Nick Waroff performed a terrific junior recital yesterday afternoon. He played the Creston Sonata with Jodi French, Ryo Noda's Improvisation I, and Descenclos' Prelude, Cadence and Finale with Aaron Blenkush. Sharing the recital was another fine junior recital by Leoni Lanzas. Congratulations to Nick, Leoni and pianist--Jodi, Aaron, Joseph and Laurie.
The last student I had perform the Descenclos was Brent Weber. Now in Chengdu teaching saxophone at the Sichuan Conservatory of Classical Music (SCCM), I had the opportunity to talk to Brent last night. I teach at the Sichuan Conservatory each May. I'm scheduled to visit Chengdu next week--May 27--but with the severe earthquake it is unclear if I can visit Chengdu. The Chinese American Piano Institute (CAPI), hosted by SCCM, was canceled by the director and SOU faculty Alexander Tutunov. The Sichuan Conservatory is damaged, classes haven't resumed yet and many students are heading home. Brent reports that the aftershocks continue still and are making everyone uncomfortable. Many people are living outside afraid to be in a building during an aftershock.
Brent relays that he is safe and his area of the city is doing okay. Life is not back to normal yet and no one knows when SCCM will be safe to return. Their finals are in June. He and friends tried to volunteer to assist in the severely damaged areas of Wenchuan and Beichuan but they are only accepting military and medically trained people currently.
I have many friends in Chengdu and Sichuan Province. I know they are safe but I'm personally very anxious to see them again. I know SOU student from Sichuan, Tang Di, must be experiencing terrible anxiety. He cannot return home. Tang has been staying updated by watching CCTV and talking on the phone with his parents and friends. He was speaking with his parents when the initial earthquake hit. Tang was speaking to a friend closer to the epicenter when a terrifying aftershock occured. He reported hearing glass breaking and people screaming in the background. Everyone's thoughts and sympathies are with you Tang. Come out to see Tang and other SOU students perform in the Saxophone Orchestra Concert Wednesday night at 8PM.
No comments:
Post a Comment