Concerts in the Alps

The villages are beautiful – we begin our concert tour in the Alps.

Light Show in Bern

My final evening in Bern, I joined my hosts for the Rendez-vous Bundesplatz sound and light show!

The Stately Parliament Building was transformed.

Countdown to the show!

The walls dissolved…

And great energy emerged…

And then, the Matterhorn mountain appeared…

And we journeyed into the fairytale world …

After the story, a dance party!

I send a heartfelt Thank you to my hosts for sharing Rendez-vous Bundesplatz with me!

Sunday’s NZO Gala Concert in Bern

Oh, my  goodness, Sunday was warm and sunny!  After a full day of performances on Saturday in Zurich, there is a second very full day of performances in Bern.

Walking to the theater, it was a treat to discover children playing in the dancing fountain on the Bundesplatz.

Bundesplatz fountain

The second open house concert day was held in the Konzerthaus in Bern.

There were 11 blocks of music, beginning at 10 am.  Each block had a distinct focus, and began on the hour.  Various lengths of intermission between the blocks allowed the audience the flexibility to come and go. An enthusiastic core of music lovers stayed from the initial violin solo by Vivaldi in the morning until the final note of a Mozart piano concerto echoed into silence in the evening. The day was a musical journey. Solos and concertos, quintets, choirs and orchestra, new music and familiar tunes were performed by colleagues and friends, all organized by the Director of the NZO, Martin Studer.

Konzerthaus in Bern

Konzerthaus on Casinoplatz in Bern

The day was of dancing fountains, clouds in organza ribbons, and winter coats open to the October sun. To sit as if to be quiet and to feel the stirrings of music was to hear the songs of the angels around us.

Konzerthaus in Bern

It was my pleasure to perform again with the NZO, presenting the Copland songs and an aria from Handel’s Messiah.

Preparing for my performances, it was quite special to have the key to the Soloist’s dressing room!

Backstage at the Konzerthaus

Gala NZO Concert in Zurich

I was excited to join the Neues Zücher Orchester in their Gala Concert in Zurich.  For the celebration of their 25th Anniversary, the NZO organized a day long open house concert at the Tonhalle.

Making my way to the theater, I enjoyed views that reminded me of Venice.

Zurich on Saturday morning

An then, there it is, the magnificent Tonhalle.

Zurich Tonhalle

In one way or another, performing space such as theaters and churches reflect the performers’ sound. What makes the Tonhalle special is that it sings with the performer.

Zurich Tonhalle

It was my honor to perform Handel and Copland in this fine hall.

Colors of Autumn in Bern, Switzerland

I am thrilled to be invited as one of the guest soloists with the Neues Zürcher Orchester as they celebrate their 25th Anniversary with Jubiläums Festakte October 2015!

Enjoying also a bit of free time, I visited the Rose Garden on a hill just outside of Bern’s old city.

The view of Bern from the Rose Garden.

The walk to the Rose Garden is quite steep! (Here I paused to catch my breath.)

In addition to the colorful autumn leaves, there are valiant summer roses blooming.

I bought me a cat

It was great fun singing “I bought me a cat” as an encore during my tour with the Neues Zürcher Orchester. Here is the encore from the concert in Zürich.

The cat is our Vinny – he is from South Philadelphia!

A time for all things

What a great experience it has been. Of course, Switzerland itself is beautiful. Traveling by tram, train, and car the images that I have in my memory are of calm valleys and pristine lakes, tall snow banks in the mountains, and spring flowers emerging on a pilgrim’s path. In addition to being wonderful musicians, my colleagues in the NZO proved themselves to be kind and thoughtful people. During our journeys together on this 10 concert tour, they were patient with my language skills, thoughtfully looking out for me, making sure I didn’t get lost on my way to rehearsal, and also sharing their stash of hand warmers with me when we performed in historic churches that were a little chilly! It was indeed an honor for for me to be a part of this music-making team.

Final concert

From my room outside of Bern

One final day of sight seeing in Bern

It was my pleasure to show Arthur the architecture of Bern. We climbed the tower of The Münster and enjoyed both the view of the city as well as the sculptures on the tower itself.

Tower of The Münster

Climbing above the rooftops of Bern

One of the builders of The Münster

Weekend Concerts in Lenk & Saanen

Our 10 concert tour concluded with concerts in Zürich, Lenk and Saanen. The church in Lenk was recently renovated and has wonderful contemporary windows! These two are over the altar and quote Psalms 121. Lenk and Saanen are in the Jura Mountains.

“I lift my eyes to the Mountains” – in the renovated church in Lenk

“from where will my help come” – Psalms 121

The Mauritiuskirche in Saanen

Everywhere is a picture

View from the window

Mauritiuskirche in Saanen

My blog corner

Jane working on her blog, Bern, Switzerland

This morning Arthur took this snapshot of me working on my blog!

Sight seeing northwest of Bern

On Thursday my host showed me the town of Biel/Bienne (two names, one German, one French). The architecture there is a catalogue of styles from the middle ages to the 1930s – each in its own distinct district. A particular treat was the waiting room in the train station. The entire room is original from the 1923 construction. After our visit in Biel, we walked a pilgrimage path in the vineyards above the village of Twann.

Allegorical mural from the train station in Biel.

Jugendstihl architecture in Biel

1930s Assembly building built by the workers community in Biel – similar to the PSFS Building in Philadelphia

Similar to the PSFS Lobby in Phiadelphia

The coat racks

Pilgrims’ path through the vineyards above Twann