Notes From a Curious Listener

More than once, I have grumbled to President and Artistic Director, Christopher Beach, about the long months sans music between SummerFest and Winter Season. He has wisely ignored me and given himself and the staff a well-deserved break. The rest of us must soldier on and find other outlets for our artistic needs. Here are a few of my favorites. Please use this opportunity to flagrantly promote yours in our comments section!

Not in any order:

1) San Diego Dance Theatre presents: Trolley Dances 2010 - Catch a Ride! on Sat and Sun, Oct 2 and 3rd, from 10 am - 3 pm downtown on the trolleys.

I have never been to the Trolley Dances, but my dance friends love it. Much to their chagrin, I'm not a contemporary dance lover. I like classical ballet, probably because of the classical music that accompanies it. But, these Trolley Dances are just unique enough to whet my appetite.

2) ArtPower! presents Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers on Saturday, October 9, 2010 in Balboa Theatre

The only good thing about the economic downturn is

I'm looking at the La Jolla Music Society Winter Season brochure trying to decide which concert I'm most excited about. Even this beautiful brochure cannot convey the true experience of the concerts. That sentence is a stake through the heart of my friend and blog compatriot, Kristen Sakamoto, LJMS Marketing Director. You see, the marketing team kills itself to make this brochure. They pore through pictures of the performers, discussing for hours - I am not making this up - which to use and where to place them on the page. And, don't get me started on what they go through to choose the wording. With all of this, it is still difficult to tell if a concert is worth the money, time and - let's be honest - hassle of parking. 

Check out a small sampling of pictures from SummerFest 2010. The festival was full of performances, encounters, and coaching workshops, but also some fun non-musical events including the gala and various parties. In particular, the photo of Christopher with Red Ruff at the Padres game is priceless!

Have any pictures from SummerFest? Let me know in the comments

Curious Listener note:  This is a Guest Post from Ted Mckinney, a self-described "retired chemist and lapsed clarinet player." Ted has been a classical music lover for over fifty years. Click to read his reviews of  the SummerFest 2010 performances written for the San Diego Union Tribune.

We have been attending SummerFest concerts since 1991. Initially, it was a short-term strategy to get away from the oppressive heat of Riverside in the summertime. But as the years passed, we extended the number of days until our stay eventually embraced the entire schedule. SummerFest is now one of the major pivot points on the calendar. Obviously, we have seen the progression of artistic directors and performers change over the decades. The programs are always interesting. But personally, I am extremely grateful to Cho-Liang Lin for the profound thought he puts into creating a cohesive set of programs that convey a sense of inevitable unity. In recent years, the introduction of three concerts focusing on a featured composer has deepened my appreciation of the immense gifts of these musical giants. And the insightful pre-concert commentaries by Russell Steinberg have been absolutely priceless. (For those were unable to attend his lectures on Schumann, they are available to read here.)

Several years ago, I asked Christopher Beach if there was a listing available of all the works that have been performed at SummerFest over the years. He said, “Unfortunately, no. I would dearly love to have such an archive, but it does not exist.” Impulsively I said, “I might be willing to compile a list if you can get me copies of programs from the early years, before I started attending.”