ACMP Board Member Marjana Rutkowski receives the title of Emeritus Citizen of Porto Alegre

Marjana Rutkowski and Congresswoman Lourdes Sprenger

On March 29, 2022 ACMP’s first South American Board Member, Marjana Rutkowski (cellist from Brazil) was named an Emeritus Citizen of Porto Alegre at the municipal government’s Salão Nobre.

This is the highest award offered by the city of Porto Alegre. It was a lengthy process with many candidates, whose names were reviewed by four different commissions. The winners must receive two thirds of the vote by the final Chambers. Only sixteen people have been chosen to receive this honor over the past decades.

The award is in recognition of Marjana’s continuing work for the development of Brazil’s society and her cultural and artistic advocacy over the years. 

Read her July 16 interview in the Correio do Povo:

Marjana Rutkowski: uma vida dedicada à música de câmara

(To read the article in any other language: copy the link to the original Portuguese article; go to Google Translate; select “Websites” and paste it in; and then select your language of choice.)

And – practice your Portuguese! Watch this video of Marjana receiving the award and giving her acceptance speech:

Marjana Rutkowski accepting the Porto Alegre Emeritus Citizen Award, March 29, 2022

In case your Portuguese is rusty – here is a translation of Marjana’s speech (and you can read it in any language by using the “Translate” button on this site):

Good afternoon to all.

I am delighted to be meeting with you today, thanks to Councilwoman Lourdes Sprenger, whose sensibility made our encounter possible. 

The choice of my name reflects an intangible process of recognition of the importance of the arts for all types of society. 

How does this manifest itself, in this case, with chamber music, which is small groups of people playing together?

On an individual level, learning music develops cognitive abilities in both children and adults. 

Recent studies on neurological plasticity reveal the benefits of this approach for all ages. 

Chamber music is a music-making experience that brings people together by combining the strengths of individuals.  It allows musicians to incorporate their personal voices, which are not usually heard in a large ensemble group (such as an orchestra), and emphasizes collaboration between musicians, something that the experience of playing as a soloist cannot provide.  Chamber music promotes independent learning and fosters a unique interaction – you have to play, listen to your colleagues, recognize who has an essential part at any given time and adapt, perhaps compromise, and also recognize when it is time to take the lead. It is a visceral experience that exudes to other aspects of the participants’ lives. 

From a young age, I have appreciated this intrinsic quality offered by chamber practice. 

My involvement as a member of ACMP, the Associated Chamber Music Players, was a natural consequence. 

The ACMP is a non-profit organization based in New York City. It is the only institution in the world that offers support and grants for chamber music playing. 

For several years I have been the ambassador of Brazil to the entity. My work, in a timely and gradual manner, has expanded the ACMP’s reach beyond the northern hemisphere.

This broadening has allowed us to expand understanding and increase grants, contributing to projects in South America and Africa. 

I was recently elected to the Board of Directors at the ACMP’s headquarters, being the first South American to hold such a position in the history of the ACMP, which celebrates its seventy-fifth anniversary in 2022. 

Here I underline my gratitude to Dr. Henri van den Hombergh, director of the ACMP’s International Council, a physician beyond borders and a great humanist, who recognized my decade-long work and opened the way for us in the southern hemisphere.

Since 2020, support for Brazil has made possible meetings for all ages and levels of learning, as well as orientation for a student, bringing music closer to those who have not experienced it, strengthening the bonds of those who already know it through playing together online and in person, and making friends, all amid a pandemic. 

I thank Dr. Mauricio Souza, bass player, a native of Porto Alegre, workshop director, and the first to engage with the ACMP in Brazil to make the dream of the essential formation process come true. 

I congratulate the mentors and participants, particularly the children and parents who believe in this path.

Last week I arrived from a chamber music meeting in Prague, Czech Republic.  I was inside the perimeter of the effects of the war in Ukraine. We saw refugees coming and witnessed small and large acts of solidarity every day.  From there, I went to Vienna to visit a violist friend. Thanks to the support of the ACMP, we are organizing an encounter where participants take turns playing, the donations for which are non-perishable food items, then brought to a collection point for the refugees.

Now I would like to stress the importance of all of you as part of the aesthetic experience with the artists.

For John Dewey and Maxine Greene, two 20th century philosophers, the discussion about art and its meaning go beyond the idea of art for art’s sake. 

Instead, they consider art as a component of human experience, essentially cognizable and accessible to all. 

Dewey’s theories arose from the premise that we need to understand art not simply as an intellectual pursuit but rather by the possibility that art thrills at a deep level; some would say it thrills the soul. It is a complete engagement from an emotional, intellectual, and spiritual standpoint.  

Greene develops many of Dewey’s topics, including the conviction that we cannot attend passively to a work of art. 

But then, to fully experience the soul-thrilling quality, the person perceiving the art needs to bring an energy, an awakened energy, and an open receptivity to the possibilities likely to be surprised in the artwork. 

Aesthetic experiences require conscious participation in a work of art, an exhaustion of energy, and an ability to perceive what is to be noticed in the piece, the poem, the quartet.  

Knowing, even in the most formal academic mode, is entirely different from constituting a fictional world imaginatively and entering it perceptively, affectively, and cognitively.

Both philosophers define the aesthetic experience by suggesting it is transformative.

Now we will project a segment of the short film “Twelve Pandemic Scenes” by the artistic director Rita Zanini from Porto Alegre, which deals with twelve distinct facets that the pandemic showed as an impact on human relations in general. 

The project director invited me to choose the music and represent the artist, more specifically the performance artist, living with the vicissitudes raised by the pandemic.

Rita very kindly agreed to offer us the scene even before the film’s premiere. I also thank Pedro Castello for filming, Elaine Geissler and Carlos Henrique Ludwig for audio production at Sound Trek Music, and Voilà Conteúdos e Memórias for complementary sound and image production.

I am honored by this tribute, celebrated together with the 250th anniversary of our city, during the month dedicated to all women.

I invite you now to “thrill your soul” with the beautiful love theme from the movie Cinema Paradiso, composed by Ennio Morricone and his son, in an artistic recreation by the group of people mentioned earlier. 

May this appreciation be the continuation of a path that delights and fraternizes us through art.  

Thank you very much.

– Marjana Rutkowski

More Articles

Two CMA Events this Week to Celebrate National Chamber Month in NYC: May 17 and 18

National Chamber Music Month is an annual celebration and awareness campaign that brings attention to the creativity, resilience, and stylistic breadth of ensemble music performed today. This year, CMA is celebrating National Chamber Music Month with two events at National Sawdust in Brooklyn.

Read More ↗

New Video: The April 15 Kronos Quartet Master Class

ACMP's second online master class with the Kronos Quartet on its 50 for the Future repertoire was a huge success! Congratulations to all three quartets who played so beautifully, and you can now watch the entire class on ACMP's YouTube channel.

Read More ↗

Breakfast with Joshua Bell on May 9 in NYC: 15 Free Tickets for ACMP Members

New opportunity for ACMP members in or near New York City: After Arts has offered 15 free tickets to a breakfast talk with violinist Joshua Bell for members of ACMP.

Read More ↗

2023 Worldwide Play-In Weekend: May 19-21

The ACMP Worldwide Play-In Weekend is less than a month away: Friday, May 19 through Sunday, May 21. There are seven ACMP-supported Play-Ins that weekend so far, and keep checking this article and the Events and Workshops Directory for more!

Read More ↗

Puccini and Piazzolla in the Pizzeria

Illinois-area ACMP member Tom Cappaert recently received a "Just Play" grant from ACMP for an informal concert at a pizzeria in Quito, Ecuador in March.

Read More ↗

Kronos Quartet Master Class Live-Stream and Repertoire

Watch the live-stream of ACMP's second online master class with the Kronos Quartet on Saturday, April 15, 2023 from 2pm to 5pm Eastern on YouTube, and discover new and exciting repertoire by West African composers Angélique Kidjo and Fodé Lassana Diabaté, and Chinese composer Wu Man.

Read More ↗

Travels and Adventures with ACMP Pianist Nicholas King

New York City pianist Nicholas King just made a trip to Tokyo, Japan - connecting with local players through the ACMP Directory and with the help of ACMP's Japanese ambassador Sayoko Yamashita. Read ACMP's recent interview with Nick after his return from Japan.

Read More ↗

How to Hold a Play-In

Watch the video of ACMP's online workshop "How to Hold a Play-In" with panelists Peter Aupperle, Susan Alexander, Michael Knoch, Virginia Feldman, Phyllis Kaiden and Bob Myers. Get some expert tips on holding a Play-In and organize one yourself for ACMP's 2023 Worldwide Play-In Weekend, May 19 - 21.

Read More ↗

Creating a Culture of Listening: Exploring Conscious Listening Workshops with Steinway Artist Hsing-ay Hsu

Join pianist and ACMP Holiday Caption Contest winner Hsing-ay Hsu for her unique online "Conscious Listening Café", and read about her approach to deepening your listening experience.

Read More ↗

Kronos Quartet Second Master Class: Saturday, April 15

Join ACMP and the Kronos Quartet on Saturday, April 15 at 2pm Eastern for our second online master class on newly commissioned works from the Kronos "50 for the Future" library.

Read More ↗

List your Summer or Fall Workshop in the CMA Directory of Festivals, Schools and Workshops

Once again, members of the ACMP community (individuals, coaches, event managers and organizations) are invited to submit listings for inclusion in Chamber Music America's printed Directory of Festivals, Schools, and Workshops.

Read More ↗

ACMP at the CMA National Conference

ACMP was delighted to present a session at Chamber Music America’s 45th National Conference at the Westin New York at Times Square (New York City) on January 7, 2023. Moderated by ACMP Grants Committee Chair Susan Alexander, the panel included two amateur chamber musicians with widely different experiences: Paris Brann Milane of the Bronx and Karl Irikura from the Washington DC metropolitan area; and one professional musician who had dedicated his career to working with amateur musicians, Lenny Matczynski, a life-long coach and former Executive Director of The Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music in New Hampshire. Watch the video!

Read More ↗

GO FOR BAROQUE……an early music workshop in NYC

This March, longtime friends and colleagues Dale Stuckenbruck and Lisa Terry offer a workshop in Manhattan for experienced amateur string players, recorder players and viol players, where all will get a chance to explore Baroque music focusing on Baroque style, meter and emphasis. Inspired by their friend, violinist Janet Hoffman, Dale and Lisa have done a number of workshops and presentations in recent years and are excited to be working together again.

Read More ↗

How to hold a Play-In: January 28, 2023, 2pm ET on Zoom

Join ACMP for a free online workshop on How to Hold a Play-In! Just in time to prepare for the 2023 Worldwide Play-In Weekend: May 19-21, 2023.

Read More ↗

Announcing the 2022 Holiday Caption Contest Winners!

The winners of ACMP's 2022 Holiday Caption Contest are Hsing-ay Hsu, Victoria Bryan and Christopher Minarich. Check out their fun captions and read about our winners!

Read More ↗

 Chamber Music for Novice level players by Jill Schultz

Violinist and educator Jill Schultz shares tips on how to find satisfying chamber music repertoire for novice-level players.

Read More ↗

Just Play Concert: ACMP Members in California perform Beethoven and Gabriela Lena Frank

California ACMP members Sue Soong, Kevin Jim, Angus Davol and Julie Park perform an ambitious program of Beethoven and Gabriela Lena Frank at their concert in Albany, California, supported in part by ACMP.

Read More ↗

Watch the Kronos Quartet Master Class on YouTube

ACMP's first online master class with the Kronos Quartet on Saturday, November 12, 2022 was a success! Congratulations to the three groups from Idaho State University, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and SUNY New Paltz who performed so beautifully. Watch the November class and sign up now to play on April 15.

Read More ↗

Featured ACMP Member Michael Knoch

Meet flutist Michael Knoch, ACMP's IAC Ambassador in Berlin, Germa

Read More ↗

Kronos Quartet Master Class Repertoire Reveal:

Three string quartets from Pocatello, Idaho; San Francisco, California; and New Paltz, New York will play works by Missy Mazzoli, Ken Benshoof and Charlton Singleton for members of the Kronos Quartet on Saturday, November 12 at 2pm Eastern on Zoom and YouTube.

Read More ↗

 

All Articles By