Note Worthy

Earlier this year the virtuosic Japanese - American violinist Shunske Sato, who has performed with major orvhestras across the US and Europe, made his London debut. Ordinarily you might expect an artist of his calibre to perform at, say, the Barbican of Festival Hall. Indeed, when Sato next plays here, it will be at Cadogan Hall, which has a capacity of nearly 1.000. Last April's concert, however, took place in the elegant and expansive drawing room of Sir Vernon Ellis's London Home before an invited audience of 100 or so friends, philanthropists and figures from the music world. 

For those privileged enough to be there, it was a rare chance to hear chamber music in the sort of intimate setting for which it was intended. For the soloist, it was an opportunity to try out a fiendishly exacting programme, culminating in Paganini's showstopper Moto Perpetuo, which he had never previously attempted before an audience . (How we applauded Sato's panache and bravura speeds.) And for the academy of Ancient Music, the orchestra in whose music director, Richard Egarr, also performed, it was a platform from which to launch its 2011/12 season of concert and appeal to raise 75,000 towards underwriting it. 

Best known for his longstanding role  as international chairman of Accenture, Sir Vernon Ellis is one of the UK's leading supporter of the arts, with gifts totaling more than 7m in recent years, and was knighted "for service to music" in this year's New Year's Honours. He was inspired to start hosting concert at home, he says, principally by the idea of being able to give performers a platform early in their careers - an opportunity to play before a responsive audience . But it was also a way to enable arts organisations to fundraise. 

Similarly,  Bob Boas, The Former MD of the investment bank SG Warburg, who, with his wife, Elisabeth, has been hosting private concert at their London home for the past decade.Their two storey apartment can comfortably seat up to 75, and has a near perfect acoustic .  In some  months they host as many as 10 concerts , often in aid of organisations that support young musicians. The calibre of the artists, from soloist to chamber orchestras such as Manchester Camerata and the Gabrieli Consort, is invariably outstanding, and the breadth of repertoire eclectic. 

For the musicians , these concert offer an opportunity to get closer to their audience. Ask any musicians about such an experience and they will use the world "rapport" for live music is to a great extend about communication. And if opening one's home in this way can be leveraged to raise many too, than so much the better.

House Music :

- Academy of Ancient Music, 01223-301-509;www.aam.co.uk

- Classical Opera Company, Britania House, 11 Glenthorne Road, London W6 (020-8846 9744; www.classicalopera.co.uk)

- Florian Leonhard, 3 Frognal Lane, London NW3 (020-7813 3307;www.florianleonhard.com).

- London Music Masters, 3 London Wall Buildings, London EC2 (020-7216 4737; www.londonmusicmasters.org). Nicholas Boas Charitable Trust,www.nocholasboastrusts.org.uk).

- Vernon Ellis Foundation, www.vef.org.uk

Source: howtospendit.com

Kado Kejutan Ulang Tahun Goenawan Mohamad ke 70

Goenawan Mohamad (GM) yang berusia 70 pada tanggal 29 Juli 2011, diberikan kado kejutan oleh sahabat sahabatnya, sebuah buku. Buku ini bukan biografi, melainkan sebuah catatan aneka kegiatan GM oleh orang orang yang mengenalnya cukup dekat, baik secara pribadi maupun aktifitasnya di berbagai bidang.



Jilal Mardhani memberikan kata sambutan

GM akan dilihat dari lima jurusan: sebagai penyair, wartawan-esais, aktifis politik, dramawan dan sebagai kawan. 

Ide buku ini dicetuskan oleh M. Jilal Mardhani dan dikerjakan hampir dua bulan oleh editor Hamid Basyaib. Hermawan Tanzil dan tim LeBoYe yang ikut menyeleksi dan menyusun flow foto dan mendesain sampul untuk menangkap "persis" sosok GM. Buku tebal dengan 211 halaman ini diberi judul "Goenawan Mohamad enak dibaca dan perlu" , dicetak di kertas Curtis Retreeve, Eco White, 104 gr dari Paperina. Gambar sampul foto Oscar Motuloh dari sketsa karya Srihadi Soedarsono.



Cover Buku Goenawan Mohamad



Dibarengi dengan foto-foto hasil karya dan kurasi Oscar Motuloh yang memuat ide dan kejituan pandang, terdapat 31 tulisan (6 diantaranya merupakan wawancara) dari kontributor yang sukarela menyumbangkan tulisan di buku ini antara lain : Marsillam Simanjuntak, Ciputra, Arifin Panigoro, Bambang Harymurti, A.Mustofa Bisri, Boediono, Putu Wijaya, Fikri Jufri, Leila S. Chudori, Jakob Oetama, Bondan Winarno, Marco Kusumawijaya, Todung Mulya Lubis, Sapardi Djoko Damono, dll.



GM & DSP

Acara syukuran sekaligus pemberian kado kejutan ini diadakan tanggal 25 Juli 2011 di Griya Jenggala, Jakarta Selatan. Diawali dengan doa oleh Fikri Jufri, pemotongan tumpeng, makan malam dan diakhiri dengan penandatanganan buku oleh GM.



Fikri Jufri & GM