Pardon my excitement.
Our team has been using the work of Maestro Benjamin Zander for quite some time. In the past year alone, we’ve put more than 300 copies of his co-authored book, The Art of Possibility, into circulation locally – and we’ve shown his powerful TED talk to more than 500 people in wor kshops or other facilitated events.
“Have you ever considered bringing Zander to Richmond?” a client recently asked. As a matter of fact – until that moment – no, I hadn’t.
The next week, I asked David Fisk, executive director of the Richmond Symphony and a friend and client, if he’d be interested in partnering with Floricane to bring Zander to town in 2015. He quickly said yes. Just as quickly, I sent Zander an email.
Not 24 hours later, a voicemail appeared on my phone. “John,” a spry British accent intoned, “this is Benjamin Zander!”
Zander went on to say that he was sure I knew he was coming to Richmond at the end of April with the Richmond Symphony, and that he would love to talk further. Needless to say, I was a bit confused.
Several conversations later, the confusion was erased – and Zander was set to perform with the Symphony Musicians of Richmond (an independent group of musicians who perform with the Richmond Symphony) on April 28 at St. Michael’s Catholic Church.
David and I hope to chat with Zander the next day about a return visit next year with Floricane and the Richmond Symphony. An ideal visit would include a facilitated dialogue with Floricane’s clients and friends, a public event with the Richmond Symphony, and a performance with middle school students from the region. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, join us on April 28 for a free concert with Benjamin Zander and the Symphony Musicians of Richmond. It’s going to be an amazing night.