboro, Ravinia, Seattle, Great Lakes, Vancouver, El Paso, Maui, and Bowdoin; and Close Encounters With Music.
A member of Musicians from Marlboro, the Lortie-Berick-Lysy Piano Trio, and the Huberman String Quartet, he can be heard on recordings on the Summit, Gasparo, and Helicon labels. Currently Professor of Violin at the University of Michigan, his studies were at Tel Aviv University's Music Academy and at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He plays on a violin by Honore Derazy Pere made in 1852 and a viola by Stanley Kiernoziak made in 2003.
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2009 Young Artist Competition
On April 11th 2009 we held our third annual Walden Chamber Players Young Artist Competition. For the first two years of its existence eligibility was limited to residents of Newton, MA. As of 2009 we decided to open the competition to young musicians from the Greater Boston area, thereby greatly extending it's reach. This competition is unique in that it combines the standard format of a competition with an educational component - every finalist, and there are usually five, gets to rehearse with the Walden Chamber Players as part of the final round. By doing so the finalists get an opportunity to rehearse on an equal footing with professional musicians and get to experience the workings of a professional chamber music ensemble.
"I felt so at home and overjoyed to be playing gorgeous music, surrounded by such receptive and supportive musicians." said Mailinda McPherson, this year's winner. " I don't know of another competition that focuses on chamber music - measuring the compatibility of a musician within a group as well as solo ability. Chamber music has always been the strongest part of my musical identity, so I was immediately drawn by this competition! The final round was a wonderful and educational experience, and I am honored that I will be able to perform with Walden in the future!"
In this way the selection of the winner is based not solely on playing ability but also on an assessment of the participants' skills in areas such as communication, ability to translate musical suggestions into reality quickly and participate in the rehearsal process. The winner performs in a public concert with WCP and receives a $ 500 prize.
We would like to give a special thank-you to Johnson String Instrument of Newton, our corporate sponsor, for their support of the area's young musicians. |
Concord Academy Chamber Music Workshop
One would think that we have enough on our plate already, what with residencies in Texas and Worcester, MA. But we really couldn't resist when Concord Academy, situated in historic Concord, MA, asked us to be the ensemble-in-residence at the newly created Chamber Music Workshop at Concord Academy. Of course, we happily agreed.
We are excited about working with the highly intelligent and gifted students at the Academy and hope to provide a truly enriching experience for them. We have worked very with the administration of the school in putting together an innovative curriculum that should make the offerings at the Academy stand out among schools of its kind.
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From the Artistic Director
When I first began as Artistic Director of the Walden Chamber Players I was excited about tackling all that goes into growing the ensemble, all the musical know-how I would have to master and the skills I would have to acquire.
But, even more importantly, now that the ensemble is 12 years old what has stuck with me are the many unforgettable personal experiences I have had over the years in my dealings with presenters, teachers, colleagues and audience members. Many friendships have been formed over the years and we have touched many people through our concerts and outreach activities. We too, though, have taken many poignant memories with us along the way.
I will never forget playing the eighth string quartet by Shostakovich in concert, composed after the composer had spent some time in Dresden, Germany, which had suffered horrible destruction during the Second World War. At the reception after the concert an audience member approached me with a teacup in her hand which she gave to me. Her parents had brought that teacup with them from Dresden from where they had emigrated to America after the war.
Robert Traver, principal at the Mass. Academy of Math and Science in Worcester, MA, where we are the ensemble-in-residence, has been a true friend of Walden for many years. A gifted pianist, he gets a big kick out of our visits to the Academy and we are always impressed by the incredibly smart students at the school. We had presented concerts at the school for several years but had never been able to perform any repertoire with piano since there was none at the Academy - until one day a few years ago when we walked back into the Academy for one of our residencies and literally tripped over a big, black grand piano! Robert had fulfilled his dream and raised the money to acquire a beautiful piano. You should see the smile on his face when we now perform music that features "his" piano!
Little did we know what our concert and residency visit to Trinity University in San Antonio, TX, a few years ago would turn into. After a day or two at the University it was clear that there existed some real "chemistry" and so I walked into the office of Carl Leafstedt, chair of the music department, and said " Carl, I think we've got something really special here!" He looked at me and said "I know". As they say - the rest is history . . . .
Finally I want to mention a colleague who has done more to shape the course of Walden over the last few years than anybody. Our cellist, Ashima Scripp, has been a transformative force ever since she joined the ensemble a few years ago. She has tirelessly worked on improving our outreach programs, such as our Young Artist Competition, and she deserves a huge credit for facilitating our new residency at Concord Academy (see article on page 2). Add to that her savvy in using Facebook and YouTube in spreading news about WCP and enhancing our web-presence. Ashima is a big reason why WCP is as successful as it is and we cannot thank her enough! |
Report from San Antonio, Texas Twice a year we don our ten-gallon hats and freshly shined cowboy boots and make our way to San Antonio, TX, where we are the visiting-ensemble-in-residence at Trinity University. We can't say enough about the fabulous hospitality provided by Carl Leafstedt, chair of the department of music at Trinity, who has become a great personal friend of the Walden Chamber Players. He is a wonderful collaborator and truly a kindred spirit in his shared interest in providing exciting and meaningful learning opportunities for young musicians.
The campus of Trinity University is just beautiful and the students are eager to work with us. As part of our activities we perform outreach in the local high schools, and give master-classes and coach student chamber ensembles at the University. During our most recent visit to the University we also initiated an informal "brown bag" concert which was held in the courtyard of the music building at midday and which featured two students of the University performing a movement of Mozart's string quintet in B flat Major, KV174. Many faculty members and staff of the University attended the concert and loved it! We were so taken with the young musicians that we invited them to perform the Mozart again with us - in the "official" and public concert the next evening. We hope this experience will stay with these two budding musicians for a long time to come!
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2009/10 Season Preview
AUGUST August 6, 2009 Summer Music Associates New London, NH
SEPTEMBER September 24-27, 2009 Nantucket, MA
SEPTEMBER-NOVEMBER Nyack High School Chamber Music Institute Nyack, NY
OCTOBER October 4, 2009 Howland Chamber Music Circle Bacon, NY
October 5, 2009 deBlasiis Series, Glens Falls, NY
October 24, 2009 Coastal Concerts Lewes, Delaware
NOVEMBER November 1, 2009 Arts Complex, Duxbury, MA
November 8, 2009 Newton, MA
November 19-22, 2009 Trinity University San Antonio, TX
DECEMBER Mass. Academy of Math & Science Worcester, MA
2010 January 2010 - April 2010 Chamber Music Workshop Concord Academy Concord, MA
MARCH March 7, 2010 Boston, MA
March 29 Concord Academy Concord, MA
APRIL April 8-11, 2010 Trinity University San Antonio, TX
April 18, 2010 Simon's Rock College Great Barrington, MA
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The Walden Quiz
Here is our new quiz question: Johannes Brahms was a rather private person and not prone to reveal much about his feelings, whether they were of a personal or professional nature. Only once did he put his name to a public declaration which he soon came to regret. Perhaps his youth might serve to excuse his laps of judgement. What sort of public statement are we referring to and what was the purpose of it?
Email us the correct answer and you will win two tickets to our concert in Newton, MA, on November 8th, 2009! (The answer will be in our next newsletter.)
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Thanks to
for their support of Walden's Young Artist Competition
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Ensemble-in-residence at the Massachusetts Academy of Math & Science, Worcester, MA.
Visiting ensemble-in-residence at the Trinity University, San Antonio, TX.
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