Travel Journal à la Mendelssohn
In October of last year I finally made my musician's pilgrimage to Leipzig to visit the Mendelssohn and Schumann houses. Walking the few blocks between the apartments of these legends, seeing the differences in the way they lived, imagining all the people who visited before me, was so meaningful.
My favorite exhibit was a series of watercolors painted by Mendelssohn while traveling through Switzerland in 1847. Having some insight into what he found beautiful and imagining him observing these sights for hours made him feel like my friend.
The logistics of traveling with my cello often leave me feeling like an organizational disaster, but I feel so grateful for the chance to explore while doing what I love. It's hard to share all these new experiences through words and iPhone pictures...somehow sharing through paintings and music feels more real. With that in mind, I've started keeping my own painting journal in the spirit of Mendelssohn. Here are some of my favorite recent adventures!
Leipzig, October 2022
A still life taken from this trip to Leipzig to visit the Mendelssohnhaus
In my friend's Wohngemeinschaft cooking lunch and making apple butter from a neighbor's apple tree
Turin, Italy October 2022
The view at 5 in the morning (after waking up for a 4 am online German class) from my hotel room at the EstOvest Festival
Bergen, the Netherlands December 2022
The morning coffee view out my host's window while playing a recital for the Holland Music Sessions
Austin, Texas December 2022
View from my run on the Colorado River after auditioning for the Austin Chamber Music Center's Artist-in-Residence job
Meñakoz, Spain December 2022
A trip to the beach in Meñakoz, Spain