The German broadcasting network Deutsche Welle has an excellent documentary on the supremely talented Latvian violinist Baiba Skride, who is making her OSO debut this weekend.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Kjersten Oquist

Angela Svendsen

This from KVAL’s website in Eugene:

ALBANY, Ore. - A Salem woman is on trial in Linn County for the deaths of two members of the Eugene Symphony.

Fivea Sharipoff, 26, at left, is charged with manslaughter, assault and driving under the influence after a wrong-way crash on Interstate 5 last year.

The crash killed Kjersten Oquist and Angela Svendsen, both members of the Eugene Symphony.

Jury selection began Monday, and the district attorney started making the state’s case on Tuesday.

The DA finished calling witnesses Wednesday morning, and the defense called its first witness in the afternoon. The family of Angela Svendsen said that’s a couple days faster than they were originally told by the DA’s office.

The prosecution called about 25 witnesses, including paramedics, state police, at least one person from the eugene symphony and employees at the Abbey’s pizza where the prosecution contends Sharipoff was drinking.

Sheripoff is out on bail. She and the people walking with her had no comment.

Friends and family of the women killed in the accident gathered outside the courtroom after today’s proceedings. Svendsen’s husband said it was difficult to relive the accident in the courtroom.

One witness was called to the stand in Sherifpoff’s defense, who testified about the two of them drinking at an Abby’s pizza the night of the accident. The other witnesses for the defense were not able to make it today cause the trial is moving faster than expected. The court will not be in session tomorrow but will resume on Friday.

Video coverage can be found at the story’s page on KVAL’s website.

Photo of the defendant, Favea Sharipoff, aged 26:

Photo: KVAL, Eugene.

Photo credit: Theremina

It’s every string player’s nightmare - tripping, falling, and destroying your instrument. Now imagine that you own a rare Guadagnini priceless Stradivarius violin. Yeah, you get the picture! [Read more →]

Thanks to James Bash who spotted this first.

A personal injury suit brought by violinist Peter Kaman against the Seattle Symphony was dismissed Friday in King County Superior Court. Kaman is a member of the Symphony’s first violin section.

Immediately after Judge Catherine Shaffer granted the symphony’s motion for summary judgment, Kaman’s lawyer, Brenda Little, said that she would appeal the decision. “We still believe in all of our discrimination claims. We are in this for the long haul.”

A violinist with the symphony for more than 25 years, Kaman also lost in court last month when Shaffer granted the orchestra’s request for summary judgment on another issue in the suit.

Read the whole story from the Seattle P-I here.

Also read James Bash’s review of the Ian Bostridge recital at Kaul Auditorium in Portland Thursday night.