dénoument

With a luminous octave ‘C’, it was over. Not just the magnificent 50 minute long String Quintet of Franz Schubert, but my season with the Willamette Valley Chamber Music Festival. The music was of course vital to the experience, but not necessarily central to it. Because chamber music is, above all, about the musicians. How they interact both onstage, in the rehearsal period, and in those many informal moments shared over a simple meal, a glass of wine, and warm evenings on a porch.

I can’t think of a festival where I have felt quite as welcomed and ‘at home’ as I have here. It’s a family affair – husband and wife team Leo Eguchi and Sasha Callahan, Sasha’s mother Susan, and father John; and her sister Eve, and her husband Scott. They have all made this festival so very special, along with their friends, especially winemakers Jay Somers and Ronda Newell-Somers of J. Christopher Wines, who made their extraordinary barrel room available for two entire weekends.

What I love the most about chamber music is that making it well gets you inside of someone’s head – that you’ve never met before, or maybe knew but not very well – in a way that for non-musicians can take years to happen. There’s an intimacy there, and it’s no accident that one of my teachers, the late, great Michael Tree, said that a string quartet is a marriage with four partners. So, I feel extraordinarily lucky that I got to mind-meld with Leo, Sasha, Megumi, Greg, Kenji, Amelia, and Marilyn over these past three weeks. It made my already full and good life an even better place.

Thank you, all, my friends!

Note: click on a photo to see a larger slide show!

Sasha Callahan and Leo Eguchi.

Viola and wine, not too shabby!

Lovely landscape outside of the J. Christopher tasting room.

The barrel room at J. Christopher Wines.

Megumi Stohs Lewis and Sasha Callahan rehearsing Prokofiev’s Sonata for Two Violins. Photo: Stephanie Noble

Performing Kenji Bunch’s “String Circle”.

Amelia Lukas performing Joan Tower’s “White Water”.

Charles, Greg and Kenji before a concert at J. Christopher Wines.

String Circle plus Eve.

Saying farewell to J. Christopher for this year.

One of our week three venues.

Sasha and Marilyn at Sokol Blosser.

Warming up for Schubert’s great Cello Quinetet at Sokol Blosser.

Sasha and Leo playing Philip Glass at Sokol Blosser.

Wine and chamber music share center stage!

Amelia, Marilyn and Leo at the wrap party.

Meeka and Jesse at the wrap party.

Bromance is in the air! Greg, Charles, Josh, and Leo at the wrap aprty.

Susan and Amelia share a secret at the wrap party.

Toasting Susan for her awesome hosting these past three weeks!

Eve and Sasha, sisters extraordinaire!

Music and wine pairings.

It’s a family affair at this festival!

Our other fantastic week three venue, Elk Cove Vineyards.

Wrap party location.