Entries from February 2009 ↓

We are happy to announce our next big event: the Portland Viola Day at Lewis & Clark’s Evans Music Center on Saturday April 11th from 12 to 5pm.

We’re planning a masterclass, luthier presentations, demos, play-in and a benefit recital for the family of Kjersten Oquist.

Please contact Miriam if you’d like to donate a raffle item, play in the master class or participate in any way.

We aim to interest a wide variety of skill levels and ages, and hope to see you there.

Thanks so much to all those who made the Viola Day a success:

Professor Dan Rouslin and Willamette University

Dr. Leslie Straka and her studio at University of Oregon

Luthiers Paul Schuback, Jon Franke and David Ravinus.

Weathers Music on SE Commercial in Salem

Our wonderful performers whose level of preparation and joy in playing made the class so worthwhile and enjoyable to the audience… and of course, Mara Gearman, our talented and helpful clinician.

Samuel Zacharia, a student of Cynthia Scott, performs Seitz

Luthier Paul Schuback spoke, brought instruments to demo and adjusted instruments.

Clinician Mara Gearman plays one of Paul's violas. In the foreground are two of David Ravinus' violas and several of Jon Frankes' as well.

There will be signs on campus to help, and feel free to call 503-341-1071 up to 1pm for directions!

1-4pm at Willamette University this Sunday.

THREE luthiers, SIX masterclass performers, TONS of fun and information.

Directions from I-5 to Willamette’s Music Dept.

• Take the first ramp off I-5 at Exit 253 (Mission St., Route 22–Willamette U) which is the 4th Salem exit southbound. This is about 47 miles southwest of Portland.

• Follow Mission street west through 5 traffic lights. The 5th one should be 17th St. after which the road curves left and rises over a street and the train tracks on a bridge. Be in the RIGHT LANE going over this bridge and take the ramp to the right just after the crest of the bridge (follow Willamette U. signs). As you descend the ramp be in the LEFT lane.

• At the bottom of the ramp is a traffic light (12th St.). Proceed through intersection, staying in the RIGHT lane. As soon as you are through the intersection, take your first right, then left into Willamette’s main parking lot. Park as close as you can to the eagle fountain at the far end of the lot.

• Once parked, walk toward the fountain, turning right into the campus and walk past the free-standing clock tower in front of the Hatfield Library. Just past the library is a bridge over the mill stream. As soon as you are over this bridge you will see the Mary Stuart Rogers Music Center on your right. Once inside, Hudson Hall is straight ahead and then on your right (four doors), Rogers Rehearsal Hall is all the way down the hall on the right.

The Salem Viola Day at Willamette University (click there for directions) on Sunday, February 22nd from 1-4pm is shaping up to be a fun and inspiring event. If you have questions or would like more information, contact Miriam.

There will be a masterclass at 1pm with performances from Brahms to Seitz and more, a talk about instrument set-up from Oregon luthier Paul Schuback, some demonstrations of instruments from more luthiers and alternative gear, plus of course a chamber jam-play-in! Rumor has it there will even be door prizes.

We are happy to announce the clinician for our masterclass will be violist Mara Gearman. 

Mara Gearman

While still early in her career, violist Mara Gearman is already an accomplished player with extensive experience in both orchestral and chamber music settings. She regularly performs with the chamber groups American String Project and Seattle Chamber Players, and has collaborated with such prestigious performers as Ani Kavafian, Peter Wiley, Vladimir Feltsman, and Dale Clevenger, the legendary principal horn of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She is also a founding member of the Barston String Quartet as well as Trio Tara with pianist Oksana Ezhokina and Laurie DeLuca, clarinet.

Gearman has held or been awarded a number of orchestral appointments, including principal viola (at age twenty) under maestro Rossen Milanov, and principal viola at the Kansas City Symphony and at the Oregon Symphony under music director James DePriest. Currently she is the second desk violist for the Seattle Symphony Orchestra under maestro Gerard Schwarz.

As a solo performer Gearman has won awards at the Primrose and Tertis International Viola Competitions, performing viola solos ranging from American composers Alan Shulman and Derek Bermel to Hungarian composer Miklos Rozca.

A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, her primary teachers included Roberto Diaz, Pinchas Zukerman, and Karen Tuttle, as well as additional study in Canada, Germany, Holland, and Switzerland with Nobuko Imai, Barbara Westphal, and Gerard Causse.

Gearman has just been appointed to the faculty at Cornish College of the Arts, in Seattle.

Hello Folks!

We’re coming up on our excellent Salem Viola Day at Willamette University from 1-4pm.

There will be luthiers, demos, a masterclass and more!

Save the date and email Miriam if you’d like to play in the class. Plan to participate in the play-in, and bring all your violist friends!

Looking forward to seeing all our Southern viola comrades!

We'll even have snacks!