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Improvisational Artistry and Resilience Reign as Juilliard Visits Wyoming By CHRISTOPHER MOSSEY AND AWOYE TIMPO
Juilliard students and alumni are known the world over for their exceptional talent, dedication, and resilience—qualities that were abundantly displayed and put to the test on the weekend of August 16. That weekend, staff and students of The Juilliard School traveled to Jackson, Wyo., to hold a performance and dinner for 80 performing arts enthusiasts at the home of Juilliard trustee (and alumna) Julie Choi and her husband Claudio Cornali. Although everyone was prepared to accommodate the whispers of possible rain over the course of the weekend, the "Blackout of 2003" was a most unexpected player in the event.With the Grand Teton mountain range as a backdrop, the late afternoon event on August 16 captured the casual and free-spirited attitude for which Jackson is known. A fresh breeze from distant thunderstorms greeted guests as they entered the backyard of the Choi/Cornali residence, dotted with tables topped with bright white linens and baskets of autumn-colored flowers. The deck functioned as a small stage, and the Steinway grand piano adjacent to a cord of cut wood painted a particularly "Jacksonian" image. President Joseph W. Polisi welcomed guests with brief remarks about Juilliard's upcoming centennial in 2005. Musicians from Juilliard's Jazz Studies program—pianist Adam Birnbaum, trumpeter Brandon Lee, and drummer Ulysses Owens—were joined by area bassist Robert Tueller and treated summer and year-round residents of Jackson to an inspiring performance of jazz standards.
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| The back deck of trustee Julie Choi’s home served as a stage for a jazz performance by Adam Birnbaum (piano), Brandon Lee (trumpet), Ulysses Owens (drums) and Robert Tueller (bass). (Photo by John Brecher) |
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The Juilliard administrators traveled to Jackson on August 14, leaving just prior to the blackout, to host a lunch for the 18 Juilliard alumni in the Grand Teton Festival Orchestra. The presentation in Jackson the following day was to have featured four musicians from Juilliard's jazz program—but only three managed to arrive.Taking in stride the challenges of spotty cell phone coverage, a shortage of drivers for the van service, unpredictable traffic, chaos at LaGuardia Airport, and flight delays on August 15, Adam, Brandon, and Ulysses valiantly met the charge to perform. The lack of electricity at LaGuardia allowed for hand-inspected, carry-on luggage only; passengers with checked baggage were not allowed to board the plane. Alas, this prevented Juilliard bassist Matthew Rybicki from traveling, and he accompanied his bass back to Manhattan (with the help of an extremely generous dispatcher at Mirage Limousine, who—despite the fact that so many drivers were absent that day—personally picked Matthew and his instrument up at the airport). Ulysses Owens was forced to travel with only his drumsticks and the clothes on his back. (In a spirited gesture, Matthew also returned home with Ulysses' suitcase, which was too large to carry on the plane.)Left with no suitable performance attire on August 16, Ulysses—arguably one of the more fashion-conscious of Juilliard's jazz musicians—went on a shopping excursion with Anthony Newman, the vice president of development and public affairs, and Christopher Mossey, associate director of The Campaign for Juilliard. Tempted to don traditional Jackson couture—a bolo tie, jeans, and boots—he ultimately settled on a more conservative look for the performance, courtesy of the Gap.Stepping in to play string bass with less than 24-hours' notice, Robert Tueller, a professor of music at Brigham Young University in Idaho, completed the quartet and was warmly welcomed by Juilliard's jazz musicians. The outcome of Juilliard's entrée to Jackson was brilliant, thanks to the determination of students in Juilliard's jazz program.Juilliard is grateful to Julie Choi and Claudio Cornali for so generously supporting the event in Jackson. Special thanks also to Juilliard trustee Lester Morse and his wife, Dinny; Kitty and David Turquie of Jackson; Daynes Music Company of Midvale, Utah, for donating the delivery and use of a Steinway piano; and Universal Music and Sony Classical, for donating compact discs that were given to the guests. Christopher Mossey is associate director of The Campaign for Juilliard; Awoye Timpo is administrative assistant in the Campaign Office.
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