Spring 2018

the Crowden Letter

Adult Chamber Music Program Celebrates Tenth Anniversary

Crowden is well-known for sparking a lifelong love of chamber music among its young musicians. For adult players, it provides a haven to deepen and enrich that love through expert coaching, performance opportunities, and community between fellow aficionados.

Crowden’s Adult Chamber Music Program is celebrating its tenth anniversary this 2017-18 season! Founded in 2007-08, the program was created to provide adult players with the rewards of extended collaborative musical study and performance, while solving the many logistical barriers faced by adult players wishing to participate in small ensembles.

Playing chamber music poses special challenges to amateurs with busy lives. Most opportunities for adults to study outside of a college music department last only a day or a weekend. To form an ongoing group, players must first find one another, then negotiate different schedules, rehearsal locations, trans-

portation, and other challenges. Crowden’s program solves most of those problems: interested students are placed into groups based on schedules, skill levels, and instrumentation, then meet for coachings and rehearsals over an eight-week period.

Pianist Debbie Carton, a music librarian at the Berkeley Public Library, has participated in Adult Chamber Music since 2009. “I’m a dedicated amateur musician—I’ve played solo piano and chamber music and studied privately for over 50 years—but the coaching at Crowden is truly exceptional. We get to work with fantastic musicians who are also amazing teachers. They work with students at whatever

level we are at and help us move forward, bringing our performance and our understanding of music to a different level.”

Violinist/violist Phyllis Kamrin of the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble took over direction of the program when initial director Jim Shallenberger, an early member of the Kronos Quartet, retired (he still returns to coach in summer). “Crowden’s Adult Chamber Music program welcomes adult musicians at every

Crowden Quartet Featured on NPR’s From the Top

NPR’s From the Top with Host Christopher O’Riley featured Crowden’s Meráki Quartet in its live recording at Zellerbach Hall this spring, presented by Cal Performances. The weekly hour-long radio program introduces young classical musicians from across the country through performances and personal stories, and is considered a high honor for emerging artists. Crowden’s Meráki Quartet, coached by Eugene Sor, was formed in 2016 through Crowden’s Youth Chamber Music program.

level. Groups get a chance to know each other and form community around chamber music, as well as delve into the repertoire deeply.” Debbie concurs: “Crowden put me in touch with new people who share my love for chamber music. My favorite thing is seeing and hearing the change between how a piece sounds at the beginning and the end of the eight-week session. So much grows and changes—it’s very exciting.”

“Anne Crowden’s informal summer and winter chamber music sessions are legendary amongst us former students,” Crowden Executive and Artistic Director Doris Fukawa recollects. “I am so proud of how we’ve built upon that tradition to provide a real service and access for adult music lovers.”

Crowden’s Adult Chamber Music program was an instantaneous success upon its founding, and has quietly proven one of our most popular and beloved community programs over the past decade. For adults unable to commit to an eight-week session, the program offers a five-day summer intensive, and also hosts occasional, affordable single-evening “parties” for players in the broader community. The devotion of these students inspires, as Phyllis remarks: “I love and respect the passion and desire that adults, having had a lifetime of listening, bring to learning and exploring the art of chamber music.”

“As a music librarian, I’m a firm believer that music changes lives—I see it daily in my work, helping people find and connect with all kinds of music,” Debbie summarizes. “Crowden’s Adult Chamber Music program certainly changed my life, creating many more opportunities for chamber music exploration, performance, and growth.”

News Flashes

Board Update

The Crowden Board of Trustees welcomed two new members this spring: DONNA EYESTONE and HARRY LOUCKS, both parents of Crowden School eighth graders. Donna is an experienced educator with a background in electronic music and recording arts, who serves on the board of several local organizations for amateur string players. Harry has an extensive background in financial planning and analysis, with more than two decades in senior executive level finance positions with Genentech. We are thrilled to have their energy and diverse perspectives rounding out our board.

New Development Director

We are pleased to announce that MOANA NEWMAN has been promoted to the role of

Development Director! Moana’s predecessor, KERRI GAWRYN, made the difficult decision to leave Crowden to accept a scholarship for graduate studies at the New School in New York, where she will focus on her first love, filmmaking. Moana, who has served as a steady support in the Development office since 2016, brings more than 15 years of experience working in nonprofit fund development, focusing on programs that develop healthy and engaged youth. Moana believes strongly in the power of communication and one-to-one connections to create positive impacts, and is motivated to generate funding that provides long-term stability for our musical community.

New Concert Grand Piano

After years of seeking an outstanding performance instrument for Crowden’s Hoefer Auditorium, we have found our dream piano, a nine-foot Hamburg Steinway grand. Crowden now has a world-class piano for

special concerts and visiting artists, complementing the other outstanding features of our Hoefer Auditorium, including the Meyer Sound Constellation acoustical system.

An anonymous supporter and long-time friend of Crowden provided a very generous pledge of support towards this piano purchase, and the trustees of the former Crestmont School of Music donated proceeds from that school’s dissolution. We are indebted to Jim Callahan of the Piedmont Piano Company, Doris Fukawa, Advisory Board member John McCarthy, and Michel Taddei for the acquisition.

The piano will be reserved for select concerts and dress rehearsals. We are fortunate to have quality pianos for everyday uses, including our restored Bechstein on stage; other spaces on campus feature donated Yamahas, Kawais, and a Boston Steinway. This piano fleet ensures that the Hamburg Steinway will remain a stellar instrument serving Crowden and our community for years to come.

Music Blossoms

This year’s 35th Anniversary Gala drew supporters for a joyous evening of celebration, camaraderie, and high bidding in support of Crowden programs and financial aid.

The theme, Music Blossoms, celebrated Crowden’s 35 years of planting the seeds for a musical life. Craneway Pavilion transformed into a lush greenhouse, with exquisite design by JANE HAMMOND EVENTS augmented by an actual greenhouse, constructed by Crowden’s own REYNALDO RODRIGUEZ . Performances shone a spotlight on Crowden’s community programs, with spirited offerings by our community Chamber Orchestra and an original Crowden commission by faculty member (and Crowden School alumnus) Preben Antonsen, premiered by the Meráki Quartet from our youth chamber music program. An impassioned speech by the evening’s emcee, Trustee JEROME MATTHEWS , inspired our most exciting live auction yet, filled with fireworks, surprises, and stirring generosity.

Longtime patron SHELBY GANS and Crowden Trustee MARIA PONCEL co-chaired this most successful gala, with ANN and GORDON GETTY and JOHN ADAMS and DEBORAH O’GRADY serving as Honorary Co-Chairs. Our sincere thanks to lead sponsors SHELBY and FREDERIC GANS and CAROL DAVIS and JOEL MARCUS .

Help Us Meet Our Challenge Match Goal and Double Your Impact

As we approach the end of our fiscal year, we need your help to meet a very specific goal: We are close to meeting our $135,000 Challenge Match Goal offered to us earlier this year. In fact, we are nearly 80% of the way there, with just a few weeks left in the challenge.

Please help us meet this dollar-fordollar match by June! Your gift will have twice the impact, and will help to ensure that we take full advantage of this outstanding opportunity to sustain Crowden music programs and financial aid.

When you give to the Annual Fund, you help ensure that Crowden remains a thriving center of musical excellence, providing access and transformative education to thousands of Bay Area music lovers. With your support, at Crowden, music changes everything!

This is a milestone year for Crowden as we celebrate our 35th anniversary.

We are incredibly proud that today Crowden is more impactful, more sustainable, more accessible, and more essential to Bay Area children and music lovers than ever before.

With Your Support, Music Changes Everything!

The Crowden Music Center gratefully acknowledges the support of the following Crowden families, employees, individual members, government agencies, foundations, and businesses between May 1, 2017 and May 1, 2018. Kindly notify us of any inadvertent omissions. Thank you!

Crowden School

Families

Donna Jones-Bhandari and Rakesh Bhandari

Jane Gottesman and Geoffrey Biddle

Rebecca Clyde

Deborah Christy-Damon and Ryan Damon

Jessica and Robert Duran

Donna and James Eyestone

Arezoo Fakouri and Doug Yokoyama

Shawn Freedberg and Charlotte Biltekoff

Leah and Joel Goldberg

Eric and Wakako Gravel

Joanna Hirsch

Jasper Kamperman and Wieneke Gorter

Sarah Klise

Naomi Marks and Michelle Klucsor

Tom Konner and Jeanne Noble

Susan and Yung-Shin Kung

Wye Ming Choo and Kayo Kurokawa

Jane Lee

Yasaman and Young Lee

Harry and Gina Loucks

Myla and Charlie Manese

Jerome Matthews and Jenny Yu

Kendra Dodsworth and William Miller

Quang Nguyen and Nica Uk

Chris Lam and Lyn Phan

John Palmer and Camille Crittenden

Emanuela Tallo and Dylan Riley

Eugene Sor and Karen Shinozaki Sor

Charlotte and Drew Waters

Tim Wilkinson and Nomi Harris

David and Sara Wilmore

Cola Chan-Xie and Kevin Xie

Jovina and Vita Yee

Faculty and Staff

Cathy Allen and Brooke Aird

Marion Atherton and John Reager

Lisa Barratt

Michael and Heghine Boloyan

Maria and John Danielson

Rachel Durling

Doris Fukawa and Marijan Pevec

Rick Shinozaki and Irene Jacobson

Brad Johnson

Jane Lee

Alyona Marenchuk

Lisa Maresch

Betsy Marvit

Debra Mauro

Annie Nalezny

Moana Newman and Scott Sanders

Kerrilyn Renshaw

Laura Scarlata

Jessica Schaeffer

Monica Scott and Dominique Pelletey

Eugene Sor and Karen Shinozaki Sor

Michel Taddei

Craig and Betsy Wahl

Op. 18 SocietyAlumni

George and Emily Adams (’97)

Samuel Adams (’00)

Noah Bendix-Balgley (’97)

Quen Cheng (’97)

Meena Bhasin-Dalby and Owen Dalby (’98)

Tracy Dooley (’95)

Ting Chin and Cary Koh (’86)

Helen Marks (’01)

Karna Jean Nisewaner and Arne Stokstad (’88)

Individual Donors

conductor ($25,000 & up)

Anonymous

Sallie and Edward Arens

Jennifer and Elwyn Berlekamp

Carol Davis and Joel Marcus

Shelby and Frederick Gans

benefactor ($10,000–24,999)

Anonymous

John Adams and Deborah

O’Grady

Lois De Domenico

James Marks and Edna Lee

Warnecke

Soo Hyang Kang and Jacob Pak

Amy and Eddie Orton

sponsor ($5,000–9,999)

Anonymous

Sue Coblens Young

Nick Gerson

Patrick Golden and Susan

Overhauser

Zach and Peggy Griffin

Cary Koh and Ting Chin

Donn Logan and Marcy Wong

John Lowitz and Fran KriegerLowitz

Richard and Myriam Misrach

Anne Nesbet and Eric Naiman

Maria and Jose Luis Poncel

presenter ($2,500–4,999)

Angela Archie

Liza and Michael Dalby

Timothy and Cathy Der

Tracy Dooley

Peter Fang and Erlinda Sy Fang

Bonnie Hampton

Cara and Timothy Hoxie

Cynthia Livingston and Samuel Leffler

Sukey Lilienthal and David Roe

Jerome Matthews and Jenny Yu

Doris Fukawa and Marijan Pevec

Earl and Rosalinda Rupp

composer ($1,000–2,499)

Susan and Norman Abrahamson

Joan Balter

Dorianne Cotter-Lockard

John Croizat

Sandra Denhart

Charles and Harriett Feltman

Elizabeth McCoy and Carl Haber

Elaine and Herrick Jackson

Douglas MacLaughlin

Claire Max and Jonathan Arons

John and Annamarie McCarthy

Mary Lynn Miller and Ray Meister

Sally Nichols

Alex and Ditsa Pines

Ingrid Madsen and Victor Rauch

Michael Rubinstein

Iden Goodman and Roberta Schwartz

Julie and Robert Stokstad

Iris and Tom Stone

Lisa and James Taylor

Jane Tom

June Wiley and Bruce McCubbrey

patron ($500–999)

Elizabeth Axelson and Don Regan

Gregory Freidin and Victoria Bonnell

Dr. Roberta Brokaw

Katherine Brown

Richard Carll

Judy Chu

Alexander Nichols and Sonya Delwaide-Nichols

Janet Der

Carolyn Doelling

Katharine Earhart

Carol Franc Buck

Jane Hammond and John Skonberg

Valerie and Richard Herr

Sandra Jennings and Shinji Eshima

Martha and Vaughan Jones

Rick Irving and Valerie Lagueux

Kenneth and Heng-Chun Liu

Bennett Markel

Jack McPhail

John and Nancy Menke

Marjorie Randolph

Brian Ripley

Virginia Roe

Joan Sarnat and David Hoffman

Sharon Seim

Elizabeth and Frank Sor

Dr. and Mrs. Paul Swinderman

David Ward

Kent Young

Yvonne Young

friend ($250–499)

Ken Kalman and Robin Bernstein

Howard Bulos and Linda

Tedjakusuma

Karol and Anna Maria Busse

Berger

W. Zacheus Cande and Darien

Spencer Cande

Jim Chou

Elisabeth Christensen

Emerson and Sara Dubois

Thomas Foor

Edith Haritatos and Geoffrey Gowan

Sejal and Eric Hall

Sherry Hsi

Eric Hsu and Ellen Rigsby

Neil Goteiner and Nadine Joseph

Patricia Albinson Kirk

Lynn Lent

Gary Lum

Phyllis Moore

David Ojala

Nathan Birnbaum and Claire Peeps

Bennett Price

Carol Robertson

Michael Ronin

Annie Santos

Maria and Otto Taddei

Matias Tarnopolsky and Birgit Hottenrott

Christina and Gordon Ting

Elizabeth Varnhagen

associate ($100–249)

Raymond Archie

Noreen Axelson and Don Archer

Melanie Beene

Robert Ellis and Jane Bernstein

Dorian and George Bikle

Judith Bloom

Jim Bonde

Eleanor Briccetti

Robert Clear and Barbara Judd

Steven Cohen

Megan Daly

Linda Deaktor

Laurence and Barbara Delaney

Jacqueline Divenyi

Patricia Durham and Douglas Hammer

Julianne Feldman

Roland and Lois Feller

Mary Ellen Fine

Paul Fogel and V. Yvette Chalom

Marsha and Michael Gardner

Tsing and Keith Bardin

Roger and Joan Glassey

Keith Gleason

Christine and Victor Gold

Gail Graves

Louis Hagler

Natalie Hahn

Steven Joseph and Corey

Hansen-Joseph

Nancy and Nicholas Haritatos

Margot Harrison

Robin and Edie Hartshorne

Lorraine Hauser

Tamra Hege

Anthonia Roller and Wayne Heiser

Fran Hill and Larry Frost

Olivia and Thacher Hurd

Naomi Janowitz and Andrew Lazarus

Fred Konkel and Kathy Kaspar

Myo Kim

Sharon and Mike King

David and Nora Koh

Jeanne Lageson

Anna and Bonnie Lamb

Victoria Leonard and Noah Kahn

Nancy Merrill

Richard Muller

Sabrina Porter

Robert and Gunilla HaegerstromPortnoy

Kit Ratcliff and Janet Tam

Janet Weinstein

John Rosenberg

Ron and Gail Rubenstein

Paul Kamen and Casilda Rubio

Jonathan and Saori Russell

David Schane

Tal and Anette Skloot

Timothy Smith

Jeffrey Ting

Linda Walls

Juliet Welch

Florence Wong

Linda Wood

Ping-Hsin Yi

supporter ($50–99)

Barbara and Mark Altenberg

Susie and Schuyler Bailey

Deborah Lee and Kaipo Baysa

Robert and Gloria Bloom

Jean Chastain

Martin and Deborah Chin Rokeach

Eleanor Cohen

Anya and Viola Fernald

Aileen Frankel

Donald E. Kelley Jr. and Susan Getman

Gretchen and Richard Grant

Harriet and Peter Hanauer

Keiko and Peter Hjersman

Robert and Ileana Krumme

Jan Kuchinsky

Isabelle Leduc and Irfan Akbar

Marc Levinson and Julia Jang

Councilwoman Linda Maio

Michiko Matsuo Luzmoor and Stephen Luzmoor

W. B. Peale and Kristina Sepetys

James and Diane Pennington

Claudia Bloom and Daniel Pitt

Ariel and Naomi Smith-Iyer

Ilknur and Ilker Sozat

Phyllis Stowell Travis

Margaret Traylor

Peter Wyrick and Amy Hiraga

In Kind Gifts

Allyson and Michael Ely

Amy and Eddie Orton

Angelina Hunter

Anne Nesbet and Eric Naiman

Anne Rosenthal

Anonymous (2)

Ben Doren

Carolyn Hunter

Cary Koh and Ting Chin

Charlotte and Drew Waters

Chris Lam and Lyn Phan

Don J. and Linda J. Casey

Crowden

Board of Trustees

officers

Anne Nesbet, Chair

Timothy Der, Cary Koh Vice Chairs

James Marks, Treasurer

Tracy Dooley, Secretary

members

Doris Fukawa and Marijan Pevec

Emanuela Tallo and Dylan Riley

Eric and Wakako Gravel

Gary Takemoto

Gina and Harry Loucks

Hyacinth Fleming

Jacqueline Wilson

James Marks and Edna Lee

Warnecke

Jasper Kamperman and Wieneke

Gorter

Jay Mumford

Jennifer Davies

Jerome Matthews and Jenny Yu

Jessica and Robert Duran

Joan Balter

John Palmer and Camille Crittenden

Jovina and Vita Yee

Kelsie Kerr and Matthew Heckert

Leslie and Jay Ifshin

Linda Sigel and Ming Kwong

Maria and Jose Luis Poncel

Meena Bhasin-Dalby and Owen

Dalby

Michel Taddei

Naomi Marks and Michelle Klucsor

Paul Kamen and Casilda Rubio

Peter and Joan Klatt

Rebecca Clyde

Robin Elliott

Sarah Klise

Shawn Freedberg and Charlotte Biltekoff

Soo Hyang Kang and Jacob Pak

Susan and Yung-Shin Kung

Tim Wilkinson and Nomi Harris

Tom Konner and Jeanne Noble

Tracy Dooley

W. Zacheus Cande and Darien

Spencer Cande

Julian Weingart

William Schneiderman

Yasaman and Young Lee

Businesses & Organizations

Amazon Smile

Bank of America

Benevity Community Impact Fund

Dealey, Renton & Associates

ebay foundation

NASDAQ

Right Face Ltd.

The Grubb Co.

Institutional Donors

Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation

California Arts Council

Crestmont Conservatory of Music

Durfee Foundation

East Bay Community Foundation

Hurlbut-Johnson Charitable Trusts

Jewish Community Foundation

Pacific Harmony Foundation

Philanthropic Ventures Foundation

Wells Fargo Community Support Program

Gifts in Tribute

in memory of willie archie

Angela Archie

Raymond Archie

in honor of joan balter

Nick Gerson

in memory of elizabeth ann and jesse birnbaum

Nathan Birnbaum and Claire Peeps

founder Anne Crowden (1928–2004)

honorary president

Lord Yehudi Menuhin (1916–1999)

founding president

Colin Hampton (1911–1996)

Administration

Doris Fukawa, Executive and Artistic Director

Marion Atherton, Chief Operations Officer

in honor of stephan and caelin boman

Carol Robertson

albert braver musical instrument fund

Robert and Gunilla HaegerstromPortnoy

in memory of anne crowden

Emily and George Adams

Noah Bendix-Balgley

Gregory Freidin and Victoria Bonnell

Fran Hill and Larry Frost

in honor of serene fang

Peter Fang and Erlinda Sy Fang

in honor of mary ellen fine

Rachel Fine and Christopher Hawthorne

in honor of daniele fogel

Paul Fogel and V. Yvette Chalom

in honor of saskia freedberg

Louis Hagler

in honor of doris fukawa

Alex and Ditsa Pines

David Schane

Gregory Freidin and Victoria Bonnell

John and Annamarie McCarthy

Susie and Schuyler Bailey

in honor of zachary griffin

Aileen Frankel

in memory of albee and jerry guttman

Lynn Lent

in honor of mariko hiraga

wyrick

Peter Wyrick and Amy Hiraga

in honor of joanna hirsh

The Grubb Co.

in memory of ian johnstone

Claudia Bloom and Daniel Pitt

Julianne Feldman

Rachel Durling

in honor of cary koh

Philanthropic Ventures Foundation

in memory of duane and hildred merrill

Nancy Merrill

in honor of meyer sound

Joan Sarnat and David Hoffman

in honor of lucas peterson

Sherry Hsi

in memory of milly rosner

Anna and Bonnie Lamb

in memory of robert schwartz

Fran Hill and Larry Frost

in memory of aunt trudy

Paul Kamen and Casilda Rubio

Angela Archie, Joan Balter, Donna Eyestone, Shawn Freedberg, Zachary Griffin, Harry Loucks, Jerome Matthews, Jacob Pak, Maria Poncel, Sangam Prasad, and Doris Fukawa, ex officio

music advisory board

John Adams, Bonnie Hampton, Gary Karr, Michael Morgan, Sir Simon Rattle

advisory board

Sallie Arens, Patrick Golden, John Lowitz, Bennett Markel, John McCarthy, Helen Meyer, Deborah O’Grady

Sarah Barnett, Receptionist

William Betts, Community Programs Assistant

Maria Danielson, Staff Accountant

Monica Frame, Crowden School Counselor

Moana Newman, Director of Development

Sharon Han, Communications Coordinator, Development Assistant

Brad Johnson, Crowden School Principal

Michelle Lee, Receptionist

Heidi Mattson, Crowden School Assistant Principal

Debra Mauro, Director of Finance

Jorge Mendoza, Building and Grounds Assistant

Reynaldo Rodriguez, Building and Grounds Supervisor

Nicole Rodriguez, Receptionist

Eugene Sor, Associate Artistic Director, Director of Crowden School Music

Jennifer Strauss, Director of Communications

Elizabeth Tackett, Crowden School Admissions Manager

Michel Taddei, Director of Artistic Administration

Stephannie Tornow, Crowden School Secretary, Operations Coordinator

Diana Wahl, Receptionist

Crowden Letter

Moana Newman, Jennifer Strauss, Michel Taddei, writers

Geoffrey Biddle, Sam Breach, Drew Altizer Photography, Julie Sparenberg, photography

Jennifer Strauss, editor, graphic designer

Front cover photo by Geoffrey Biddle.

Back cover photo by Sam Breach.

Music Changes