Yesterday was a super long travel day, and I’m not home yet—I’ll be spending a couple of days in California with my family before returning to Hawai’i. I set my alarm for 4:45 am but I woke up at 1:30 am to hear other members of our group putting out their luggage for pickup.

We picked up a snack bag from the hotel reception desk and got on the bus which was waiting for us. Manuel, our tour director, said thanks and goodbye, giving each one of us a hug. There has been extraordinary camaraderie between the members of this tour group!

Several of us flew from Lisbon to Washington DC, going through Customs at Dulles International Airport. I had Global Entry and got through in about 10 minutes, but my sister Margo did not and was stuck in the regular line for about an hour. We nearly missed our flight, and unfortunately our baggage did not make it. They promised to deliver our suitcases to my sister’s house in California—but we’re still waiting! I am hoping I get my bag before I fly out to Honolulu tomorrow.

No sooner do I get home, I’ll be hosting a houseguest for the Early Music Hawaii concert on Saturday night. In fact, my houseguest, violinist Julie Andrijeski, will arrive several hours before me and will be waiting in my condo.

Here’s what has been said about the baroque chamber music group, Quicksilver:

Revered like rock stars within the early music scene” -New York Times

I became familiar with Quicksilver’s two violinists, Robert Mealy and Julie Andrijeski, through my many years attending the Boston Early Music Festival where they are always part of the BEMF orchestra—he is the concertmaster and she is the assistant concertmaster.

Go back and read what I wrote about them at their last visit in Hawaii in 2015, “Quicksilver in Hawaii”:

Led by violinists Robert Mealy and Julie Andrijeski, Quicksilver brings together leading historically-informed performers in America today. Described as “drop dead gorgeous with a wonderful interplay of timbres,” (Early Music America) and praised for “impeccable, soulful playing” (New York Times), Quicksilver vibrantly explores the rich chamber music repertoire of the early modern period, from the inventive and extravagant trio sonatas of the Italian and German seventeenth century to the spectacular chamber music of the High Baroque.”

I also became reacquainted with Julie at my visit to Cleveland in 2019, “Echoes of Venice,” when I attended the Apollo’s Fire concert, where Julie is the concertmaster.

Here’s a short sample of the repertoire which will be played on this concert:

This concert is not to be missed! You can buy tickets on the Early Music Hawaii website for Saturday’s concert, Nov. 5 at 7:30 pm at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu or for Sunday’s concert, Nov. 6 at 3:30 pm at the Queen Emma Community Center in Kealakekua.