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January 01, 2012 - hopes and dreams
 

I wish you a very happy 2012!
Happy New Year!!!

May all you hopes and dreams come true.

Yes, I know...it is ridicules how much time has passed since last time writing for this blog. I have no excuses. These days being busy is a disease that everyone is suffering from. And it is not even that I have nothing to report either. 2011 has been a good year for me with many amazing concerts. Alone, as well as with great chamber music colleagues in fun repertoire, playing every imaginable instrument one can think of...piano, violin, viola of course, but also double bass, tuba, trumpet and percussion. I actually have no excuse other then keeping up with a blog just didn't happen. .

Considering the current cultural and economical situation it is amazing that 2011 has turned out to be such a successful year for me. You may have heard, or know about what is going on in Dutch culture. Culture has been in severe difficult weather globally, and very much so in the Netherlands. Orchestras and concert halls barely get  time to adjust to the new situation of major budget cuts, 13% tax raises and to top it all off,.. a second recession that is weighing down the cash flow of selling tickets. In 2011 series were dropping concerts and sometimes entire concert series did not survive the financial troubles at all. 

The only downfall last year was the cancellation of a CD with my pianist Maarten den Hengst that was planned for recording early 2011. Unfortunately, the sponsors felt the consequences of the recession as well. A real pity.
We’re very enthusiastic about the project, a CD with some of the better known ‘top hits’ of the cello repertoire that’s s going to be sold in combination with an exclusive French wine. It can still happen íf we’ll find a way to get funding (anyone..?), but for now…hopes and dreams…hmmm, who knows it will happen in 2012. 

On a personal level I’m very pleased that the new series of the Posthuis Theater (the Pamela Smits and Friend Concerts) is doing so well in its second year. Recently I have had a couple of meetings with the CEO of the Theatre discussing the future of and direction we plan to take with the series. So far so good…we are continuing for next year and I’m in the middle of programming with every intention to create another beautiful series of concerts with terrific players.

The only downfall last year was the cancellation of a CD with my pianist Maarten den Hengst that was planned for recording early 2011. Unfortunately, the sponsors felt the consequences of the recession as well. A real pity. We’re very enthusiastic about the project, a CD with some of the better known ‘top hits’ of the cello repertoire that’s s going to be sold in combination with an exclusive French wine. It can still happen íf we’ll find a way to get funding (anyone..?), but for now…hopes and dreams…hmmm, who knows it will happen in 2012.

I wish for everybody to live their lives without fear for losing his job or savings, and realize your hopes and dreams. I wish everyone good heath, inspiration and lots of music…ánd thus attending often concerts, so I can contribute and realize my hopes and dreams as well!! ;-)

Pamela
 

May 31, 2010 - CD projects and personal series..
 

Last couple of months I’ve been very busy – and still am- with a couple of projects that will come to fruit in the more distant future. At this moment pianist Sabine Simon and I are busy listening to the takes of our CD which is scheduled for release in the close by future. This CD was supposed to be released earlier, but the project was delayed tremendously due to various reasons. Because listening to takes is such a time consuming work it was not an easy feat to find the time to do this when we had to reschedule. However, the first signs are very promising that we will have a good feeling about this CD soon to be released.

While one CD is still at the final stages of deciding on which takes, the next CD project is already in process with planning and scheduling concerts and recording dates, this time together with Dutch pianist Maarten den Hengst. Maarten en I have played this season for the first time a few recitals and chamber music concerts together. Our cooperation went so well that we decided to continue on these results and make it more permanently. Unfortunately in this stage I cannot tell you more about it, but there are concrete plans for 2 joined CD projects in the near future. I will elaborate more when I can reveal our plans.

What I can share with you now is the news of having my own series, starting this coming season in Heerenveen, the Netherlands! A while ago I was approached to help set up a new classical music series in Heerenveen, together with Theater the Posthuis and a winery named De Oude Wijnhoeve. The idea was to have a concerts series with great music played by top musicians, preferably embellished with added disciplines in a low key setting, where audience and musicians can interact in a nice atmosphere. Of course I was immediately game for that! Ideas were pouring out in how to realize this, and after talking to the people directly involved it was apparent we shared the same vision of ‘classical music concerts’.

This series goes by the name ‘Pamela Smits Friendsconcerts’. I do hope they will come up with a cool name in the future, but the pr. department decided this name to be the best suitable. There are 7 concerts programmed at two different locations. Three concerts are in the Posthuis Theater -a beautiful theatre with nice acoustics that fits around 400 people- and four concerts in De Oude Wijnhoeve, a farmstead with gorgeous ambiance and acoustics -where regularly wine tastings are host- which can host over 100 people. Besides having 3 concerts in which I will play myself, I also programmed the entire series and invited all the artists. Supercool to do!! After every concert there will be a wine tasting on occasion combined with catering. These wines will be selected to fit the music on the program. Almost all musicians will speak on stage about the music, and after the concert there will be a ‘Meet and Greet’ where the audience can mingle with the musicians with food and wine. Some musicians will play in this low key setting some more music as a surprise.

I’m very happy and proud how this first edition of the series has turned out;
Sunday afternoon 3 October 2010 the Pentachord Ensemble will open the series with on the program Schubert’s Trout quintet and several duo’s in diverse settings.
Saturday evening 30 October 2010 Duo Macondo: Mikhail Zemtsov, viola and Enno Voorhorst guitar with on the program Latino music, but also Kreisler, Paganini and Takemitsu.
Saturday evening 11 December 2010 I will give a Cellorecital together with my recital partner Maarten den Hengst. On the menu is among others Poulenc and Chopin.
Sunday afternoon 9 January 2011 ‘Carte Blanche for clarinetist Arno Piters’. Besides Arno violinist Nienke van Rijn and pianist Jeroen Riemsdijk will join him. Arno and Nienke are members of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Besides the Poulenc clarinet sonata, Bartók’s Contrasts is on the program.
Saturday evening 19 February 2011 German pianist Sabine Simon will play a solo recital in collaboration with the international artpaintress Maryleen Schiltkamp who will give an exposition with gallery talk. Schumann Carnaval en Ravel Miroirs are among the pieces.
Saturday evening 2 April 2011 with TV2: Canadian tubast David Kutz and Italians percussionist Nando Russo in a varied spectacular program. Both musicians are principals of the Netherland Philharmonic.
The seasons closing concert will be Sunday 15 May 2011 together with an internationally flavored group of colleagues. Violists Sarah Oates and Melissa Ussery, viola Richard Wolfe and Emi Ohi Resnick and besides myself Atie Aarts cello in Tschaikovsky’s ‘Souvenir de Florence’ and Mendelssohn’s 2nd stringquintet.

I’m looking forward to it already!!! For more info www.posthuistheater.nl 
I hope to one day meet you at one of the concerts in the audience of this series!!! 

Pamela

 
 

January 05, 2010 - 'The Year 2010'
 

I hereby would like to wish everybody who is taking the time to read this -and thank you for your interest and doing so- a happy and inspirational 2010 in good health! A new decade, a new leaf!

Previous year has been an interesting year on many levels, globally as well as personally. The world economic crises certainly has made its impact and we all had to scrutinize personal, national and international affairs. Let’s hope greatness will come out of all of that, transforming 2010 into the beginning of a new Era. The year of rebuilding and a bright longstanding future.
 
On a personal level I was pretty crushed when an amazing Grancino cello came on my path for me to play on and purchase, but unfortunately I was unable to keep it. It was too expensive and the recession did not help my cause. Even though I accepted its loss fairly quickly, it took some time for my heart to lament and reconnect with my own beloved Italian cello. Nowadays rare instruments are so expensive that this generation of performing musicians is not likely anymore to own an instrument without the aid of investors or a Maecenas. Heart wrenching..
 
Due to the economic crises classical music all over the world suffers and is trying dearly to recover or even survive from some big blows. Faithfull sponsors are struggling to make ends meet and many had to pull the plug, often after decades of financially donating to the arts, thus creating a domino effect. Orchestra’s, chamber music series and concert organizers all over the world struggle for existence. Coming next season some long standing great concert series will no longer exist! In my case 5 recitals cancelled or postponed the recital in England and Germany!! A novelty in my career. I truly hope that is one and only time I’ll have to experience that..
 
2010 starts on a positive note for me as some great concerts are coming up. Performances with big master pieces like the Brahms sextet, Schubert’s string quintet and Trout piano quintet. All of them with wonderful colleagues I have not performed with before. Something to look forward to!
 
A dear colleague recently wrote me the following words that resonated with me and I hereby would like to pass this on to you: “May it be a year filled with opportunities to find fulfillment in many aspects of your life and may you enjoy good health above all. The simplest of blessings are often the most cherished."
 
Thank you Denis, well said..
 
Pamela Smits