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

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

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 

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

Lemon Layer Cake Recipe

I made this cake for my father's 78th birthday, during a summer spent at home to practice before chamber music festivals in August and to be with him for chemotherapy treatments. I didn't know at the time that it was the last birthday he would have and in retrospect I am so glad that I was there to celebrate with him. I remember making the lemon filling while trying to babysit my one year old niece Annabelle, making silly faces and jumping up and down while grating lemon zest (uh, not so smart in hindsight). I remember putting together the cake batter the next morning and running into my Dad's room to tell him he just had to come taste it. He watched me assemble the entire thing and I could just see how much it meant to him. We celebrated with a family dinner and this beautiful cake was a winner. I decided that I would make it again this year to remember his birthday.

For birthdays or otherwise, I highly recommend this cake. I found the recipe on Shauna Sever's site (no surprises there) and, though it's a bit time consuming, I absolutely love it. The filling is lemon curd, which basically tastes like sunshine in food form. The cake is incredibly moist, yet light, and the whipped frosting is the perfect accompaniment.

Probably my favorite part of the process is making the lemon curd. You begin by making lemon sugar, combining lemon zest and granulated sugar with a mortar and pestle, followed by some eggs, yolks, butter, and lemon juice. A little gelatin gives the curd some body to it, so it's not as much of an oozing mess as most fruit fillings tend to be. 

The cake batter is fairly dreamy too, I must say. It utilizes a slightly different baking process of combining the dry ingredients before the wet. The result is incredibly light and fluffy.

The assembly for me is always a bit tricky. It's difficult to keep those layers in place while frosting, so this time I used toothpicks to keep everything steady. Don't worry, the billowy frosting is so thick and glossy, it covers the otherwise unsightly holes.

There you have it. Read below for the full recipe and details. As for me, I couldn't think of a more meaningful way to remember my Dad's birthday than to smell those cakes in the oven while practicing this morning. Happy Birthday, Dad...I miss you every day.

Lemon Layer Cake (from Shauna Sever)

Yields one 9-inch, 4 layer cake

Lemon Curd

Zest from 2 lemons

1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 6 lemons)

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

6 large egg yolks (save the whites for the cake!)

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes and frozen

Begin by measuring 1 teaspoon of lemon juice into a small bowl and sprinkling the gelatin on top to soften. With a mortar and pestle, work the lemon zest into the sugar, until the sugar is fragrant and coated with the lemon zest oils (after using the mortar and pestle, I also gave the sugar a good mixing with my hands). Heat the rest of the lemon juice, lemon sugar, and salt in a nonreactive saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is hot, but not bubbling. Whisk the eggs and yolks in a large, nonreactive bowl. Pour the lemon syrup into the eggs and return the mixture to the saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook the curd, stirring constantly, until it reaches 170 degrees and it's thick enough to separate by running your spatula through it. Stir in the gelatin until it dissolves. Remove from heat and stir in the frozen butter until it melted and curd is smooth. Pour through a fine mesh sieve into a nonreactive bowl. Cover the surface of the bowl and chill until firm, at least four hours or up to two days.

Cake

2 1/4 cups cake flour, plus more for dusting the pans

1 cup whole milk, room temperature

6 large egg whites, room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, softened and still cool

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans, lining the bottoms with parchment paper. In a large measuring cup or bowl, whisk together the milk, egg whites, and vanilla. In the bowl of a standing mixer, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, mixing on low speed. Add the butter pieces one at a time, until the mixture resembles even crumbs. Stop the mixer and add all but 1/2 cup of the wet ingredients. Beat the batter at medium speed for about 2 minutes, until pale and fluffy. While the mixer is running on low speed, slowly pour in the remaining wet ingredients and crank the speed up to medium for another 30 seconds. If needed, scrape down the bowl and mix for an additional 30 seconds. Divide the batter equally into the cake pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove them (including the parchment paper) and cool completely. 

Fluffy White Frosting

2 large egg whites

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

Pinch of salt

In the bowl of a standing mixer or another aluminum bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients. Bring about an inch of water to a gentle simmer in a saucepan, placing the bowl over it and stirring constantly until the temperature reaches 160 degrees. Alternatively, if you don't have a candy thermometer, stir until the sugar dissolves and the consistency of the mixture is even. Dry off the bottom of the bowl and attach to the mixer (or set up a hand mixer). Whip the frosting on medium speed for 5 minutes, until it becomes opaque and soft peaks form. On medium-high speed, whip an additional 5 minutes, until the mixture becomes billowy, shiny, and cools to room temperature. Use immediately. 

*I have always made the lemon curd the night before, as it takes some time to zest all of those lemons and make the lemon sugar. You can also choose to bake the cakes in advance, making sure to store them wrapped in plastic and in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Assemble and frost the cake as close to serving as possible.

Until next time,

Francesca 

Juilliard Global in São Paulo

I spent the last ten days participating in the Juilliard Global and Santa Marcelina Cultura residency of teaching, coaching, and performing in São Paulo, Brazil. Santa Marcelina Cultura is the government-funded program which runs GURI and EMESP, which provide group lessons and orchestra for over 50,000 kids in Brazil. In addition to performing concerts and interactive performances, we also played in orchestra rehearsals, ran orchestra sectionals, and taught solo masterclasses. I always find any kind of educational performance and engagement incredibly rewarding, but being apart of something this special in a completely different country was amazing. The kids were all so enthusiastic, respectful, and very dedicated.

View from the hotel room: concrete and lush greens

Hanging meats at Sancho Tapas in Rua Augusta

Rehearsal! Note our creative hotel room set-up

Hanging lanterns, graffiti, and foliage at Exquisito 

On our way to perform at a CEU, the community centers

Up front and personal with the Queen of Samba at Ó do Borogodó

Rehearsal space for the GURI Orchestra

With Kimayr, who heard me perform the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, 6 years ago in São Paolo! 

Collage of photos from our Interactive Performances at the CEU community centers. Photo credit: Claire Bryant

News coverage of the residency

Aside from the enriching musical experience, I also had a fantastic time in São Paolo learning how to speak broken Portugeuse, eating cheese and bread at practically every meal (!), dancing to choros, drinking caipirinhas, and meeting wonderful people. Next, I'm off to Shelter Island for the Perlman Music Program Chamber Music Workshop. Please check my website events page soon for more information on concerts (I am performing with Mr. P this summer!).

Until next time,

Francesca