Mother's Day Musings

Some of my fans may find it interesting that in the early stages of my career, one of my mentors strongly advised me against getting married. When I announced that I was going to marry my classmate from the Yale School of Music, Steven Greene, a fellow pianist, she said, "Well, Ok, if you must....But just don't have any children". Such was the philosophy of the older generation about the sacrifices necessary to build and sustain a concert career. And at the time I didn't realize that she only offered me this advice because she believed so strongly in my talent; in my early 20's I was still insecure about my abilities and my potential, but winning some competitions, of course, helped considerably. However, in my typical fashion, determined to prove everyone wrong- I decided to to have children (not just one or two, but three!) at a relatively young age, and somehow was able to keep my career going throughout my 30's. What I can say now about Motherhood is that it changes a person in so many ways- and no matter that it may be the most difficult job a person could have- it is also one of the most rewarding. The depth of feeling and emotions one develops from raising children, teaching them, and imparting upon them all your of your knowledge, wisdom and love cannot be found any other way. And while it can make the pursuit of a concert career, or any career, that much more difficult, the enrichment it provides only serves to enhance one's creative powers. For me, being a Mother has made me a better person and a better musician than I otherwise would have been, even if it has diminished or slowed down the achievement of "success" that I might have had in my performing career had I not had any children. Mostly this is due to public perception, however. A public that thinks that women cannot "have it all". The silent discrimination, rivalry, jealousy that follows almost all successful women is only magnified if one tries to have children as well. The "Mommy Track" is a dreaded career path for many aspiring women who worked so hard to achieve so much, only to discover that their efforts will never be rewarded as those of their male counterparts. Today, on Mother's Day, I applaud all Mother's, and especially those who have, out of choice or necessity, also pursued professional careers of their own. In my own case, the musical successes of all three of my children has served to be not only a source of pride for me, but also as proof that my unfailing devotion to and passion for music has inevitably influenced and inspired them to study music and become musicians as well. There is no better compliment than having one's own children follow in one's footsteps! And as a teacher, I often feel the very same way about my students- they are my "musical children" as well, and I am always so proud of their accomplishments! Lastly, I want to make mention of the fact that in recent years, I have had the privilege of a wonderful mentor and friend here in Chicago: Mary Sauer, who is the Principal Pianist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Faculty Advisor at New Music School where I am on Faculty. She, too, is a Mother, teacher and performer. She served for over 30 years on the Faculty at DePaul University and has served as the Principal Pianist for the CSO for over 52 years- a most distinguished career and a most distinctive musician. Mary Sauer is one of the women I admire who has successfully managed to combine marriage, family, and a performing and teaching career, and she has served as a relatively recent inspiration for me to continue the pursuit of my performing career, and to fulfill my dreams. On this Mother's Day, I want to extend my thanks and appreciation to Mary Sauer.

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Music Hath Charms...

Music Hath Charms To Calm the Savage Beast... and more! Over the years I have come to realize firsthand that animals really like music...a lot more that the "experts" say they do. One article I read recently said that dogs do not appreciate music the same way humans do, because they hear sounds at different frequencies than the music we listen to. Well, I beg to differ. Because, now I am owner of my second dog ( in my adulthood), and both of my dogs, Chopin and Clara, without exception, seem to favor being right near the piano when I practice. Even if their bed is more comfy, they seem to really enjoy being close to the music. In addition, the wild fauna outside seem to come around with great frequency, even more so when I open up the doors and windows....When I was younger, living in my first apartment and preparing for my Carnegie Recital Hall Solo Debut, I hung a potted plant outside on my terrace. When I went to water it, lo, and behold, there was a birds nest in it. A couple of weeks later, I took it down to water it again, and (behold!), there were several little blue eggs in it. And then shortly thereafter, the little baby birds were hatched and they started singing, too! And I was able to watch them learn to fly right from my living room window! What an inspiration, I must say! Now, as I am preparing the Schubert Trout Quinet for a May 19th concert- all the high notes and trills seem to be attracting a ton of songbirds right to my backyard! ( Who needs a bird feeder?!) When I practice they chirp and sing, and when I stop, they stop! It's really kind of amazing! You see, even before there were composers, there were birds, and trees, and rivers, and there is a music in the natural sounds of our earth! If only we would take time to listen to the ubiquitous symphony going on all around us! What a joy to listen to! The "sound of silence" is actually not so silent afterall!

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Happy to report the recent success of two good friends!

Dear Fans, I like to keep in good musical company, who doesn't? And with that in mind, I am happy to announce that two friends of mine- one, a fellow pianist who I know from our days at Chautauqua Music Festival, and one a young protege who I have coached, accompanied and mentored for several years, have both won First Prizes in their respective categories of the 2013 Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition. If you recall, last year in 2012 I won First Prize in this same prestigious Bradshaw and Buono Competition in the Professional Category. So, I offer public congratulations to, Jame Behr, who is also a marvelous composer, and to the young Floridian pianist, Nadia Azzi, who is now a student at Juilliard Pre-College in NYC. Bravo to both of you and good luck in the Winners' Concerts on May 19th! I am sorry I cannot be there to cheer you on! Susan

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Monthly Engagement Contest! April Winner is Misha Turov! May Contest has begun!

To show my appreciation to those of you who respond to my posts, actually listen to my audio recordings and watch my youtube videos, and to encourage your feedback and comments, I have decided to sponsor a contest which I hope will be fun! Everyone loves contests, right? A choice of either my Retrospection or Classical Style CDs, or a T-shirt or Travel Coffee Mug will be awarded to the ONE FAN who posts the most number of comments on my youtube videos, or Facebook Page Posts, in a single month, starting immediately with the month of April 2013 and continuing indefinitely, at my discretion. Please understand that without knowing the amount of response I will have, I may not be able to respond back to each of you in a timely fashion. But I plan to announce the Winner on the 15th of every month and will re-post this announcement on the first of every month. In order to receive your prize, you must provide me with a valid mailing address at that time or you may forfeit the prize, if you prefer. So please visit: http://www.youtube.com/user/susanmerdinger. CD Awards may be viewed on my website http://www.susanmerdinger.org under the tab "Online Store", and merchandise may be viewed at my ReverbNation Online Store. https://www.reverbnation.com/store/artist_3018051 Good luck and thank your for your participation and support! Susan Merdinger

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MONTHLY ENGAGEMENT CONTEST FOR MY FRIENDS AND FANS!

To show my appreciation to those of you who respond to my posts, actually listen to my audio recordings and watch my youtube videos, and to encourage your feedback and comments, I have decided to sponsor a contest which I hope will be fun! Everyone loves contests, right? A choice of either my Retrospection or Classical Style CDs, or a T-shirt or Travel Coffee Mug will be awarded to the ONE FAN who posts the most number of comments on my youtube videos in a single month, starting immediately with the month of April 2013 and continuing indefinitely, at my discretion. Please understand that without knowing the amount of response I will have, I may not be able to respond back to each of you in a timely fashion. But I plan to announce the Winner on the 15th of every month and will re-post this announcement on the first of every month. In order to receive your prize, you must provide me with a valid mailing address at that time or you may forfeit the prize, if you prefer. So please visit: http://www.youtube.com/user/susanmerdinger. CD Awards may be viewed on my website http://www.susanmerdinger.org under the tab "Online Store", and merchandise may be viewed at my ReverbNation Online Store. https://www.reverbnation.com/store/artist_3018051 Good luck and thank your for your participation and support! Susan Merdinger

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Celebration and What's Next!

Dear Friends and Fans, It was a whirlwind week of five concerts in seven days with the Elaris Duo- Steven Elisha and Larisa Elisha. Our concerts were so well-received, and we already have standing invitations to return for more concerts together in the near future. The Elisha's made it safely back to Georgia, and I made a trip to Rochester, New York, to hear my daughter Sarah Greene's Junior Viola Recital at the Eastman School of Music. SHe certainly made me very proud with a magnificent performance- one of the best performances I have heard of Hindemith's Viola Sonata Op. 11, No. 4 and Kenji Bunch's 3G's- an exhilarating, jazzy, virtuosic tour-de-force! Wow! With not a moment to spare, I even managed to log in a couple of hours of solo practice while at Eastman, prior to returning home Chicago. ( And just in the nick of time- my American Airlines flight took off just moments before they grounded all the flights due to the total computer systems crash). Knowing this before we boarded, I wasn't entirely thrilled with the prospects for a safe flight, but we made it! Now, I am deep into preparation and rehearsal for two important concerts I have coming up. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chamber Music Series performance on MAy 19th at the Art Institute, and my SOLO ORCHESTRA DEBUT at the Harris Theater on June 14th with the Chicago Philharmonic under the direction of the Italian conductor, Mattia Rondelli. Please visit www.cso.org to order tickets for the May 19th All-Schubert Concert and uicroboticsurgery@uic.edu for tickets to the Harris Theater June 14th event!

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SAVE THE DATE! June 14th- Harris Theater of Music and Dance- Chicago

Dear Friends, Family, Fans and Colleagues,

I am pleased to formally announce an exciting event which I am so very proud to be a part of, which will take place on Friday June 14th in Chicago!

As many of you know, science and medicine have always been a deep interest and passionate cause of mine, and I am now contributing my talents to support a truly amazing program at the University of Illinois-Chicago School of Medicine- the Robotics Surgery Program.

This program represents state-of-the-art advancements in surgery, with a potential to save many lives by treating and curing many people surgically in a safer and less invasive manner.

Sponsored by University of Illinois-Chicago and the Italian Consultate, the daytime event will feature a conference for medical professionals, and the evening will feature a CONCERT FUNDRAISER at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in downtown Chicago.

The concert will feature works by Italian and American composers, performed by one of the top professional orchestras in Chicago- the Chicago Philharmonic, under the direction of the distinguished Italian Conductor and SONY Classical artist, Mattia Rondelli, and featuring "yours truly" as the Piano Soloist for the evening.

I will be performing Louis Morreau Gottschalk's patriotic work, "The Union" and his entertaining "Grande Tarantella", in addition to one of George Gershwin's most beloved and well-known works, "The Rhapsody in Blue"!

Please save the date for this event- as I hope you will be able to contribute something to this cause, and also support me in my Chicago Orchestra Debut! The Harris Theater seats 1500 people, and it is our goal to make sure the hall is completely sold out!

Please feel free to share this with your own personal contacts- especially those interested in the culture of music, art and medicine!

My best regards, Susan

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The Elaris Duo Comes to Chicago today through April 14

Dear Friends, The renowned Elaris Duo- Cellist Steven Elisha and Violinist Larisa Elisha, arrive today for five concerts with me here in the Chicago area. Our program will feature the magnificent Brahms B major Piano Trio, Op. 8 and works by Mozart, Ravel, Chopin and Liszt... Check out the concert information on my website and right here on ReverbNation! April 7, 9, 10, 11, and 14!

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New Track of Mozart's Piano Duo Sonata in C, K. 521

Dear Friends, I have just uploaded a live recording of myself and my husband, Steven Greene, performing the 3rd movement of Mozart's gorgeous Sonata in C, K. 521 for One Piano, Four Hands. We'd love to know what you think about this recording- would you like to hear it with more reverb added? Does it come across well on your computer in this mp3 format? How do you like our interpretation? We are hoping to re-record this on a Steinway Piano for our next CD. It is one of our favorite classical piano duets- we hope it is yours, too!

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Summer Piano and Chamber Music Study in USA ans Europe

Come study with Piano and Chamber Music me at two wonderful music festivals: Burgos International Music Festival in Spain and Summit Music Festival in New York. These are world-class festivals designed for serious students from ages 14-30 years old. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me! Check out my website: www.susanmerdinger.org

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