Special Festival Edition FALL 2011 Williamsburg Festival Called a “Smash Hit” Above: Dean Shostak Demonstrating the Armonica at the Visitor Center; Left: Vera Meyer Playing Steven Lash’s Armonica — By Carlton Davenport — As a result of this relationship, sharing, and great friendship were never Colonial Williamsburg donated the greater than they were at this Festival. The Ninth International Glass Music space for our Festival and we were All performers played wonder- Festival was held in Williamsburg, able to hold events in the Visitor’s fully. They were Dean Shostak, Carolinn Virginia, USA, from the 24th to the Center, Hennage Auditorium and Skyler, Brien Engel, Vera Meyer, Lynn 27th of March 2011. It was held in the Education Studio in the DeWitt Drye, Doug Lee—performing at a festi- Colonial Williamsburg, one of the Wallace Museum, the famous Bruton val for the first time, Réal Berthiaume most historically significant locations Parish Church, the historic Kings from Quebec City, Canada—also per- in the U.S. Festival attendees had Arms Tavern and the Williamsburg forming for the first time at a festi- the opportunity to visit and sightsee Lodge. val, and Alexander Lemeshev, from St. in the historic areas of Williamsburg, Members who attended the Petersburg, Russia - attending and per- Jamestown and Yorktown. GMI’s Festival said they considered this forming at his first festival. Dean Shostak has been giving con- Festival to be a “smash hit”. All Important decisions which came certs in Colonial Williamsburg for members there were very enthu- out of our business meeting were: many years and has established a very siastic about our organization, its close relationship with people in the future and its long-term sustain- 1. Our website will become completely Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. ability. The sense of community, see FESTIVAL, page 6 website: http://www.glassmusicintl.org • egroup: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/glassmusic/ 2 — FALL 2011 Special Festival Edition GLASS MUSIC WORLD # $ # $ $ $ $ $ $ $ &$ ! #! $ # $ % $ &$ $ $ $ $ '$ # $ $ Presidential Notes"! $ % Those of us who attended the Williamsburg Festival [email protected] with a *.doc Word document attach- are still on a high left over from the wonderful experience ment containing the following information: name (or and the great sense of community and optimism about names in the case of dual membership), address, phone the future of our organization that existed there. With a number, FAX number, email address, website address (if look to the future we made important decisions to make they have one), and glass instruments played (if they play our website completely open, have future GMW news- one or more). letters available only on the website, and to establish During the Festival, we were very saddened to hear a PayPal account to facili- of the death of Liz Brunelli tate dues collection. Since who gave so much to our the receipt of a hard copy organization. Liz called me newsletter and access to the in January to tell me how website are no longer incen- pleased she was that we were tives for a person to pay their having a glass music festival dues and remain a member, in Colonial Williamsburg we need to consider what the and to say that she could incentive is for doing that not attend due to her health. now. I believe that the arti- My tribute to her and her cle on “Why GMI” by June obituary appear on page 5 of Davenport which appears this newsletter. on page 4 of this newslet- Liselotte Behrendt’s won- ter addresses this very well. derful talk on all the previ- Please keep in mind that if ous festivals, which she gave we do not pay our dues each at the Festival, is included as year, we will no longer have an insert with this newslet- the funds to continue to exist ter so that all members can as an organization and spon- enjoy reading it. sor wonderful festivals like Carlton and June Davenport at the Festival Dinner It was clear that those mem- we have in the past. bers who attended this festi- We made some significant changes to our execu- val are anxious to get together for another festival in the tive board at this last festival. Our new officers are Vera not-too-distant future. I have also heard from others who Meyer as Treasurer (she served in this capacity in the say they are looking forward to attending, and in some past), Doug Smith as Secretary (see his minutes of the cases playing, at our next festival. Anyone with ideas business meeting on page 15), and Carolinn Skyler as about where the next festival could be held should let me Membership Chair. Thank you to these members for step- know. ping forward to serve our organization. Ruth Borsuk had Here’s to the future of GMI !!! offered to co-chair membership with Carolinn, but has — Carlton Davenport had to resign from the position due to family obligations. I want to thank Alisa Nakashian-Holsberg, Dean Shostak and Peter Bennett for their efforts as board members in Glass Music International, Inc. the past. I am continuing as President, Liz Mears as Vice- President – Carlton Davenport President and Thomas Bloch as Member-at-Large. Also, Vice President – Elizabeth Mears Jonathan Stuart-Moore is continuing as our Webmaster. Secretary – Doug Smith I decided to distribute this issue of GMW as our Treasurer – Vera Meyer last hard copy issue so that all members will know about Member-at-Large – Thomas Bloch the important change to the way our organization will Membership – Carolinn Skyler operate. Glass Music World An article on our PayPal dues payment process Published quarterly by appears on page 4. Since we are instituting this new pro- Glass Music International, Inc. cess for membership dues payment, it is important that we all ensure that Carolinn, as our Membership Chair, Editor — Carlton Davenport Associate Editor — June Davenport always has up-to-date information on all members for Layout — Jonathan Stuart-Moore her records. Each member should send her an email at GLASS MUSIC WORLD Special Festival Edition FALL 2011 — 3 GMI Happenings the French Quarter and chucked the life of an employee – By Liz Mears – to become a street musician in America’s famous city of New Orleans. He performs three hours a day, seven days As we are well into fall with winter fast approach- a week. “It’s a great profession and my audience is an ever ing, we hope that glass music is a key ingredient in your changing sea of faces who usually marvel that I can make lives… such sweet music with a couple dozen glasses filled with Cecilia Bauer has had a full schedule with various amounts of water.” rehearsals with the MET Orchestra for a concert at From Prescott Valley, Arizona, Lynn Drye states Carnegie Hall in October. She returned in June from that the Williamsburg Festival inspired her, so she has a very successful three-week tour of Japan with the been working hard on a lot of new arrangements for her Metropolitan Opera where they performed La Boheme, glass instruments. Toby and she have begun their own Don Carlo and Lucia de Lammermoor. She made history audio recording at their home. Jim Doble is building a in Japan by playing the Armonica for the first time in the 2 ½ octave glass xylophone for her in which the extended “mad scene” of Lucia. At the Metropolitan Opera this range will go down to A and the upper end will be E or F. season she will be involved in Tosca, Khovanchia, and The “The extra ½ octave will open up a whole new world of Makropolis Case. possibilities”, she writes. Speaking of Japan, we hear from Mikio Kozuka Professor Dennis James has accepted an appoint- that Armonica player Kidekatsu Onishi performed Mozart ment as Lecturer in the Music Department, Mason Gross K617 at Yokohama Minatomirai concert hall where the School of the Arts, Rutgers, The State University of New players received an ovation from the concert goers who Jersey. He is introducing a newly developing glass music filled the 440 seat hall. The performer plans to write program initially offering graduate studies instruction in some new music for his instrument to which he added five glass armonica performance. Dennis also maintains an cups. active performance schedule. Touring under represen- Carlton Davenport submitted an article from tation by the Crystal City Music organization based in Country Roads Magazine written about New Orleans Corning, NY, Dennis performs with Benjamin Franklin’s member, Peter Bennett. Perhaps there is some infor- famed glass Armonica which is considered to be the first mation about Peter of which you were unaware. In the truly American Music instrument, as well as with other article Peter states that there are about forty serious glass glass instruments in his ever expanding collection. He harpists in the world at present and only ten live in the has been to New York’s Lincoln Center twice this year, USA. He is one of only three here who earns a living also performing at the Caramoor Festival earlier this playing a glass harp. His father taught him how to play summer, and will be performing with the Atlanta Opera the glasses when he was a young child. Then, by the time in November. He has frequently participated in national he was in high school he had mastered playing the clari- broadcasts by NBC, ABC, CBS television plus NPR and net, trombone, cello and guitar. Peter’s life took a rather APR radio, as well as, many broadcasts abroad. n normal course until he was fifty-six when he discovered Important: 2012 Membership Dues Payment! — By Carlton Davenport — easily).