Postcards from Juilliard

June 4, 2013 at 2:03 AM

With more than 200 violinists from 32 states and 14 countries, the Starling-DeLay staff wanted to make a collage that represented us all. We each were asked to bring a little something from home, and here is the masterpiece they created! If you squint and perhaps put on your glasses, you can see my little postcard from Pasadena on the left, under the "2013"!

Symposium Artistic Director Brian Lewis works like crazy, helping to run this event and also teaching several pedagogy classes. He's also a Violin Ninja:

Photo: Nan Melville for The Juilliard School

This year I stayed in the Juilliard dorms. Yes, they are dorms, with cement floors, shared showers, etc. but they have great views, and I always meet new friends in the suite! (I also heard people playing quartets in the suite across from us!) Here I am with suite mate, Roberta:

Who doesn't love the food in New York? I had everything from pizza to sushi, and here I am at the Ed's Chowder House across the street from Lincoln Center, with my fries and mushroom chowder. Yum!

My goal in any city is to find the good coffee, and I found a nice place called Aroma Espresso on 72nd St. Better yet, I had coffee with longtime Violinist.com member Caeli Smith, who also happens to be an undergraduate at Juilliard.

Eventually we all had to say goodbye, and here are some pictures of violinists and musicians who were at the final reception. Below, collaborative pianist Pamela Viktoria Pyle, Symposium administrative director Rob Ross, and young artist Marié Rossano of the Curtis Institute:

Richard Riss of Piscataway, New Jersey, sports his cool violin tie while chatting with Thomas Wood of Wooster, Ohio:

Here I am with Eric Tsai, 16, of Alabama, one of the young artists who played in master classes and recitals throughout the week.

Brian Lewis chats with Lisa Lee of Bellmore, New York; Dianne Pinner of Greenville, South Carolina; and Joanne Cohen of Moorhead, Minnesota (L-R).

Did we get a little over-tired and punchy? Perhaps. Here I am, after the Symposium, with my good friend from Denver, violinist and teacher Arlette Aslanian. We were feeling inspired in front of the American Ballet Theatre sign at the Metropolitan Opera House. I might just stick to the violin!

Check back for more this week from Starling-DeLay: Odin Rathnam on Galamian pedagogy; Michael McLean on Bach; Brian Lewis on works by Josef Suk; and Katie Lansdale on Bach.

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