Transition moments grab our attention. In London, people line up for hours to watch the ceremony known as “the changing of the guard.” Enormous mental energy and financial resources go into political elections under the guise of creating change. And in the arts world, when major organizations, like symphony orchestras or opera companies, go through
I’m in Lüneburg, Germany – a small, former Hanseatic town that was once one of the wealthiest places in Germany, thanks to the salt mines here which created, by the Middle Ages, the largest industry in all of Europe. For Bach aficionados, it’s also the first place where Sebastian Bach came, setting off on his
Seven and a half weeks may not seem like a long time, but when the entire time is spent packing and unpacking a suitcase, it is a weighty time, full of expectation and observation, elation and frustration. I write this on the day my seven and a half week trip comes to a close, the
For many gay Americans, like myself, the face of Donald Trump is reminiscent of the schoolyard bully who physically threatened us. His constant bellowing of “WRONG” has the capability of re-traumatizing our inner shame we experienced as we came out; and for many, that shame still persists in our psyche today. Over the next several
“I will not let you leave me until you have blessed me.” Loosely translated, the patriarch, Jacob, spoke this to the angel with which he wrestled for a night, leaving him with an injured hip. Some five millennia later, I’m standing (for two and a half hours) on the Davies Hall stage, playing Messiah, with
MUSIC AND THE MAGIC OF PLACE What is it in an object that seems to hold the energy of people that have used it before? And why does the association with these places and objects of significance excite us? I had the great fortune of joining the San Francisco Symphony on its Spring tour this
I can’t recall how many times it happened, but it seems to me that most of my grade school years, through high school, had an English class which started with the assignment to write a short essay on “What I did last summer.” Long before we could even envision a life in which Facebook could
Going up the old, wooden, circular staircase, with a marine rope for a banister, I ascended to the organ loft of the 15th century church, St. Mariager – originally a Carmelite monastery and still echoing the monks’ plainsong singing of Salve Regina that would form the centerpiece of my recital there. Well, I wasn’t actually
I can remember it like it was yesterday: I was 16 years old and on an afternoon excursion with my high school friend, Betzi Robb. (Well, I think she was “Betsy” in those days.) We took a trip into Washington to visit Washington Cathedral, a favorite haunt of mine in my years growing up in
I used to think that England had the corner on the Christmas spirit; doesn’t America try to emulate that Dickensian depiction of Christmas each December? But when I got to Germany and saw the Weihnachts Markt in Köln, I updated my opinion: Germany has the corner on the Christmas scene! Never have I seen people
The past week has been one of extremes with respect to Paris, France and myself. A week ago I was basking in the sublime beauty of playing the music of Paris composer, Camille Saint-Saëns’, Organ Symphony with the San Francisco Symphony; and then, yesterday, the world learned the horrific news of a terrorist-led bloodbath in
Last week I had the privilege of working with renowned pianist Andras Schiff in a concert in which he played (as both soloist & accompanist) and conducted. He conducted the Haydn Lord Nelson Mass which uses a string orchestra, trumpets, choir, and soloists. This is an interesting piece both musically and historically; it was written
We eagerly anticipate them; and we dread them. Reunions have the potential of stirring up old feelings of insecurity & resentment of long-forgotten cliques, but also the power to re-activate dormant friendships and stimulate new ideas. For better and for worse, high school is a crucible, a culmination of the attitudes, behaviors, ethics, and responsibilities
I’m now in my late-50s, and the romanticism of playing music in Europe is still yet to wear thin. As a kid, I often fantasized about seeing, hearing, and (mostly) playing the great and glorious organs of Europe. True confessions: American organs have rarely held the same appeal to me – except to the extent
Gdansk will surprise you. The historic center has been re-constituted to its Renaissance appearance (so that it is somewhat reminiscent off the great city of Amsterdam) even though it witnessed complete destruction in 1945. A 40-minute train ride south takes you to Pelplin – a rather insignificant village (from a tourist’s point of view) with
I keep oscillating back and forth about whether it’s better or worse to discover the secrets of French music in conditions of extreme heat. Having just played a concert at the cathedral of Montpellier, where the outside temperature was in the upper 90s, and the temperature at the organ was in the mid-80s, I went
While it seems very obvious to anyone who performs as a musician, either professionally or as an amateur, I don’t think that everyone else is aware of the vast difference between performing and practicing. Probably at least once each month, someone expresses shock that I – having made music professionally for forty years – need
It was truly a unique opportunity. A set of symphony concerts, in the regular subscription series, opening with 14 minutes of solo organ music. I can’t think of any time I’ve heard of that happening in a major concert hall in this country. When I was asked if I was available and interested in doing