Journey of 100
Journey #54 – West Jordan & Copper Hills High Schools – Utah. January 22, 2026
This group of young musicians all arrived early for our 7:30am session, instruments ready, focussed, and totally open for our work – they are wonderful. My performance was only one part of our 85’ session. We began by working with some advanced listening skills that I have developed over my many season in the MET…
Read MoreJourney #53 – Otisville Center for Art Music and Spirituality – January 16, 2026
This sold-out performance was given in conjunction with Bassist Mark Helias. The program began with my solo Bach Partita, and after a brief intermission Mark Helias played two *amazing solos, followed by a duet of my composition Ocean, and his composition 4 Entr’acts. Relying on the confidence I gained from my previous performance in Chicago,…
Read MoreJourney #52 – Chicago, private performance October 26, 2025
Today’s performance was pivotal. This room was filled with professionals from music, theater and visual arts. I took a chance and let myself play the entire Partita without modifying my impulse to align with what I think some of my colleagues might say – colleagues whose playing and musical knowledge I respect. We all shared…
Read MoreChaconne #51 – Home of Conductor Alan Johnson – May 12, 2024
Today I am playing the first performance of the 2nd half of the Journey of 100 – it is a great privilege to be playing at my friend Alan Johnsons’s home on a celebratory day. When I started this project 12 years ago – almost to the day, in fact – I knew in my…
Read MoreChaconne # 50 – NYC – Studio of Laura Simms, Storyteller – Dec 17 2023
For the past 11 years I have been focussing intently on this music. I feel it is an unusually personal expression by Master Bach, I feel 100% in tune with his “story” embedded within this great work. Laura is internationally recognized for her wisdom and knowledge in the world of story where seemingly simple tales…
Read MoreChaconne #49 – Alpharetta Symphony Youth Orchestra
Sunday April 16, 2023, 5:00 P.M. Alpharetta, Georgia What a wonderful event we had – I performed for and worked with these aspiring young musicians! I was very happy with how the whole event turned out. The large community room with the youth orchestra musicians on my left, and their families and friends on the…
Read MoreChaconne #48 – Las Vegas NM -Oct. 8, 2022
This is Shem, writing about my experience of the #48 performance. It might seem odd (to anyone other than a fellow violinist) to say that I felt happy about this performance – I do. I was able to allow the music to move through me and simply allow it to be colored by the emotions…
Read MoreChaconne #47 – Newport, R.I. Sunday March 6th, 2022
It has been almost a year since performance #46 – and clearly the need for live music that can transform suffering is once again staring into our faces. I look forward to playing for my friends.
Read MoreChaconne #46 – JCC on Hudson, May 10, 2021
Chaconne #45 – Private Home, Austin Texas
It has been over a year since my last performance of this great work, and there could not be a more perfect setting than my friends’ home. This past year of semi-isolation and reflection has been a gift for my violin playing, with regular focussed practice without interruption producing a refined harmony between Music and…
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