This past weekend I attended a 3-day symposium put on by the Westfield
Center for Early Keyboard Studies, at Smith and Mt. Holyoke Colleges,
MA. A nice balance of papers and performances, that ranged over
fortepiano, organ, harpsichord, and clavichord.
 
Highlights [my editorial comments in square brackets]:
1) a paper by Jonathan Bellman (U of No. Colorado, Greeley) on
improvised embellishments in Chopin nocturnes [very convincing and
well received by us, but Bellman has donned his asbestos suit]
 
2) a recital by Edmund Battersby (Montclair State, NJ) on a Rodney
Ruggier copy of an 1824 Graf; Schumann, Schubert, Beethoven, Chopin
[excellent and sensitive playing; with a piano like that I could want
to become a pianist again!]
 
3) an organ recital by Jim Christie ("everywhere," MA) on the 2-man
Fisk at Mt. Holyoke College [a fine instrument, with Italianate
features, but really more on the 'good' eclectic side; well played
general baroque program]
 
4) a paper by Joyce Lindorff (Hong Kong) on harpsichords and
clavichords in 17th-18th century / Ming & Qing dynasties China [yes!
they were there! this paper, on the last day of the symposium, caused
the most excitement amongst everyone; finally, a really new and
exciting research topic!]
 
5) three different concerts on an Allan Winkler double harpsichord
after Henri Hemsch, 1736, that turned out to be a survey of French
baroque music; Maryse Carlin and Francie Fitch did solo concerts [both
superb, elegant, and sublime]; Lisa Crawford and Mitzie Myerson did a
'dueling duo' (the other harpsichord was a Dowd). [Now I can boast,
because the Winkler is mine, and it performed beautifully!]
 
Will post a more detailed report later (I'm writing a review for the
Boston Early Music News).