A trip for the ears, eyes, tastebuds and soul

By Sandy Golden

SAN FRANCISCO– A visit here turned out to be even more special than we had anticipated.  We knew before we went that it was going to be special because we were flying there to be happily reunited with our very dear friend and former resident of San Diego, world-class concert violinist Zina Schiff, whom we had not seen since she moved to the Boston area a few years ago.

What we didn’t know was that, during our three-day stay, in addition to our ears being treated to the magic of Zina’s violin, our taste buds would be treated to culinary delights in one of San Francisco’s best  -if not the best- vegetarian restaurant, “The Millennium”, owned by Ann and Larry Wheat, also friends of Zina’s, from the Bay area,  and that our eyes would have the opportunity to  feast on art work by six different French painters on every one of the six floors in The Cornell Hotel, the quaint European-style hotel where we stayed.

In addition, we were able to see for the first time, the historic Temple Emanu-El, the Reform congregation founded in 1850 soon after the gold rush in California, the venue where this most unique and memorable concert would be held.

The evening of the concert, as we entered the Temple’s nearly-filled 375-seat Martin Meyer Sanctuary, we observed people of all ages, and later learned that although many lived in the Bay area, a number of others, like ourselves, had flown or driven distances to hear Zina again, or for the first time. Also in attendance was a local class of adult student-musicians with their instructor. At his request, Zina was going to visit the class the next day to give a mini-concert and to answer students’ questions.

This was the ninth season of the “Music at  Meyer” annual concert series, which in its brochure, states that  its aim is to  “showcase  the most talented, visionary musicians across genres,  in an acoustically superb setting”.

A protégé of the great Jascha Heifetz, Zina had dedicated this concert to one of her former teachers, Israel Baker, who had been introduced to her by Mr. Heifetz, when she was a teen..  Baker had a long-time connection with Hollywood, having served as Concertmaster for Paramount Pictures, Columbia and Capital records. She said she had been blessed since childhood to have had him as a teacher and a friend.

When Zina and her Vancouver pianist accompanist,  Zsuzsanna Lukascs, concluded the program of “American music with a Jewish twist,”  they received standing ovations, attesting to the caliber of musicianship they represent.  In return, after having played the music of four different yet similar composers, Zeisl, Copland, Gershwin and Bloch, all of whom had worked part of their careers in Hollywood, the audience was treated to two encores, Dauber’s Serenata and Schindler’s List.

It was an incredible evening, a feast for the eyes and ears, served up delicately with heart and soul— and those of us fortunate enough to hear Zina play again, felt as if we too had been blessed.

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Golden is a freelance writer based in San Diego.