Music Among Friends, Part 2
When I realized how long I have known all of the people playing on this concert, how many pieces I have written for each of them in various contexts, how many times we have performed together, and all of the things we’ve done as friends, I thought, “Wow! This really is a concert among friends!” I first knew Gary when he stepped in at the last minute to play the premiere of my Nightwings, for wind quintet and tape, in 1978. I’ve jumped out of an airplane with Joanne and ridden Goliath at Magic Mountain with Roger-twice in a row! We’ve all enjoyed going to restaurants with Gary and his wife Juliette. I’ve watched David and Connie’s young boys grow up to be adults, and rather amazing ones, at that. Some of us travelled to New York together (with Ayke Agus, Connie Kupka, and Roland Kato) to give our Weill Recital Hall debut, and to San Francisco (with Ayke) to play a concert there. We’ve had amazing fun working and playing together.
But I also realized that it is part of the nature of Pacific Serenades that our concerts are “music among friends,” and I am friends with all of the musicians involved, so it has become a running them of newsletter articles for the whole season.
One of the things I appreciate so much about our musicians is their commitment to our mission, of commissioning and premiering a piece for each program and presenting it alongside great works of the past. As Joanne said, “I am so proud to be a part of this wonderful series that is unique in that there is a world premiere on EVERY SINGLE PROGRAM-there’s no musical experience quite like playing compositions that are ‘hot off the press’ and interacting with the composers themselves, hearing them voice the thoughts that are behind the notes on the page.”
Joanne also talked about the experience of playing music with friends: “Of course there is a built-in advantage to playing with colleagues who are already friends. In that first rehearsal when everyone gets together, there’s no mystery about what someone’s basic style is, no tiptoeing around unknown egos-we all know how the others already think, how they like to work, and it’s easy to get started right up and dive into the project at hand. It is always a very fun experience-we all get along wonderfully on a personal level, which cannot help but show through in the performances. Plus, it also makes it easier to choose the restaurant or bar where we’re celebrating afterwards!”
David continued on the subject, “I’ve known Gary since I was a student of mathematics at UCLA in the early 70’s. He looks the same as he did then! The Brahms Trio is a piece we’ve performed countless times together, never tiring of it and able to play it after long intervals with little discussion. It’s really a joy! I think of Roger Wilkie, our long-time friend, at home playing maybe the Tchaikovsky concerto, or solos for John Williams, or sitting alongside my sons, supporting and encouraging them with no airs about him. Joanne is the best! Great fun, great performer, and most importantly, a really good cook!”
Clearly, playing Pacific Serenades concerts is such fun for our musicians-and, in no small part, because we are all friends.
