Euterpe

“What would our life be without music!…If we were to forbid ourselves to each other to listen to the chorales of Bach or to the arias of the Magic Flute or Figaro, or if someone had the force to pull (this music) out of our memory, it would be as if we were to lose an organ of the body or one of the 5 senses”.   Hermann Hesse

In late 2003 I had a vision to found the not-for-profit charitable organization EUTERPE.  I was inspired due to my many years of performing concerts and playing for people around the world, and experiencing their reactions to my solo piano playing and the playing of my group, Ensemble Vivant.   From concerts to outreach performances to volunteer performances in hospitals, including Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, the gift of joy, happiness, the soothing effects physically and emotionally, were immediately apparent.  Beautiful testimonials received through conversations and written comments paled in comparison to seeing the glowing radiance exuded by all these audiences.  This gift is one that words are unable to adequately describe.

As such, I wanted to have a more structured method through which to give the gift of our live performances, free of charge, to those who would not otherwise be able to attend live concerts, for whatever number of reasons, including lack of exposure to great music, performed live by musicians of the highest caliber.

EUTERPE is named for the classical Greek muse of music and lyric poetry.  We are today witnessing a resurgence of the traditional wisdom surrounding the therapeutic and transformative potential of music that was intimately familiar to the ancients.   The musicians of Euterpe are in the forefront of this renaissance, investing their already remarkable artistry with a power and purity of intention that heralds a renewed connection to the healing roots of the Western musical tradition, rediscovering how great music soothes and uplifts in profound emotional and physical ways.

“Every illness is a musical problem…”   Novalis

A Euterpe event is a guided voyage of discovery through great music performed live.     Each piece is meticulously selected to create a step by step journey of discovery for the participants as well as for the artists.   As the event unfolds, the depth of artistry and dedication of our musicians guides participants on a profound inner journey.   It is unique for each occasion yet remains changeless in its essence.

Plato said:  “Music is a moral law.   It gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, a charm to sadness, gaiety and life to everything.   It is the essence of order, and leads to all that is good, just, and beautiful, of which it is the invisible, but nevertheless, dazzling, passionate, and eternal form.”

 

Glowing responses from recent Euterpe Performances:

Beautiful, moving, soothing, profound – a truly wonderful experience of words and music.   Today’s performance has inspired me and will have a deep impact on my life.   I will re-evaluate the way I listen to music.   Thank you so much.
- Philip Oldfield (Professor, University of Toronto)

An exquisite experience.   Thank you so much.   I cannot begin to express the range of feelings, thoughts, responses – physical, emotional, intellectual (cognitive) that this journey has evoked.   The Euterpe musicians are brilliant and their depth of artistry is profound.
- Catherine Blue (Montessori teacher/Bahai teacher)

Dear Catherine,
The effects of your performance last Wednesday before an enraptured audience in our Princess Margaret lounge are still being felt.  So many patients have asked when you will play here again, and all of them want to hear your CDs all day long in the meantime.  You “treated” our patients in ways that only extraordinarily exceptional music-making like yours can do.  Each time you play for our patients your deeply sensitive, expressive piano playing feeds and nurtures their souls and uplifts their morales – it is like the warmest most healing sunshine penetrating deep into the psyche, as well as the entire physical and spiritual being.  Many fine artists have performed here for our patients, but your magical playing possesses qualities that go beyond even the exceptional -  divine qualities that transform, enchant and stir the listener to the deepest levels of their mind, body and soul.
Thank you again Catherine. Yours ever so humbly and gratefully,
- George Garlock, Chairman, The Princess Margaret Hospital Lodge Aperitif Committee (Toronto, Ontario)