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Winter 2021-22
From the Editor

Hearing Each Other’s Voices

By Julie Lancaster

When our most recent issue came out, in June 2019, we didn’t know what the next two and a half years would bring. We found out. Continue Reading

Scholarship Recipient

Iroquois Springs 2019: Peter Hess

By Peter Hess, Winter 2021-22

Location: Brooklyn, N.Y.

Occupation: I’m a professional musician. I perform all over the world with the Philip Glass Ensemble, Slavic Soul Party!, Barbez, Asphalt Orchestra and many other groups. I play on Broadway and am frequently a studio musician. Additionally, I have a small studio where I produce my own recordings, as well as winds and strings sessions for records, television and film.

Connection to Balkan music/dance: I play Balkan music (to the best of my ability) with Slavic Soul Party! and Mountain Lions regularly, nearly always in social settings (though often concert settings too) . . . in clubs, and a couple times a year for Balkan dance instruction (which is some of my favorite music making!). I attend as many concerts as I can, too. I’m constantly listening, learning, practicing new repertoire and digging deeper into the woodwind traditions and styles.

Number of times at Balkan camp: First time! But I hope to see you this coming summer, with both my girls this time.

Studied at camp: I took 5 slots at camp: both of Sal Mamudoski’s classes, Catherine Foster’s brass band, zurla with Milo [Destanovski] and Jessica, [Ruiz] and maqam with Adam Good.

Memorable moment at camp: The porch jams of Sal, Seido Salifoski and Mensur Hatić  were completely incredible: it was some of the greatest music I’ve ever heard anywhere. Standing in the rain, completely transfixed and astonished, and completely bewildered that I had the good fortune to be there at that moment. Close second: the magical lunchtime concert by Eva Salina and Peter Stan . . . a similar feeling, that if life had led me here, I may have done something right.

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