JAVS Summer 1997

72

lar principal of the San Francisco Symphony, gave a recital at Holy Names College in Oak land, accompanied by the eminent pianist Roy Bogas. The program was formidable: Bliss, Paganini, Britten, Brahms. Susan Marie Hall was at the event, and she loved it! Geraldine's wonderful blend of great playing and personal charm always pleases the audience. On 13 May, Uri Wasserzug played the Walton Concerto with the orchestra of the California State University at Sacramento, Leo Eylar conducting. Susan Marie Hall was able to attend this event also, and she reports that "Uri did a really good job." In early June two Northern California vio lists were presenters at the Silver Jubilee Viola Congress in Austin, Texas. Geraldine Walther played the Paganini Sonata for Grand Viola, and Mark Volkert, assistant concertmaster of the San Francisco Symphony, played Land scapes for Solo Viola. I was honored to discuss "The Art of Practice" for an hour and a half, offering my personal blend of career experi ence, serious scholarship, and stand-up come dy. It must have been a success; several people present told me they went back to their hotel rooms to practice-that's where it counts. On 16 June, Carla Maria Rodrigues played again, helping to celebrate her own birth day at Vivande Ristorante in San Francisco. Her playing of Brahms' E flat Sonata and the viola part of the Geistliche Lieder was beautiful. The restaurant, though hospitable, is not yet ideally set up for chamber music (on that par ticular evening, some clients did not know about the music; they had come only for the excellent food-imagine!), but that will change in the future. The restaurant's owner, Carlo Midione, is-a violist! He hopes to find ways to dedicate one night a week to chamber music and its listeners. Vivande Ristorante could become a great home base for musicians, as it is within a block of the Performing Arts Center. (And he has promised to show some of us his Finckel bow.) All in all, there is a great deal of healthy viola activity in Northern California, and I look forward both to reporting it and partici pating in it. TOm Heimberg San Francisco Opera President, Northern California Viola Society

violists to play them and other works as well. More details to be announced. Several Northern California violists have played in public during the past few months: On 21 March, the newly formed Adesso Ensemble performed on the prestigious cham ber music series at Old First Church in San Francisco. One of the featured performers was Carla Maria Rodrigues, the Principal Violist of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra, playing the difficult Music for Viola and Percussion by Colgrass. Her virtuosity was gripping and her tone was warm and beautiful. The audience showed its appreciation with enthusiastic sus tained applause. The Melodiya Chamber Ensemble, a won derful group made up mainly of local former Bolshoi Principals, gave a concert at St. John's Presbyterian Church in Berkeley on 12 April. The evening's viola solo was Sergiei Rakit chenkov playing the Schumann Miirchenbilder. I was unable to attend that evening, but I've attended many other Melodiya concerts, and I'm sure it was great. I know Sergei's work the 1980 All-Soviet Viola Competition winner definitely still has it. On 27 April Geraldine Walther, our popu

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