FEBRUARY and MARCH were 2 very calm months in my Calendar: apart from a short trip to beautiful Istanbul, for a Duo Recital with cellist partner A.Meneses, the engagement where I was to perform Beethoven # 4, in Jerusalem, was unfortunately cancelled, due to that Orchestra’s threatening insolvency… sad! So came the unexpected chance to retreat to my peaceful haven, in the south of France, where I do a lot of thinking while recharging batteries...

It was while enjoying the luxury of the near-perfect quiet of my music room (only occasionally interrupted by the braying of one or two donkeys in the field below!) that the idea hit me to put that glorious spot, to even better use.

Basically there for the whole of Summer anyway, and being often asked if I teach during Summer, why not have a weeklong Workshop-cum-holiday ?! It would happen in a most informal manner to start with since organizing is not my forte! But making situations work or improvising with ingredients- it sounds like my cooking! – that, I manage quite well. I thought Concertos would be fun to do, and am hoping that a friend pianist will play the Orchestra, when we are not to be found at the Tennis court.

I have become so excited with the project that I find it hard to sleep! For this first attempt only a handful of youngsters will be invited, and a couple of good friends will support me in this caprice, should I say madness?
How many of you would consider joining me, next time round, I wonder?!

Ying-Yang? On a sadder note, I don’t know about you, but the Irak crisis unsettled me terribly. The realization that we, mere citizens, have no influence whatsoever, on decisions made by leaders, supposedly elected (some…oops!) by us: never mind the screaming message the world over! In this day-and-age, it seems insane that countries are still willing to consider going to war! I didn’t feel I belonged anywhere (apart from France) and just didn’t want to be part of any of it! More than ever, I became… a musician, by birth!
Shameful and scary too!