2015 Fall newsletter
- 1. Notes from the Piano Bench Washington International Piano Arts Council (WIPAC) Established 2001August 25 D Fall 2015 Volume X Special Edition * No. 8 In This Issue Autumn Leaves * Message from The Chairman of the Board From the President WIPAC GALA Highlights and scenes Black Tie Club Activities in another Art Form Greetings for a happy birthday to JOHN GARDECKI And Melissa beale WELCOME to the Wonderful World of Music Autumn Leaves….The beauty of Nature Robin Phillips shared Momsandguns's photo. Message from the Chair ……………………………… Fall they say, Autumn I prefer….whatever is best, it is a beautiful time in our America when trees, grass and leafy things change its colors from green to yellow, orange, red, burgundy, as the photo above shows! WOW, the amazing part of nature. Now the beauty of life is music and WIPAC is busy with it! Our season began with the 2015 Fall Piano Concert Series Part I at The Kosciuszko Foundation Center last September featuring pianist extraordinaire Eric Himy who performed four Chopin Ballades in less than 50 minutes! Part II was another all-Chopin program performed by the winningest pianist Michael Slavin, who holds all major competition prizes from Paris, Washington now Warsaw!!! And the evening that was…November 13, Fall Gala at the OAS. What a night! So many people to thank, Carmen, Mickey, Nicole, Nancita, Darlene, Robin, Diane to name a few! Big hug to all….. Chateau Gardecki, WIPAC Board Chair and Founder (100 Most influential Women in the U.S. of Phil. Descent 2011 Filipino Women’s Network)
- 2. WIPAC QUOTE “Music gives a soul to the universe… Wings to the mind, Flight to the imagination and Life to everything.” Plato Category of Links WWW.WIPAC.ORG Calendar of Events Call 703 728-7766 Notes as a Rose Radio Classique 2015 Kosciuszko Foundation Center 2025 O Street NW Washington, DC From the President Dear friends of WIPAC, I cannot believe we have moved past the beautiful fall already.The foliage had turned into magnificent colors but the days are definitely getting cooler now, as we are preparing for our Christmas party which will be on December 11 at the Slovakian Embassy. Thinking back to the summer and our Festival of Music-- and the great time we all had listening to our pianists perform the most wonderful music. I must mention again, our three time winner Michael Cheung, who was the crowned performer of the festival. This brings me to our fabulous WIPAC gala at the OAS. The success of this gala will help us continue to bring piano music to the Washington area and make the music flourish. We had a great turn out with ticket sales for the gala. The evening was a total success. We had wonderful auction items, which brought in some funds and we had donations .But most of all I appreciate the great support of all the friends of WIPAC. Without their dedication we cannot succeed. As always, I would like to thank Chateau and John Gardecki, for their leadership and their good work. They surely are a treasure. Again, thank you for joining us at the OAS, on November 13. We had a wonderful dinner from Catering Solutions and a great band to keep us on the dance floor. Last but not least a big thank you goes to the board, our Gala Chairs, the Committees and our volunteers for making it all possible. Have a wonderful Holiday season. Warm regards, Clayton Eisinger President ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CLAYTON & SUSIE EISINGER WITH JUDY AND STEPHEN BAER Rhoda and Leila Rita, Chateau, Robin & Randy Rhoda and Melissa
- 3. Special Acknowledgement Matching Grant Donors Reinsch-Pierce Family Foundation Richard Lounsbery Foundation Donors and Patrons Mr. & Mrs. Rand Allen Harriet Becker Diane Bohn Mr. & Mrs. Ben Cox Michael & Portia Davidson Susanne & Clayton Eisinger Dr. & Mrs. Leslie H. Fenton G. Austin Hay Lloyd & Valerie Huff Tehmina Khan Angeles de Leon Khanna Susan Lehrman Mr. & Mrs. C Braxton Moncure Robin Phillips Jacqueline Ohrstrom Lola C. Reinsch Mr. Charles Silverman Dr. Joyce Hagel-Silverman Jean Wigham WIPAC DIPLOMATIC Friends H.E. the Ambassador of Bulgaria Elena Poptodorova H.E. Francois Delattre, the Ambassador of France to the UN H.E. the Ambassador of the Philippines Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. and Mrs. Vicky Cuisia Link to a Web page www.wipac.org “An Evening of Culture and Music of the Americas” A night to remember…I’ll say! By Chateau Gardecki WASHINGTON, DC (November 14, 2015) – The huge grand ballroom, the Hall of the Americas at the Organization of American States (OAS), came to life during the Washington International Piano Arts Council (WIPAC) Annual Gala fundraiser. Beautifully dressed women and distinguished men started to mount the regal staircase of one of the most elegant buildings in the nation's capital. Entering the hall, the setting was elegant and tall flower vases created by Rhoda and Jean adorned the tables. WIPAC members and volunteers all dressed up ready for “An Evening of Culture and Music of the Americas.” Held under the gracious patronage of the Organization of American States Secretary General Luis Almagro and co-chaired by the Ambassador of the Philippines H.E. Jose L. Cuisia Jr. and Madame Vicky Cuisia in cooperation with the OAS Credit Union, WIPAC hosted the evening dinner-dance to benefit the Festival of Music and the 14th Washington International Piano Artists Competition in July 2016. As Bolivian Jazz player Bernandino Crespo serenaded gala goers, champagne flowed and silent auction tables filled with wonderful items opened for bids at the magnificent OAS foyer/veranda overlooking the beautiful Aztec Garden below. The festivities began on time as Gala M/C Chas Henry introduced WIPAC President Clayton Eisinger, who opened the program by acknowledging the distinguished guests of the evening. Carlos Calderon, Gala Chair then welcomed WIPAC guests to the OAS for this special evening. Representing the Philippine Ambassador who was out of town, Chargé d’Affaires, Patrick Chuasoto took the lectern to share a letter from His Excellency which read, “I am honored to be one of the WIPAC Co-Chairs for this year’s 14th annual gala. It is my hope that WIPAC remains committed to promoting cultural understanding by inspiring professional and non-professional artists to share their talents with audiences in all walks of life. The citizens of my country have a special love for music, and I hope that one day soon, WIPAC will expand its talent search to Manila.” Chas then called on pianist, Thomas Pandolfi, who reversed the original order of his program and performed George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” which is reminiscent of “American in Paris” at the same time that Paris was in turmoil! Without alarming our guests who are mostly “Francophiles,” it took all the will power that I had to avoid making any specific reference to it. Thank You Thomas! You are truly an American pianist! Pandolfi closed his program with Chopin’s “Revolutionary” Etude, and we all gathered strength! Même pas peur! He is a Juilliard School graduate, and as Joe David described, “brightened the evening with Fryderyk Chopin’s Etude in C
- 4. The 2016 Festival of Music and The 14th Washington International Piano Competition is annually presented In cooperation with the George Washington University music department, the Kosciuszko Foundation ♪♪♪ Special Guests and Patrons Leeda and Rand Allen Lola C. Reinsch J Almont Pierce Ms. Robin Phillips Friends Harriet Becker Mike & Portia Davidson Lloyd and Valerie Huff Diane Merriam Wei Ling Wang Washington International Piano Arts Council Diplomatic Council H.E., the Ambassador of Bulgaria Elena Poptodorova and Mr. Georgi Petrov H.E., the Ambassador of the Philippines and Mrs. Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. H.E. the Ambassador of Portugal Nuno Brito and Mrs. Rosa Batoreu Honorary Board Leeda and Rand Allen The Honorable & Mrs. Robert Blackwell Dr. & Mrs. Leslie H. Fenton G. Austin Hay Tehmina Khan Maria Carmen and Peter Mermagen J. Almont Pierce Lola C. Reinsch Carol Rudman Dr. .Joyce Hagel-Silverman Minor. His extraordinary musical virtuosity has been enjoyed in countries around the world where he has had an opportunity to perform to distinguished crowds.” The moving piano performance was followed by the beautifully costumed Morenada Bolivian Dancers magically transforming the ballroom into a colorful extravaganza of dance, which had the entire audience rising to their feet to join in. What a sight to behold! Dinner was served and the Angels and Aces began playing music, prompting guests to dance. After dinner, Chateau Gardecki, WIPAC’s Board Chair and Founder, presented appreciation gifts to Chas Henry and Thomas Pandolfi for their participation and support of the gala. As a token of gratitude, Chateau presented a Certificate of Appreciation to WIPAC Parliamentarian, Michael Davidson, for his contribution as Chairman of the Piano Competition Jury for 6 years running, whilst Carlos Calderon was honored with a Certificate of Recognition for his support and cooperation in making the gala possible at OAS. To add excitement during the gala, Portia Davidson masterfully auctioned off three items live, which included “Tea in the Afternoon” for 20 guests with H.E. Elena Poptodorova, the Ambassador of Bulgaria, at her residence, won by Susie Eisinger’s group. A wonderful addition was a basket donated by Madame Leila Beale, wife of H.E., the Ambassador of Barbados, John Beale which provided “A Taste of Rum from the Island of Barbados.” This ended up on the table of Clayton Eisinger. Topping all these is a note from H.E., the former Ambassador of Iceland, Helgi and Madame Heba Augustsson wrote: “Although we cannot be with you again for the WIPAC Gala this year, we will raise our glasses in a toast to you on Friday night. We have always had such a wonderful time with you and having you as friends was very valuable and dear to us. I wish we could dance with you at the Gala once more!” Guests enjoyed the company of other diplomats and special guests such as Ambassador Jacinth Henry- Martin, Chief of Staff to OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro; H.E. Ambassador of the Commonwealth of Domenica Hubert Charles and Madame Sylvia Charles; Shahin Mafi, Founder/Trustee of the Azar Foundation for Children of the World; WIPAC Honorary Members Rand and Leeda Allen and Tehmina Khan; WIPAC Benefactors Lola Reinsch and Al Pierce, and WIPAC Board Member Robin Phillips. Special Thanks to Carmen Stull for sustaining the fort! Big, big thanks to Jan DuPlain, Joe David and Patricia McDougal and to all our volunteers headed by Caroline, Mary and Nancy. Additional thanks to Mickey Nedelcovic, Gala Co- Chair, for securing roundtrip tickets for two to any Salvadoran city from Aristides Luna of Avianca Airlines won by Nicole D’Amecourt! It was certainly a night to remember!
- 5. Executive Board Chateau Gardecki, Chair and Founder Clayton Eisinger, President Diane Merriam – Vice President Jean Wigham, Treasurer Portia Davidson, Secretary Chief Financial Officer John Gardecki Board Members Harriet Becker Ma. Salve Bernabe Jeanne Blackwell Nicole d’Amecourt Susanne Eisinger Zelmira B. Nedelcovic Robin Phillips Judith Ramage Parliamentarian Michael Davidson, Esq. Diplomatic Liaison Rhoda Septilici Artistic Advisory Board Jerome Barry, Frederic Chiu John Gardecki, Eric Himy Stuart Isacoff Raymond Jackson Tzvetan Konstantinov Contact: WIPAC 3862 Farrcroft Drive FAIRFAX, VA 22030 Use PayPal link For all donations www.wipac.org Gift Giving Form Available at www.wipac.org ♪♪♪ IN MEMORIAM Barry Dalinsky November 18, 2015 Condolences and Prayers to the Dalinsky Family Bolivian Morenada Dancer! G. Austin Hay with Harriet Becker, Board Member Bill Detty and Lola Reinsch Sipping champagne Jan DuPlain with Portia and Mike Davidson^^^ <<<< Nancy Dunton with friends enjoying the scenes Highlights of the Gala Evening, November 13 Bill Detty, Regina & Martin Donelly & Lola Reinsch << Jean Wigham, Melissa & Leila, Frances Berkman
- 6. WIPAC NEW MEMBERS H.E. the Ambassador of Fiji Winston Thompson and Mrs. Queenie Thompson Amb. & Mrs. Paul Hartman Jan Anderson Kazuko Bach Malia Baduw Elaine Bainbridge Caroline Baker Bari Berger Diane Bohn Patricia Chapell Craig & Eva Coleman Gabriela Coman Jennifer Coombs John Curd Joseph David Lisa Dickelman Salvatrice DeLuca Marlies Diehl Pernille Elbech Nick & Patti Gardecki Luz & Jack Gregory Shelly Harlow Tehmina Kahn Ioanna and Paul Lee Barbara & Warren Lewis Hal Matson Camilla McCaslin Jesse Morrow Jan Phillips Eva Salmoiraghi Wayne & Linda Sharp Sheila & Tom Switzer Lynn Theismann Pauline Thompson Mr & Mrs Lars Thunell Eberhard & Veronika von Loehneysen Contact: WIPAC 3862 Farrcroft Drive FAIRFAX, VA 22030 Highlights & Scenes at the Gala H.E.Ambassador of the Commonwealth of Dominica Hubert and Sylvia Charles with the Gardeckis and Bolivia dancers leader **** Sheila Switzer, Chateau Gardecki Rosario Montes. Carlos Calderon and Shahin Mafi Elaine, Robin and Alix toasting to a night of friendship, music and culture Bulgarian Ambassador Elena Poptodorova with Tehmina Khan, Mr. Georgi Petrov, Regina****Dr. Vic Lorica, Carmen Stull and Martin Donnelly **Philippine Embassy Charge d’Affaires Patrick Chuasoto^^ Celebrating Birthday and Anniversary!! Birthday boy John Gardecki with only Son Nicholas who joined the gala with lovely wife Patti as the auction live spotters celebrating 17 th wedding anniversary. Thanks Guys!
- 7. Use PayPal link For all donations www.wipac.org Gift Giving Form Available at www.wipac.org Pay here for Lady WIPAC bid! She is framed and ready to be hung in your chosen spot at home Great idea to use old unwanted piano. Gala Accoutrement Invitation, menu and party favors BLACK TIE ANNUAL MEMBER DINNER at Congressional Black Tie Club. It was a lovely evening always! We danced, danced and danced some more. This dinner was always well-attended by members. Former WIPAC Executive Officers Charles and Joy Silverman (ex BTC President) who just recently moved to Naples, Florida flew to Washington to be present. They have not missed this dinner-dance by Black Tie since becoming a member. The evening began with an hour Cocktails and dancing ensued as soon as guests were beckoned to their tables as Angel and Aces band started playing. Congratulations to Helen Gordon, elected President and to other newly elected officers. NOTICE MEMBERS PRESENT - CROSS POLINATION, HEH? Thus event is featured in WIPAC Fall Newsletter. Highlight of the evening was the turn over at the helm. Robert Gair**Charles and Dr. Joyce-Hagel Silverman**Mickey Nedelcovic & Paris Singer John & Chateau Gardecki **John and Marta Sewall ^Robin Phillips & Randy ***^^ with Phil & Maureen Martin Roffman John Dassoulas and Judith Ramage ----------->>
- 8. The Festival of Music 2016 & The 14th Annual Washington International Piano Artists Competition CASH AWARDS Grand Prize Debut Recital -The Kosciuszko Foundation Center First Prize - $ 2,000 Second Prize - $ 1,000 Third Prize - $ 500 ♫♫♫ TROPHIES First Prize Piano Second & Third Competition Certificates ♫♫♫ SPECIAL AWARDS- $250 and Donors Best Performance of Bach’s composition Best Performance of Beethoven works Best Performance of Chopin works Best Performance of a Polish composition Best Performance for Baroque Period Best Performance of Contemporary Work Best Performance of Classical Most Imaginative Programming Best Performance of a Romantic Period Best Performance of Bach composition The Audience Award The Press Jury Award MEMBERS’ ACTIVITIES IN ANOTHER ART FORM WIPAC Honorary Board Member Lola Reinsch with dance instructor in a dress rehearsal for Dancing with the Stars Gala in October to raise funds for several charity organizations. WIPAC members and friends went for moral support.