In Sunday’s (10/31) Sacramento Bee , Edward Ortiz writes, “Chamber musicians don’t typically appear in the pages of Time and Glamour magazines, or on MTV, but the provocative Ahn Trio isn’t your average ensemble. This year, after many attempts to book them, the Ahn sisters will appear at the Festival of New American Music [at California State University in Sacramento]. So will noted harpsichordist Jory Vinikour, a fervent proponent of the contemporary repertoire for the harpsichord. Even with visits by these esteemed artists, however, one musician will be missed. Arthur Jarvinen, the adventurous composer and musician, was to deliver the keynote address at the 33rd annual festival. Last month, Jarvinen committed suicide at age 54. Sacramento State organizers had to scramble to find a worthy substitute for their showpiece event. FeNAM co-directors Stephen Blumberg and Keith Bohm were able to draft Rand Steiger, a well-known contemporary composer at the University of California, San Diego, whose work has been commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and other symphonies. He will introduce Jarvinen’s work, using video and audio clips as part of his keynote speech on Thursday, the festival’s opening day. … The festival will end 10 days later after a series of 21 free performances.”
Posted November 2, 2010
