SSMF Season
Dear Editor: The Sitka Summer Music Festival has wrapped up another tremendous season, but we’re still glowing from the incredible community support. We are so grateful to Tim Thompson and Alaska Airlines for donating airline tickets for our artists, and also to Ethan Windahl and Alison Lee for donating miles and companion fare tickets. Thanks to BP, Holland America Line, Sea Mart and the Sitka Fine Arts Camp for their invaluable support of our free events; Silver Bay Seafoods, and Allen Marine Tours for their generous underwriting of our special fundraising events; Good Neighbor Pharmacy, Harry Race Pharmacy, Dove Island Lodge, Norcoast Marine Surveyors and Precision Boatworks for sponsoring evening concerts; Barbara Hames for hosting our Sunday Brunch Concert; ExxonMobil for sponsoring our summer intern; Seafood Producers Cooperative and Sitka Sound Seafoods, for donating delicious fish for various events; the Daily Sitka Sentinel, Raven Radio, KIFW, North Star Television and the Sitka Soup for promotional assistance; J Bradley and his staff at the Performing Arts Center for their support and assistance during evening concerts; Jim Dangel for always providing such beautiful stage flowers; the Sitka Public Library for hosting movie nights; the Blatchley Middle School music department for the use of their music stands; the staff of Old Harbor Books for selling tickets; Dock Shack Café, the Westmark Hotel, Mean Queen, Sitka Hotel and Sea Mart for hosting the café concert series and/or helping to feed our artists; Sitka Rotary Club, Sitka Emblem Club, Mountainside Family Healthcare, St. Peter’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, and Friends of the Festival for hosting the cookie receptions, plus extra-huge thanks to Connie Sipe for being our punch queen this season; Sitka Community Hospital for providing laundry services year-round; Alaska Coach Tours for providing transportation for our cruise ship visitors; and to Foreign Auto for letting us use their tents.
A big thank-you to St. Peter’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, not only for hosting a couple of our special concert events this June, but also for taking care of our Steinway D grand piano this year while Centennial Hall is under construction.
We’d also like to acknowledge the numerous individuals who gave invaluable support behind the scenes. Ellen Leuders and Cyndy and Keith Gibson worked magic in Stevenson Hall this spring by leading a group of very talented volunteers to redecorate all nine of our bedrooms into a more boutique-style housing arrangement. Thanks also to Jeanette Farah, Salome Farah, Veronica Gibson, Patti Hudson, Jeannie Jay, Caren Moss, Brittany Wilcox, Kris Wilcox and Olivia Wilcox for their assistance in this effort.
Jim Steffen, Don Surgeon and a handful of anonymous volunteers put in hundreds of hours assisting with the foundation work we did at Stevenson Hall this winter.
Our Sitka board members (Cyndy Gibson, Mary Hames, Dan Jones, Don Lehmann, Kari Lundgren, Tiffany Pearson and Cindy Westergaard) plus Larry Ross and Tom and LaNelle Bacon provide tireless and invaluable volunteer assistance throughout the entire month of June. Also thanks to Jim and Judy Steffen, Don Surgeon and Galen Paine, Charlie Morgan, Thad and Sandy Poulson, and our board members, for hosting post-concert dinners for the musicians and staff.
The concerts could not have happened without our star staff: Shira Kahan, Sarah Swong and Susan Reed, plus special thanks to Christine Davenport for capturing such beautiful photographs of our concerts and events. We have deep gratitude also for the 40-plus volunteers who worked as greeters, ticket-takers, ushers and event volunteers, plus many thanks for the kind people who ensured a comfortable and welcoming living environment for our artists in Stevenson Hall or who generously provided meals and adventures for them.
Of course, the heart of this festival is the music, and we’d like to sincerely thank the musicians who dedicated their time and talent to be here with us in Sitka this summer: the Cypress String Quartet, Christian Colberg, Awadagin Pratt, Doris Stevenson, Jeffrey Solow, Benjamin Breen, Martin Sher, Terence Tam and Lorraine Min.
Thanks also to Dr. Melissa Kraut and Elizabeth DeMio of the Cleveland Institute of Music for their leadership and assistance with our Sitka Cello Seminar. Be sure to join our 11 talented young cellists for the seminar’s culminating performance – “Cellobration!” – this Tuesday evening, July 19, 7:30 p.m. at Allen Hall.
And last, but certainly not least, our warmest gratitude to each and every person who attended our concerts and events this summer. Without audiences, this festival would not exist. Our guest artists are consistently amazed at the kindness of this community, and the incredibly warm reception they receive here. Thank you for providing such a nurturing home for this festival.
Zuill Bailey, Artistic Director
Kayla Boettcher, Executive Director
Sitka Summer Music Festival
90th Birthday Party
Dear Editor: We, the families of Harriet Kinberg, would like to thank all those who came and helped to celebrate oru mother’s 90th birthday. Also, the Rev. Julie and St. Peter’s for allowing us the use of the parish hall.
We had a great turnout. She was so surprised and gladdened by all who attended. Again, thank you so much.
Charlie Kinberg,
Kaycie Wilson
Deb Bickford
Barb Iaria
and families
