White Oak Concerts Background
The Road Less Traveled—To the Top
In an assembly-line age where accomplished musicians seem to put together chamber music performances at the drop of a hat White Oak Concerts is breath of fresh air. Pianist Meryl Ettelson and violinist Steven McMillan are a phenomenon: an independent chamber music group making the time to be “at one”--at one with each other and at one with the music they perform. They have chosen the more complex, but infinitely more rewarding path to musical success. Says McMillan: “We stay busy with building new repertoire; with refining the depth of our understanding of old repertoire; with planning our first commercial recording release; with concerts, master classes, educational outreach presentations, lectures—we spend a lot of time on these. It is our feeling that this kind of music making requires quality time not just ‘fingers’. We also get into discussions about the music, and ourselves, and spiritual growth. The layers are numerous.”…
How does a chamber music group get together anyway? Sometimes it’s marketing, pure and simple: world-famous personalities team up for an occasional and expensive public display. Sometimes it’s an assignment as at universities where faculties put together short-lived performances of chamber works. Then sometimes it’s great fortune: individual musicians of quality who are on the lookout for musical “soul mates” find one another. That would be the case with White Oak Concerts. Their formation was more like synchronicity. Each member has their own story of how chamber music came into their life and led to today’s happy outcome.
Ettelson began her chamber music career at the New School of Music in Philadelphia at the age of 11. As the years passed she found herself playing in many ensembles. At Indiana University she began to comprehend the depth of understanding that can be attained between collaborating artists. While her ensuing performance career took her into many venues with artists of varying caliber, it was not until she encountered the talented young violinist, Steven McMillan, that she found a musical partner. The two met while Ettelson was in charge of chamber music at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas, and the 16 year old McMillan was acting as concertmaster of the Del Mar Orchestra. Over the years they developed an intimacy of expression that is seldom heard.
To Ettelson, her colleague is an inspiring musician who impels her to rise above her preconceived limits. For her the excitement of creating a piece of music together is the ultimate musical experience. McMillan finds that the ensemble format allows him the maximum opportunity to blend the skills of a collaborator and soloist. It utilizes all of his experience and continues to cause him to expand as a musician.