SPRING 2021
THE SCORE
Community Newsletter of Ovation | Long Beach Symphony
IN THIS ISSUE
MUSICALLY SPEAKING
OVATION CONTRIBUTION WomenShelter of Long Beach
PRESIDENT'S COLUMN
by Victoria Chenevey
OVATION CONTRIBUTION
OVATION CHAIR
This past holiday season, Ovation! continued our tradition
NOMINATION
started in 2019 of contributing to WomenShelter of Long
SHEILA WATSON
Beach. Since we were unable to hold an in-person event, we collected over $800 in checks and gift cards from the
TRIBUTE
Ovation! membership. Mary Ellen Mitchell, Executive
GOLF CLASSIC
Charlotte Mitchell, accepted our donation and sends her
NEW MEMBER TRIBUTES FORM SHANTARUM OVATION COUNCIL
OVATION 249 E. OCEAN BLVD., SUITE 200
Director of WSLB and daughter of Ovation! member heartfelt gratitude. They used our donation to fill in the areas where the need is highest for their clients, and Mary Ellen passed along Ovation! greetings to her mother. WomenShelter of Long Beach’s mission is to eliminate domestic violence through compassionate intervention, education, and personal empowerment. You can find more information on their website www.womenshelterlb.org.
LONG BEACH, CA 90802 562.436.3203 INFO@LONGBEACHSYMPHONY.ORG LONGBEACHSYMPHONY.ORG/OVATION Layout and Design by Jessica Meyers
Our goal is to provide musical opportunities to the clients of WSLB throughout the year. We don’t yet know what that will look like, and we’ll start planning events when the time is right. Thank you once again for your generosity.
SPRING 2021
SPEAKING MUSICALLY ABOUT “MUSICALLY SPEAKING” by Bella Staav Sunshine
Backstage is looking very different for us nowadays. My operations concert attire hangs pressed and untouched for over a year behind the closet door that serves as my Zoom backdrop. My most comfortable concert shoes, which tread miles over a given season have been given up for bare feet, which sit cross-legged on a dining room chair as I greet our most recent guest artists: Gil Garburg and Sivan Silver of the Silver-Garburg duo. Never did I think I would be teaching some of the greatest artists of our generation how to use the “unmute” button, as I’m sure never did these legendary performers plan to talk more than perform in a given year. We all adapt to the ever-changing world that exists under the siege of Covid and find beauty in it. For me, I find it between the hours of 5-6pm every other Tuesday. In the Summer of 2020, it became starkly apparent that Covid was here to stay for a while. In Long Beach Symphony’s effort to keep our patient audience engaged with our soloists, who would need to wait another year to grace our stages in person, “Musically Speaking,” a bi-weekly virtual interview series hosted by Music Director Eckart Preu, was born. Since its first event in October 2020 featuring classical guitar superstar Pepe Romero, “Musically Speaking” has delighted an audience of almost 1,000 music-lovers who learn about some of today’s most accomplished conductors, composers, and performers through Maestro Preu’s eyes. Initially created to serve as a benefit for donors and subscribers, “Musically Speaking” events opened to the public in January 2021 and the result has been an increase in digital engagement on an international scale. In Eckart’s interview with Nan Schwartz and Conrad Pope in March 2021, participants tuned in from Egypt, Malaysia, Mexico, and Canada to excitedly learn about these legendary artists and receive an unofficial composition masterclass during the Q&A. To gain broader local viewership, Long Beach Symphony has partnered with Long Beach nonprofit organizations like Jewish Long Beach, the Alpert Jewish Community Center, and Musical Theatre West to co-present “Musically Speaking” events focusing on relevant topics to their causes, which bring more art lovers into the fold of Long Beach Symphony happenings. As of April 1, Long Beach Symphony has produced ten “Musically Speaking” events which feature a variety of artists near and dear to Long Beach, from David Letterman sidekick and upcoming Pops artist Paul Shaffer to violin virtuoso and past Classical artist Paul Huang. Through Eckart, I feel a stronger connection to music by learning about these artists as both performers and as people behind the curtain. In these 30 min+ interviews, we learned from violinist Lucia Micarelli how much time and patience is needed to master her craft while overcoming injury. From Nan Schwartz, we learned that that imposter syndrome affects even the greatest and most accomplished artists. Through Susan Egan, we learned that kindness to others distinguishes the good from the great in even the most cut-throat industries. On the stage, we see virtuosity and the pinnacle of artistic mastery. In “Musically Speaking,” we see the humanity and realism behind the talent.
SPRING 2021
PRESIDENT'S COLUMN by Victoria Chenevey
Welcome to a New Year! It has been over a year since the pandemic began, and we are seeing positive signs of recovery. I’m feeling optimistic, hopeful, and confident that we will continue on this path going forward. Music helped get me through this time as a constant companion, and I’m sure we’ll all celebrate when we can enjoy live music again. We all miss the camaraderie and fun that go along with serving the Symphony and the community, and I’m grateful that you have all stayed with us as we patiently await resuming our in-person volunteer activities.
We continue to hold Ovation Council meetings via Zoom on the 4th Wednesday of each month at 4pm. These meetings are open to all Ovation members; send a request to vchenevey@yahoo.com for an invitation. We’d love to have you join us! In music, Victoria Chenevey PS – Ovation! starts a new year in July. The past two years have been an honor and a pleasure to serve as Chair, and I thank you for your support. I’m happy to announce Suzanne Rowland as the new Chair of Ovation! Please join me in wishing her much success as our new leader! "Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness." --- Maya Angelou
NEW OVATION CHAIR NOMINATED We raise a cheer to Suzanne Rowland, who in January agreed to fill the open position of Ovation’s “Chair-Elect.” The role of Chair-Elect is to serve as an intern, prior to assuming office as Ovation Chair the following year. The Nominating Committee will soon present the 2021-2022 slate of officers and committee chairs, who will take office on July 1. Watch for the announcement of the slate! If you’re interested in serving on Ovation’s Council as a chair or committee member, please let me know – we’d love to have you join us! Ethel Sanford | Nominating Chair | ethelsanford@gmail.com
SPRING 2021
TRIBUTE: Sheila Bixler Watson Sheila Watson, a long-time Ovation member and loyal Symphony supporter, died on December 31, 2020. The Symphony has lost a dear friend who supported music in Long Beach most all of her life. Her involvement began at Wilson High School as a “Symphonette”. She helped create the Symphony’s Concerts for Young People, served as Symphony Guild President, chaired the Symphony’s fundraiser “Crescendo,” and was a Symphony board member, among many other community involvements. The following is a tribute to Sheila from Ovation member Steve Lang: In Celebration of the Life of Sheila Watson Sheila Watson was a volunteer pillar in Ovation’s predecessor, the Symphony Guild. She was a core member of LBSO fundraising events and an inspiring Crescendo chair. People were eager to join her lively committees and savor her always sumptuous soups. Her quiet demeanor was often broken by her delightful chuckle with that twinkle in her eye. Mary and I were delighted when she purchased our Crescendo auction item. Our Christmas decorations offer was turned around when Sheila invited us to come over and simply help her trim the tree. But to our surprise, the tree was HUGE – a bank lobby-sized, perfectly shaped, conifer. We spent a joyous evening with unique cherished ornaments that had been acquired over decades from around the world. It was such a treat to have Sheila to ourselves, and to hear the great stories associated with the beautiful family keepsakes. We left the magnificent tree knowing that we had just experienced an unforgettable night with a dear friend, who we never would have met but through the love of music and our beloved Long Beach Symphony. What a blessing to have known such a humble lady and generous soul as Sheila.
GOLF CLASSIC UPDATE by John Cross
The 23rd annual Symphony Golf Classic will return next December! As we are committed to the health and safety for all involved, our Golf Committee decided to postpone this year’s tournament and keep its traditional spot on the first Monday in December. So, Save the Date: the 23rd annual Symphony Golf Classic will now take place on Monday, December 6, 2021 at the Virginia Country Club. Thanks to several of our most loyal and generous Golf Classic sponsors and underwriters, we were able to donate to the Symphony the more than $25,000 originally collected for the aborted 2020 golf event. We continue to be deeply grateful for the outpouring of generosity and support to our Symphony.
SPRING 2021
NEW MEMBER: Brian Buchanan, our latest Ovation Member! by Pauline Eade-Sheppard
From an early age Brian has been a lifelong music lover and thankfully he had friends and family who introduced him to classical music and opera as teenager. He played the cornet in marching band in grade school through high school.
He played at many football games and
marched in lots of parades! Brian, originally from New Jersey, grew up in Maryland and lived in Philadelphia until coming out to California in 1995. He worked in Public Finance on bond financing. He was a Bond Trustee and worked on various types of bond debt structures. His area of expertise for the past 25 years was in the multi-family housing arena. Brian retired in 2020 after 40 years in the industry. Since moving to Long Beach in 1999 Brian has been a long time Symphony ticket holder along with his partner Michael Stugrin. Michael became a board member in 2008 and he co-authored with Renee Simon the Music Looks Forward - The Long Beach Symphony Orchestra 1934-2009 marking it’s 75th Anniversary. Brian now wants to help both Ovation and the Symphony in any way that he can! And of course we welcome him with much appreciation!! Thank you Brian!
SPRING 2021
A WORD ABOUT BOOKS
With thanks to Pauline Eade-Sheppard
The question that popped up at a recent Ovation Council meeting was, “what had we done while pretty much confined to the house trying to avoid COVID?” Pauline volunteered to share a bit about a most remarkable book she had just finished reading, and at 970 pages it really served her well throughout the pandemic. The title is “Shantaram” by Gregory David Roberts, which Amazon describes as a partially fictional autobiography. Amazon goes on to describe this as a novel in which a convicted Australian bank robber and heroin addict escapes from Pentridge Prison and flees to India. The author offers a vivid portrayal of tumultuous life in Bombay several decades ago following the title character in his journey. According to Amazon (and Pauline) this is a mesmerizing first novel depicting the teeming streets of a city where he can disappear.
NOMINATING SLATE: Ovation Council 2021-2022 Submitted by Ethel Sanford, Nominating Committee Chair
Elected Officers: Chair .........................................................................Suzanne Rowland (Chair Elect) .............................................................(position not yet filled) Past Chair .................................................................Victoria Chenevey Secretary ..................................................................Judy D’Ambrosio Treasurer..................................................................Mary Hester Membership Co-Chairs ...........................................Vicki Sawtelle, Ethel Sanford, Penny Stetch, (committee member) Appointed Committee Chairs: Education Programs.................................................Doug Lane & Nina West Newsletter Advisors.................................................Renee Simon & Brian Buchanan Nominating...............................................................Victoria Chenevey Ovation Occasions/Social Events...........................Bobbie Cusato, Suzanne Rowland, Pauline Eade-Sheppard & Judy Boland Parliamentarian .......................................................Carol Hesse Patron Engagement Table........................................Mary & Steve Lang Personal Communications........................................Pat Mohler Rehearsal Reception Refreshments...........................Shannon Taylor Tributes & Memorials ...............................................Marilyn North Volunteer Coordinators............................................Bobbie Cusato & Shannon Taylor