By Dave Donnelly
Wednesday, March 5, 1997
Guido Salmaggi, Megan MacPherson
Guido Salmaggi, Megan MacPherson
HAWAII may have given birth to something of a musical prodigy. Yesterday's New York Times carried a story about the New York Youth Symphony presenting the world premiere of a piece commissioned by the orchestra. It's called "Tongues of Melting Light" and is a seven-minute tone poem by Jason Uechi, a 28-year-old composer completing his doctorate at Columbia. According to critic Anthony Tommasini, the work "evokes sunsets in the composer's native Hawaii" and is "richly colored and skillfully orchestrated." This is the Youth Symphony's 34th season and it has a good track record of presenting young talent. As the critic points out, "At its very first concert a 17-year-old violinist named Itzhak Perlman was the soloist." ... N.Y. premiere
for island composerHE'S not exactly a young prodigy, but George Geramani, who's been exhibiting his abstract floral paintings on the Zoo Fence weekends for the past three years, is getting lots of notice. For one thing, he's turning 87 on March 13, which makes him the oldest artist exhibiting there. The other Zoo Fence artists plan to sign a birthday card for the senior artist, whose works are very popular with tourists from Japan ...
THAT brings us to Arnold Van Fossen, whose avocation is making quilts. He was working on one with a Japanese maneki neko design, that ubiquitous cat with a paw in the air. Someone asked him the significance of the animal, and Van Fossen explained that if the left paw is held up in the air, it means good fortune. If the right paw is up, it signifies good health. "And if both paws are up?" he was asked. "It means you're a tourist who's been mugged on your first trip to Hawaii." ...
SPRING training is underway in baseball and that means Guido Salmaggi is again springing into action. The former vice consul of Italy in Hawaii, Salmaggi opened the Chicago White Sox spring opener against the Texas Rangers in Sarasota, Fla., where he lives part time with his wife, Maria. It was Guido's 15th year of getting the spring season underway by singing the National Anthem. "At my age," says Guido, "I don't know how many more I'll be able to do." Still, he's blessed with good health and looks forward to returning to Hawaii next month, saying, "I hope it will be for good." ... Sox appeal
BACK in town for a visit is Nan Howard, widow of former Consolidated Amusement exec Dick Howard, who for many years wrote and directed the enormously successful Press Club Gridiron shows. Alas, the Gridiron Show, formerly a "must-see" black tie event that used to fill the Hilton Dome, is no more. What's more, the Press Club is also MIA. Nan, who now lives in San Ramon, Calif., is home visiting her son, Jim Howard, who performs nightly on piano behind Loretta Ables at Halekulani's Lewers Lounge .
AND speaking of the Lewers Lounge, Saturday night will be a memorable one there as the staffers and musicians will be saying, "Aloha," to two of their most valued customers, Alastair and Noel Matthews, two brothers from Scotland who belie the myth about Scottish stinginess -- they spend one month each year at the Halekulani. The two charming old gents are like family to the waitresses, who take them on sightseeing trips, and on Saturday they'll throw a going-away party for the two ...
ATTENDING a writing workshop in Chicago, localite Megan MacPherson noted a familiar name among the instructors. Turns out that Professor George Harman was the same man who was her academic advisor during her freshman year at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. "I was 17 and a midshipman in Navy ROTC," recalls MacPherson. "I remember asking him if there was life after the Navy." Harman, a former Navy officer himself, assured Megan there'd be a place for her in the civilian world. Now, the former Lt. MacPherson just celebrated her first year with Hill and Knowlton. How's corporate life compare? "The lunches are better." ... Welcome aboard
