The internet home for our spring, 2010, stay in Riga, Latvia, while Bill teaches at the Jazeps Vitols Latvian Academy of Music as a Fulbright Scholar. This is not an official U.S. Department of State blog. The views and information presented are our own and do not represent the Fulbright Program, C.I.E.S., the U.S. Department of State, the Jazeps Vitols Latvian Academy of Music, or Northwest Missouri State University.
We have really enjoyed the warm, sunny weather here. It was especially nice as the family Ričardsoni took the train to the seaside city of Jurmala!
Our stay in Latvia has included many "firsts" for the little ladies, including seeing the first beach and lots of first public transportation experiences (tram, train, trolley bus, taxi...you name it). May 15 was the opening day of tourist season, complete with a parade and lots of activities at the beach.
We also took a fun trip to Bauska with the Retenais family (Iveta, Janis, and Krists) to see Bauska Castle and the automobile museum.
We also spent some time checking-out the Rundale Palace Garden, just a few kilometers away from Bauska.
For May, Bill's Fulbright-related activity included a trumpet/organ recital at the historic Lutheran Church in Jelgava with organist Kristine Adamaite, a repeat performance of Bob Chilcott's "Peace Mass" at a Baptist Church in Riga, a performance at the Anglican Church service, and brass-playing master classes (sponsored by the Latvian Ministry of Culture) in the towns of Cesis, Rezekne, Riga, and Ventspils. Of course, this is in addition to teaching trumpet students at the Jazeps Vitols Latvian Academy of Music and the Jazeps Medins Riga Music School. Congratulations to JVLMA trumpet student Janis Ivuskans, who successfully completed his trumpet exam this week!
Here are some pictures:
Kristine Adamaite and Viljams Ričardsons in Jelgava
Sarah's first game of Solitaire...SHE WON!!!!
Riga's Saint Peter's Cathedral
Stylin' and Profilin'
Visiting the Open-Air Ethnographic Museum with Becky and Carl Chaplin
Because there were several Latvian holidays that conveniently lined-up at the end of April, the Richardsons decided to take a vacation to Austria!
We stayed with our "host family," longtime family friends Heidi and Wolfgang Roessler, in Vienna. Here are some pictures of our first outdoor picnic at their home:
The Roesslers' two children, Bettina and Bernie, are both physicians in Vienna. Bernie and his wife, Lucia, have a little boy named Moritz. Bettina and her husband, Herbert, have three children: Josh, Jekab, and Emma. They also have a trampoline!
Somehow we left Vienna without pictures of some Roessler extended family members, but here's Bettina hanging-out at her folks' house.
On Friday, April 30, we traveled downtown and, like tourists (it takes one to know one!) we took a horse-drawn carriage ride to check-out all the sights. Heidi and Emma joined us, and Helmut was our driver.
Each of the ladies (those under the age of 9) got to ride "up-top" for a brief time!
Big fun...
Heidi and Emma left us to our own devices that afternoon, so we toured the Vienna Hofburg, residence of the Habsburg ruling family for over six centuries. The location featured an extensive display of the Imperial Silver Collection, a museum exploring the life of Empress Elisabeth, and a tour of the 19 state and private rooms of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth.
The hand-held recordings were a big hit for the whole family, and we learned a LOT! Of course, it helped to sit and take some time to digest the material...
The Richardsons tend to take a bit more time than the average museum-goer. Afterward, we saw some street entertainers.
Next, we visited St. Stephan's Cathedral, including a nice elevator ride to the very top. One of us was almost ill from vertigo, but we'll never reveal her identity!
Our next adventure was experiencing Vienna's public transportation system (subway, train, and bus) to get back to the Roessler's home. With detailed written instructions from Heidi, we experienced no problems.
Saturday we traveled to Hallstatt, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the shadow of the Austrian Alps (http://www.hallstatt.net/). With historical artifacts dating back to 12,000 BCE, this is home to the first known salt mines in the world.
With Heidi, Jekab, and Emma, we traveled up a very steep lift on rails and put on some very stylish protective clothing, followed by a tour inside one of the mines. It was really interesting learning about the importance of salt from a historical perspective, and this was a very interactive way to do it!
On Sunday, we traveled to the the ice caves at Dachstein (http://www.dachsteinwelterbe.at). After taking a long cable-car ride through the clouds towards the top of the mountain, we took a short hike to the entrance of the cave.
We learned how limestone is more easily influenced by water and ice than other types of rock, which is one of the main reasons these caves exist. Spending time inside these natural structures certainly gives one a sense of something bigger than one's self! Honestly, pictures don't do it justice, but here's one anyway.
We had a great weekend in the Alps! On Monday, Leah joined Emma at her kindergarten class while Bill, Niki, and Sarah visited the "Haus der Musik" (http://www.hausdermusik.com). Monday afternoon Leah joined us as we visited the summer home of the Habsburgs, Schoenbrunn Palace (http://www.schoenbrunn.at/en/). While the palace itself was amazing, this site has the most incredible exterior, complete with numerous gardens, mazes, and pathways.
Monday evening we attended a performance by the "Schoenbrunn Palace Orchestra" performing music by Haydn, Mozart, and Strauss. The concert was outstanding and we had a great time.
Tuesday we visited an apartment house designed by Austrian artist and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser, who had some very original ideas about bold colors, non-symmetrical forms, and environmentalism in his designs and artwork.
We then visited his museum (http://www.kunsthauswien.com) and were impressed with his original ideas and use of color.
On Wednesday, Sarah joined Jekab at his school for a few hours while Leah attended kindergarten with Emma.
Bill attended a master class by Norwegian trumpeter Odd Lund at the University of Vienna and was reminded that the brass-playing world is incredibly small...
We left Vienna on Thursday, May 6, and made it back to Riga. Our vacation was fantastic and action-packed with lots of great company. Many thanks to the Roesslers and their family for a great time!
Last week the JVLMA and Latvian Brass Association hosted the first annual Riga International Brass Symposium. Featured artists for the week included Swedish tuba player Michael Lind, Danish trombonist Mogens Andresen, Dutch trumpeter Reijer Dorrestein, Swiss horn player Olivier Darbellay, and American trumpeter William Richardson! Each morning was a 2.5-hour master class, with open lessons and performances in the afternoon and evening. Here's legendary tuba player and teacher Michael Lind demonstrating breathing exercises on Tuesday, April 13:
Bill's new friend Reijer Dorresteijn taught trumpet lessons and "tag-teamed" for the trumpet master class on April 12th. Reijer is a super-nice guy and a fantastic player and teacher.
Here is trombone player Mogens Andresen working with Dutch trumpet student and symposium participant Eline Beumer during his master class:
Here is the group of performers for the "Teacher's Recital" on Tuesday, April 14:
From left to right - Olivier Darbellay, Reijer Dorresteijn, pianist Herta Hansena, pianist Lauma Zutere, Janis Retenais, pianist Ieva Dzerve, pianist Ilze Dzerve, and William Richardson.
Here is a video of Bill and Ilze performing Legende by Georges Enescu (click here) at this recital.
Thursday, April 15, featured a concert of brass soloists with the Jazeps Medins Riga Music School Wind Orchestra. Here's a video of three trumpeters who traveled from the Netherlands (Jordi Lensink, Ruben van Schijndel, and Eline Beumer) performing Leroy Anderson's Buglers Holiday, Andis Karelis conducting (click here). Olivier Darbellay also played on this concert (click here).
Here is a video clip of Andante et Allegro by J.Guy Ropartz (arranged by David Marlatt) with Janis Retenais conducting (click here).
The Latvian Brass Band
The final concert for the Brass Symposium was on Saturday, April 17, featuring the JVLMA Brass Ensemble and the debut performance of the Latvian Brass Band. Here is a clip of the brass band performing Diogenes by Jacob de Haan, Andis Karelis conducting (click here). Bill's friend Edgars Svembergs plays trumpet in the Latvian National Opera and soprano cornet in the LBB (click here). Bill has played flugelhorn in the brass band since January and was featured on Black Velvet (click here). We're also "embracing the swing" here in Riga! (click here)
Of course, the party afterward is often an important part of these types of events. Big fun! Congratulations to event coordinator Janis Retenais, the JVLMA, and the Latvian Brass Association (website here) for an outstanding week of great brass playing and teaching. We know that this annual event will continue to amaze and inspire brass players in this corner of the world. Prieka!
