GRATITUDE
I am grateful to my extraordinary teachers, who include cellists Takayori Atsumi and Lynn Harrell, and conductor Dr. Kenneth Seipp.
Dr. William Steinberg, Music Director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra at the end of his distinguished career, was a major source of encouragement for me. After fleeing Germany, he became the co-founder of the Palestine Symphony Orchestra (now the Israel Philharmonic), where Toscanini discovered him and brought him to be his assistant with the NBC Symphony. Dr. Steinberg was a master of the Germanic repertoire, and he knew of my deep respect for him based on my awareness of being the first generation of Americans who could benefit from the influx of genius German immigrants before I was born. He invited me to his home each week so that I could ask interpretational questions about the repertoire we were performing.
Photo: Arizona Mentors, Takayori Atsumi and Floyd Denton
I owe a huge debt of gratitude to FLOYD DENTON (1914-2004), who was virtually a surrogate father to me. He was the visionary who founded the school music programs in Mesa, Arizona. His legacy paved the way for me to begin cello lessons when my family moved from Kansas to Arizona. As the founding conductor of the Sun Valley Orchestra (now the Mesa Symphony), Floyd handpicked music teachers and nurtured young musicians like his own son, Marc. When I was 16, Mr. Denton offered me the opportunity to solo with the orchestra, giving me a choice between the Schumann Piano Concerto and the Haydn D-Major Cello Concerto. Decades later, Mr. Denton was in attendance at my Metropolitan Opera conducting debut in New York City.
TAKAYORI ATSUMI (1934-2011) the pioneering Cello Professor at Arizona State University, played a pivotal role in my musical journey. When the iconic music building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright opened in 1964 (Gammage Auditorium), Mr. Atsumi was selected to be the first Cello Professor. His own story is remarkable – American G.I.s had discovered him in Japan and facilitated his studies at the New England Conservatory in Boston. When I was 14, I persuaded my father to drive me to audition for Mr. Atsumi, he generously offered me free cello lessons. Before long, I was able to pay him back in full, thanks to winning competitions established by Floyd Denton.
Absent from this photo is KENNETH SEIPP (1931-2025) the visionary director of the Lyric Opera Theater at Arizona State University. Dr. Seipp's impact on my career was profound – he entrusted me with my first opportunity to conduct an opera: Mozart’s Così fan Tutte. His willingness to give this to me was a testament to his generosity and faith in my budding abilities.