Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival: Tasting Music: David Schiff, Vineyard Rhythms

It began in a winery, not unlike this very Festival. Susan Sokol Blosser of the eponymous Willamette Valley winery in the Dundee Hills approached the composer David Schiff to compose a piece to honor her mother, a violinist, and the vineyard she so loved. David accepted, and tonight we give the Washington premiere of his work, Vineyard Rhythms. The piece portrays the annual cycle from hibernation to harvest, known to viticulturists the world over.

“In the vineyard, time is circular. The vines stay put and the seasons flow effortlessly, one into the next, weaving a multicolored, multilayered tapestry. Like the vineyard, we are the same person year after year, but we each have our own season of hope, of growth, of maturing, of inactivity or withdrawal, and then of renewal. The vineyard is my metaphor for life.”

— Susan Sokol Blosser

It’s always important to taste outside of one’s own AVA, and we’re delighted to welcome some musical Pinot Noir to the Walla Walla Valley for this performance.