Las Cruces Friends of Chamber Music

Las Cruces Friends of Chamber Music
“Musically Speaking”, 03/31/07

Hello, Friends!

Earlier this week was our first Every-Other-Tuesday performance of ’07, and it was fabulous! There was an excellent turn-out to hear “home-grown” musicians Alex Aguirre and Nathanial Berman. The couple grew up in Las Cruces and have recently returned home after completing advanced degrees in musical performance at NYU. The concert was wonderfully diverse, featuring selections from a variety of musical eras as well as demonstrating the remarkable versatility of Nathanial, who performed on 4 different instruments. They were joined by Nathanial’s mother, Ann Berman, on oboe and Marco Jimenez at the piano. The entire program was ensemble playing at its finest; but, without a doubt, the final selections were the major “crowd pleasers”. As I greeted people in the foyer and walked through the parking lot following the performance, everyone was commenting on the whimsical pieces, with equally humorous designations: “An ROTC officer whose military bearing does not quite conceal his true nature.” “With delusions of grandeur, the organ of the Big Top attempts a romantic waltz.” “An early lo-fi phonograph plays broken-record variations on a 1920 dance theme.” [“Two-Bit Contraptions”, by Jan Bach] What fun! You can definitely plan on hearing more from these fine musicians in the future! The Friends of Chamber Music is thrilled to add them to our list of colleagues; and we’ll look forward to sharing their talents with you again.

Speaking of adding musicians, when he introduced yesterday’s concert, John Pleasant mentioned that with the addition of the 4 persons who played Tuesday, 44 of our friends and colleagues have performed with and for Las Cruces Friends of Chamber Music, and that in less than one year! Just another confirmation that the timing was right when we launched our organization last Spring!

Yesterday John and I enjoyed hosting “Intermezzo” at 11 AM on KRWG with Leora Zeitlin. Also, volunteers from our organization handled the phones. Many thanks to these wonderful friends and helpers, some of whom stepped up at the very last minute: Patricia Bello, Ann Berman, Bonnie McGrew, and Marilyn White. Leora has become a good friend to the Friends of Chamber Music, and we were delighted to be able to demonstrate our support for her and for all of the fine programming on KRWG FM.

You’ll want to mark your calendar for our Every-Other-Tuesday performances scheduled for April 24 and May 22. Rio Grande Theatre, 5:30 PM. Hope to see you there!

Also, while it’s not officially sponsored by the Friends of Chamber Music, I hope you’ll plan to attend the faculty recital planned by Friends co-founder, Joseph Sylvan along with pianist, David Syme. The recital will be held on Sunday, May 27 at 3:00. I’ll let you know when I have complete details about location and program.

Starting April 15, tickets will be available for June 12’s performance by the St. Petersburg Quartet, “From Russia With Love”. They are extraordinary musicians, and the program promises to be sensational! Start planning NOW to enjoy this very special opportunity. Prior to the concert, we will host a Gala Fund-Raising Reception, which I hope many of you will wish to support. Details very soon related to ticket info for both events.

And, believe it or not, we are already making plans for the Fall! Our collaboration with the Las Cruces Museum of Art, as they present an exhibit of works by Salvador Dali, will commence with an exciting concert of 20th century works. The performance, featuring the music of contemporaries of Dali, will be on Saturday, September 8 at the Rio Grande. In addition, there will be a series of recitals held in the museum gallery during the time that the exhibit is on display. Also, we hope to kick off a “Friday Night with Friends” series at St. Andrew’s in August or September. And soon we will need to begin preparations for a holiday presentation. So there’s lots to look forward to!

Following my last communication we were delighted to receive some checks in the mail from friends who wish to support our efforts financially. That is, of course, an on-going need and is always deeply appreciated. Should you wish to make a tax-deductible donation, complete information is on our website under the category “Membership”. Also, please feel free to contact me if you have specific questions.

Well, I’ll wish you all a “Happy Spring” and sign off for now.

Musically yours,
Barbara Toth