My wife Maria and I have a duo called Sticks and Tones. One of the concerts that we perform is a show called “Coming to America: Songs Immigrants Have Taught Us”. The show is a series of short stories of why immigrant friends of ours came to the United States, with each story followed with a song that we learned from them. There are two messages within this show: we are a country whose richness is derived from the diversity of immigrants who have come here; and we are a country of opportunity that helped each of these same immigrants.
While most of the the people we quote are not musicians, two of the show’s musician stories stand out.
One story is from Victor Mendoza, who befriended Maria’s mom 40+ years ago through his father Antonio, a guitarist who had immigrated from Mexico. Victor followed his father to the United States to finish high school. His passion was playing jazz vibraphone. Opportunities to pursue this path were virtually non-existent in Mexico, so he remained in the US to perfect his craft. After completing his Bachelor of Music at NAU, he stayed with Maria’s family in Phoenix, so he could dedicate himself to launching his career. He started a band, studied, composed, and practiced constantly. He entered Berkelee School of Music and eventually directed its European campus. More significantly, he enjoys an international career performing and recording both as a soloist and with the greats of the Latin jazz world. Even from his early 20’s, Victor’s presence was impactful, for it was at his NAU senior recital that Maria first heard the concert marimba and decided that that was the instrument she wanted to study..
The other story comes from our friends in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Laz and San Slomovits. These twin brothers were born in 1949 in Budapest, Hungary, at the end of World War II. The family fled Hungary during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, a short-lived effort by the population to shake off the Soviet puppet government. The revolution was quickly and brutally crushed by Russian troops. (Not much has changed, it seems.) The family lived in Israel for three years before emigrating to the United States. Their father, a fine singer and a Cantor, immersed the children in music. After college, Laz and San formed the duo Gemini, which writes and performs children and family-friendly music. They have released many recordings and have traveled the world with their music. Not surprisingly, Gemini has been an inspiration to Maria and myself in our duo, not infrequently offering their advice on this side of our careers.
Maria and I are honored to know these fellow citizens, hear their stories, and be inspired by their art and wisdom. Both Victor and the Slomovits have said that they could not have pursued their musical dreams in their home countries. For that, we in the United States have been enriched. They remind of us the beautiful diversity of the people of our country, the rich culture resulting from this, and the opportunities we can find here, even in the performing arts.
On behalf of Arizona Philharmonic, I wish you a beautiful July 4 and many occasions to find joy in our people, culture, and opportunities.
– Henry Flurry, Executive Director
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Origins of our Music Without Walls Concerts
During the height of the pandemic, Arizona Philharmonic sought to create opportunities for our musicians to perform. Out of this effort evolved our Music Without Walls series.
In the 2020-2021 season, Music Without Walls concerts were held at the Kiwanis Amphitheater at the Highlands Center for Natural History. We could adhere to CDC and venue guidelines by being outdoors and limiting gatherings to 50 people. For most of the musicians we hired for our Music Without Walls concerts, this was the only concert they played for 14 months.
What was born out of necessity proved to be a beautiful experience. The amphitheater has phenomenal acoustics, for the clarinetist’s quietest whisper on stage could be heard all the way to the back seat. The shade of the roof and surrounding pines cool off the audience and protect them from the elements. The serenity of nature provides an elegant backdrop to classical music. And our patrons love the intimacy of the musicians’ performances and conversations with the audience.
On July 17, and in our first Music Without Walls concert since last summer, AZ Phil musicians Mary Jackson (Clarinet), Jeannette Moore (flute), and Marguerite Salajko (cello) offer a concert of delightful and beautiful music. (Click Here for Details.) In addition to performing selections inspired by folk dances, toy boxes, flowering gardens, and a few classics, these three musicians will share some personal and music-related stories.
The concerts are only 60 minutes long, making them appropriate for all ages and more affordable to the budget. And we will move the concert indoors if the weather threatens the enjoyment of the music.
