A potential disaster was flawlessly averted last Wednesday evening thanks to an extraordinarily gifted family of award-winning musicians. Pianist Lindsay Garritson had been scheduled to perform with her sister, Atlantic Classical Orchestra principal cellist Ashley Garritson, at the ACO’s 25th Anniversary Benefit Concert, but was trapped up north when a winter storm closed airports.
Not a problem; there are two other pianists in the multiple award-winning family. Ashley Garritson was joined by sister Laura Garritson Parker, who happened to be in town, and mother Marie Jureit-Beamish, an ACO board member – all three delighting the audience with bravura performances.
A true “Treasure of the Treasure Coast,” the Atlantic Classical Orchestra was founded by former Vero Beach resident and Conductor Laureate Andrew McMullan in 1991, who passed the baton in 2004 to acclaimed Artistic Director Stewart Robertson. The concert, held at the Orchid Island Beach Club, was hosted by the Vero Beach Friends of the Atlantic Classical Orchestra.
“Twenty-five years ago, Conductor Laureate Andy McMullan said to his wife Jean, ‘I have decided to start a professional orchestra of the highest order on the Treasure Coast, and Jean, you don’t have to do a single thing,’” said Jean Beckert, ACO Friends president, eliciting laughter from the audience. “Jean and Andy worked tirelessly to rally support from all of you who have worked so hard to get us to our 25th anniversary.”
Alan Hopper, ACO President/CEO, echoed that sentiment, adding that the success of the orchestra was a tribute to McMullan and Robertson, who brought exceptional quality musicians to the Treasure Coast.
“What a musical family,” said Robertson of the Garritsons. “There was real drama last night when the airport closed. Without missing a beat, this amazing family just conjured up a program. They were named Musical Family of the Year by the Missouri Federation of Music Clubs. As far as the ACO is concerned, they’re Musical Family of the Century. This is a program you’re going to have a whale of a time with.”
“Here we are as a family; we’ve been performing together since Ashley was about 6 months old,” beamed Jureit-Beamish. Even though Lindsay was disappointed, she said she and Laura were happy to fill in. “That’s the way it is in our lives.”
Joined by her mother, Ashley Garritson began the concert with Camille Saint-Saëns’ appealingly melodic Allegro Appassionato, followed by Alberto Ginastera’s Pampeana, a rhapsodic work evocative of his native Argentina.
Laura Garritson Parker filled in for her absent sister with a masterful performance of Frédéric Chopin’s instantly recognizable Polonaise for Piano in A-flat Major, “Heroic.” Joined by her mother once more, Ashley Garritson thrilled the audience with rapid fingering and bowing of what she said was one of her favorites – David Popper’s Hungarian Rhapsody for Cello and Piano.
She and her mother next launched into the Vocalise, by Sergei Rachmaninoff, originally written for voice and piano. Sisters Ashley and Laura closed out the performance with the seductive, Le Grand Tango, by Astor Piazzola.
Thanking her mother and sister, Ashley Garritson said, “I’m very spoiled to have three amazing pianists in my family. I’m very grateful for that.”
The entire, highly appreciative audience completely agreed.
In addition to performances at the Waxlax Center for the Performing Arts in Vero Beach and the Lyric Theatre in Stuart, the ACO has added an additional venue this year – the Eissey Campus Theatre in Palm Beach Gardens. “We did free open dress rehearsals there last year and hope to build an audience,” said Robertson.
Robertson said the orchestra also plans to make another recording in the spring featuring pieces commissioned over the years. Two newly commissioned works will be performed this season – a romantic piece by composer Patrick Harlin, and a violin concerto by composer Zhou Tian.
