Preparing for this trip to LA and Santa Fe seemed an entirely different matter in my mind than preparing for the trips overseas that we take in the fall and winter. And of course it is much easier to travel in one’s own country than to make the long trip to, for example, the Middle East. But as we flew across the country over the Rockies and the Grand Canyon and finally into LAX, I was struck by the vastly different scenery of the West, and I realized to my own surprise that I usually feel that way in a foreign country, like at the Wadi Rum in Jordan or while admiring the blooms of the sunny streets of Cyprus. Even as we flew into the tiny airport of Santa Fe, the plane dropping us off right at the door, the first thought I had was that it reminded me of the tiny airport we flew into in Dalat, Vietnam, in 2006.

Our first event in California was a short performance at an arts middle and high school, the Renaissance Arts Academy. After sharing with the students about Apple Hill and hearing about the inspirational mission behind the school, I came away with the feeling that just as my similar reactions had connected experiences we’ve had in both the U.S. and in faraway places, so too did it seem more than ever that what we experience through Apple Hill is not just about bringing people of conflict areas together or bringing people from hidden corners of the world to New Hampshire (which are amazing things in themselves); it is about participating in the way that great music, in our case chamber music, brings people together no matter where or who we are.

The Renaissance Arts Academy is a public charter school that was birthed with the idea that the arts and the discipline the arts require are a vital medium for learning. The classes are held in one big open space, and every student is required to learn an instrument or dance, with classes every day in their chosen arts field. The school’s conductor-less chamber orchestra performed for us, we performed for the student body, we spoke about Apple Hill and the way chamber music brings people together at Apple Hill, we visited the different string classes, and finally we sat down with several of the school’s administrators and exchanged ideas about how music and the arts foster community and vice versa. We were impressed with the ethos of the school demonstrated even in the way the students listened so attentively, and it was fascinating to be able to discuss similarities between the school and what happens at Apple Hill with music and community-building.

Our main concert in LA was on the Dilijan music series, run by long-time Apple Hill summer faculty member, Movses Pogossian. It was just wonderful to see him and his amazing family on their home turf in Glendale, and a good deal of our time in LA was spent rehearsing with him and the wonderful pianist who joined us in the concert, Gavin Martin. Elise, Mike, Rupert, and Gavin had the daunting task of putting together in a very short amount of time the world premiere of a piano quartet written by the Armenian composer, Ashot Zohrabian. The concert was held in Zipper Hall at the Colburn School, and we were glad to see board members (Dita Englund and Steve Rosenthal) and were surprised to see so many old friends. The program was wonderful, with great performances of the Zohrabian and the Chausson Concerto for violin, piano, and string quartet with Movses and Gavin.

On our last full day in LA we gave a short performance and master class at the Pasadena Conservatory where we heard three very talented young chamber music groups. One of the groups included Cara Pogossian, 11-year old daughter of Movses who has spent virtually every summer of her life at Apple Hill. We were so pleased to work with all the groups and hope we met some soon-to-be participants!

Wishing you all well on behalf of all of us here,
Sarah Kim