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Annual Champagne Brunch May 1, 2011
As background for the socializing and studying the photos there was chamber music provided by three brilliant musicians from the CSUS Music Department. They added both spiritedness and serenity to the occasion, and certainly a “touch of class:”
Take a look at the program below and you will see what we did that day. You will also see the list of our community supporters who provided the gifts. You are encouraged to patronize these establishments and to show our gratitude for their generosity.
Table 1
Table 2
Table 3
Table 4
Table 5
Table 6
Table 7
Table 8
Table 9
Table 10
All of the following friends of CSUS and The Retirees Association from the Sacramento business and arts community contributed over $500 in gifts awarded as Door Prizes at the Spring Brunch on May 1, 2011. Please patronize their enterprises and show our appreciation for their generosity. Sam Liu at Miyagi Bar and Sushi Rick Mahan at The Water Boy Wendy Watson at Peak Adventures Sam Lallian at Zinfandel Grille Sarah Sammut at Peets Coffee David Baker at Selland’s Market Café
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What a wonderful event the Retirees Association Brunch on May 1 was! The buffet prepared by University catering was tasty and ample. Over 70 attendees enjoyed each other’s company and a display of 35 photographs provided by 17 students from the CSUS Design Department’s Photography Program. Their work was impressive and inspired many “second looks” as well as conversation. Among the works were pieces by faculty members Valerie Wheeler (retired) and Anita Scharf who are both enrolled in Photography classes.
Sarena Hsu is currently a third year student at CSUS, studying under the tutelage of Ian Swenson, and is pursuing a Bachelors of Music degree in violin performance. She began her violin studies at the age of 6 with Robin Reid, continued with Julie Athayde during middle school, and studied with Wei He (San Francisco Conservatory) throughout high school. Sarena has performed in the Yehudi Menuhin Seminar for Jeremy Menuhin, participated in prestigious music camps such as Tanglewood Institute Music Camp, and has performed on the well known classical radio station program, “From the Top.” Throughout high school, she won numerous competitions and awards, and twice was the soloist with the Diablo Valley College Philharmonic Orchestra. For three years, she was a member of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, and toured with them in their 2008 Europe tour of Germany and Czech Republic, where she performed in the Berlin Philharmonic Hall, Munich Philharmonic Hall, and Smetena Hall in Prague. She is currently co-concertmaster of the CSUS Symphony Orchestra and is an active member of the NorthState Symphony and Townsend Opera Players. Besides being a full time student, Sarena is a freelancer violinist and runs her own violin studio in the bay area. She will graduate in the spring of 2012.
Laura Rubinstein-Salzedo holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance at California State University, Sacramento and a minor in Photography. In addition to the violin, she also performs on the viola and piano. Born into a family of professional musicians, Rubinstein-Salzedo has studied with Heather Bentley, Patricia Burnham, Irina Fainkichen, and William Barbini, former concertmaster of the Sacramento Symphony. Laura was a member of the Palo Alto Chamber orchestra for nine years, where she performed as both concertmaster and principal second. She performs regularly with North State Symphony and Veridian Symphony. An active Baroque violinist, Laura studied with Elizabeth Blumenstock, David Wilson, and Michael Sand and attended the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute in Toronto, Canada. She appears regularly with the Albany Consort, Sacramento Baroque Soloists, Jubilate and Camerata Capistrano. Rubinstein-Salzedo has been an assistant coach for four years at the Sacramento Youth Symphony Summer Chamber Music Workshop, has been a student teacher at the CSUS String Project, and is Suzuki trained with Certification pending.
Courtney Castaneda holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Cello Performance and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of California, Davis and a Master of Music degree in Cello Performance from Sacramento State University. While in school, Courtney received numerous awards for musical performance, including the Fannie Copald Stein Memorial Award for Musical Performance and the David S. Saxon Award for Excellence in the Performance of Early Music, the Sacramento Saturday Club Annual Scholarship and the Norman E. Lamb Graduate Music Scholarship. She has played with both the UC Davis and Sacramento State orchestras and was a member of the noted Baroque Ensemble, Camerata Capistrano. Courtney has attended music festivals in Paris, France and Eisenstadt, Austria. Courtney was an apprentice teacher with the Sacramento State String Project for three years under the direction of renowned Suzuki Master Teacher, Judy Weigert Bossuat. While affiliated with the String Project, she taught beginning and advanced violinists and cellists in both group and private lessons. Courtney has also been an assistant cello coach with the Sacramento Youth Symphony's Chamber Music Workshop for over six years. She has studied with Lena Andaya, Richard Andaya, Andrew Luchansky, Susan Lamb Cook and Carla Maria Rodrigues. Courtney has been teaching privately for six years and currently has studios in Davis, Sacramento and Loomis.
In addition to the visual, auditory and gustatory pleasures, there were some surprise rewards for the guests. Everyone was eligible for prizes--it was not necessary to purchase raffle tickets. Over $500 worth of door prizes were given out: tickets to the Sacramento Philharmonic, contributions from Water Boy, Miyagi, Zinfandel Grille, Selland’s and even East Sac Dry Cleaners and CSUS’ Peak Adventures.
© 2005- 2011
CSU Sacramento Retirees Association