I spent 7 consecutive summers at the Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival in Blue Hill, Maine, and Mr. Lipkin was there as the Artistic Director for every single one (and still is). He has coached me in numerous different chamber ensembles, including a memorable Brahms Piano Quintet in the year 2000. As a teacher, he is utterly unrelenting. If he hears something which he thinks is not communicating to him, he will right away let one know that the phrase is not coming out. "Again!" as he used to say, and we'd be trying our hardest to make the music breathe a little more. ("mere mortals" applied to my status every time..)
Because he knew how to do it... Grab those moments of ecstasy, and making you believe that one should strive to live in such beauty, as he chose how to touch the hammers of the piano to sculpt the last lines of the slow movement to the Schubert B-flat Piano Trio. As a frequent member of the audience at Kneisel Hall, every time a faculty concert would happen, was already an occasion, but especially when Mr. Lipkin would be performing, there was never a question that it was going to be electric. For 7 summers and twice most weekends, I heard everything he played on that stage and soaked it in as much as possible... The meat and potatoes of the chamber music repertoire, the Mozarts, the Beethovens, and the Brahms, he just knew it more convincingly than anyone I had ever met before or since that first year. And of course, behind a great man, there's always a greater woman. Ellen Werner, who is the Executive Director of Kneisel Hall, have been our surrogate summer mom for many summers, and she makes sure he is well, and we are well. We love you Seymour & Ellen.
So it is a sincere honor to be performing with one of my truest mentors and beacons of musical spirits, as he has agreed so generously to help A Far Cry mark its first year. This upcoming Sunday, April 20th at 4pm, at St. Paul's Church in Brookline (which is the 2nd installment of our April set), he will be performing the ebullient C Major Piano Concerto, no. 13, K. 415 by W. A. Mozart. I mean he is one of those rare old-school guys who's performances are completely spell-binding, and I assure you, the Criers are going to be SO excited to play, it is going to be off the hook!! Seriously, Boston... Do not miss this one!!! (Or the night before!!)
