THE MUSIC GOES ON…
This last while hasn't been an easy one for folks in the Los Angeles region. Many of us in the music community know people who have had their lives turn chaotic as a result of the catastrophic fires occurring there. One of them is a dear friend of SSM - trumpeter Jens Lindemann, who was the featured performer of our season finale in 2022. He and his wife Jennifer Snow have lost their home in the Hollywood Hills, and are currently residing in a rental home in Scottsdale, Arizona to keep their lives moving forward. Jens is preparing to premiere a new trumpet concerto written by legendary musician Wynton Marsalis, and nothing is going to stop him from making the premiere of the work everything it can be. Here is a video interview with Jens made while hunkered down at Glen Sather's home in Palm Springs. (Yes, that Glen Sather, of Edmonton Oilers fame. Jens is also from Edmonton.)
From all of us here in Stratford, we send you and Jennifer our best wishes, Jens. Take care of yourselves, and we'll look forward to seeing you in the future.
This coming weekend we have our first ever collaborative presentation between SSM, Lights on Stratford, and the Stratford Festival! The internationally renowned chamber choir NYX is here from the UK to share their talents with us! There are still a few seats available for their performance on Saturday night, as well as their public workshop for singers (and non-singers alike) on Friday. Here's a link with more info:
Saturday, January 18, 2025
7:30 p.m.
Tom Patterson Theatre
Today we begin a new series leading up to the start of our 25th season, highlighting people that literally mean the world to us - our donors!! We wouldn't be in the position of celebrating twenty five years without you! You will undoubtedly recognize some of these people over the coming weeks, but others may surprise you! Here to start us off is our friend from the west coast, Elaine Godwin!
Our best wishes to you all for the weekend ahead,
Mark and the SSM Team
Supporter Highlight
Elaine Godwin
Fortississimo Level Donor
We say a big thank you to Elaine Godwin today, who has been an important supporter of Stratford Summer Music for many years. Elaine's first memory of hearing world-class music in Stratford was a performance given by Oscar Peterson, one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time. For more than four decades she has been making the trip to Stratford from her home in British Columbia to attend the Stratford Seminar Society in conjunction with the Stratford Festival. During those same trips she has had the opportunity to hear the quality of music offered by Stratford Summer Music and witnessed first-hand the impact the organization has on the community it serves.
Each year Elaine donates generously to Stratford Summer Music, but last year, impressed by the quality of our Annual General Report, she donated $50,000, helping us create a sound pathway enroute to our 25th season. She hopes this donation will encourage others to follow suit. Artistic Director Mark Fewer says, "Elaine is truly a citizen of the world. When we are in touch, she is usually experiencing both the wonders of our planet and great art. Whether it is taking a ship around the coast of Newfoundland or hearing opera in Sicily, she lives life to the fullest and wants to see good things happen.”
We are extraordinarily thankful for Elaine's ongoing support of our work at Stratford Summer Music!