By Lorna Reese
Special to the Islands’ Sounder
When classical and jazz pianist and composer Michael Golden, shown right, starts tickling the ivories on the Steinway piano at Lopez Center on Saturday, Aug. 11, it will be because of the efforts of numerous people working behind the scenes for months.
The concert itself will be an eclectic evening of piano music, including original works, jazz standards, classical, popular, folk tunes and improvisation.
Director of the creative arts program at Soka University of America in California, Golden has been a regular visitor to Lopez Island since marrying into the Waller family over 20 years ago and “looks forward to sharing an evening of music at Lopez Center.”
So why is Golden coming to Lopez Center? Because last fall Julie Van Camp asked Phyllis Nansen to help organize a classical piano concert, according to Nansen.
“She said people had been asking why Lopez Center had not offered one for a while,” Nansen says.
Long story short: A few months later, the Steinway Piano Steering Committee – Van Camp, Nansen and Richard and Meg Singer – had a vision and a plan. They would present three concerts featuring the Henderson Memorial Piano (willed to Lopez Center when Lucille Henderson died) and call it the Steinway Piano Series. Each of them brought their individual expertise and contacts to the endeavor.
Recognizing the importance of making classical music affordable for everyone, the committee wanted to offer the concerts “by donation only,” so sponsors were needed to defray costs. And, says Nansen, “the community responded with its usual generosity, making the first concert – Mark Salman in May – a huge success with the Lopez Center filled to capacity.”
Why would islanders contribute financially to a series of piano concerts?
“So anyone and everyone can afford to hear the fine musicians who want to play the exquisite instruments LCCA has been asked to steward,” say sponsors Jan and Bob Sundquist, “and so some of our local young people can have a rich experience as performers before enthusiastic fans of keyboard performance art.”
“Because we strongly support the Center,” adds John and Carol Whetten. “We think it’s a key reason why Lopez is such a great place to live, and we’ve been interested and somewhat involved with the Steinway piano since it was entrusted to the Center and our community.”
“Because it’s important for Lopez Center to present a wide variety of events,” adds Nansen. ”Classical concerts are expensive to produce and we want to make them affordable for everyone. Lopezians are generous and support programs that are important to them.”
The Sundquists, Whettens and Nansens are just some of the numerous Lopezians who have contributed to the piano series. There are at least 20 more.
But there’s one more thing: The Steinway is a big part of this story. In 2007, Lucile Henderson, one of the founders of Camp Nor’Wester, gifted her personal Steinway grand piano, built in 1911, to the Lopez Community in her will. At Lopez Center, islanders and visiting artists alike have access to this fine instrument as well as to the Center’s other first-rate piano, a Chickering donated by the Rabel family. Caring for these pianos requires a maintenance fund, and Golden is offering his concert as a fundraiser.
Another interesting connection with the Henderson Memorial Piano is through Stephen Brady, the Steinway expert who rebuilt and maintains the piano. Brady’s wife, Judith Cohen, a Seattle-based international concert pianist and recording artist, gave the gala dedication concert as a donation to the fund in 2007. She also performed a duo-piano concert with her recording partner, using both pianos at Lopez Center’s 10th anniversary celebration.
Golden’s upcoming concert, billed as a “tossed summer salad,” is the second in the series. In September, Jovino Santos Neto, three-time Grammy nominee and a top Brazilian jazz musician, returns to Lopez. Neto donated a concert to the piano fund when LCCA rebuilt the Steinway and will do so again. Again, the concert will by donation only.
“Creating Lopez Center required remarkable vision, perseverance and energy by my father-in-law, Lynn Waller, and many other Lopezians,” says Golden, “and maintaining it calls for continuing effort. I wanted to make a musical offering to concretely express my gratitude and appreciation to the Lopez community and all the wonderful times I’ve enjoyed there over 20 years.”
And that’s why Michael Golden is coming to Lopez.
