Giving Thanks

Ismail Lumanovski, Alexandra Joan and
Vasko Dukovski wait before the concert begins.

In the United States we just celebrated what is unofficially our favorite holiday: Thanksgiving. With no particular religious association and with little of the commercialism associated with many other holidays, it is a day when most Americans - whether newcomers or liflong residents - focus on enjoying time and good food with family and loved ones. For at least one day many of us try to adopt an attitude of gratitude, as the saying goes and without question we have much to be thankful for. As imperfect as our Union is, for most of us we would be hard pressed to find a better place to live. As for the most unfortunate among us whose numbers grow daily during these days of the Great Recession, many of us care deeply for you and for your struggles though that may be little consolation.
Here in Stamford we also give thanks for great musical performances like the one we experienced this past Sunday from the Grneta Ensemble. I am criticized sometimes (rightfully so) for hyperbole, but though it seems impossible I believe our artists keep getting better and better. In a year of outstanding performances this last concert was so amazing, dare I say the best one yet. A number of people in the audience told me they hesitated to come, thinking "Two clarinets? How interesting could that be?" but they were without exception so glad they had ventured out to hear the incredible artistry of the Grneta Ensemble. I imagine many who did not attend stayed away because of a similar misconception and you really missed something grand!


The Grneta Ensemble warming up on Sunday afternoon.

I am not a musician and am not capable of making a critique of any consequence. I can only note what I experienced and what others in attendance relayed to me. Vasko Dukovski and Ismail Lumanovski on clarinet and Alexandra Joan at the Steinway enchanted us, charmed us, knocked our musical socks off with their artistry, their energy, their sheer talent. After a perfectly balmy and lovely late November day and nearly two hours of amazing music, the audience leapt to its feet in a tremendous ovation to be rewarded with an encore in the tradition of Klezmer music, folk with jazz overtones that would have had us all dancing in the aisles were we a little less shy. The music stayed with me for at least another 24 hours, replaying in my head.

We are waiting anxiously for the prosmised recording and Vasko, do let us know when it is available! You three have many friends in these hills who want something to hold us over until your next appearance at the Cyr Center, which we hope will be soon. You inspired a young local musician who was reported to have said after hearing you and Ismail perform "If I'd known clarinet could sound like that I would never have switched to the saxophone!" By the way, Mr. Dukovski told us that "grneta" is an old Macedonian word for an instrument that may have been a clarinet or one that certainly was clarinet-like.

I posted this second photo of the young musicians in their casual clothing to remind us all that while they are young professionals, they are young; friendly, approachable people with extreme dedication to their art and a great desire to share that art with us, much to our delight. Such a long day for the people who come to perform here, too, mostly from the New York City area: three and a half hours by car each way, depending on traffic and weather. After decades of daily practice for long hours each day, they come for relatively little money to a place that is very unlikely to enhance their careers for a small group of people who nonetheless are truly thankful for the opportunity to hear such fine performances. Thank you, musical artists young and not so young, for sharing your gifts with us.

We also give thanks to the Robinson-Broadhurst Foundation and now to the O'Connor Foundation as well, to your founders and your heirs and your trustees for the funding that make these concerts possible. How especially appropriate in this new gilded age, of greed beyond measure and financial robber barons to note the example of these families in dedicating a sizeable chunk of their fortunes to enhancing the quality of life for the community at large in perpetuity. We give thanks to our many individual donors whose gifts may not be as sizeable in dollars and cents but whose importance could not be any greater; without your support we would have no reason to exist.

Thank you! THANK YOU.