Here is a photo of one of our student groups performing as part of the Blanche Bryden Summer Institute at the Sunflower Music Festival in Topeka, Kansas!  Check out the big crowd!  Congratulations to all the groups on your wonderful performances!

Onstage at Musashino!

The koi pond and Japanese garden at Esprit Francais where we performed a concert on June 1st.

It was so moving to perform for a disabled audience in the community as part of our TAN outreach series in Tokyo. Seeing the emotions on each persons face as the music of Schubert and Beethoven touched them, was life changing for us! Even more amazing,  the residents of Rainbow House run a French Bakery–these pastries looked and tasted fantastic!

We had lots of help with our “Black Angels” performances in Tokyo.  They spoiled us with their staff of 20, helping to set up the audio equipment as well as the extra instruments.  What will we do without them next time?

Sandy poses with the NHK truck prior to our American program in Tokyo.  NHK is the equivalent of an ABC, CBS or NBC.  They were taping our performance for future broadcasts.

We were greeted by lots of fans after each of our concerts in Japan, seeking autographs.  They love their autograph collections in Japan!

This is after our concert with Lynn.  It was a great experience to perform with such a master.

Sandy and Daniel saw the coolest thing in Frankfurt: a roaming beer hall with pedals for the guests to pedal while the whole thing rolls down the street with one guy steering, the others drinking!

Josh toasts Herr Gerd Pelkmann, an old friend from our student days.  This is at his wife and his restaurant, Christa’s Taverne in Weikersheim, Germany.

Congratulations to our cellist Josh Gindele on his engagement to Rebecca Glenn Pate!

Daniel and Brian…8 am…the Airport

The Old Square in Frankfurt

Josh hanging out in Weikersheim

The backstage list in Frankfurt

Our flight was canceled yesterday due to the volcanic ash over Europe.  We are hoping to get out today, though, the lines at the airport are quite epic.  Here is a pic of the line (4 hours before we hope to fly out).

Last week in Washington DC we performed our Quartet “A La Carte” program–a programming concept where the audience votes on what movements we play on the second half from a “menu” offered to them before the intermission.  Here is a photo of a volunteer from the Dumbarton Concerts tallying the votes during intermission!

This past week, we had the opportunity to coach some fantastic and talented groups at the Peabody Institute of Music in Baltimore.  One of the very talented groups we coached was a piano trio consisting of Wan-Chi Su (piano),  Yifan Zhou (violin), and Ekachai Maskulrat (cello).  Here we are with the trio after our performance!