25 January 2003
Dear Friends,
A very happy New Year to you all!
And it already is shaping up to being a very exciting and rewarding one, as we look ahead to the coming weeks and months. Of which more later.
But first, a quick look back. The past year was notable in many respects. Firstly, in the very encouraging support we received in Switzerland to our invitation to join the Friends of the Foundation. Frankly, the response far exceeded our expectations and we are now well on the way to having two hundred members. A truly international and extremely enthusiastic group of kindred spirits sharing the worthy aim of supporting young artists and performers in various fields and helping set them on the road to what we expect will be successful professional careers.
We would also like to thank all those Friends and other supporters who have kindly given donations to the Foundation as well as a number of most helpful suggestions and contacts for furthering our activities. All this is of great encouragement to us.
Since our last newsletter, there have been a number of significant events, bringing 2002 to a finale which could be described as scherzo molto vivace.
In October, we held our inaugural Friends gathering in the lovely setting of the Villa Kruger, in Clarens-Montreux. There was a gratifying attendance on a beautiful autumn evening and they were rewarded with a memorable event where harmony was everywhere in the lakeside air. Young artists performing were the Babajanian Trio, three extremely talented musicians (two Armenians: Lia Hakhnazaryan, piano and Mikayel Matnishyan, cello and an excellent Ukrainian violonist: Alexander Grytsayenko) currently completing their studies with the Tibor Varga School in Sion, pianist Dmytro Sukhovienko, from the Ukraine, but based in Montreux, who earlier last year was sponsored by the Foundation for solo appearances in Lausanne and Lugano, the British guitarist Simon Dinnigan and The Pits a capella vocal ensemble headed by Nigel Short from Villars, a group of British singers who also perform as part of Nigel's Tenebrae chamber choir. To the candlelit setting and the high standard of musicianship on parade was added a most convivial atmosphere at the champagne reception that followed.
Another exceptional ambience and superb setting was at the concert we organised at the Villa Principe Leopoldo, Lugano in December, in conjunction with the Victor Salvi Foundation, the world's leading organisation for the promotion of the harp. A magnificent exhibition of some of the historic harps from the Salvi collection in the hotels lobby set the scene for this event, the first to be organised by us outside Romande Switzerland. Musical emphasis was naturally on the harp, with solo performances by Gwyneth Wentink, who also teamed with mezzo-soprano Patricia Hammond and guitarist Simon Dinnigan in several duos, in addition to their own solos. A cocktail reception followed at which the audience, including several of our members who had travelled specially to Lugano for the event, were also able to admire the harps, with historical and technical explanations on them by Ana Salvi. All in all a magical soirée and our thanks go to Victor and Julia Salvi and Maurice Urech, of the Villa Principe Leopoldo, for so generously making it possible.
A week later, the Foundation sponsored an equally notable event, a Christmas concert by candlelight by Tenebrae in St.Martins Church, Vevey. Nigel Short's chamber choir group gave the packed church a truly outstanding seasonal experience, with their fine performances of traditional Christmas music and Britten's A Ceremony of Carols and were most sensitively accompanied by talented young Swiss harpist Julia Gschwend, who also enchanted the audience with her solos. A fitting close to a very full year for the Foundation.
The coming year looks equally, if not more exciting, with a busy programme of performance and social events planned for Switzerland, the UK, Spain and Italy, always keeping to our policy of holding them in unusual or artistic settings.
We start with a Friends' New Year reception on February 6th at the Jenisch Museum, the Vaud cantonal collection of engravings in Vevey. This event will include a guided tour of the museums two current exhibitions of helio engravings from Alfred Stieglitz to the present time and engravings by the contemporary Swiss artist Henry Meyer.
In Switzerland, we also plan events this year for the first time in Geneva, Basel and Zürich and will return again to Ticino (where we have received gratifying support for the Foundation) in December, for another concert in conjunction with the Villa Principe Leopoldo. Dates and locations of Swiss events will be communicated to all our members shortly.
The United Kingdom is also in the spotlight this year, with the formal inauguration of the UK section of the Friends. To mark this event, we will be organising a recital in the Wigmore Hall and a reception at Sotheby's, New Bond Street. This will include a lecture on some of the artworks on show there by Lord Poltimore, a member of our Advisory Board. We will also organise some other UK events later this year (dates and locations to be communicated when agreed).
Finally, I am delighted to report that Sir Peter and Lady Smithers have kindly consented to join Sir James Galway and Anton Mosimann as Patrons of the Foundation. Sir Peter is a distinguished British former diplomat, who has lived in Switzerland for many years. An internationally recognized horticultural expert, his legendary gardens in Morcote, Ticino, are among the most outstanding in Europe. We are greatly honoured to have his support and that of his charming wife. Their practical advice on ways of expanding and promoting our work has already been of great value.
Warmest wishes,
Heather de Haes