Posters, masterclasses and travel reimbursement

This week my main focus is going to be on preparing publicity materials for the 3 recitals at my church. The posters are already done but I have sent them to the approval of our communication's specialist. Then I also have a press release ready for my organ and dance improvisation recital. It's on the Biblical story of "Exodus". But I'm still waiting for some thoughts from the organists of the other two recitals.

One is especially tricky to publicize. It doesn't have a clearly focused theme. The organist says - it's just a regular concert. Yes, but this title won't get anybody interested to come. And they don't play almost any programmatic music which title could be the theme for the entire event. So she settled for "The Monologues of Organ, Flute and Cello". Monologues, because 3 instruments won't be playing together.

This week I also intend to sight-read through the music collections of Tore Bjorn Larsen, an organist and composer from Svendborg, Denmark. I played one of his pieces today and was quite surprised about the dissonant musical language. I'm actually intrigued if I could sight-read through his music and perhaps pick up some inspiration for my own improvisations.

I also want to sight-read through the works of Paul Ayres, an English organist and composer. I bought his Suite for Eric and played through the Toccata today. It's definitely worth looking more closely into. If the rest of the suite is on a level of the Toccata, I think I might be looking forward to performing it.

Speaking of which, today I checked my calendar and discovered that I have to play a recital on December 21 in my church. It's close to Christmas time so this week I have to figure out what music I'm going to play then. I secretly hope Ausra will want to play some new organ duets with me but we'll see how school work is treating her. We will definitely sight-read through some organ duets of Denis Bedard at home this week though.

This morning I received a phone call from the organizer of the organ festival in Anyksciai, a town in the northern part of Lithuania which has St Matthew's church with a donated 3 manual Romantic English organ in it. This organizer wants me and Ausra to play a duet recital in August 2020. He also wants me to bring Unda Maris organ studio to the festival for masterclasses and a joint concert and to lead some of the masterclasses. They will also have some organ students from Poland. This week I have to give him an answer.

This week I have to calculate the costs and submit organ duet recital programs of our upcoming concert trips to Sweden and Germany for the next year. I will apply for travel reimbursement from the university, application for which has to be done this week.

On Wednesday we will have our Unda Maris organ studio rehearsal and today I received an email from a Latvian student who attended our Saturday's organ duet recital and she liked it very much. 

Now she wants to join the studio. She plays piano but not on the professional level. She has studied at the music school for one year and then continued to play on her own for the hearing but she also says she can read music. She played in the band of synthesizers in the past and her grandma is an organist. Therefore, she has a little organ playing experience as well. I told her to come on Wednesday and be prepared to play something.