Aug 20, 2007

'Bridging the Ages' focus of Music@Menlo

By Janet Duca Norton / Society Columnist

The Music@Menlo chamber music festival, held July 22 through Aug. 10 at Menlo School in Atherton, celebrated its fifth anniversary. Festival founders and artistic directors Wu Han and David Finckel titled the event "Bridging the Ages," showcasing musical compositions spanning the 17th century to the present day, all keyed to themes that are central to the human experience.

Music@Menlo highlights included five concerts featuring music from Bach, Handel and Copeland that expressed the universal themes of nature, instrumental inspiration and mortality. Most of the concerts were sold out before the festival began.

"What makes chamber music a success is both personal chemistry between musicians and the chemistry with the music itself," Finckel said. "Before the festival starts it's all theoretical, but once it's under way, it becomes immediate and interactive in real time,"
Finckel, a celebrated cellist, and his wife, internationally recognized pianist Han, are artistic directors of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in New York. The two exhibited their personal and professional chemistry during the Borrowed Cultures program with a performance of Aaron Copland's "Vitebsk: Study on a Jewish Theme," accompanied by violinist Erin Keefe.

More than three dozen world-renowned artists performed at two concerts: one at Menlo School's elegant Spieker Ballroom in Stent Hall and the other at Palo Alto's St. Mark's Episcopal Church. More than half of the musicians made their Music@Menlo debut.

Chamber music was originally conceived as small ensembles playing without a conductor in intimate and spontaneous settings. The goal of the performance has always been connection with the audience.

The July 24 Homage program achieved this goal. Brothers Ian and Joseph Swensen performed the avant-garde "Moz-Art for Two Violins, after Mozart," by Alfred Schnittke, and the Escher String Quartet captivated the audience with its performance of Mendelssohn's String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, op.13.

Flutist Carol Wincenc and clarinetist Carey Bell were a perfect match for Ravel's "Le Tombeau de Couperin," and were beautifully accompanied by French horn player William VerMeulen, oboist William Bennett and bassoonist Dennis Godburn. The audience gave standing ovations to cellist Ralph Kirshbaum, violinist Joseph Swensen and pianist Han for their dramatic Tchaikovsky Piano Trio in A minor, op. 50. Enthusiastic attendees included Jennifer DeGolia, Marilyn and Boris Wolper, Scott Hayes, and Patti and Eff Martin.

An expanded Carte Blanche concert series featured individual artist recitals, including performances by guitarist Jason Vieaux; soprano Heidi Grant, accompanied by pianist Kevin Murphy; violinist Jorja Fleezanis; and baritone Christopheren Nomura, accompanied by pianist Gilbert Kalish.

The festival not only creates intimate connections with music, it fosters many new friendships. Supporters and hosts take turns presenting get-togethers in their homes for performers, sponsors and guests throughout the season.

Following the Homage program, Rick DeGolia continued his tradition of hosting a post-concert dinner party in his Atherton garden. Guests included Francesca Eastman and Ed Goodstein, Mel and Mary Britton, Artistic Director Finckel and incoming festival Executive Director Edward Sweeney. Most of the performers arrived in casual clothes, including Escher Quartet members Adam Barnett-Hart, Wu Jie, Andrew Janss and Pierre Lapointe.
The uniqueness of the festival is the opportunity for aficionados, students and newcomers to experience classical music at formal concerts and free events in a variety of venues.

"Upon experiencing Music@Menlo for the first time, I was struck, not only by the artistry of the music making, but also by the warm embrace of the community," Executive Director Sweeney said. "The sense of neighbors gathering around the festival and the music is something that is rare in this day and age."

One of Han and Finckel's goals is to inspire the next generation of musicians and enlarge the youth audience. Master musicians conduct classes every day at the Chamber Music Institute on the Menlo School campus. Gifted music students from all over the world audition for places in these classes. During Music@Menlo, conservatory students (ages 8 to 18) present Prelude Performance Series and Koret Young Performers concerts before each evening program. (A memorable moment was seeing violinist Fleezanis talking with a preteen violinist at the post-concert ice cream party.)

The Koret Young Performers Concert on Aug. 1 at St. Mark's Episcopal Church featured many future stars from the Bay Area. Many of these gifted students have been Chamber Institute participants for several years, including Meha Goyal, Henry Burnam, Yujin Ariza, Dennis Chang and Michael Waarts. Bay Area musicians, pianist Hilda Huang, violinist Alexi Kenney and cellist Will Chow, received a standing ovation for their interpretation of Max Bruch's Piano Trio in C minor. The smiling threesome said they would like to come back next year.

"Sharing the accomplishment of Music@Menlo's fifth anniversary season with such world-class musicians, as well as the hottest young talents in chamber music from around the world, and to celebrate classical music with our incredibly special festival community, has been one the most gratifying experiences of my professional life," pianist and Artistic Director Han said.

"We look forward to another stellar season in 2008."