When the warm waves of spring and summer finally rolled in, the whole Kim clan had convened in beautiful Princeton to celebrate our dear Hae-An Chyun and Steve Colella’s nuptials. Everything from the Korean bowing ceremony 폐백 to the weather and each detail put in place by the beautiful couple brought joy, grace, and togetherness.
After a giant post-wedding Mother’s Day feast that ended with a first-generation group nap on the floor (picture a mass of happily food coma-ed 30-somethings sprawled on a bamboo floor), it was back to the City for me – the Aizuris and distinguished guests brought to life Michi Wiancko‘s first chamber opera, Murasaki’s Moon at the MET Museum. Working with OnSite Opera and the three singers Kristen Choi, Martin Bakari and John Noh was something I’ll cherish for years to come. A brief hang with some NYC friends and then to Minnesota I went to give a super cool recital featuring Steve Heitzeg‘s Lake Stone Moon at the St. Paul Patagonia in honor of their “Save the Boundary Waters” campaign.
It was then up to Cornell for our end-of-year festivities – faculty recognition events, student recitals and graduation. My honey and I managed something I’ve been dreaming of since the first signs of Ithaca snowmelt were upon us – a hike through Treman Park complete with swimming hole dips and waterfall baths. And, if that wasn’t beautiful enough, I jumped a flight to Rome to begin my work as Co-Artistic Director of the Paesaggi Musicali Toscani festival in Siena. A couple of Italian-style work days (I had forgotten the beauty of wine with lunch) later, I found myself visiting old friends and taking in some of the most exquisite food on the planet. The pillowy ricotta gnocchi at Perillá literally brought quiet, honest tears to my eyes…
For those interested in a compelling read, here’s what I’ve just started to sink my teeth into – written recently by a friend and colleague at Cornell Jamila Michener: Fragmented Democracy: Medicaid, Federalism and Unequal Politics – eye-opening, heartbreaking, and so thoughtfully presented.
And as always, here, a photo diary:
