I can Hardly Catch my Breath!

Jun 7
3 min read

Updated: Jun 8

Seven concerts in eight months and not an empty chair to be seen! I celebrate!

I celebrate you, the faithful wide-eyed loyal audience, you are the reason behind the music, behind the performance, behind the idea. Never once I take you for granted.

I celebrate the fine, passionate, dedicated, diligent, fun and humble musicians giving us selflessly the best of them. I celebrate their happy returns.

I celebrate the thousands of notes played on gorgeous cellos and double bases, on unique instruments as a 1691 Stradivarius or the Czech made Špidlen Blue violin or our new concert piano, a selfless gift by a generous lady from the audience!

I celebrate the melodies of composers old and young, the folk songs, the gypsy and klezmer tunes, each sending us where the sun always shines and where the soul is dancing waltz, minuet or czardas.

I celebrate my grandma's recipes and the pounds of flour, butter, sugar, apples, raspberries, gallons of

whipped cream, all for the sweets-made-with-love to offer you a Czech flavor so you feel welcome and cherished!

I celebrate the sun-sweetened California, Argentinean, Spanish, French grapes turned wine and the bitter Czech hop turned the best beer ever made (!) to celebrate and cheer our musicians, music, and our musical friendship!

I celebrate those who answer the questions— what is this and what is that— those smiling accented ladies and gentlemen behind the counter, and at the box office, my loyal extraordinary team, my family and closest friends, who keep me in line, who are cheering me on and making me somewhat organized! ♥️

I celebrate the uniqueness of music tapping on our emotions, stretching our intellect, leaving us less alone in the world, giving us hints of the exceptional qualities of humanity, offering a jubilee in our soul bursting with beauty.

Paul Gauguin once said to his colleagues painters: we should stop copying nature and go [for inspiration] to music that is conveying inward qualities: moods, thoughts, intangible state. Music does not describe, it conveys.

And that is the uniqueness and power of music.

I humbly celebrate the Hall being packed concert after concert. I always remind myself of the very first concert that attracted all of two, yes two members of the audience. I did not know any better then! But the two ladies who came, Mrs. Peabody and Mrs. Laub, happened to be the most fun audience you can imagine! The Hall is empty, all of the strudel, cake and such untouched, the street is quiet…. I am anxiously waiting in between the doors, and about 15 minutes after the hour Mrs. Laub says— okay, pour us a glass of wine, pile up our plates and let us go on with the program!

And we did, and we had the greatest time, we even went on with the intermission and finished it all! Only later I found out what accomplished, unique, and respected women these ladies were, and I will always cherish our friendship that started right there at my first concert. They became regulars, and like the good fairies in fairy tales, they have been cheering me on, and always supporting my effort with glee. I will never forget that these two fabulous ladies took interest in a total naive stranger.

And so, why these concerts?

Because it is good “to feel”. "You must feel! It is beautiful to feel!" , is a line from the iconic poem Marriage by one of my favorite poets, Gregory Corso.

I want “to feel” and I want “to feel” with you around. I want to be touched by the collective joy presiding over each concert where strangers become familiar and friendship has a stepping stone.

I want to be ambushed by beauty not alone, but with you around.