October Scherzo

Welcome to OICMF Scherzo (skert·sō/ noun: a vigorous, light, or playful composition)

The monthly newsletter of the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival

Orcas Island in Houston!

I recently had the honor of being invited to Houston to play Jake Heggie's Earthrise with the Apollo Chamber Players - what a treat! My local tour guide Aloysia (and Jackie, until he departed for Bellingham, as you read about in last month's Scherzo) introduced me to the finest Houston sights and cuisine. Along with good times shared with the Friedmann-Parker family, it was wonderful to visit with a number of OICMF artists such as William and Sylvia VerMeulen (more on them in the months ahead...hint...it involves our December Leaves of Gold concert), Artem Kuznetsov, and Desmond Hoebig.

Earthrise was on the program for two concerts, and I felt especially at home since the Apollo Chamber Players not only invited me, but also commissioned an Earthrise tapestry of their own (shippable, brilliantly-engineered frames and all) from our very own Geoffrey Shilling! Orcas was well represented in Texas, and Texas so appreciated it!

On the marquee at the first venue! Name in lights!

First stop fresh off the plane - Tex-Mex! Yum!

^{Visiting with Artem in Jackie's office}

Pho with Sophie, Des, and Aloysia

^{At the Johnson Space Center (dressed like this at 9:30 in the morning. In late September. Certainly not on Orcas...)}

Name That Chair!

Now here's a campaign we can really get behind. Orcas Center is planning to replace their theater seats, and anyone who has attended a concert in the last couple of years probably understands why. Your help is needed, and you can have a seat personalized with your name (or someone else’s, or the name of a favorite organization, musician, composer, anyone you would like to honor) inscribed on a plaque on the armrest.

For more information, visit

https://orcascenter.org/administrative/orcas-center-seating-campaign/

photo credit: Barry Carlton

Recipe of the Month

We were very fortunate to have cellist Julian Schwarz here for the entire Festival this August, so I thought it would be lovely to ask him for his favorite recipe. After I assured him our audience is mostly of drinking age, he sent the following for your imbibing pleasure:

Julian’s Smooth Martini Deluxe

Pre-chill coupe or martini glass in freezer

Ingredients:

5 oz (2 and 1/3 jiggers) London Dry Gin (Plymouth, Beefeater, Tanqueray, Sipsmith, Gordon’s, etc. nothing too heavy on the botanical or floral elements)

1 aggressive dash (6-10 drops) of Orange Bitters (I use Regan's No. 6)

1 teaspoon (no more) non-smoky Scotch (I use Black Label or Glenmorangie)

Anchovy-stuffed olives

Lemon twist

Recipe:

1. Fill mixing glass with ice

2. Pour measured liquids over ice (gin, bitters, scotch)

3. Stir 40 times

4. Remove chilled coupe or martini glass from freezer

5. Strain and serve up, garnished with 3 (or more) anchovy olives and lemon twist

Serves 1 cellist

Upcoming Performances of Home

We were thrilled to be the lead commissioner and host for the World Premiere of Home by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Kevin Puts. After the Miró Quartet enthralled us with it on Orcas and Lopez, they performed the piece in Detroit. The Quartet has a number of other Home performances scheduled throughout the next year, in case you missed it here or would like to experience it again:

Tulsa, Oklahoma - Chamber Music Tulsa

Sunday, April 5, 2020

Rockport, Massachusetts - Rockport Music Festival

Saturday, June 27 or 28th, 2020

Portland, Oregon - Chamber Music Northwest

Sometime during July 5-10, 2020, exact date tbd

Carmel, California - Chamber Music Monterey Bay

October 10, 2020