chee-yun and warren

I’ve had a music-filled few weeks! After a wonderful musical experience at the SLSQ’s Summer Chamber Music Seminar, I had a few days in the company of Paul Groves, whose operatic return to San Francisco as Ferrando in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte was awesome, as usual. On July 4th, Geoff, Livia, Elliot and I went up to Tiburon for a Korean feast at his place, and the carnivores among us ate so much kalbi that we felt sick! (sorry, Elliot! :)

Over the weekend, Warren and I drove up to Sonoma to hang out with the Chee-Yun and the St. Lawrence String Quartet at the Green Music Festival at Sonoma State University. In addition to Chee-Yun and the SLSQ, Friday’s concert featured Lindsay Deutsch, Aloysia Friedmann,
Nokuthula Ngwenyama, Alisa Weilerstein, Stephen Tramontozzi, and Jeffrey Kahane. I hadn’t seen Tula for over 15 years (she didn’t remember me). I had also heard a lot about Alisa from various people, and even though we didn’t get to chat for very long, it was nice to meet her. She’s like a little fireball on stage — raw emotion channelled through her cello.

At the show, they performed Ozzie’s tango-inspired Last Round — my first time hearing it live — and it was really, really awesome. I highly recommend checking out the CD if you think you might enjoy classical music with Argentinian and Jewish influences.

On Saturday, Warren, Chee-Yun and I had lunch at Hana Japanese Restaurant in Santa Rosa. After the festival each year, the musicians come back raving about the food at Hana, and I have to say that it met all of my expectations — AND, the chefs there were totally nice. I can’t wait until next year’s festival, in part, so I can go back there to eat again. :)

Sabrina, Sheila and I read through piano trios

Livia cooks up a mac 'n cheese + meatloaf feast

Paul Groves, singing

Paul Groves and Ilya Levtov jam

A captive audience for Paul and Ilya, probably singing Journey

Livia Sohn with Miss Piggy (won by Paul Groves at a local fair)

The Tiburon Ferry, from Paul's rented place

Geoff Nuttall loves to use his hands to cook -- especially when it involves grills and ovens.

Kalbi! Yummy.

Geoff cooks kalbi

Paul Groves and Geoff Nuttall, chimping

Elliot Sather

Geoff has had it with my constant photography

Backstage, after a concert at the Green Music Festival in Sonoma

Chris Costanza, backstage

Me, Barry Shiffman, Chris Costanza, and Warren Wu

Ivy Zenobi and me

Nokuthula Ngwenyama and Barry Shiffman

Group photo after the show: Aloysia Friedmann, Lindsay Deutsch, Alisa Weilerstein, Stephen Tramontozzi, Barry Shiffman, Chris Costanza, Chee-Yun, Nokuthula Ngwenyama, and Geoff Nuttall

Group photo after the show: Aloysia Friedmann, Lindsay Deutsch, Alisa Weilerstein, Stephen Tramontozzi, Barry Shiffman, Chris Costanza, Chee-Yun, Nokuthula Ngwenyama, and Geoff Nuttall

Jeffrey Kahane and his neck-tied dog

Chee-Yun loves dessert

Jeffrey Kahane and Chee-yun

Lucky Warren, with Alisa Weilerstein and Chee-Yun

Geoff and Warren hang out at Starbucks

Chee-Yun with uni sashimi

Chee-Yun with uni sashimi

A great sushi chef at Hana Japanese Restaurant in Sonoma

Chee-Yun, Warren, and amaebi

Chee-Yun and me at Hana