high strung

I recently took a solo driving trip to Chicago and in the secluded confinement of my car had the opportunity to listen to two CDs recently released by two ISO musicians.  

The first is by our resident ensemble, Time for Three, called 3 Fervent Travelers. One of the violinists in the group is our Concertmaster, Zach De Pue.  These guys are so talented and so diverse!!  They create such an exciting atmosphere that is so evident live, but it's also there on their cd!  Adding to the awesome factor, most of the tracks were recorded live.  They are a treasure!  Purchase the CD here.















I then got to listen to Ju-Fang Liu's (our Principal Contrabass) new CD, Fisherman's Song.  She has such amazing technique, beautiful sound and intonation and soul to boot!  I especially loved the Chinese songs -- so folk-like, and yet so acrobatic. Pianist Catherine Bringerud is also wonderful!  You can purchase the CD here.
















Yet another facet of Ju-Fang's talents is her skill as a chef!  She makes an art of preparing and presenting so many Chinese dishes -- noodles, eggs, mushrooms, soups, meats and teas -- just to name a few.  Every year or so, the ISO's Women's Committee has some of the Asian members of the ISO and spouses get together and offer an Asian buffet dinner at one of our homes to raise money for the Orchestra.  We usually have 30+ dishes on the table and no one ever leaves hungry!  It's great fun for everyone!  I'll let you know when we plan the next Asian Buffet!