1. Where were you born?
Tell us a little about your youth and upbringing?
New
York, New York.
I lived within a 40 mile radius of N.Y. and moved to Bay Shore, L.I. as I entered 5th grade and started viola
lessons at that time in a free summer instrumental program in the public
schools. My sister started cello at the same time and we
both became professional musicians. My two brothers played trombone
and were relegated to the basement to practice. Today, one is a
leading Computer Forensic scientist and the other is the Cultural Activities
Director at San
Diego State
University.
My
parents loved music, my father being a jazz buff and my mother was a pioneer as
the first woman cantor in over 5000 years of Jewish
history.
2. Earliest musical
memories?
Playing string quartets in the Apple Blossom
String Quartet in elementary school, working with members of the Budapest String
Quartet in an extraordinary program for high school students at the
University of Buffalo, studying at Kneisel Hall in Blue Hill, Maine with musical luminaries Arthur Balsam,
Lillian Fuchs, Raphael Bronstein, Edgar Ortenberg and Sascha Jacobson.
3. Your education? Where did you attend college, primary
teachers?
Attended Manhattan School of Music, both preparatory and
college divisions as a student of Lillian Fuchs.
4. Why
did you choose your instrument?
My father loved the
sound of the viola and cello that he used to hear on WQXR radio's broadcasts of the famous WQXR String Quartet in the 1940's and when we
were children and moved to Long Island and he saw the public school opportunity
for us to study, he said: " Sandy, you take the viola and Jackie, you take the
cello"! We are grateful for his choices every day!
5.
When did you know you wanted to be a professional
musician?
Almost immediately. I loved the
sound of the viola from the beginning.
6. Who were/are your most
important musical influences?
Howard Koch, the
remarkable public school violin-viola teacher, mentor, founder of
string programs on Long Island; composer Richard Wernick (a
Ford Foundation Composer in residence in our school system
during my early high school years); Lillian Fuchs, my artist teacher; all the
wonderful chamber music coaches mentioned above and my husband, who I met at 15
years old, at the Kneisal Hall Summer Chamber Music School where we both
studied- concert violinist Elmar Oliveira.
7. Most inspiring
composers?
As many musicians say, "The
one I am currently playing!" I love all the baroque,
classical, impressionistic, and romantic composers as well as
many modern and contemporary composers.
8.
What would you be if not a musician?
A journalist, a detective, or a
social worker.
9. Your favorite thing about playing in the
ACO?
The maestro-Stuart Robertson and the opportunity
to work seriously to delve into the soul of the music as well as the technical
aspects.
10. With what other ensembles do you
perform/where do you teach?
I free-lance in New York City and am
Associate Principal Viola of the Westchester Philharmonic (Itzhak Perlman was
recently named Music Director) and am a long time member of the
American Composers Orchestra in N.Y.C. which performs at Carnegie
Hall.
I have taught in the past at Cornell University, Syracuse University and the State University of New
York at Geneseo.
11. What is in your CD player right
now?
Lots of jazz and classical music.
12. What do you like to do outside of
work/hobby/pastime's)?
I love antiquing and
thrifting. Love mid-century modern architecture and design and
have collected glass, pottery and art. I enjoy
exercising, movies, writing, being in a "think tank" and creating ideas for
anyone. I am very interested in humanitarian and educational
musical connections.
13.
Anything else particularly interesting or enlightening you would like to
share?
I have a fine string instrument and bow business and have
researched and been interested in the aesthetics of fine string instruments for
the past thirty years.
