Late Spring 2019 Newsletter
(April 2019)
Greetings from Schloss Elmau, a wonderful Retreat in Bavaria, south of Munich. I had taught many years here in the olden days when it was a famous “New Consciousness” Haven, well known for the beauty of the natural environment with music and movement meditations, especially known for the nightly music concerts by world renowned musicians such as Yehudi Menuhim and Jacques Loussier. The grandson Dietmar Mueller-Elmau has revamped this historic place to become its current 5-Star Spa Retreat. The G-9 Summit took place here a few years ago with Obama and other world leaders. Glad I can return to be their guest teacher again.
Virtuoso Dutch violinist Janine Jansen is in my Tai Ji class this week. She will play Bach for the class today before performing Bartok’s Violin Concerto #1 in Munich Friday night. Her Swedish conductor/cellist husband Daniel Blendulf is also here. I shared with them of my recent collaboration with the Jupiter String Quartet and “The Tao of Bach” performance in 2013 at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts; also, my 6 summers of residency at the Oregon Bach Festival in Eugene, with many international mutual friends. They are most interested and eager to share more. Hopefully we may find ways to collaborate in the near future.