Several years ago when we first began our residency at Trinity University in San Antonio, TX, we met Lauren Nichols, a student and violinist there. At the time Lauren was taking lessons and really enjoyed playing the violin but she wasn't focused on it as far as any more ambitious plans for the future. We coached her and brought her into our ensemble for rehearsals and featured her in several performances with us at Trinity University. It gradually dawned on us that underneath that rather shy and quiet exterior a real talent was hidden and we took notice.   

We encouraged Lauren to participate at Killington Music Festival in Vermont, which she did with support from Trinity University and scholarship money from the festival. The final stage in this "journey" took place when we introduced Lauren to Irina Muresanu, one of Walden's violinists who teaches at Boston Conservatory. Lauren took several trips to Boston to take lessons with Irina in the process of preparing for the ultimate test, the audition at Boston Conservatory-which she passed with flying colors! I think it is fair to say that Lauren really has found her true calling - with a bit of help from WCP along the way. Among the many nice stories of how our outreach work affects young people across the country this is one of our favorites so far.

It is time for the second installment in our  food journal in which we give honorable mention to coffee-shops, restaurants and diners across the country which we have found to serve outstanding food, prepared with pride - just in case you find yourself in one of these places in search for tasty fare.

Lewiston, ID: Sage Bakery which serves wonderful salads and sandwiches and is a local favorite (1303 Main Street, Lewiston, ID  83501)

Spokane, WA: Gordy's Sichuan Cafe 
(501 East 30th Avenue, Spokane, WA) -  

try the house-made dumplings or the red snapper......to die for!!

Moscow, ID: Botticelli Espresso (1716 West Pullman Rd) - this tiny coffee bar makes outstanding espresso, usually served with a chocolate covered espresso bean on the side. The baristas, mostly students of the University of Idaho, couldn't be more cheerful at six o' clock in the morning!

Delmar, NY: The Hidden Café (180 Delaware Avenue #14, Delmar, NY; www.hiddencafe.net) - fantastic Mediterranean cuisine!

On May 21st, 2011 Walden completed its 2011 Albany Chamber Music Initiative (ACMI), a program created by the Walden Chamber Players and the music teachers of the Albany public schools to teach the importance of collaboration, independence, leadership and respect through the study of chamber music. The program reached over 250 young people in grades K-12 over a 3-month residency period. From our first day of the program we were struck by the many challenges facing the students of Albany. With more than 65% of the students living below the poverty level and major budget cuts throughout the district, the students are playing on inadequate instruments, facing constant pressure from testing and many have little or no parental support for their music. Only a handful of students that we met had ever taken any private lessons and very few had instruments they could actually take home from school and practice. Despite these challenges, we found that the students and teachers of Albany were incredibly dedicated and passionate about music and music education. In fact, we were so moved by their deep commitment that we decided to donate a set of instruments, (1 cello, 1 viola and 1 violin) to the students at Albany High School. 

In May, ACMI held several exciting culminating events. One of these was a joint concert between WCP and the Hackett Middle School students that involved a side-by-side chamber performance of Boccherini's Procession of the Night Guard, as well as a collaborative, conductor-less performance with WCP and the entire Hackett Middle School Orchestra. Another concert, this one at Albany High School, featured student groups that had been formed and coached by Walden over the course of the residency. This concert involved not only the most talented students at Albany High but also those most at risk and we were thrilled to provide all of them with the opportunity to play and be heard. The final event was a showcase concert on May 20th that involved students from all levels of the Albany Public Schools, elementary through high school, and showcased the incredible commitment of the student musicians. To top it all off, we were deeply honored that the Mayor of Albany, Gerald D. Jennings, made a proclamation declaring May 20th as "Albany Chamber Music Initiative Day"! 

We would like to thank the following people at the Albany Public Schools: Kim Kubisch, Gloria Savino, Ron Lesko, Lisa Angerame, Michael Richmond, Erik Johnson and Nicole Sommers, as well as John Keel Music for their invaluable contributions to the 2011 ACMI program.  

"Music is important to me because of how much it inspires me and affects me.  It is more than just a series of notes in a certain scale.  It can be filled with emotion and soul. Playing chamber music has helped me to understand how music can be so much more than it seems. Watching and listening to the Walden Chamber Players really inspired me to work hard and push myself so that in the future I could possess the musical talent they have. The reason I prefer chamber music is because of how each individual in a chamber group is in each other's heads, working together as a team to create a work of art.  When you know that the people in your group are committed and have the passion to create music that you do, the experience can be wonderful."

- Pierce Dias-Carlson, Albany High School student 

When Walden was founded in 1997 it was named after Walden Pond in Concord, MA. Appropriately so, if I may add, since its original mission was to perform in the towns surrounding this historic body of water. It has always been my dream for WCP to extend its geographical scope across the United States and the ensemble has consistently done so by adding a new state to its performance schedule each season. After our concerts in San Jose and Sacramento, CA, this January we were celebrating on a nice, mild evening and enjoying a few drinks outdoors when it suddenly struck me - Walden had gone from the humble beginnings on a small body of water to a flourishing career which had brought the ensemble all across the country to another very big pond indeed-the Pacific! For a moment that evening, as we were sitting together and celebrating the conclusion of a successful tour it certainly seemed that Walden had  arrived at an important milestone on its musical journey......

Walden is pleased to announce that 12 year-old cellist Zlatomir Fung is the winner of this year's Walden Chamber Players Young Artist competition! The Young Artist Competition is held annually to promote and encourage young musicians from the Greater Boston area interested in the performance and study of chamber music. As the winner of the competition, Zlatomir will receive a $ 500 cash-prize and join the Walden Chamber Players in a performance of the String Quartet No. 2 in D major by Alexander Borodin on October 30, 2011.