Sander Roscoe Wolff

I was rummaging through some of the endless photo folders on my computer and found this:

Here are two shots taken at The Photon Ballet:

Here are two shots of people enjoying my piece, Transduction:

There were many amazing performances and, within those, many amazing moments. I took lots of photographs but these two really knocked me out:

Since I was travelling North to celebrate my father’s birthday, I wanted to give him a gift that he’d find both practical and a bit luxurious. I pressed him for suggestions and he confessed that he needed a new “crook’s” cap. I did a bit of research and discovered that the British Ivy Cap was what he wanted but, when I began to explore the marketplace, I didn’t find anything that knocked me out. Long Beach, my home town, is fortunate to have a fairly good hat shop, and they stocked something similar to the Ivy caps my father favored, but from Italy. The brand was Borsalino, one I’d never heard of, but the hat I found was really nice so I got it.

When I gave it to him, he was thrilled. He explained that, as a kid in Brooklyn, all the Italian ‘made’ men wore Borsalino hats.

At his birthday party, he enjoyed a moment with his grandson, Max Hardgrave.

On my recent trip to Washington I took some time to visit the Glass Museum. I’ve always loved glass, and it was thrilling to watch experts work with such a dyamic media. While there, I discovered that a very nice lady was doing a workshop where people were invited to carve images of their choosing into pieces of rubber which would be inked then pressed to paper, much like a woodcut. She suggested the theme of birds and bugs, and so desided to create a bird eating a bug.

Here’s the result:

I’ve loved photography since I was a wee sprout and, despite the inconvenience, find myself dragging my camera just about everywhere. My recent trip to Washington, on the occation of my father’s 80th birthday, was no exception. Here are a few shots I took while there.

Seattle has some rather steep hills.

Although I take skyline shots, I’m not often enamoured of them. This one, however, appeals to me for some reason.

Washington State is known for its natural beauty, and bountiful wildlife. It is surprising, though, to discover some in the heart of the City.

I’ve always loved trees, but this winter began photographing leafless ones.

And another.

by Sander R Wolff
The Long Beach Union
(This interview was published sometime in the early 1990’s)

Next Saturday, March 28, McCabe’s (3101 Pico Blvd. in Santa Monica) will be presenting Peter Blegvad and Peter Holsapple. I spoke with Blegvad by phone as he was wrapping up concert dates on the East Coast. Holsapple is recently departed from the pop band REM and previously of the db’s.

“He’s a multi-instrumentalist of rare talent,” Blegvad said. “He’ll be playing guitar, mandolin, piano and also accordion. He’s just a fantastic accompanist, not to mention he’s also a song writer of the highest caliber himself. We’re doing some of his songs too.”

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Published in the Union Newspaper on 9-11-92

by Sander R. Wolff

They are rebels with a cause. Their mission is to commission challenging new works from innovative composers and bring them to the world. Since 1973, when the Kronos Quartet began, the have been redefining the cutting edge and eliminating the restrictions placed on the traditional string quartet. They’ve worked with the big three modern classical minimalists: Terry Riley, Steve Reich and Philip Glass, but they are always on the prowl for exciting new works by relative unknowns as well.

“As a matter of fact,” said David Harrington, 1st violinist and spokesman for the group, “we’re opening out concert with just such a piece and its called ‘Yiddishbbuk’ by a composer I’d never heard of until August. His name is Osvaldo Golijov. Its a stunning work.”

Golijov was a Fellow in composition at the Tanglewood Music Center in 1990. Earlier this year, while Kronos was performing at Tanglewood, Harrington came upon some written material by Golijov.

“It struck me that here was someone that, the way he spoke about his own work and music, attracted me immediately,” said Harrington. “I got his address and he sent me some tapes and immediately this piece just leapt out.”

The Kronos Quartet changed the entire program for their European tour so that they could include the piece.

“We try to be ready for an unexpected discovery at any point, and I know we tend to drive people who print programs slightly crazy because we’re always changing them up to the last moment but, in this case, I think it was worth any ink that may have been spent.”

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