COURT HOUSE – The Frank & Lydia Bergen Foundation awarded $5000. to Access to Art, Inc. for their 14th annual Sam Maitin Summer/Fall Chamber Music Festival honoring its mentor, Sam Maitin.
“We have been presenting this Summer/Fall Sam Maitin Festival since 1996, and we presented individual concerts since 1992. Aurelia Mika Chang and her friend, Kathryn Krueger did a benefit for us that year, performing a concert prior to taking it to Europe. We first brought our director down here, Aurelia Mika Chang, when she was 19 years old and an undergraduate at Juilliard to be part of the festivities at the Cape May County Art League. She has since gotten her masters in music at Juilliard, performed with her talented Curtis and Juilliard friends at the Cape May County Art League’s 60thanniversary, and returned very often since l992. She just performed for us on Valentine’s weekend with a protégé of Pinckus Zuckerman. She is now married, performs on three continents, and has both an 11 year old, who is winning violin competitions, and a younger son who also plays the violin. The 11 year old is enrolled at Manhattan School of Music. His two loves are baseball and violin.
Sam Maitin, who designed our logo, and our flyers, died in 2004, but we acknowledge and honor him for his contributions to our not for profit, and for his brilliant idea that we should make Cape May an Aspen of the East bringing world class music, dance, art, theatre, poetry and, photography to the area. Grants from the Frank and Lydia Bergen Foundation make it possible for us to continue our mission in these difficult financial times.”
Barbara Beitel, Executive Director of Access to Art, Inc. said. “We stress excellence, and we try, as much as we can afford, to bring the very best musicians to the area. This year we will present the Daedalus String Quartet, the Mondrian Ensemble, and the Horzowski piano trio.” Beitel said. If we raise the requisite funds, we will also present Sue Ann Kahn, daughter of the famed Louis I. Kahn, architect, who is a flutist in concert with Aurelia Mika Chang, piano.
The event schedule will be out shortly with dates and times, and you can check our website, www.accesstoart.org for additional information.
Access to Art is 20 years old as an organization, being founded in 1992 in March,March. We thank our many community supporter and foundations. It was Maitin who suggested that the Mondrian Ensemble form for us in 1996. Cape May has come a long way since he first articulated that vision in 1987. Then, the group was young, Michael Ludwig, was the Associate Concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Now he is the concert master for the Buffalo Symphony Orchestra, and is recording for Columbia Records. He performs for major symphonies across the world. John Koen is the negotiator for the Philadelphia Orchestra, and Ann Marie Ahn Petersen and John Koen are still members of the orchestra touring the world with them.
We are grateful to the Frank and Lydia Bergen Foundation for their award, and helping us to be able to present fine classical music with musicians who perform, to acclaim, all over the world right here where we live.”
