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Concert: Music for One Piano-Four Hands

New York-based pianist Eleonor Bindman and Seattle-based pianist Lorenzo Marasso meet at Rancho La Puerta to offer the Ranch’s guests two concerts in the combination “one piano-four hands” or “piano duet”.

The first concert will feature an all J.S. Bach program, with solo pieces, performed by both pianists, as well as in “duet” formation, performing one of Ms. Bindman’s transcriptions of the Bach’s Orchestral Suite #2.

The second concert will also feature both pianists in “duet” formation and explore the Classical, Romantic and Impressionist repertoire with works by Mozart, Schubert, Barber and Ravel.

Praised by The New York Times for her “lively, clear-textured and urbane” pianistic style and her “impressive clarity of purpose and a full grasp of the music’s spirit,” Eleonor Bindman hails from Riga, Latvia. She holds a BA in music from NYU and completed her MA in piano pedagogy at SUNY New Paltz.

Ms. Bindman’s recital appearances have included Carnegie Hall, The 92nd Street Y, Merkin Hall and Alice Tully Hall; concerto appearances have included engagements with the National Music Week Orchestra, the Staten Island Symphony, the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, the New York Youth Symphony, and the Moscow Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra.

Classical Archives declared: “Prepare to be surprised” when encountering Ms. Bindman’s vast range of musical activity. Lately, she has been focusing on transcribing and performing the music of J.S. Bach. Her Brandenburg Duets, a new arrangement of the six Brandenburg Concertos for Piano-four-hands, was declared “breathtaking in its sheer precision and vitality” by Pianist Magazine, while the Cello Suites for Piano, a new version of Bach’s iconic set, made its debut at #7 on the Billboard® Classical Charts. 2022 marked the release of Bach’s complete Orchestral Suites for piano duet as well as a solo recording of the 6 keyboard Partitas.

A passionate music educator, Eleonor conducts online workshops for adult amateur pianists focusing on efficient practicing, score analysis and memorization.  She also created many family-friendly @Classical4Kids playlists available on Spotify and Apple Music.
Website:  https://eleonorbindman.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EleonorBindman/

Lorenzo Marasso is an impassioned and sympathetic conductor, concert pianist, chamber musician, educator and radio host. Dubbed, by Mexican-American pianist Ana Cervantes, the “king of repertoire”, Lorenzo’s creative and intrepid programming spans centuries and continents, often revealing lesser known masterpieces and rarely performed arrangements.

Lorenzo’s performances have been broadcast in numerous media outlets, including Seattle’s 98.1 Classical King FM and NPR. In 2021 Lorenzo founded the Seattle Chamber Orchestra and is serving now as the ensemble’s music director. In the same year he also started hosting a weekly radio program called Dress Rehearsal on 107.3FM KBFG Seattle.

Equally inspired by contemporary music, Lorenzo has commissioned and performed world premieres of new works by several international composers who have written and dedicated pieces to him. Lorenzo’s on-going collaboration with Los Angeles-based composer, Anne LeBaron, whose pieces for “speaking pianist” offer a new way of interaction between performance and acting, led him to commission the writing of a new piece titled Partizan, as part of her projected series The Well-Read Clavier, using fictional texts by Italian novelist Beppe Fenoglio, which was premiered at the Alba Music Festival in Italy, in 2018. In July 2020 he completed the Invention Project, a commission of new pieces for piano inspired by J.S. Bach’s Inventions and Sinfonias.

From 2012 to 2016 Lorenzo, while in Los Angeles, was Music Director of String Orchestra Project, an ensemble devoted to performing the chamber orchestral repertoire with no boundaries of styles or combination of players. Under Lorenzo’s baton and artistic directorship, the group has presented a regular season of concerts featuring repertoire spanning from J.S. Bach and W.A. Mozart to P. Hindemith and S. Reich. In 2015, SOP was invited to accompany the winners of the Derek Jones Piano Competition in a gala concert, which Lorenzo conducted, at Thayer Hall in Downtown Los Angeles.

Lorenzo was born in Torino, Italy and graduated from the Conservatorio di Milano in 1994. The same year, he enrolled in the postgraduate program at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he also studied orchestral conducting. In 1996, he participated in the Park Lane Group Young Artist Series performing at the Southbank Centre in London, a solo recital of contemporary compositions by Paul Patterson, James Macmillan, John McCabe and Nimrod Borenstein. Lorenzo’s commitment to performing contemporary works led him to participate in the Valentino Bucchi Piano Competition in Rome, Italy, where he was a prize winner. Further engagements included performing the UK premiere of Keith Jarrett’s Sonata for Violin and Piano at the Hatherleigh Festival as well as works by Nigel Clarke and John McCabe in the presence of the composers.

Lorenzo currently lives in the Seattle area where he continues his activity of solo, chamber musician and educator and enjoys collaborations with the University of Washington and Seattle University.
Website https://www.lorenzomarasso.com
YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@lorenzomarasso7525/videos
Seattle Chamber Orchestra https://www.seattlechamberorchestra.org
Recordings Music for Two Pianos https://open.spotify.com/playlist/72lYagUga8CwH3S1qETAmo?si=7dd85d5702f94851
Inventions and Sinfonias https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5VX3C5GphxFoRApVnEKbTY?si=a94a31f863674faf
The Seven Last Words https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3v5B4PutaGZhw3WNYJt6w5?si=07f4166794a14501
Abenteuer https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3YHDod8MXUEhjGvVl3f6QE?si=802a68fe0a084a5b
Radio Show “Dress Rehearsal” live on 107.3 KBFG Seattle http://fulcrumcc.org/listen
Radio Show “Dress Rehearsal” Spotify Archive https://open.spotify.com/show/3Pc1lreYBZhDUhaNFthzI8?si=98c7163b6dbd4826

Experiencing Somatic Art

Join Lauren Elder for a journey of discovery and revelation using pastels and chalk,  working with both hands,  through guided meditation with eyes closed.

This is a process that is both playful and surprising.

 

Lauren Elder is an award-winning environmental artist and designer who develops place-making projects with and for host communities. Her practice dances on the border between landscape design and public art and includes small parks, school and community gardens and small structures. She is a Spanish speaker and works throughout Latin America and in the San Francisco Bay Area. When not in the field, narrative drawing series have become her principal medium. Elder received her BA in Fine Art/Sculpture (UCLA) with further studies in Landscape Architecture (UCB-Extension). She is the recipient of numerous awards including the Eureka/Fleishhacker Fellowship for Sculpture, three Isadora Duncan Awards for Visual Design, multiple NEA grants, two SF Bay Guardian Critics’ “Best of Year” awards, three Potrero Nuevo Environmental Awards, California Arts Council Individual Artist Award among others. Individual artworks have been exhibited at the SF Contemporary Jewish Museum, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, UCB Art Museum, Walker Art Museum, Moscow General University (Russia), the Havana Biennia as well as in smaller galleries and cultural centers in the Bay Area and beyond. Elder’s artworks are in the permanent collections of the Oakland Museum of California, the David Brower Center, and the Tessie Cleveland Social Services Corporation.

More About Wisdom Keeper Week

Optimizing Your Health and Well-Being Through Lifestyle Medicine

Learn about the latest evidence for how the pillars of Lifestyle Medicine can lead to better health and leave each interactive workshop with specific, personalized goals to optimize your health and well-being in 2024

Session 1: What Is Lifestyle Medicine and How Can It Help Me?
Learn about how the six pillars of Lifestyle Medicine: healthy eating, physical activity, stress reduction, restorative sleep, social connection, and reduced use of risky substances can help optimize health and well-being. Leave with personalized SMART goals to help you make healthy changes in your daily life

Session 2: Food as Medicine
Review the latest evidence about the microbiome, fiber, protein, intermittent fasting, and how to reduce inflammation, prevent disease, and improve your overall health through what you eat.

Session 3: Optimize Your Sleep
What are the best ways to improve your sleep?  What is the role of nutrition, physical activity, mindfulness, and medication? We will review evidence-based strategies to  getting a good night’s sleep. Leave with specific goals to help you sleep better in 2024

Session 4: Brain Health: Improve Your Mood and Reduce Your Risk for Dementia
Learn about how what you eat affects your brain including a discussion of  the psychobiome, the MIND diet, and how nutrition and the other Lifestyle medicine pillars (including physical activity, stress reduction, sleep) can help with depression, anxiety, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and dementia.

Sarah-Anne Schumann,  MD, MPH,  is a physician who is board certified in both Family Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine. She graduated from Harvard College, Harvard Medical School, and Columbia Mailman School of Public Health. She previously served on the medical school faculty at the University of Chicago and University of Oklahoma-Tulsa and is currently the Chief Medical Officer at Aetna Better Health of Oklahoma.  She completed her certificate in plant-based nutrition at eCornell and the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies and is a certified yoga and meditation teacher.

Ukulele Classes

Beginner ‘Ukulele Class-
This class is designed for beginners to the ‘ukulele, a small, four-stringed instrument. In this one-hour class, you’ll learn how to hold and play the instrument, as well as all the elements necessary to play a simple song. No prior musical experience is needed. This class will be limited to 9 people. Sign up in Main Lounge. ‘Ukuleles will be provided. Come have an hour of fun that will exercise your hands and brain.

Intermediate ‘Ukulele Class
This class is designed for people who have had some experience playing the ‘ukulele and know at least four basic chords. In this one-hour class, you’ll learn a strumming pattern that is applicable to many kinds of music and we’ll apply that strum to at least one song during the class. This class will be limited to 9 people.  Sign up in Lounge. If you take one of the Beginner ‘Ukulele Classes earlier in the week, you may also sign up for this class if you’d like to learn even more before week’s end.

 

An award-winning singer/songwriter, with three albums on Columbia and Epic as well as two more independently released albums to her credit, Pamela Polland’s ever increasing list of musical credentials reads like a veritable Who’s Who of artists from all points on the musical compass. Over 50 years in the music business, this seasoned professional has both performed and recorded with such luminaries as Bonnie Raitt, Kenny Loggins, Jackson Browne, Van Morrison, Ry Cooder, Taj Mahal, John Denver, and a host of others. In 1970, Pamela joined the famed Mad Dogs & Englishmen Tour with Joe Cocker and Leon Russell, appearing on the resulting album as well as in the movie. Her songs have been recorded by, among others, Linda Ronstadt, Helen Reddy, The Byrds, Anita Carter and Bobby Bare. Pamela has also won numerous awards including 2 coveted gold records. After decades of success as performer, recording artist, composer and vocal coach, Pamela shifted focus to her life-long love of the Hawaiian culture. Living on Maui, she has studied ‘ukulele and Hawaiian music with Hall of Fame recipient Kahauanu Lake and Walter Kawai‘ae‘a, as well as the study of hula and Hawaiian language. Pamela brings all her decades of experience and expertise to her online vocal and ‘ukulele lessons, and is delighted to share her love of the ‘ukulele at Ranch La Puerta.

Gyrokinesis with Diane Daniel

Gyrokinesis is a complete movement system, for all levels and ages, and can be applied to a variety of situations, as one needs very little equipment. It incorporates many key principles from yoga, dance, gymnastics and Tai Chi. The class begins with the practitioner seated on a low stool, utilizing self-massage and simple breathing patterns to awaken the body. He or she mobilizes the spine through a series of arching, curling and spiraling movements. The corresponding breathing patterns in every movement help to stimulate the nervous system and open up energy pathways.

 

Diane Daniel trained as a classical dancer at the Hammond School in the UK. She spent over fifteen years as a professional dancer in Israel (The Israel Ballet) and Germany (Ballet Krefeld-Mönchengladbach, Tanztheater Heidelberg, Tanztheater Munster, and Tanztheater Freiburg). She is a certified Pilates, Gyrotonic & Grokinesis instructor.

Diane has worked with Alan Herdman at one of London’s most reputable Pilates studios. She also studied with Juliu Horvath in Germany for her Gyrotonic certification. She is a Pre-trainer in the Gyrotonic system and continues her education in Seattle with master trainer Karen Mullen.

Diane had her own private studio in Vancouver for over 20 years and now spends her time between Merida in Mexico and Vancouver.

 

Gyrokinesis with Diane Daniel

Gyrokinesis is a complete movement system, for all levels and ages, and can be applied to a variety of situations, as one needs very little equipment. It incorporates many key principles from yoga, dance, gymnastics and Tai Chi. The class begins with the practitioner seated on a low stool, utilizing self-massage and simple breathing patterns to awaken the body. He or she mobilizes the spine through a series of arching, curling and spiraling movements. The corresponding breathing patterns in every movement help to stimulate the nervous system and open up energy pathways.

 

Diane Daniel trained as a classical dancer at the Hammond School in the UK. She spent over fifteen years as a professional dancer in Israel (The Israel Ballet) and Germany (Ballet Krefeld-Mönchengladbach, Tanztheater Heidelberg, Tanztheater Munster, and Tanztheater Freiburg). She is a certified Pilates, Gyrotonic & Grokinesis instructor.

Diane has worked with Alan Herdman at one of London’s most reputable Pilates studios. She also studied with Juliu Horvath in Germany for her Gyrotonic certification. She is a Pre-trainer in the Gyrotonic system and continues her education in Seattle with master trainer Karen Mullen.

Diane had her own private studio in Vancouver for over 20 years and now spends her time between Merida in Mexico and Vancouver.

 

Art Lab

Sequential Artistic Explorations:

The Cosmic Doodle – Channeling your inner artist in pure color and line play. Pen, Marker, Paper and Go! 

The Magic Dot – Let the water do the work! Exploring the wonderful world of watercolor.

Fantasy Collage – Let your imagination be your guide! A little paint, paper, scissors and glue – the sky is the limit! 

Taking a Line for a Walk – Drawing exercises for people who don’t draw.  

Let it Rip! The landscape of the Ranch in torn paper collage, putting color to shape and imagination to observation to fashion your own interpretive landscape “paintings.”  

An award-winning painter and author, Erin Gafill has inspired people around the world with her inspirational art, heartfelt stories, and uniquely engaging teaching methods. Her work bridges art, craft, and community, weaving observation, intuition, and imagination into her painting, writing, teaching, and public speaking. A fifth-generation California artist, she was born in Big Sur, California in 1963, the daughter of a beatnik and a hippie and the great-great-granddaughter of Carmel’s first artist-in-residence. Growing up at her grandparents’ legendary restaurant, Nepenthe, a mecca for poets, bohemians and dreamers, she drew inspiration from its ever-changing cast of characters as well as the stunning and mystical beauty of the coast. Erin is the founder of the nonprofit Big Sur Arts Initiative, and a founding member of the Monterey Bay Plein Air Painters Association. In 2001 Erin was honored to serve as the first American Artist-in-Residence at the Hamada International Children’s Museum, Hamada, Japan. In 2009, she and her husband Tom Birmingham were named Champions of the Arts by the Arts Council of Monterey County and were honored by the United States Congress for their service to the community through the arts. Her exhibit Color Duets was the featured Spring/Summer show for the Monterey Museum of Art, Monterey, California, in 2022, and her solo exhibit, California Atmosphere, was featured this summer at the Morris Graves Museum of Art, Eureka, California. She is the author of a coffee table art book, Color Duets, with Kaffe Fassett, and a memoir about life/work balance, Drinking from a Cold Spring, a Little Book of Hope.

I Can’t Draw and You Can’t Too!

I have a secret to tell you. Right now, you already have all the skills you need to make sketching a satisfying life-long practice. Join me to see for yourself the habits you can develop that will make this practice an on-going part of your life. You’ll find that a drawing practice does more than fill scrap paper and sketch books with random images. It will give you a method to see things in a new way, and a habit of being more present to your surroundings. Like a puzzle, a game, or sports, sketching keeps you grounded in the here and now. It is a practice that will enhance mindfulness and attention…and it might even improve your drawing skills. Let’s learn some simple sketch exercises that are all you need to begin a lifetime of drawing enjoyment and satisfaction.

Finding a Way in / Finding a Way Out – Let’s learn to see together, let’s learn how to find a way into interpreting what we see through the language of sketch. There are so many ways to get started, we’ll try a few, and you’ll begin to find what works for you.

Portrait Roulette – For most of us there is nothing more intimidating than drawing another person. Let’s throw caution to the wind, pick up our pencils and take our new found skills of observation for a spin. We’ll take turns quick-sketching one another and see how satisfying it is to capture people on paper.

Fifty Shades of Green – Pine trees, Pepper trees, Azaleas, Olives, Avocados, Weeping Willows and a fresh cut lawn. They are all green! How can we use a limited palette of paints to respond to the greens we see and build a symphony of green. Starting with blue and yellow, and even muting it with a bit of red, you’ll discover just how beautiful an array of greens can be.

Only You Have Your Point of View – Learning to find satisfaction in sketching means learning to see the world in a different way. Today we’ll explore elements of composition and point of view. We’ll learn to eliminate distractions and how to place the point of interest on our paper. You’ll see how changing your view point, even just a little, can greatly enhance your sketching experience.

Putting It All Together – Now that we’ve gotten our feet wet, let’s take sketch to a new level. Using line and color we’ll compose a study from nature. We’ll look at simplifying the complex world and narrowing our point of view so that we can create a color sketch that captures a moment in time and renders it as a keepsake.

 

Tom Birmingham is an artist and photographer living and working in Big Sur, California. After years of being intimidated by the perceived rigor of developing drawing skills, he embarked on a sketch practice that immediately brought satisfaction and enhanced his experiences in his travels and his daily life. Tom is a founder of the Peninsula Sketchers in Monterey, California. He teaches line and watercolor sketch around the country and on his annual Italian sketch tours. For thirty years, Tom has taught creative expression in photography, theater, and visual arts to artists and novices, adults and children around the world.

 

Concertante with Violin and Cello

Taiwanese violinist Pei-Chun Tsai received her Doctorate in Musical Arts from City University of New York with the publication of her dissertation on the violin writing of Richard Strauss. She also holds Bachelor and Master’s Degrees in violin performance from The Juilliard School.

Founding director of the Campanile Music Festival at San Diego State University, Pei-Chun curates innovative residencies of visiting artists from across the country for her students. As a member of the San Diego Symphony since 2006 and violin lecturer at San Diego State University, Pei-Chun performs regularly with the SDSU chamber orchestra, and released an album of solo violin entitled Chaconnes in 2021 featuring the works by Tomaso Vitali, J.S. Bach, and fellow SDSU faculty composer Joseph Waters. Pei-Chun performs on a 2020 violin by Boston-based luthier Charline Dequincy.

Abe Liebhaber, from Santa Barbara, California, has performed frequently with the San Diego Symphony, the Santa Barbara Symphony, Camarada San Diego, as well as in chamber settings domestic and abroad. He holds a tenured position in the Arizona Opera and has performed for nine seasons with the Sarasota Opera in Florida. He received his degrees in music performance from University of California Los Angeles and California State University Sacramento. Abe is a trained violin bowmaker and restorer of fine bows, and enjoys teaching the craft at his workshop on Adams Avenue “Antiques Row” in San Diego.

GYROKINESIS with Andrea McGinnis

Andrea McGinnis is a certified GYROKINESIS® and GYROTONIC® trainer, licensed bodywork practitioner, former professional ballet dancer, and innovative somatic educator. Her multi-layered depth of expertise as an instructor is rooted in her lifelong dedication to the creative exploration and expression of movement.

Andrea first discovered the GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM® in her late teens, after sustaining a major injury/surgery during her career as professional ballerina with the San Francisco Ballet. Through training in this method, not only did she recover and her dance technique significantly advance, but an entirely new depth and way of experiencing movement began to emerge. Inspired by the profound impact on her own body, she soon began studying to teach this work with a variety of master trainers in the system.

In 2016 she became a certified GYROKINESIS instructor, and 2018 she was additionally certified in the GYROTONIC ® Method. She is also authorized to teach on multiple Gyrotonic apparatuses, including: the Pulley-Tower, Jump-Stretch Board, Gyrotoner, and Archway.

Bringing to her teaching a highly embodied and extensive experience of over 18 years of practice in these methods, Andrea has a passion for guiding clients from all walks of life on their journey of embodying their potential for freedom of movement and vitality of being. She specializes in working with dancers, athletes & performing artists; especially in regards to injury recovery & rehabilitation.

A Licensed Massage Therapist with a thriving private practice since 2012, she enjoys drawing upon her vast knowledge of the inner workings of the body and highly-developed sense of touch. Deeply impacted by the internal movement and breath work modality of Continuum, she has intensively studied this practice for over 15 years with a variety of master teachers, including its founder, the late Emilie Conrad. Andrea also continues to dance professionally, currently performing with SoulSkin Dance and Metamorphosis Ballet.

Andrea has offered individual and group classes in somatic movement and dance for over the past decade, and since becoming Gyrotonic certified, she has taught at several studios throughout the greater San Francisco Bay Area. She currently sees clients at her private practice in Marin, California at the studio, “The Flow Space”.

Harvesting Your Stories

Each one of us lives a life overflowing with stories. Our challenge is to find the time and place to harvest those stories and share them with others.

Well, this week is the time and Rancho La Puerta is the place.

We’ll be gathering in Oaktree – the perfect spot for stories – where you will find yourself telling stories you never knew you knew. Through a series of fun and low-key exercises, Joel will lead you on a journey to discover tales from your life – of the amazing people you have known, places you have been, and gifts you’ve been given, all swirling around moments of grace, laughter, and awe.

As you craft and share your stories you will be honing your story skills learning tips and techniques that allow you to turn the treasures you find into tales you can recount to others. Note that our focus is not on performing – no stress or stage fright here – but sharing, in a way that is both joyous and healing. This is, after all, Rancho LaPuerta.

Why Tell Your Stories?
The more stories you find, the more opportunities you will find to share them. Over the many years Joel has been teaching at Rancho La Puerta, here are some of the ways participants have put their stories to use:

  • Connecting to other Ranch guests in lively mealtime conversations
  • Returning home to share them with children and grandchildren
  • Harnessing them in whatever work they do in the world
  • Strengthening whatever work they do in the world, formal or informal, paid or volunteer
  • Healing through finding the throughlines – and meaning – in their lives

 

It was over four decades ago that Joel ben Izzy set off to travel the world, gathering and telling stories. Since then, he has performed and led workshops at hundreds of locations throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. In addition to recording and producing six award-winning recordings of his stories, Joel is the author of The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness (Algonquin, 2003). Now translated into 18 languages, this memoir recounts his remarkable and unexpected journey into the world of silence, woven together with tales from his travels.

Joel is also one of the nation’s leading story coaches, with a client list that includes The Federal Reserve Bank, Stanford University, and Pixar Animation Studios. He travels to Rancho La Puerta from his home in Berkeley, California. For more on Joel – and videos – see www.storypage.com.

Harvesting Your Stories

Each one of us lives a life overflowing with stories. Our challenge is to find the time and place to harvest those stories and share them with others.

Well, this week is the time and Rancho La Puerta is the place.

We’ll be gathering in Oaktree – the perfect spot for stories – where you will find yourself telling stories you never knew you knew. Through a series of fun and low-key exercises, Joel will lead you on a journey to discover tales from your life – of the amazing people you have known, places you have been, and gifts you’ve been given, all swirling around moments of grace, laughter, and awe.

As you craft and share your stories you will be honing your story skills learning tips and techniques that allow you to turn the treasures you find into tales you can recount to others. Note that our focus is not on performing – no stress or stage fright here – but sharing, in a way that is both joyous and healing. This is, after all, Rancho LaPuerta.

Why Tell Your Stories?
The more stories you find, the more opportunities you will find to share them. Over the many years Joel has been teaching at Rancho La Puerta, here are some of the ways participants have put their stories to use:

  • Connecting to other Ranch guests in lively mealtime conversations
  • Returning home to share them with children and grandchildren
  • Harnessing them in whatever work they do in the world
  • Strengthening whatever work they do in the world, formal or informal, paid or volunteer
  • Healing through finding the throughlines – and meaning – in their lives

 

It was over four decades ago that Joel ben Izzy set off to travel the world, gathering and telling stories. Since then, he has performed and led workshops at hundreds of locations throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. In addition to recording and producing six award-winning recordings of his stories, Joel is the author of The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness (Algonquin, 2003). Now translated into 18 languages, this memoir recounts his remarkable and unexpected journey into the world of silence, woven together with tales from his travels.

Joel is also one of the nation’s leading story coaches, with a client list that includes The Federal Reserve Bank, Stanford University, and Pixar Animation Studios. He travels to Rancho La Puerta from his home in Berkeley, California. For more on Joel – and videos – see www.storypage.com.

Harvesting Your Stories

Each one of us lives a life overflowing with stories. Our challenge is to find the time and place to harvest those stories and share them with others.

Well, this week is the time and Rancho La Puerta is the place.

We’ll be gathering in Oaktree – the perfect spot for stories – where you will find yourself telling stories you never knew you knew. Through a series of fun and low-key exercises, Joel will lead you on a journey to discover tales from your life – of the amazing people you have known, places you have been, and gifts you’ve been given, all swirling around moments of grace, laughter, and awe.

As you craft and share your stories you will be honing your story skills learning tips and techniques that allow you to turn the treasures you find into tales you can recount to others. Note that our focus is not on performing – no stress or stage fright here – but sharing, in a way that is both joyous and healing. This is, after all, Rancho LaPuerta.

HARVESTING YOUR STORIES – WORKSHEET
Bringing Stories Home…

Why Tell Your Stories?
The more stories you find, the more opportunities you will find to share them. Over the many years Joel has been teaching at Rancho La Puerta, here are some of the ways participants have put their stories to use:

  • Connecting to other Ranch guests in lively mealtime conversations
  • Returning home to share them with children and grandchildren
  • Harnessing them in whatever work they do in the world
  • Strengthening whatever work they do in the world, formal or informal, paid or volunteer
  • Healing through finding the throughlines – and meaning – in their lives

 

It was over four decades ago that Joel ben Izzy set off to travel the world, gathering and telling stories. Since then, he has performed and led workshops at hundreds of locations throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. In addition to recording and producing six award-winning recordings of his stories, Joel is the author of The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness (Algonquin, 2003). Now translated into 18 languages, this memoir recounts his remarkable and unexpected journey into the world of silence, woven together with tales from his travels.

Joel is also one of the nation’s leading story coaches, with a client list that includes The Federal Reserve Bank, Stanford University, and Pixar Animation Studios. He travels to Rancho La Puerta from his home in Berkeley, California. For more on Joel – and videos – see www.storypage.com.

The Writing Life

New York Times bestselling novelist, Amanda Eyre Ward, talks about novel and travel writing, with three craft lectures and a Q&A about the business of writing. Bring a notebook and leave the Ranch with a plan to write your novel or memoir! From identifying your story to narrative structure and exercises to get to the truth of your characters, Amanda will lead three workshops, culminating in a Q&A session where she will talk about publication, agents, and the business of writing.

Evening Event:
Amanda will speak about her life as an author and read from her new novel.

Three Craft Lectures and One Q&A:
Tell Me Your Story
A craft talk and exercises to help you get to the heart of your story, whether it be a novel or memoir. Let Amanda inspire you with a sneak peek into her process of inspiration.

How To Research your novel, memoir, or travel piece: Amanda talks about research trips and how to integrate research into her books without letting the research overwhelm the story.

The Three-Act Structure
Advanced craft workshop on the three-act structure, plot points, and identifying theme and important scenes in the novel. Amanda will bring a pack of index cards for each guest and lead a workshop on outlining guest own projects with her guidance.

The Business of Writing
Amanda will lead a Q&A about literary agents, foreign and film agents, TV shows, travel writing, and how to make a living as a writer. Bonus: how Amanda found out that Sandra Bullock had optioned her novel, the day Reese Witherspoon chose Amanda’s novel for her book club, and what it’s like to have work optioned for TV and film.

 

Amanda Eyre Ward is the New York Times bestselling author of Sleep Toward Heaven, How to Be Lost, Love Stories in This Town, Forgive Me, Close Your Eyes, The Same Sky, The Nearness of You, The Jetsetters, and The Lifeguards. Her bestselling novels have been a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick and featured in People Magazine, The New York Times, and more. Amanda publishes nonfiction in Travel + Leisure, The New York Times, Texas Monthly, and more, and publishes original work on Audible.com. Amanda’s work has been optioned for film and television and translated into fifteen languages. Her new novel, Lovers & Liars, will be published in May, 2024.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandaeyreward/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amandaeyreward

Jaeger & Reid Concert

. . . and the love between the singer, who sings the song well, and truly, and the audience, which has been waiting for the song, and knows it when they hear it, is a true love.” -Malvina Reynolds

Some of the best discoveries are made by accident and that’s what happened in the fusion of the musical talents of Judi Jaeger and Bob Reid. They unwittingly found that perfect harmony while standing next to each other at a music camp jam in the summer of 2015. Their musical spark quickly caught fire and was noticed by those around them – and the successful collaboration between Jaeger and Reid was born.

Judi grew up near Montreal, Canada, where her world was filled with music; her mother and brother sang and played guitar and she listened to Leonard Cohen, Peter, Paul & Mary, Pete Seeger and many others. She began her career as a performing songwriter as an expression of her loss after the death of her mother and has written songs for her local domestic violence prevention organization. Bob is a fourth generation Californian, and like Judi, Bob also grew up surrounded by music. Bob’s mom performed in coffeehouses in the 1960’s, while his father was a gospel concert promoter. Bob has been a California Arts Council Artists in Schools, performed at the United Nations in New York, in concert, at festivals and in schools across the United States. His original songs have been sung by Pete Seeger, Bill Harley, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer and many others. Bob was chosen by the Seeger family to perform at memorial concerts for both Pete and Toshi Seeger in New York. Bob has a keen eye for musicality, empowerment, appreciation of nature and social causes in his writing.

Jaeger & Reid have been performing around the United States, in Canada and France in a variety of venues, indoors and out, including house concerts.

Rooted in Beauty: Exploring Gardens and Gardening from California to Tecate to Your Backyard

Join California-based garden expert, Nan Sterman, for a week-long series on plants and gardens that are a feast for our eyes and our bellies.

Garden the Mediterranean Way: Cultivate Beauty in a Dry Climate
In this talk, Nan Sterman explores the unique challenges and opportunities of gardening in Northern Baja and most of California, which share a “Mediterranean” climate. Nan delves into the experience of living and gardening where summers are dry and rain falls in the cool months of the year.  She covers topics such as soil and sunshine, rainfall, plant selection, and techniques for creating beautiful, thriving gardens. Nan illustrates her insights with images of beautiful and diverse gardens, all united by the use of a Mediterranean plant palette.

California Dreaming: An Armchair Tour of the State’s Most Celebrated Gardens
Hold onto your gardening hats as we embark on an epic journey through California’s most amazing gardens! We start in the north, at historical Filoli estate to explore the historic orchards and formal gardens including a rare knot garden.

Heading south, we stop at private gardens to see an African-inspired grass labyrinth, a seaside meadow and native plant garden overlooking Carmel River, an historic Greene and Greene landscape, and the vegetable gardens at the home of Renee Shepherd, the creative genius behind Renee’s Garden Seed Company.

Our last stop is the California Botanic Garden in Claremont, California, the state’s largest and oldest native plant botanic garden.

By time we’re done, you’ll be searching airlines flights and planning your very own tour of California’s celebrated gardens.

Cultivate Flavor – Grow Your Own Kitchen Herbs and Spices
Say goodbye to the bland, store-bought spices gathering dust in the hidden corners of your pantry, and instead embrace the explosion of flavors from fresh homegrown herbs and spices. From their pungent punches to grassy notes, resinous richness, and peppery delights, fresh herbs and spices turn an everyday dish into a delicous masterpiece.

The good news is that many herbs and spices thrive year-round in pots on your patio or as permanent plants in your garden. In this captivating talk, Nan Sterman shares the secrets to growing your own garden herbs and spices. Discover how to “spice up” your garden with trees, shrubs, grasses, and more — a feast for your eyes that also tantalizes your taste buds.

Discover the Gorgeous Gardens of Rancho La Puerta
Nan Sterman guides you on an inspired stroll through the scenic gardens of Rancho La Puerta, pointing out exquisite garden compositions, carefully chosen plants, and the immersive design experience. She’ll explore the scenic interplay between the gardens and the surrounding mountains. Additionally, Nan will share valuable insights on applying the Ranch’s gardening approach to your own home garden, bridging the gap between inspiration and practicality.

 

Nan Sterman is a pioneer in sustainable landscaping. She is a plant expert, garden designer, botanist, and journalist, renowned for her work in low-rainfall climates like California. Nan’s latest book, Hot Color, Dry Garden, guides readers to create waterwise, color-filled gardens. Nan writes for major gardening publications and she speaks to audiences nationwide. She’s also creator of the award-winning Public TV show, A Growing Passion, that connects people, plants, and the planet. Her latest venture, Nan Sterman’s Garden School, supports home gardeners through classes, webinars, and peer communities, all aimed at cultivating thriving, environmentally friendly gardens. Learn more at www.waterwisegardener.com.

Pilates with Sarah Bertucelli

With a passion for holistic wellness and a deep understanding of the body-mind connection, Sarah Bertucelli is dedicated to transforming lives through the art of movement. As a proud member of the Rancho La Puerta family since 1996, Sarah brings a unique blend of expertise, enthusiasm, and creativity to the world of fitness and well-being. After receiving her BASI Pilates® accreditation under Rael Isacowitz’s direction (1999), Sarah subsequently joined BASI Pilates faculty(2003) helping to shape the future of Pilates education.Sarah’s dedication to spreading the benefits of Pilates reaches a global audience as she has been a part of the Pilates Anytime family since 2010. Her classes on this platform continue to inspire and empower individuals worldwide, making Pilates accessible to all.

When she’s not sharing her expertise around the world, Sarah calls Santa Barbara home. Here, she has cultivated her sanctuary – Del Sol Pilates – where she furthers the legacy of Joseph Pilates, nurturing the minds and bodies of her students. She brings her passion and knowledge from the world of dance and fitness to every class she leads. Her vast experience and artistry in these fields have enabled her to craft a unique approach to Pilates, blending elements of grace and strength, finesse, and fluidity.

As a Specialty Pilates presenter at Rancho La Puerta, Sarah Bertucelli brings a wealth of experience and a profound understanding of movement, wellness, and personal transformation. Her teaching is an invitation to embark on a journey of self-discovery, one that combines the core principles of Pilates with the elegance of dance and the vitality of fitness. Join her in this transformative experience and discover the power of movement in a way that only Sarah can deliver.

Pilates with Sarah Bertucelli

With a passion for holistic wellness and a deep understanding of the body-mind connection, Sarah Bertucelli is dedicated to transforming lives through the art of movement. As a proud member of the Rancho La Puerta family since 1996, Sarah brings a unique blend of expertise, enthusiasm, and creativity to the world of fitness and well-being. After receiving her BASI Pilates® accreditation under Rael Isacowitz’s direction (1999), Sarah subsequently joined BASI Pilates faculty(2003) helping to shape the future of Pilates education.Sarah’s dedication to spreading the benefits of Pilates reaches a global audience as she has been a part of the Pilates Anytime family since 2010. Her classes on this platform continue to inspire and empower individuals worldwide, making Pilates accessible to all.

When she’s not sharing her expertise around the world, Sarah calls Santa Barbara home. Here, she has cultivated her sanctuary – Del Sol Pilates – where she furthers the legacy of Joseph Pilates, nurturing the minds and bodies of her students. She brings her passion and knowledge from the world of dance and fitness to every class she leads. Her vast experience and artistry in these fields have enabled her to craft a unique approach to Pilates, blending elements of grace and strength, finesse, and fluidity.

As a Specialty Pilates presenter at Rancho La Puerta, Sarah Bertucelli brings a wealth of experience and a profound understanding of movement, wellness, and personal transformation. Her teaching is an invitation to embark on a journey of self-discovery, one that combines the core principles of Pilates with the elegance of dance and the vitality of fitness. Join her in this transformative experience and discover the power of movement in a way that only Sarah can deliver.

The Importance of a Ritual for Your Well-Being

Braided: A Journey of a Thousand Challahs
Dr. Beth Ricanati shares her journey from a stressed physician to making challah, writing a book and now sharing the Challah Practice™ with others.

Challah Practice™ Workshop
Dr. Beth Ricanati will lead us in two Challah Practice workshops where we will not only learn to make this beautiful bread together but also she will simultaneously share the important lessons of the Challah Practice that can help us reinforce healthy living behaviors. These lessons are based on her award-winning book, Braided: A Journey of a Thousand Challahs. The first workshop will be a dough-making workshop; the second workshop will be a braiding workshop and we will serve the finished challahs at dinner on Friday night for the whole community.

 

Beth Ricanati, MD, has spent her career focused on improving the well-being of her patient’s lives, in traditional medical clinics, wellness programs, and now as an author/speaker.  She has worked at the Center for Women’s Health Center at NY Presbyterian/Columbia Medical Center and at the Cleveland Clinic’s Women’s Health Center and in the Clinic’s Wellness Institute as Medical Director for a lifestyle modification program. Today she volunteers weekly at the Venice Family Clinic in Los Angeles, the largest clinic in the country for the underserved. For the last several years, she has been speaking (both live and digitally) around the country, based on the premise of her award-winning book, Braided: A Journey of a Thousand Challahs. Dr. Ricanati lives and works in Southern California.

www.BethRicanatiMD.com

@BethRicanatiMD

More About Wisdom Keeper Week

How I Became a New York Times Bestseller

How I Became a New York Times Bestseller: A Very Improbable Story
Please join us for a raucous evening of joy and laughter as Firoozeh Dumas recounts her improbable journey from stay-at-home mom to New York Times Bestselling author.  You may know Firoozeh from her books, her popular pieces in the NY Times or LA Times, or as a panelist on Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me. Firoozeh hit her career peak in July 2022 when she was a clue on Jeopardy.

Writing Workshop: How to Tell Your Story – Three sessions
Have you ever wanted to write your stories for your family or for publication? Firoozeh Dumas, author of two New York Timesbestselling memoirs will show you how can tell your story. Bring your questions! Bring your stories! Bring yourself! My classes are fun but thought-provoking and will stay with you long after you leave the room.

 

Firoozeh Dumas is a New York Times Bestselling author and humorist. She has written three books, articles for the New York Times, a one-woman show, pieces for National Public Radio and is currently working on a screenplay. Firoozeh is a storyteller who believes that everyone has a story to tell and everyone’s story counts. In addition to her writing, Firoozeh is active on the lecture circuit, traveling the world reminding her audiences that our commonalities far outweigh our differences, and doing so with humor.

Classmates

Can’t We All Just Get Along?
During the days leading up to World War II, five Cincinnati cigar makers in Manila played poker with President Quezon and High Commissioner McNutt. They developed a plan to help about 1300 Jews from Austria and Germany escape to the Philippines.

As a result, I came to be born there during the Japanese occupation and attended the American School with a multicultural group of classmates. Despite very different backgrounds and ethnicities we accepted one another for who we were. My book CLASSMATES tells our growing-up stories and how our lives were profoundly affected by this experience.

Documentary Film: Rescue in the Philippines
How the Cincinnati cigar makers, Philippine President Quezon and High commissioner Mc Nutt devised an intricate plan over the poker table to rescue 1300 Jews from certain death in Nazi concentration camps.

The Book Classmates
Introduction to the book and how my parents managed to escape Vienna and were saved against all odds through this ingenious rescue plan.

Surviving the War
The Japanese occupation and how my Manila-born classmates and I survived the war as babies. Our early childhood post war and some grade school memories at the American School.

How We All Got Along
The backgrounds of four very different American kids who joined the American School in junior high and had to adjust to a completely new culture. What those teenage years were like and how, despite the diversity, we all got along. That strong bond still exists today after more than sixty years. We reflect on who we are now and what it all meant.

Manila Ravaged in WW II pp 10-13
Suggested ReadingViewing.pages

 

Mary Brings Farquhar is a retired San Francisco Foreign Language teacher, who received the Outstanding German Educator Award in 1998. Mary has been a co-presenter at Apple’s MacWorld Expo in San Francisco and New York, where the topic was compiling and digitizing personal history stories, much like what she did here for the American School “family” of CLASSMATES. She appears in two documentaries about the Philippine rescue plan for Holocaust victims, Rescue in the Philippines and An Open Door, and has presented this little-known story to national and international audiences.

Matters That Matter® Standing At The Threshold: An Invitation to Transformation

Transformation is what happens when we allow ourselves to learn from and be changed by our experience. As we step into a new year we stand at a threshold, that space between what has been and what could be. Every threshold is an invitation to new awareness, growth, and transformation.

Join Molly Davis & Kristine Patterson for an inspiring and engaging week of reflection, exploration, and imagination. A time to take stock of where we’ve been, where we are, and where life might be calling us.

The Ranch offers that kind of rare spaciousness that makes room for slow wanderings and quiet wonderings, leaving guests refreshed, renewed, and ready to step out with more clarity, courage, and grace. Every Matters That Matter® session is designed to serve and enhance that renewal process.

 

Evening Program

Threshold Moments
There are such things as “threshold moments”. Those times when we are invited to step over fear and uncertainty and venture out into the unknown. Such moments invite us to be curious, and they call upon our courage. When we accept the invitation, we find our way to an even more authentic and full-hearted life. Come listen, reflect, and consider your own threshold moments…past, present, and future.

Workshop #1: Standing At The Threshold
If transformation is what happens when we are changed by our experience, then taking the next right step begins with a right understanding of where we’ve been and where we are now. Our lives don’t happen by accident. We participate in creating them every day and one step at a time. Join Molly & Kristine as they create a safe space for you to engage in some courageous thinking and thoughtful action planning.

Workshop #2: Discernment: The Practice of Choosing Wisely
Regardless of life chapter or circumstance, we can all be inundated with decisions, responsibilities, challenges, opportunities, and possibilities. Where to invest our time, energy, money, skills, and gifts? Where, how, and to whom do we offer what we have to give? This workshop introduces you to a practical discernment framework that will help you choose wisely.

Workshop #3: The 3×5 Card
Transformation often invites us to speak up in new ways. We can find ourselves in situations that test our ability to hold onto ourselves, say what we mean and mean what we say. Come discover how a small 3×5 card can become a mighty tool to help you communicate in a way that better reflects who you are and what matters to you.

 

Molly L Davis

Connector + Writer + Speaker.

“CONNECTING is my way of moving through the world, always on the lookout for ways to create deeper connections. With ourselves, one another, the Sacred, and the world around us. Connecting who we are with how we live is how it is meant to be.”

Molly is the author of the award winning BLUSH: Women & Wine, a book in which she explores why she often used wine as a classy looking way to cope with stress, dull pain, and avoid discomfort, and why others might do the same. And yes, she still loves good wine. The founder of Trailhead Coaching &Consulting, she helps people courageously step more fully into their own lives.

 

Kristine Patterson

Potter + Maker + Storyteller

“I HAVE COME TO UNDERSTAND that the beauty of pottery lies in its imperfections. The subtle variations and ridges in the glaze, the unique shapes born from a spontaneous touch of the hand – these are the elements that give my work character and authenticity. Each day as I step into my studio a sense of reverence washes over me.”

A few years ago, Kristine launched beanpole pottery in a quiet studio in her backyard. What started out as a hobby and way to process life, became a full-time business. She now ships her gorgeous, custom work all over the world. Each piece has a soul that, like ours, is perfect in its imperfection.

 

Kristine and Molly are the founders of Matters That Matter®, a partnership dedicated to inspiring people to live according to what matters most. Their powerful message has been heard at national conventions, annual fundraisers, and spirituality and wellness retreats. They co-authored the book Letters to Our Daughters. A collection of 44 letters from women around the world to their daughters, it illustrates the common threads that connect us in spite of our differences. Translated into three languages, this beautiful book was featured on the Oprah Show.

 

They’ve been best friends for almost 50 years.

Juice and Plant Based Recipes for Health and Healing

The Healing Power of Juicing
This presentation will show guests how to make juicing fun and easy. It offers an explanation of why we should juice and includes multiple studies on what juicing does for the body.

The 30-day Comprehensive Detox
This powerful presentation covers:

  1. Intestinal Cleanse
  2. Liver Gallbladder Detox
  3. Parasite Cleanse
  4. Kidney Cleanse
  5. Lung Cleanse
  6. Lymphatic Cleanse
  7. Lung Cleanse

How We Heal; The Anti-inflammatory Diet
This presentation will clarify how the anti-inflammatory diet is extremely important in healing and maintaining good health. It will offer suggestions of how to shop, prepare food, and eat out for achieving and  maintaining vibrant health.

 

Cherie Calbom, M.S. is a leading authority on juicing for health and detoxification. Known as The Juice Lady and America’s Most Trusted Nutritionist, TV chef and celebrity nutritionist, she has helped in pioneering the fresh juice movement around the world. Cherie is the author of 35 books including her bestseller Juicing for Life with over 2 million books sold. She holds a Master of Science degree in whole foods nutrition from Bastyr University where she sat on the Board of Regents for five years. Cherie has received two Lifetime Achievement Awards and was also awarded Juicing Expert of the Year 2019 by Global Health & PharmaMagazine. She was George Foreman’s nutritionist and the other spokesperson for the George Foreman Grills. Cherie has lectured worldwide on juicing, detoxing and fasting including consulting for the Royal Family of the UAE. She and her husband offer juice and raw foods retreats throughout the year.

Instagram: @juiceladycherie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thejuicelady
Twitter: https://twitter.com/juiceladycherie

 

Concert with Nicholas McGegan, Martha Aarons, Lev Polyakin, and Joanna Morrison

Chamber Music Concert with Nicholas McGegan, piano, Martha Aarons, flute, Lev Polyakin, violin, Joanna Morris, cello

 

Nicholas McGegan, British born conductor and performer, is now in his sixth decade on the podium. For 34 years he was Music Director of Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra in the Bay Area, as well as Principal Guest Conductor of the Pasadena Symphony, Artistic Director of the Göttingen International Handel Festival (1991-2011), Music Director of the Irish Chamber Orchestra, and in the 1990’s, Principal Guest conductor of Scottish Opera and the Drottningholm Court Theatre in Sweden. He has recorded over a hundred CDs specializing in music of the Baroque and Classical periods. He has directed orchestras all over the world and at such opera houses as Covent Garden. In addition to performing, he lectures regularly at the Juilliard School of Music and Yale. He has been a visiting scholar at Harvard. In 2010 he was made an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) for ‘services to music abroad’

 

Martha Aarons’professional career began with her appointment as principal flute of the North Carolina Symphony. Subsequently she played with the Cleveland Orchestra for 25 years. After becoming a freelancer, she performed often with the Philadelphia Orchestra. During this time, she appeared as guest principal flute with the Metropolitan Opera, Minnesota Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, and Mostly Mozart Festival. Ms. Aarons served as Artist Faculty with the Aspen Music Festival for 19 years. Her teaching credits include the Cleveland Institute of Music, Duke University, University of North Carolina/Chapel Hill, Oberlin College, Skidmore College, Shanghai Conservatory and Eastman School of Music. She has been soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra, North Carolina Symphony, Ohio Chamber Orchestra, and with the Aspen Festival Chamber and Festival orchestras. Her first solo CD, The History of the Tango, is recorded on the Azica label and additionally features pianist Frances Renzi and Grammy-winning guitarist Jason Vieaux. Her newest release is the CD Last Silence with violinist Lev Polyakin and pianist Frances Renzi. Martha is also an avid runner and has qualified for her fifth consecutive Boston Marathon in April 2025.

 

Lev Polyakin was appointed co-concertmaster of the Moscow Chamber Orchestra at age 21. In that position he was regularly featured as soloist. In the U.S. he served as assistant concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra, as well as concertmaster of the American Academy of Conducting in Aspen Music Festival. Lev has won several prizes in international violin competitions, including the Beethoven Prize in Carl Flesch in London, and Gold Medal and Special Prize in Brescia, Italy. In addition to solo performances with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, he has appeared as soloist with the London Mozart Players, Royal Philharmonic, and Cleveland Orchestra. Recording credits include Melodia, BBC, National Public Radio, and Decca. He is prominently featured on an album entitled Cafe Music comprising chamber music by Paul Schoenfield, which was nominated for a Grammy. Lev has a special interest in jazz and has recorded three CDs, entitled Russian Blue, The Other Side of the Road, and Christmas Kaleidoscope. He is also featured in the recent release by Azica Records entitled Last Silence, with flutist Martha Aarons and pianist Frances Renzi.

 

Cellist Joanna Morrisoncompleted her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music Degrees at Boston University. In 2007 Ms. Morrison won a position in the Honolulu Symphony and served as principal cello of the Hawaii Symphony from 2012 to 2015. Concert tours have taken Ms. Morrison to Japan, Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea as well as much of Europe and the United States performing under conductors including Zubin Mehta, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Leonard Slatkin, David Zinman and Manfred Honeck. Joanna was an acting member of the San Diego Symphony from 2016-2020. An avid chamber player, Ms. Morrison has collaborated with various artists and has studied under members of the Guarneri and Juilliard Quartets. She has received fellowships to summer festivals around the world including Verbier Festival where she served as principal cellist for the world tour with Charles Dutoit and Martha Argerich.