Photo: It's "Tito Time" at the Phoenix Symphony

Last night was a special night in the Valley of the Sun.  The Phoenix Symphony opened its season and began a new era, as it was the first night of its new Virginia G. Piper Music Director -- Tito Munoz.

Maestro Munoz has been acclaimed as a rising star in the classical music world.  He is the 11th Music Director  in the 67 year history of the Phoenix Symphony.

Maestro Munoz is a native of New York City.  He interest in music was nurtured by his selection to participate in Julliard School's Music Advancement Program, and he then went on to attend the Fiorello LaGuardia School of Music & Art and the Performing Arts, and then the Aaron Copeland School of Music at Queens College.

This is a quick iPhone photo of one of the 4 curtain calls after a rousing performance of Carmina Burana.  The enthusiasm of the crowd and its appreciation for musical excellence is also reflected by the fact that they gave the Maestro and the orchestra a standing ovation not just at the end of the concert, but just before intermission, after the performance of Stravinsky's Firebird Suite.

My husband is the longest serving Board member of the Phoenix Symphony, and we are the sponsors of next Friday evening's concert.  I encourage everyone in the area to come out and enjoy, and support, the Symphony.

This week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site we are showing photos of the Perito Moreno Glacier in the Patagonia region of Argentina.

Photo: Emanuel Ax Concert in a Private Home

Yesterday evening we attended a performance by preeminent classical pianist Emanuel Ax in a private home about a mile from our house.  Mr. Ax performs and records often with YoYo Ma, has been artist-in-residence at the New York Philharmonic, teaches at Julliard School of Music, and performs regularly with the world's top orchestras. Here is a link to his biography.

It was a treat to attend a recital by Mr. Ax in the intimate setting of a private home.  It was a fundraiser for the Phoenix Symphony.  Mr. Ax stopped in Phoenix at the invitation of some long time friends of his while en route to California to perform next week with the L.A. Philharmonic.  He played a program featuring Brahms and Chopin.  My husband has served on the Phoenix Symphony Board of Directors for 20 years.

The sold-out event was attended by about 60 people and included dinner.  The level of musical knowledge and appreciation for classical pianists among the audience is reflected by the people who were sitting around us at dinner.  The people sitting to our immediate right, left and across from us at dinner own a total of 8 antique Steinways and two Bechstein grand pianos.  Bt the end of dinner, I was organizing an upcoming dinner and recital at one of their homes, with me bringing the wine, food and some friends to cook the dinner.
 
This week we have photos from our recent cruise in Mexico's Sea of Cortez posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Phoenix Symphony Concert in a Private Home

Today I am posting two photos from  the recent Phoenix Symphony dinner party fundraiser at a house near Taliesen West.

The top photo shows the ensemble,  consisting of about half the Symphony, being conducted by Music Director Michael Christie.

We were seated in a balcony area that overlooked the living room.  The percussion section was in the balcony next to us.  The second photo shows Bruce Pulk the tympanist, and in the background is percussionist Fred Marderness.  It was a treat to be seated so close to musicians.

This dramatic house had triangle shapes in the roof supports.  After the Theme Day theme of  "triangles," I have been seeing triangles in other photos as well.

The limitations of iPhone photography are evident in these photos.

This week we are showing photos of the Sydney Opera House  on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: One Look Back at the Residential Concert

This photo shows one look back at the patio and residence that was the site of the concert and dinner that I have shown in this series, which concludes with this post today.

During the Spring of 2012, my husband and I will be hosting one of the residential "Concerts of Note" for the Symphony. For those of you who are in the Phoenix area, you are invited to check out the Phoenix Symphony website for more information about this concert series.

We are showing photos of the fall colors of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, this week on on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: A Unique Symphony Performance

I have promised to reveal what was unique about this concert in the home of David Dodge. In addition to being an award-winning architect, David Dodge is a talented composer. One of the selections that the Symphony played was a concerto that he composed.

As Maestro Michael Christie explained in his introduction, we had the unique experience of hearing a symphonic performance in the very room where the music was composed, looking at the desert sunset that inspired the musical composition.

This photo captures Maestro Christie's direction of the orchestra silhouetted against the sunset in the dramatic orientation of this wonderful home. It is my favorite photo of this series.

I will conclude the series tomorrow with a little news.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site. This week we are showing some photos of the fall colors on Cape Breton Island, on the northern tip of Nova Scotia,

Photo: The Phoenix Symphony takes a bow

Here are members of the Phoenix Symphony taking their bow at the conclusion of their performance of one of the selections this concert in the residence of David Dodge. About 25 of the Symphony musicians performed at this concert, which is about 1/3 of the full orchestra.

The Phoenix Symphony is the oldest and largest performing arts organization in Arizona. My husband, David, is the longest serving member of the Board of Directors of the Symphony and has twice been awarded its top award for volunteers.

Tomorrow I will reveal what was unique about this concert.

I apologize for the quality of the photos in this little this series. Dave and I took our little point and shoot that would fit in his pocket so that we would not be obtrusive in taking a few photos to share with the readings of this blog. And we had to shoot into the light for most of these photos and did not want to use a flash. Nevertheless, we thought that you might enjoy attending this little event with us, at least through this blog.

We have photos of the churches and lobsters of Nova Scotia on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week.

Photo: Concert Venue in a Residence

There were seats for about 50 people in the living room and balcony of the David Dodge residence next to Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesen West School of Architecture in Scottsdale.

David Dodge is an award wining architect. His home includes touches of Wright's influence, including a collection of Asian art. This is part of the living room where we sat for the concert.

David Dodge is more than an architect. He has other artistic talents, as I will explain in a couple of days.

We have photos of the churches and lobsters of Nova Scotia on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week.

Photo: Table Setting

The patio at the Symphony fundraising concert and dinner provided a lovely setting for a dinner following the concert. The buffet that I showed yesterday was excellent, as were the table settings.

In Arizona we are lucky to be able to enjoy outdoor settings for dinner most of the year.

The series of concerts and dinners in private homes is an imaginative outreach effort by the Symphony to draw people and donors into support for the Symphony in creative ways, rather than limiting the Symphony to performances in Symphony Hall in downtown Phoenix.

Ticket sales for concerts provide only about half of the cost of a symphony orchestra. The rest must be achieved through donations at events such as these. In many older cites of the East and Midwest, endowment income provides a stable base of operating income, but the Phoenix Symphony is too new to have built an endowment, so it is much more dependent upon annual donations and special events to meet its budget.

We have photos of the churches and lobsters of Nova Scotia on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week.

Photo: Buffet Dinner

I mentioned yesterday that the fundraising concert included dinner, so I thought I would share this photo of part of the buffet.

It was generous of the host to open his house for this concert and dinner. The Symphony has a series of these "Parties of Note" each year in which the hosts provide the setting and food for small ensembles of Symphony musicians to perform and so that the Symphony will receive 100% of the amount that guests pay to attend the dinner and concert.

There was something unique about this concert in this home, as I will reveal in in a couple of days.

We have photos of the churches and lobsters of Nova Scotia on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week.

Photo: Dinner on the Patio

The concert in the home I showed yesterday also included a reception and dinner. Here is the part of the arrangement of tables on the patio for dinner. The lights of the Valley are visible in the distance, as this house is in the foothills of the McDowell Mountains on the northeast border of Scottsdale.

The house is adjacent to Taliesen West, the winter residence and architectural school of Frank Lloyd Wright. This is the view that attracted Frank Lloyd Wright to Arizona, along with the weather.

The home was designed by and is the residence of a disciple of Frank Lloyd Wright, award winning architect David Dodge. I will show more of this even in the next few days.

We have photos of the churches and lobsters of Nova Scotia on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week.

Photo: House and Symphony of Note

I will start a new little series today showing a few photos of a fund raising event for the Phoenix Symphony that my husband and I attended. It was a concert in a spectacular private home in Scottsdale, with a sunset view of the Valley.

There is something very unique about the experience of the concert in this home that I will reveal in the days ahead.

We have photos of the churches and lobsters of Nova Scotia on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week.