By Eileen Wingard SAN DIEGO — As Hershey Felder entered the café across from the Birch North Park Theatre, I thought the slim man in sneakers was just another college student. But he immediately recognized me, thanks to the description I gave his publicist, and, finding a spot farthest from the loudspeaker’s rock music, we [...]
By Eileen Wingard SAN DIEGO — Armando Pesqueira, the young Mexican conductor, who was on the podium for the Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra (TICO) concert Tuesday evening, November 20, proved to be an expressive maestro who brought the orchestra to new heights. In the challenging Brahms Symphony #1, the upper strings played with good intonation [...]
By Eileen Wingard LA JOLLA, California — Two outstanding vocal talents, Becca Myers, 16, and Celia Tedde, 15, joined forces for the first Musicians in the Making program under the auspices of the J Company. It took place in a packed Rehearsal Room of the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, Jacobs Family Campus Sunday, November [...]
By Eileen Wingard SAN DIEGO — The Ha’aretz headline of November 5, which my daughter Tamara Schiff forwarded to me, stated: “Yoav Talmi named new director of Israel Chamber Orchestra.” I was excited to read the news. Tamara and I had just returned from a nine-day trip to Israel where we saw the [...]
By Eileen Wingard JERUSALEM — The State of Israel pulled out all the stops to welcome the Hadassah Convention in Jerusalem October 15-18, celebrating the women’s Zionist organization’s centennial and the dedication of Hadassah Hospital’s new Sarah Wetsman Davidson Tower. There were banners and signs displayed everywhere, and on Ben Yehuda Street, the stores all [...]
By Eileen Wingard LA JOLLA, California — A committee is now soliciting entries from Jewish poets for the fifth season of “Jewish Poets-Jewish Voices” to be presented in the Lawrence Family JCC’s Astor Judaica Library. I have the privilege of serving on that committtee along with moderator Joy Heitzman, Michael Horvitz, Bonnie Baron and staff [...]
By Eileen Wingard PORTLAND, Oregon–Swiss-born composer, Ernest Bloch, is considered to be the greatest 20th century figure to incorporate Jewish motifs into his music. One may safely say that every recognized violinist, today, knows his Baal Shem Suite; every violist has studied the Suite Hebraique; and every cello soloist includes Bloch’s inspiring Shelomo in his [...]
By Eileen Wingard SAN DIEGO — Guitar virtuoso, recording artist, and arranger, Gregg Nestor, has moved back to San Diego after living a number of years in London and Los Angeles. He has recently released five CDs. One of them, Dancing On Air, is a delightful collection of works based on folksongs. The recording opens [...]
By Eileen Wingard SAN DIEGO –At the Tifereth Israel Community Orchesta’s Pops Concert last Sunday afternoon, KUSI-TV’s charming weekend weather anchor, Dave Scott, was the featured soloist. The dapper, mellow-voiced Scott demonstrated his versatility as vocalist and trombone soloist in a selection of his own compositions and a medley of Frank Sinatra favorites. Both [...]
By Eileen Wingard LOS ANGELES — I remember Mona Golabek’s mother, Lisa, as a beautiful, elegant woman with a charming Austrian accent. She was known to be a fine pianist and the teacher of her two talented daughters, Mona and Renee. Only after reading Mona’s book, The Children of Willesden Lane, did I learn of [...]