Hillel Katzeff, founder, curator and host of Cardiff-By-The-Sea Music & Arts Salon
(Maurice Hewitt)
Chloe Kadence Wang, 11-year-old virtuoso
(Maurice Hewitt)
Cho-Hyun (piano) and Elena Yarritu (flute)
(Maurice Hewitt)
Guitarist Peter Pupping, with his six-string ukulele
(Maurice Hewitt)
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Hillel Katzeff, founder, curator and host of Cardiff-By-The-Sea Music & Arts Salon
(Maurice Hewitt)
Several centuries ago, at the height of what was called The Enlightenment in Europe, salons were a popular way of creating an enlightened community.
The word “salon” means living room in French, and owners of homes with spacious living rooms would invite people in for a sociable evening of conversation, music, poetry, and the sharing of new ideas about arts and culture.
Now Hillel Katzeff, a longtime resident of Cardiff, has established a salon in his home as a tribute to his late wife, Jeanie Marie Hugo Katzeff, whom he called “a remarkable woman.”
His third event, on Sunday May 3, was special. Titled “88 Keys and Cinco de Mayo,” it celebrated the recent donation of a 1923 Steinway piano by Dave Heet, a former Surf Punk guitarist whose late wife Diane played and loved the instrument, which fit perfectly into its new salon home and pleased the pianists who were part of the musical program.
The afternoon began with a colorful trio of Folklorico dancers to celebrate the upcoming May 5 holiday, which commemorates a Mexican army’s victory over France at Puebla in 1862, but here was a happy coming together of audience and dancers. And one of the dancers was Nadia Arambula, founding director/instructor/ choreographer/costume designer of Ballet Folklorico San Diego.
The seven musicians were all high-level performers, but the most amazing was 11-year-old pianist Chloe Kaydence Wang, a 5th-grader from Chula Vista who started off with a Mozart sonata, followed up with a Chopin étude, and ended with a thrillingly emotional performance of a Kabalevsky concerto that brought everyone to their feet. I’d never heard of Kabalevsky before but now know he was Russia’s most famous composer and would surely be dancing in his grave if he could hear Chloe playing his piece.
Next up was Peter Pupping, founding director of the Encinitas Guitar Orchestra, who delighted us with the varied styles he evoked from two different guitars and a six-string ukulele.
Also on the program was popular jazz pianist Danny Green, a fine pairing of flutist Elena Yarritu with pianist Cho-Hyun Park, and a cool duo of John Offerkuch on piano with Ian Harland on vibes.
It’s easy to see why the vibes at the salon remained better than good as afternoon moved into evening. Hillel–or Hilly, as he likes to be called–introduced all the performers and mingled with the more than 70 attendees, with the help of a friendly team of 10 volunteers. And when the performances ended, there were artfully laid-out tables of Mexican edibles in the backyard, with everything tasting as good as it looked.
You won’t want to miss the next Salon, which will take place on Sunday, Oct. 18 and have a “spooky” theme.
For information, or to get involved as a volunteer: cardiffbythesea.salon@gmail.com