Eileen Wingard

Eileen Wingard

Eileen Wingard, a retired violinist with the San Diego Symphony, is a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts.

Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra Successfully Tackles Tchaikowsky

By Eileen Wingard LA JOLLA, California — It was pretty remarkable that Tchaikowsky’s monumental Symphony #4, with its opening horn fanfare of Fate and its finale, often taken at break-neck speed, was successfully tackled by TICO, the Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra. Sure, there were a few places that barely held together, but the beautiful solo […]

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Eileen Wingard, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County

Local Performances Spotlight Holocaust-Era Composers

By Eileen Wingard LA JOLLA, California — Canadian-born pianist, Daniel Wnukowski, performed at two venues during his recent visit to San Diego County. On Sunday afternoon, November 13, he gave a recital of works by Mozart, Chopin and Schumann in the Solana Salons series at the home of pianist and series host, Monique Kunewalder. His

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Eileen Wingard, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County

Returning In-Person, Jewish Poets-Jewish Voices Features Poem on Lviv and More

By Eileen Wingard   LA JOLLA, California — The first in-person program of Jewish Poets-Jewish Voices in two years took place in the Astor Judaica Library Tuesday evening, October 25, and featured three Southern California poets, Nathan Grinshpun, Jane Muschenetz, and Omer Zalmanowitz. Moderator Joy Heitzmann introduced them. First to read was Nathan Grinshpun. Although

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eileen Wingard, San Diego County

Jewish Poets/ Jewish Voices’ New Season Begins Oct. 25

The opening Jewish Poets–Jewish Voices program of the 2022-23 season will feature three local poets who immigrated to San Diego from other countries. The Tuesday, October 25, 7:00 p.m. gathering will take place in person in the Astor Judaica Library and feature Ukrainian native Jane Muschenetz, Uzbekistan-born Nathan Grinshpun,  and Tel Avivian, Omer Zalmanowitz. [Eileen Wingard]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eileen Wingard, International, San Diego County, USA

Arab-Jewish Musician Releases CD Exploring His Heritages

Yoni Avi Battat’s debut album, Fragments, explores his Arab-Jewish identity through nine selections. He composed the music for seven of them, delving into the Arabic melodies of his grandparent’s native Iraq for inspiration and including native instruments such as the oud (Arabic lute), qanun (chordaphone with many strings), nay (reed flute), riq (tambourine), frame drum, karakeb (large iron castenets), darbuka (goblet shaped drum) and joza (coconut shell fiddle held on knee). [Eileen Wingard]

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Eileen Wingard, Israel, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

Bringing to Life, Through the Arts, the Victims of the Holocaust

By Eileen Wingard SAN DIEGO — We Are the Tree of Life (WATTOL) founder and director, Jackie Gmach, is adept at recognizing talent and recruiting them to participate in her initiative. In Israeli-born dancer and circus performer, Tammuz Dubnov, Gmach struck gold. Dubnov is not only young, handsome and talented, but he is committed to

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Eileen Wingard, Holocaust, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County

‘Something in Preserve,’ a Musical about Seniors’ Lives, Wins Plaudits

Most of the production was comedic, poking fun at the challenges of seniority, with no holds barred, from prescription drugs to diapers. There were romances, one unrequited, facing the problems of a demented spouse; and one with a happy ending. [Eileen Wingard]

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Eileen Wingard, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Travel and Food

After a century, Gernsheim’s music makes a comeback

Composer, conductor, pianist and teacher, Friedrich Gernsheim, (1839-1916), is little known today. Yet, during his lifetime, he was spoken of in the same breath as Brahms, Bruch and Reger. In fact, his works were published by the same publishers who published their compositions. [Eileen Wingard]

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Eileen Wingard, International, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

Jewish Poets-Jewish Voices Committee Member Wins Prestigious Prize

By Eileen Wingard SAN DIEGO — We are thrilled to announce that Michael Mark, a member of our Jewish Poets-Jewish Voices Committee, just won the prestigious Rattle Chapbook Prize for his chapbook, Visiting Her in Queens Is More Enlightening than a Month in a Monastery in Tibet. The poems are all inspired by his mother,

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eileen Wingard, San Diego County

Playwright Myla Lichtman-Fields Scoring in Los Angeles & London

The prolific San Diego County playwright, Myla Lichtman-Fields, will be traveling to Los Angeles next month, and then to London, England in November to see performances of two of her 16 published plays that have gone global through lulu.com. [Eileen Wingard]

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California, Eileen Wingard, International, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Love Stories Reenacted at the Hive

The staged reading of A Play for Tu B’Av, presented at the Hive at Leichtag Commons, Sunday evening, August 14, proved to be a delightful theatrical journey into six variants of love between two people. Five of the couples were from the San Diego Jewish Community and those of us familiar with the community were able to identify them, even though, in Ali Viterbi’s play, they remained nameless. The story of the sixth couple, whose love story wove seamlessly among the other tales, was based on the Biblical account of Jacob and Rachel.  [Eileen Wingard]

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Eileen Wingard, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

‘Witnesses’ Brings Voices of Teenage Holocaust Victims Back to Life

By Eileen Wingard SAN DIEGO — The musical Witnesses was conceived by Jordan Beck a decade ago, after his reading of Jacob Boas’ book, We Are Witnesses: Five Diaries of Teenagers Who Died In the Holocaust. Of the five diarists quoted in the book, Beck was familiar with only one, Anne Frank. He found the

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Eileen Wingard, Holocaust, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

Genesis Prize Ceremony Relied on Work of Doctor/ Author Ron Eisenberg

A highlight of the proceedings was a ten-minute video, Jews in Medicine: A Legacy of Healing and Hope, much of it based on the book written by Dr. Ron Eisenberg, Jews inMedicine: Contributions to Health and Healing Through the Ages (Urim Publications, 2019). [Eileen Wingard]

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Eileen Wingard, Jewish History, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education

San Diegans Step Up for Ukrainian Refugees

Two hundred guests came to this FUN-D-Raiser to meet, support and provide help for local Ukrainian refugees. Present were a number of Ukrainian mothers and their children. Most of the husbands were left behind to fight the Russian invasion. It was a happy event, with authentic Ukrainian food, catered by Pomegranate Restaurant, and joyous entertainment by Big Boss Bubeleh. Vlady, a native of Ukraine, sang Ukrainian songs, while Yael sang in a variety of languages. [Eileen Wingard]

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Eileen Wingard, International, San Diego County