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Summary
The sixth Red-Hot Lava Chamber Music Festival, May 17 - 31, 2008, was a great success. Events included two formal evening concerts and five educational events. three master classes, a chamber music soiree for students, and a school string workshop. Performers included visiting chamber music artists and university professors from Michigan and Wisconsin as well as two Honolulu Symphony musicians. Major Sponsors were ABC Stores, Commercial Data Systems, Halekulani Corporation and Elizabeth Hoddick.
Players Arrive, Greeted by Host Betty Hoddick
Daniel Foster arrived on Friday, May 16, Howard and Frances Karp on May 17, and Parry Karp on May 18. Dan, Howard, Frances and Betty Hoddick attended the Honolulu Symphony concert Sunday at 4 pm, which featured Concertmaster Iggy Jang in Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 3. Iggy participated in two former Red-Hot Lava Festivals. The next morning rehearsals for the Beethoven and Dvorak trios began in Betty Hoddick's home.
On Tuesday afternoon, Christopher Karp arrived and got settled at Betty's where we had a reading of the Kahn trio.
Cello Master Class
The first event was a cello master class given by Parry Karp, Artist-in Residence and Professor of Chamber Music and Cello, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has also been cellist of the Pro Arte String Quartet since 1976. Punahou Music School presented the class at Montague Recital Hall and it was held from 6 - 8 pm on May 20. Hawaii American String Teachers Association sponsored the class giving five students the opportunity to participate without paying a fee and making it a free public event. Students included Riana Anthony, William Suh, Hunter Hunt, Amy Ishioka, and Matt Aoyama. Their teachers are Lifen Anthony, Drew Eckard, Karen Bechtel, and Louise Ching respectively. Piano accompanists were Hee-ya Park, Grant Mack and Eric Wu. Works by Haydn, Barber, Bloch and Brahms were played. Parry is able to make the students feel at ease when they play, offering words of encouragement but also focusing on areas where they need help. During the master class, those in the audience could hear improvement in the students' playing as they followed Parry's musical and technique suggestions or imitated his demonstrations. Calling attention to the engraving on the wall of the recital hall, Parry asked if anyone knew who the players in the quartet were. In fact, the violinist shown is Joachim, the violinist Brahms composed his concerto for, and the cellist Robert Hausmann, for whom Brahms wrote the double concerto for violin and cello.
String Workshop
Dan and Parry demonstrate harmonics and other string techniques to about sixty Moanalua Middle School music students. Orchestra Director Hannah Watanabe helped plan the workshop, giving the kids an opportunity to see and hear their instruments played by professionals and up close. After performances, demonstrations and explanations given by Dan and Parry, the students asked many excellent questions, showing their high level of interest and desire to learn.
Wednesday morning, Norm, Dan and Parry drove out to Moanalua Middle School in the rain for a string workshop from 9:30 - 10:50am. Orchestra director Hannah Watanabe arranged for about 60 of her orchestra students from 7th & 8th grade classes to attend the workshop. The kids were very interested, listening and watching carefully, asking good questions and showing their appreciation with applause and leis for the guests. They had also designed a large, colorful and creatively decorated banner which read "Welcome, Mr. Foster and Mr. Karp!" This was posted on the wall, ready to greet Dan and Parry when they arrived. First, Dan performed the first four movements of Partita No. 2 in D minor by J.S. Bach and Parry performed Benjamin Britten's Solo Cello Suite No. 2. Then they talked about their instruments, string playing and performing classical music, and answered questions such as "What exactly is chamber music?" Norm thanked the Major Sponsors of the Festival, as well as Hannah Watanabe and the school for sponsoring the workshop.
Festival Receives Spotlight on Hawaii Public Radio
Norm and Parry were interviewed by Gene Schiller on HPR Thursday morning. They talked mostly about the upcoming concert at the Atherton Performing Arts Studio, but also mentioned the Doris Duke concert. Norm thanked the Major Sponsors of the Festival on air.
Waikiki Parc Hotel Extends Aloha
Also on Thursday, Christopher moved into the Waikiki Parc Hotel, a three night complimentary stay provided by the Halekulani Corporation, giving them Major Sponsor status. He was happy with the room and service, and delighted that Peter Shaindlin had provided a complimentary bottle of wine in the room with an accompanying card wishing Christopher a pleasant stay.
Music Fills the Air at Soiree for Family, Friends
In the evening, Diana Huang and Chuong Nguyen hosted the Soiree for Students in their beautiful home on the Waialae Golf Course. Their Bosendorfer grand piano contributed much to the wonderful and fun music-making all evening. Several students enjoyed reading various chamber works, playing side-by-side with the professionals. Beginning the evening, Rianna Anthony, 13-year-old cellist, read the Beethoven Trio, op. 11, with Norm Foster, clarinet, and Christopher Karp, piano. Other works read included Beethoven Piano Trio in Eb, op. 1, No. 1, the slow movement from a Haydn Trio, Schubert's Trout Quintet, and the Mendelssohn Octet. Some of Ellen Masaki's piano students also performed solo works, including Annie Kwok performing the first movement of Prokofieff's Sonata No. 6, Irwin playing Liszt, and T. J. performing as well. The students who particpated in the Soiree were Laura Jean Keller and Patrick Yim, violins, Bonnie Heung and Marissa Sakoda, violas, Riana Anthony and Bonnie's friend Ruth, cellos, Annie Kwok, Irwin, Evan and T. J. on piano. Professionals who played were Norm Foster, clarinet, Christopher Karp, Howard Karp and Frances Karp, piano, Dan Foster and Nikki Routman, violins, Parry Karp, Lifen Anthony and Nancy Masaki, cellos. Many parents, teachers and other adults attended, watching and listening to the music, and several children were also in the home, playing nearby and taking in the experience in a more indirect way.
Concert at Atherton
On Friday we had a dress rehearsal at Atherton and then Christopher hosted a group dinner for 10 people at Mekong Restaurant on Beretania Street.
Saturday we had a sound check at 6:30 with Duane Padilla who recorded the concert "Trios and Tribulations II." At 7:35 Norm gave announcements which included thanking the Major Sponsors and mention of the Festival being dedicated to the memory of Nancy Bannick who had devoted her life to philanthropy and had been a Major Sponsor of the Festival. The concert opened with the Clarinet Trio by Robert Kahn, which was followed by Beethoven's Trio op. 70, No. 2, and after intermission the Dvorak "Dumky" Trio was performed. A delighted audience gave many rounds of applause and Ruth Shiroma Foster made sure the performers received leis. Afterwards a large group went to Shokudo Restaurant for celebration.
Piano Master Class
The Howard Karp Piano Master Class was held on Sunday at 1 pm at Mozart House and was sponsored by Hawaii Music Teachers Association. Barbara Dyer is their current president. Frances Karp assisted Howard in the class. Mr. Karp is Professor Emeritus of Piano, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Frances Karp is a professional chamber music artist. Five talented students performed and received instruction from Professor Karp and Mrs. Karp. Works by Beethoven, Mozart and Liszt were performed by Marina Mitsuda, Joyce Wang, Tiffnay Cheung, Evan Liu and Maile Cha whose teachers are Ann Craig Lum, Peter Coraggio, Thomas Yee, Joanna Fan and Ellen Masaki respectively. Afterwards, Norie and Yoshi Nishimura prepared a lovely reception, giving people an opportunity to mingle and try out the pianos in the showroom.
Preparing for Doris Duke Concert
Members of the Red-Hot Lava Chamber Players take a break from rehearsing the Weber, relaxing on the back porch of Betty's Hoddick's home. (L - R Dan Foster, Norm Foster, Amanda Schubert, Frances Karp, Parry Karp)
Rehearsals for the Weber Clarinet Quintet began in earnest on Monday at Betty Hoddick's. Howard and Frances enjoyed their day off, spending time with long-time friends.
Violin Master Class
Roy Nakamejo, student of Iggy Jang, receives guidance from Dan Foster in a master class held at Punahou School.
Another student of Iggy Jang, Eugene, gains insight from Professor Foster.
The Daniel L. Foster Violin Master Class was the next event of the Festival. Mr. Foster has taught violin at violin at Eastern Michigan University since 1987. Punahou Music School presented the class at Montague Recital Hall and it was held from 6 - 8 pm on May 20. Hawaii American String Teachers Association sponsored the class giving five students the opportunity to participate without paying a fee and making it a free public event. Students included Kisa Uradomo, who flew over from Maui just for the class and is a student of Duane Padilla, Roy Nakamejo and Eugene, both students of Symphony concertmaster Iggy Jang, Sasha Himeno, also a Padilla student, and Julian Sun. Students performed works by Kreisler, Seitz, Mendelssohn and Vivaldi.
Work and Play before Final Concert
Wednesday and Thursday were both intense rehearsal days, with the Liszt and Widor rehearsed in the hall, and the Weber and Arutiunian rehearsed at Betty's. Thursday evening Betty Hoddick hosted a Margaritas party, which included a reading of the Robert Kahn Quintet for Violin, Clarinet, Viola, Cello and Piano, as well as impromptu song performances by Ruth Shiroma Foster and Norm Foster.
Festival Ends with Flair
Dan Foster, Norm Foster and Frances Karp perform the Hawaii premiere of the Suite for Violin, Clarinet and Piano by Arutiunian at Doris Duke Theatre. The piece was commissioned by the Verdehr Trio and Michigan State University where Norm Foster received his masters degree.
Saturday we had a sound check at 6:30 with Duane Padilla who recorded the concert "Heaven, Wind and Fire." At 7:35 Norm gave announcements which again included thanking the Major Sponsors and mention of the Festival being dedicated to the memory of Nancy Bannick. The concert opened with the Suite for Clarinet, Violin and Piano by Arutiunian, followed by the rarely heard cello sonata of Charles-Marie Widor. After intermission, the Weber Clarinet Quintet was performed and then the Liszt Grand Concert Piece for two pianos. Chamber music artist Katrin Talbot, and Honolulu Symphony violinist Amanda Schubert, joined the group for the Weber on this concert. Many in the audience stayed in the hall for a while immediately following the concert in order to express their enthusiasm for the performances and to talk with the artists and with friends. The final celebration was held at Little Village Chinese Restaurant where reservations were made for twenty people. The six members of the Red-Hot Lava Chamber Players were joined by fourteen audience members for great food and conversation. This marked the end of a very successful sixth Festival and the beginning of much anticipation for the seventh Festival in 2010.
Following the performance of the Weber Clarinet Quintet, the group takes a bow as the Doris Duke Theatre audience applauds. (L - R, Amanda Schubert, Katrin Talbot, Parry Karp, Norm Foster, Dan Foster)
Howard and Frances Karp take a bow after performing Liszt's Grand Duo for two pianos on themes of Mendelssohn. The Doris Duke Theatre's Mason and Hamlin piano as well as the Hamburg Steinway were used for this performance.
The Red-Hot Lava Chamber Players pose with guest artist Amanda Schubert for a group shot after the Doris Duke concert.
Isabel Karp and Augusta Schubert became fast friends during the second week of the Festival.
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