Iowa update part II (Brad)

One of the most exciting things about this tour was the opportunity to perform close to home.   We were even able to take up residence at the Ottesen house in Davenport, IA for a day.  For those of you who don’t know, I come from a very large family.  There were eight of us Ottesen kids, and we all studied music – including an unusually high percentage of violists.

When I was growing up, you could easily pick out our house on the block - it was the one with all the lights on at night and music pouring out of every window.  The piano was constantly in use, a rotation beginning before school and ending around 10:00 every night.  Once all the members of the quartet were sequestered in their bedrooms and furiously practicing away, the house hummed with string noises much like it always had. 

Breakfast for a hungry quartet is just like any other day in this household.  Here’s Mom Ottesen whipping up a batch of Grandpop’s pancakes…

And here’s my sister Katie frying a pan full of bacon – home cured and smoked by her husband Joe!

Our concert in Fairfield IA was also attended by my first teacher, William Preucil.  Bill and his wife Doris have raised generations of musicians through the Preucil School of Music in Iowa City, including all 8 Ottesen siblings.  I owe much of my love of music to the gentle guidance of my teachers, I can only hope to pass on some of what I’ve received.  Thank you Bill and Doris!

 

Bill was the violist of the Stradivari Quartet at a time when there were very few professional American string quartets. As longtime faculty at the University of Iowa, they were one of the first major string quartet residencies in the country.  No doubt they traversed many miles of the same country roads that we are now on!

This is very cool:  The University of Iowa has made the complete archives of the Stradavari Quartet recordings available online here.  This is over 30 years worth of quartet performances of the highest caliber. 

Iowa update part I (Becky)

Iowa has been a delight.  Davenport was our first stop, where we enjoyed the hospitality of Ruth and Jim Ottesen and got a glimpse of Brad’s childhood stomping ground. [More to come from Brad himself in an upcoming post!] Fabulous food, lively conversation, and perusal of many childhood photos of our Bradley ensued.  


This is a particularly soulful shot of young Brad:

I loved that Ruth offered us all giant glasses of milk to accompany our dinner (!).

The concert at the Washington (pronounced WaRsh-ing-ton) Community Theater was followed by a lovely reception at a board member’s home, where we got to take in the marvelous stories of the folks around us.  Alpaca farms, trips to Africa, and the history of their arts organization were all topics of discussion over sloppy joes and those delicious corn-flake peanut butter thingies!  [Anne thinks she may have found a recipe here.]

The next day's afternoon concert at the Sondheim Center in Fairfield was spectacular.  The hall had a particularly nice acoustic for us, and the audience was engaged and lively.  Brad had family in attendance as well as special guests William and Doris Preucil, who drove over from Iowa City.  Bill was Brad’s first teacher, and the Preucil School saw 25 years of sustained involvement from Clan Ottesen!  I think he was quite pleased about how this particular Ottesen turned out ;).

My favorite post-concert comment was from 94 year old Frieda Goldstein, who is a self-described afficionado of “pure sound:”  “That was like drinking champagne!!”  I got the sense from her son that Frieda hasn’t had any champagne in some time.

Fairfield is a center for the study of Transcendental Meditation at Maharishi University, which has inspired artistic activity, an impressive array of ethnic restaurants, and a population that is reported to be 30% vegetarian!  Not what one would expect in the middle of Iowa, but if anything becomes clear on a trip such as this, it’s that one should definitely bring along an open curiosity and few assumptions.  Lovely people endeavoring to make the world a better place through music, hospitality, and connection is the common thread I’m seeing.  Cheers to everyone in the little towns making the effort to host cultural events that make their communities richer!

Outside the Sondheim Center:

The cherry on top was our accommodations at a gorgeous historic B&B called the MainStay Inn.  This beautifully restored home was filled with exquisite objects and artwork everywhere you looked - a lovely oasis from the Super 8 motels on the side of the highway.

Onwards to Kansas!