Music Matters

Pacific Symphony League, 3631 S. Harbor Blvd, Suite 100. Santa Ana, CA 92704 November 2009

Betty Everett, editor; send submissions to bettyeverett@usa.net, 949 462 0912

Celebration Raffle

Pacific Symphony League volunteers introduced the Celebration Raffle to Opening Night attendees

on September 24, 2009. The grand$prize is a trip for two to Europe worth $20,000, but there will

be many other unique prizes in the Early Bird Drawings on December 21, 2009 and February 16,

2010. League representatives are present, willing and able to help symphony goers purchase raffle

tickets at almost all classics and pops concerts. All proceeds from the Celebration Raffle support the

artistic and education programs of Pacific Symphony.

Claire Burt and Barbara Sue Johnson introduce the Celebration Raffle to Symphony attendees

Every year, Pacific Symphony devotes more than $1.5 million to major education programs for the

children and youth of Orange County. For many of these young listeners, this is the only musical in$

struction they receive. Our programs provide exposure and interaction with music, which has been

shown to contribute to a child’s success in school. The Celebration Raffle has the potential to raise

over $100,000 for artistic and education programs with the support of volunteers like you.

By purchasing tickets early, entrants are eligible for the first Early Bird drawing, taking place De$

cember 21, 2009, and the second Early Bird drawing, taking place February 16, 2010. There are

more than 50 Early Bird prizes, including priceless symphony experiences, such as private backstage

tours, meet and greets with musicians and conductor, tickets to special events, Box Circle Club sub$

scriptions and much more.

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Who is editor Betty Everett? She’s just plain curious about how life in all aspects works, but most particulary, how the art world works! She always thought of herself as a musician, but has actually been more successful as a writer and editor. She lived in Belgium and The Netherlands from 1968-2001 working on the edge of the arts as a writer and producer and striving to help other American expats happily bridge the Atlantic as editor of a magazine for Americans living in Holland. She loves working with the PSL which has led her

into many new avenues in the arts in Orange County.�

Betty Everett, Editor

President’s Message:

The League is off to a great start! We are excited about our many new enthusias-tic members. A promising new fundraiser has been launched, “Celebration Raf-fle,” for the grand-prize trip for two to Europe. Our first luncheon meeting, fea-turing Pacific Symphony Assistant Concertmaster Jeanne Skrocki, her daughter, Laura Evans; and mother, Bonnie Bell, was well attended and much en-joyed. Please come and meet Maxim Eshkenazy, Assistant Conductor of Pacific Symphony and Conductor of the Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra, at our luncheon meeting on November 16.

Thank you Margaret Gates for leading the League’s summer opportunity drawing, “Win the Maestros’ iPods,” benefiting the Pacific Symphony Youth Ensembles! The lucky winners of the three iPods, each loaded with the favorite music of the Symphony’s maestros, were: Jan West for Richard Kaufman’s, Rick Cummings for Maxim Eshkenazy’s, and Chris Liu for Carl St.Clair’s. The winner of the four (4) Box Circle tickets to a classics concert was Beverly McKenzie. The League and the PSYE were also

winners, because we made over $4,000! Janice Smith �

Pacific Symphony League Supper Club

Pacific Symphony’s League Supper Club is a wonderful way to support the Symphony’s artistic and music education programs. Members enjoy intimate salon-type performances by Symphony musicians and guest artists followed by dinner in beautiful homes and special venues. In the past, Alexander Toradze, Jean Phillipe Collard, and Davis Gaines, among others, have entertained us.

Our first Supper Club of the year will take place on Sunday, November 22nd. Pops Conductor Richard Kaufman

and his talented daughter, Whitney Kaufman, are the guest artists. Richard is in his 19th year as our Pops Con-ductor. Whitney is a vivacious Broadway talent.

On Saturday, February 13th, Orli Shaham will be our guest. She is the well known pianist and sister of the violin-ist Gil Shaham. Orli is known to many Symphony supporters from her appearances at Café Ludwig.

Membership in Supper Club costs $600 per couple and $375 for an individual membership. The cost is tax deducti-ble to the extent allowed by law. Events are priced separately and include dinner. Call Jennifer Greenwalt at

714.876.2338, if you would like to become a member or if you have more questions. �

Important Dates Nov. 12 14 Classics Concerts,

“Enigma Variations”

Nov. 16 Symphony League Luncheon

featuring Maxim Eshkenazy

Nov. 22 Supper Club, Richard Kauf

man and Whitney Kaufman

Important Dates Dec. 10 12 Classics Concerts,

“Beethoven’s Fifth”

Dec. 10 League Members Orientation

Dec. 12 Family Musical Mornings,

“Nutcracker for Kids”

Dec. 13 Handel’s “Messiah”

Dec. 16 League Board Meeting

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MEMBERSHIP REPORT

Many thanks to those of you who have joined the

Pacific Symphony League! We now have 38 Active

members, 2 Class Act members, 14 Patron

members, and 43 Supper Club memberships. We

are thrilled to have so many new members join. A

warm welcome to you all!

There is still time to get your friends involved before

the November 16th meeting when we will hear

Maxim Eshkenazy play his 1795 violin. You do not

want to miss this meeting!

Please contact Elizabeth Stahr at Stahrs@aol.com

for membership information.

An Orientation Coffee for new and returning

League members will be held on the morning of

December 10th in the conference room at the

Pacific Symphony office building. Come meet the

League board members, Pacific Symphony officers

and staff, and hear more about League activities

and volunteer opportunities! Look for your

invitation in the mail.

Please note the “Additional Members” sheet and

add it to your roster.�

November 16 PSL

Luncheon featuring

Maxim Eshkenazy, Assistant conductor of the Pacific

Symphony and Conductor of the Pacific

Symphony Youth Orchestra

November 16, 2009,

The Center Club, 11:30 a.m.

A Bulgarian native, Eshkenazy received his early musical training at the Sofia Conser-vatory before moving to the United States to pursue a double Masters of Music degree in Conducting and Violin Performance at the University of Southern California.

His work with the Pacific Symphony is primarily with young musicians, as the conductor of the Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra. He has made two promises to the Pacific Symphony League: to bring his violin and a young musician from the Youth Orchestra for us to meet. �

.

Family Musical Mornings Visions of sugarplums will dance in your head in this condensed version of the Tchaikovsky "Nutcracker for Kids" Family Musical Morning concert on Saturday, December 12, 2009. This is always a popular event, so we will need at least six volunteers to help staff the Musical Playground stations before and after the two concerts. Sign up sheets will be available at the November 16th PSL luncheon, or you can call Suzanne at 949-675-3715 or email schonette@yahoo.com to volunteer at the concert, Sat. Dec. 12, 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. If you prefer not to spend the entire morning, you can partner with a friend for the early concert, 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m., or later, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. You will definitely be in the holiday mood after hearing the wonderful music and seeing the enthusiastic young-

sters enjoying this delightful Christmas ballet. �

Suzanne Chonette, V.P. Education

Reservations for all luncheon meetings can be made by calling Jennifer Greenwalt at 714-876-2338.

More Important Dates

Dec. 22 “Holiday Organ Spectacular”

Jan. 7 9 Classics Concerts, “A Tchaikovsky

Portrait”

Jan. 10 Classical Connections, Tchaikovsky’s

“Pathetique”

Jan. 13 League Board Meeting

Feb. 1 Symphony League Luncheon, “A

Toast to Carl”

Page 4 Music Matters

The Pacific Symphony Shop We are very excited about the new merchandise exhibited for the first time at the Pops concerts No-vember 5-7! New shawls in beautiful patterns and colors, sparkling bracelets, and a fabulous line of handmade jewelry from a nationally known artist have arrived. We also have the world's best volunteers! Our lead volunteers are Jacki Williams on Thursday, Sharon Stewart on Friday, Susan Baker on Saturday and Peggy George is in charge of the Family Musi-cal Morning concerts. Kathy Mills, Leonard Brinley, Jaye and Boker Yaruss, Steve Gold, Betty Everett, and Delpha Cadogan are also volunteers who have done a great job. We frequently need more volunteers, especially on Thursday nights, Saturday nights and for the Sat-urday morning programs. I will be passing a sign up sheet at the next general meeting. The Shop is doing well and our profits are cred-ited to the League's fund raising goal for the year. Stop by and tell us how you like the new items, we are in the lobby for every Classics, Pops and Family Musical Morning concert. Sharon Stewart�

February PSL Luncheon with

Carl St.Clair

Beside his symphonic work, Carl St.Clair devotes himself as well to a great passion, the opera. He conducted “Rigoletto,” “La Bohème,” “Tosca,” and “Tannhäuser” at the Austin Lyric Opera and “The Magic Flute” for Opera Pacific. In Germany he worked regularly as guest conductor for the opera houses of Bonn and Hanover, before he became General Music Director of the German National Theater and Staatskapelle in Weimar from 2005-2008, where he initiated and con-ducted the production of Wagner's “Ring Cycle” which re-ceived unanimous acclaim. Winners of the Celebration Raffle will attend Verdi’s “La Traviata” and Beethoven’s “Fidelio” under Carl St.Clair’s baton in Berlin. At the February luncheon he will tell us more of his other

musical life. �

General Music Director, Komische Oper

Berlin and Music Director of Pacific

Symphony

Carl St.Clair is well-known in Orange County as the music director of the Pacific Symphony for the past twenty years, but he also has another very active musical life in Europe.

Notes from the Orchestra A column where Symphony musicians share their thoughts with us.

I am motivated by the concentration required for a particularly difficult passage and the satisfaction of play-ing well. I enjoy being part of the violin “team” and matching the sound and rhythm of my colleagues. I love the physical sensation of playing the violin – the movement of my arm with the bow, the vibration of the wood against my collarbone, the volume of the sound under my ear. I even chuckle, occasionally, at the running commentary inside my head, which ranges from a “pep talk” for upcoming technical challenges, to tomorrow’s grocery list, to all manner of things in between! But surely one of my favorite moments is when the orchestra stands for recognition at the end of the concert and I can look out and see the joy and enthusiasm and satisfaction on your faces as you applaud. It feels good to know that we have all, collectively, been transported to a unique and beautiful place for at least a little while during our very busy week! �

by Jeanne Skrocki, Assistant Concertmaster, Pacific Symphony I have been reflecting on the first two concerts of this season. I left the stage after both of these programs completely invigorated and with more energy than when I first arrived at the Hall! I know, from the applause, that you were as thrilled as we were on stage. It has me thinking about how my enjoyment of a concert is similar to yours. I share your enjoyment of the beauty and emotion that each piece evokes. I enjoy the surprises and challenges of the music that engage my mind.