April, so far, has been great for me: I am meeting new people, playing some interesting concerts, and am happy to finally be reunited with Ross for a couple of weeks. However, it is a little bit bittersweet as I worry and empathize with friends, both here and at home, who are dealing with loss, depression, and other stresses. I feel continually reminded of the many people who I love, and who love me, and am so grateful for them, and for all of my good fortunes. I am resolving to act more graciously, to be more open and generous to those who are different, or who need help. I can get pretty shy, and sometimes I am not the supportive friend, helpful colleague, or generous stranger that I wish I could be...
I’m happy to report that it seems like Ross and his parents are having a great time in Sarajevo so far. In just a few days, they have already found their way around the city, and seen almost as many sights as I have in the course of 7 months. I showed them the Pivnica and the trail in Ilidza that leads to the Vrelo Bosna, but Ross’s parents have pretty much found everything else they’ve seen (and eaten, of course) all on their own, without speaking any Bosnian. I'm impressed!
In the meantime, Ross has been practicing a lot to prepare to for the guitar festival that starts on Thursday, and I have had a few philharmonic and quintet obligations. Yesterday, the Sarajevo Philharmonic played two performances of Peter and the Wolf. I always enjoy putting on my duck earrings and watching young children get so excited about classical music. Unfortunately, right after the shows, I started feeling a bit sick, and have had to take it easy since then. I am quite annoyed to be sick for the second time in a month, because there is so much to do!
April 6th marks the 20th anniversary of the siege of Sarajevo. There are commemorations and memorial services taking place throughout the city. My quintet is playing in a chamber concert tomorrow at the Holiday Inn to honor journalists who were killed during the war. We are collaborating with some strings players, including Vedran Smailovic, who is known as “the cellist of Sarajevo”. He, along with other members of his string quartet, became famous during the war for a photograph of them playing in the ruins. Vedran became even more famous because of a mostly fictional book that uses his identity, titled “The Cellist of Sarajevo”. A lot of my friends and family read the book, and wondered what really happened to him. It turns out that Vedran is alive and well, though he no longer lives in Bosnia. This will be his first performance in Sarajevo since the war!
I finally met Vedran Smailovic at our rehearsal yesterday, and was surprised and amused when he walked in with very long hair and black leather pants. It’s quite a change from how he looked in the famous photographs. Anyway, he seemed very nice, and I look forward to playing with him tomorrow. I feel humbled, knowing it is a big honor to be playing this commemoration amongst so many musicians that have survived the war, gotten on with their lives, and had such successful careers. I can never truly relate to such experiences, but I am trying to overcome my ignorance and read as much as I can about what happened during the siege of Sarajevo. There have been some great articles published today, approaching this 20th anniversary. I’m including the links to the two that I found the most informative.
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