Wrapping Up

2014 Juilliard Gala: Till Eulenspiegal with conductor Alan Gilbert
Photo Credit: © Nan Melville 

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of wrapping up the semester and my time at Juilliard. I performed as Concertmaster for my last Juilliard Orchestra concert, pictured above with Alan Gilbert for the Juilliard Gala. My graduation jury, final projects, papers, and exams, and my graduation recital promptly ensued.

Graduation Recital in Morse Hall
Photo Credit: Sayo Kosugi

With Ms. Cho and Mr. Perlman
Photo Credit: Sayo Kosugi

Immediately after my recital, I had the incredible experience of substituting with The Philadelphia Orchestra for their SingIN performance of Handel's Water Music and Messiah. The orchestra's PlayIN events allow anyone to attend and perform with members of The Philadelphia Orchestra; for this concert, there were about 1,400 people singing along for the Messiah! It was amazing to hear so many voices sing the Hallelujah chorus, which was incredibly powerful. It was surreal going to work with my mom and performing with orchestra members I have known my whole life, including my former teacher, Hirono Oka.

The Philadelphia Orchestra SingIN
Photo credit: © The Philadelphia Orchestra

With my cousin, Ellen (who also subbed) and my mother, Gloria

It's certainly been an amazing few weeks. I'm looking forward to having some time during the next few days to reflect upon and celebrate my graduation from Juilliard!

Until next time,
Francesca

Leonore Annenberg Fellowship Fund for the Performing and Visual Arts

Photo by Alexandra DeFurio

I am incredibly stunned and honored to be awarded a two-year career grant from the Leonore Annenberg Fellowship Fund for the Performing and Visual Arts, which seeks to make "focused and substantial investments in a limited number of exceptionally talented young dancers, musicians, actors and visual artists as they complete their training and begin their professional life." I was nominated for the grant by the Perlman Music Program, which is one of the arts organizations the Fellowship Fund partners with. My award, which includes $50,000 a year for two years, will go towards the recording and production of a debut CD (including a newly commissioned work by an American composer), the development of educational outreach programs with a psychologist, and a recital tour of the recorded repertoire throughout the United States, implementing the educational outreach programs along the way. 

I never would have thought these artistic ventures to be possible at this point in my career and I am so grateful to receive an award that allows me to focus on my artistic development in such a special way. I'm so grateful to the Perlman Music Program for the nomination, as well as to the Leonore Annenberg Fellowship Fund for choosing me as one of its recipients. 

For press coverage, check out the New York Times announcement, as well as the Philadelphia Inquirer piece and the Philadelphia Daily News feature.

On a personal note, the news was publicly announced today, the anniversary of my Father's passing. I'm so grateful for the love and support my Father gave me; he believed in me before I knew how to believe in myself, and I think that, wherever he is, he must be beaming with joy.

Until next time,
Francesca

Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Chive Oil and Pumpernickel Croutons

February has been overwhelming, to say the least. There is something about this month which always seems to necessitate a particular mix of excitement, stress, lack of sleep, and the all-too-familiar "when will winter actually end?!" feeling. This February has been no exception; there have been many, incredibly wonderful things which occurred during these past few weeks (certainly the MusicalAmerica New Artist of the Month feature and my piano trio's performance at the Kennedy Center). There has also been just enough craziness that, during a few days of reassessing and really taking stock of things, I desperately needed to turn to my usual, preferred method of attempting to achieve personal balance: cooking. Not exactly revolutionary, I know, but when I haven't had any time for it lately, it sure feels like it.

In an effort to not just cook, but to make something new (chive oil) and comforting (a warm soup and anything roasted, really), I perused Bon Appétit's recent recipes and stumbled upon this one. My apartment smells lovely, I consumed one of the first homemade meals I've had time for in weeks, and I definitely feel my sense of self reviving.

Bon Appétit's Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Chive Oil and Pumpernickel Croutons
*The recipe also gives the option for rye crostini, if that resonates with you

Ingredients:
1 coffee filter
2 1 oz. bunches of chives
2 springs rosemary
Salt
Olive Oil (enough for 3/4 cup and 1 tablespoon)
4 slices of pumpernickel for the croutons, or 8 slices of rye for crostini, sliced respectively
1 large head of cauliflower, leaves discarded
12 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 large onion, minced

Blanch chives for 10 seconds in a pot of boiling, salted water. Squeeze dry and roughly chop before combining in a blender with 3/4 cup olive oil; purée until smooth. Pour chive oil into a coffee filter over a glass and allow oil to drip through for three hours, or overnight in the refrigerator.

Slice preferred bread into croutons or crostini. Toss with one tablespoon olive oil and rosemary sprigs, then lay on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes, or until crispy. Remove and cool.

With the oven turned down to 350, rub cauliflower with 4 tablespoons of butter and salt generously. Place in a baking dish with 1/2 cup of water and tent with foil if cauliflower begins to brown. Roast for 1 1/2 hours or until a knife meets no resistance at the core. Remove cauliflower and cool before giving it a rough chop. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan over medium low and sauté minced onion for about 10 minutes, or until translucent. Add chopped cauliflower and add 4 cups of water, lightly simmering for 10 minutes until cauliflower is soft. Purée in batches in the blender until smooth. Return to pot and bring to a simmer, adding more water if consistency is too thick. Remove from heat and whisk in remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and heavy cream, adding salt to taste. Top with croutons or crostini and drizzle chive oil.

Until next time,
Francesca

MusicalAmerica New Artist of the Month

Photo by Alexandra DeFurio

After the all-Shostakovich Juilliard Orchestra performance with Vladimir Jurowski last November, Sedgwick Clark from MusicalAmerica contacted Juilliard about setting up an interview for the New Artist of the Month feature for emerging talent in the industry. We had a wonderful time discussing the current state of the classical music industry for young professionals, the importance of educational outreach and community engagement, my family background, and our shared love of the golden age violinists and 1930s films! Read the full article here, or visit musicalamerica.com to check it out.

Until next time,
Francesca

Paris SYLFF Chamber Music Exchange

View from the Parc de Buttes Chaumont

I just returned from Paris, France, where I participated in a chamber music exchange between Juilliard, the Conservatoire National Supérior de Musique, and the Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Wien. The exchange is sponsored by the Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund and each year one of the three schools hosts its participants. It was my first time in Paris, so naturally I fell in love with the incredible beauty of the city and its amazing food!

Inside the Cathédrale Notre Dame

The Thinker, Musée Rodin

Musée d'Orsay

Inside the Louvre

A rainy evening stroll through the grounds of the Louvre with the other students
from Juilliard

With Katy, my friend and Colburn roommate, who came to visit me on my birthday
from Lyon, where she is completing her studies as a Fulbright recipient

Théâtre des Champs Elysées for a performance by the Vienna Philharmonic
(what a string sound!)

Tarte au Citron from one of the many neighborhood pâtisseries

Macarons from the legendary Pierre Hermé

Our concert poster

Le Grand Salon in Musée de l'Armée at Invalides, pre-performance

Invalides

View of the city center from our dressing room

I was incredibly fortunate to study and perform two beautiful works: Ravel Introduction and Allegro, as well as Jolivet Chant de Linos. I performed with students from Paris and Vienna, as well as our coach, cellist and CNSM faculty member Diana Ligeti. As a musician, we speak about the "French sound" and style, and for me it was extraordinary and something completely different to approach this after experiencing the architecture, artwork, food, and culture. It was also wonderful to get to know students of varying backgrounds, as well as get to know my fellow Juilliard students (stumbling over a foreign language together is quite the bonding experience!).

I'm very grateful for the dose of Parisian refreshment and inspiration upon returning to New York for my final semester as a Master of Music student (when did that happen?!). There are some exciting performances and experiences coming up, and I look forward to sharing them soon!

Until next time,
Francesca

Happy Holidays

My sincere apologies for the recent hiatus! The last two months of the semester were, needless to say, incredibly busy. Highlights included the Juilliard Orchestra Shostakovich concert with Vladimir Jurowski, which received very nice reviews from the New York Times and Musical America, as well as performing Bartok Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celeste in Carnegie Hall with Ensemble ACJW and Schubert B-flat Piano Trio at the American Irish Historical City.

Christmas provided much needed relief, filled with time spent baking and eating with loved ones [homemade rosemary pecan bark and eggnog cheesecake pictured above], cuddling with cats, catching up on episodes of Chopped, and some much needed sleep. As the year comes to a close, I am endlessly thankful for the beautiful friends, family, and musical experiences in my life right now. Here's to seeing what 2014 brings!

With the warmest wishes for a Happy New Year,
Francesca

Recipe: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf

As promised, here is the recipe for the pumpkin chocolate chip loaf I have been baking at a mildly alarming rate! The craziness of the beginning of the semester left me with little time to cook, bake, or generally care for myself, but the premise of baking for a room full of hungry violinists (read: studio classes) inspired me to find the time to bake again. Not only did this keep me from going a little bonkers, what with the zen measuring of flours and heady smell of cinnamon and nutmeg, but it was so wonderful to share with everyone! I highly recommend it because, beyond its calming powers, it really is just completely delicious.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf, recipe by Shauna Sever
Makes 1 9x5x3 loaf

11/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Half a can of pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup room temperature wear
Half a bag each of semi-sweet and dark chocolate chips (Ghirardelli is the way to go!)

Preheat over to 350 degrees and prepare a loaf pan by buttering and flouring. In a medium-large bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, baking soda, and salt. In a larger bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, oil, and sugar, until well-blended. Then add the eggs and vanilla until combined, finishing by whisking in the water. Fold the chocolate chips into the wet ingredients, followed by folding in the dry ingredients in batches. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula, and bake for about 75 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before inverting loaf onto the rack to cool completely before serving. Store in plastic wrap or an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Until next time,
Francesca

Long Overdue Updates!

Well, I'm finally sick with the cold that's been threatening for a couple of months now. Which means, I have time to update! My apologies for the hiatus until now. The beginning of the semester was a frenzy of scheduling, e-mails, starting my teaching assistantship, and practicing like crazy. It was a big adjustment going from teaching 1 1/2 hours to 12 hours a week on top of my own practice, classes, and rehearsals! I'm absolutely in awe of how much I'm learning from this process and it's been a true joy to work with the students in Mr. Perlman's studio. 

Some highlights of the past two months include Perlman Music Program trips to Stanford, CA (a return to my Music@Meno stomping grounds!) and Stowe, VT, becoming my niece Juliette's godmother, baking multiple loaves of pumpkin chocolate chip bread, and experiencing Fall in New York (friends, it's a beautiful thing). I've also been spending a good deal of time ruminating on my future, both short and long term, something which has led to moments of giddy excitement, sheer panic, glimmers of faith, and joy.

With Radu at the PMP in Stanford reception in CA

Pumpkin chocolate chip loaf!

Pumpkin carving and general autumnal merriment

Gorgeous colors in Central Park

Snowy Stowe, VT

From the drive home after our concert in Burlington, VT

Next up on the concert prep list is the Juilliard Orchestra Shostakovich program with conductor Vladimir Jurowski, for which I will be sitting Concertmaster. In addition to the first symphony, we will be playing excerpts from Shostakovich's silent film score (who knew?!) New Bablyon, as well as his Hypothetically Murdered suite. Off to drink Emergen-C and read some ledger lines!

Until next time,

Francesca 

Vacation in Saratoga Springs, NY

Ever since I was born, I spent the month of August in Saratoga Springs. Since both of my parents were members of the Philadelphia Orchestra, which made their summer home at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, we would pack up the family and head to upstate New York, where we stayed on the campus of Skidmore College. I have the fondest memories of Saratoga as a child, from the duck pond on campus and horses near Lake George, to the funky shops and restaurants in town. This past August, I traveled to Saratoga Springs for the first time in 5 years! It was a welcome vacation after the Music@Menlo craziness, one which allowed me to spend time with my mother when she wasn't working with the orchestra and with my boyfriend when he wasn't conducting at the Luzurne Music Center. The rest of the time, I was able to catch up on some much needed sleep, go for peaceful walks, and practice a little (after a few weeks of constant-playing and no practicing at Menlo).

Exploring the woods on campus

Stewart's ice cream! This stuff is the best. When I sent this picture to my
brother, he asked me to find out if they ever ship orders of the stuff.

The Philly Orchestra at SPAC. This sound is like home to me.

Radu conducting the LMC String Orchestra

With Radu on our day trip to Manchester, VT

I'm very grateful for the time spent in such a beautiful and restorative environment. It was so touching to see how much has changed, yet how much has remained exactly the same was when I was a kid. All in all, a lovely way to end the summer. Now, back to the school year grind!

Until next time,
Francesca

Music@Menlo

Greetings and my apologies for the lack of updates recently! My experience at Music@Menlo was absolutely incredible, but very time consuming. Immediately thereafter, I traveled to Saratoga Springs, New York to visit my boyfriend and my mother, who were there for music-related work. Since then, I have been busy getting settled in NYC and figuring out scheduling for the upcoming semester.

Masterclass with Wu Han
Photo courtesy of Music@Menlo

I wanted to write a post on Music@Menlo and my experiences there for awhile now! I'm not sure I can adequately sum up the sheer amount of inspiration and knowledge acquired during my time there. The schedule was very intense, usually running nonstop from 8am-12am or later. Our days were filled with coachings, rehearsals, informal lectures and discussions, formal lectures, masterclasses, and attending the performances of the Young Performers program, our fellow colleagues in the International program, and the senior artists of the festival (the quality of which was outstanding), as well as going to the parties and donor events hosted afterwards.

Coaching on Dvorak American with Jorja Fleezanis
Photo courtesy of Music@Menlo

While I was there, I gave two performances each of Dvorak Piano Quintet in A major, Beethoven "Ghost" Piano Trio, Dohnanyi Piano Quintet no. 2, Dvorak American Quartet, and Mendelssohn Piano Trio no. 2 in C minor. We had anywhere from 2-5 days to put together these works, receiving numerous coachings from many different artists (I think we saw 7 different people for the Dvorak Piano Quintet prior to our performances!).

Performance of Beethoven "Ghost" Piano Trio
Photo courtesy of Music@Menlo

In addition to all things musical, we also had lots of development related sessions, including time with the marketing, events, and public relations staff. We even were lucky enough to work with the photography interns to receive new head shots!

Photo credit: Diana Lake

I will always be grateful for my experience at Music@Menlo. I learned so much about myself, what it means to sit down and interpret a work, and how to deal with such a busy schedule and still be the best version of myself as a musician and as a person. To hear more about my experience, check out the video Music@Menlo "To Be an IP", put together by the talented videographers at Music@Menlo.

Until next time,
Francesca