About Trail Mix
Trail Mix Concert was founded in July 2002 by veteran Steinway & Sons master piano technician Israel Schossev and vocal coach Rackelle Roden, both of Woodstock Piano Company. Devoted to promoting the art of the piano, Israel and Rackelle took to the roads of West Shokan, knocked on every door, and invited every chamber music lover they could find to their home to share an afternoon of great music with emerging star pianist Spencer Meyer who recently won the prestigious New Orleans International Piano Competition and will perform a debut recital in London's famous Wigmore Hall.
The “Almost Monthly” concerts at Israel and Rackelle’s home, nicknamed by audience members “Our own little Carnegie Hall”, continued to present emerging star artists, up and coming ensembles, such as Classical Jam, and seasoned artists such as Emma Tahmazian, Jon Klibonoff, David Geber, Julia Lichten, Yuan Sheng and others.
In 2004 Israel and Rackelle, along with pianist Gila Goldstein, created a festival on Columbus20Day Weekend. Trail Mix Music Festival, Inc., now a nonprofit organization, presented twenty-nine local and international artists in eleven concerts. The performances were a real trail mix of music styles including Jazz, Tango, Klezmer and Chamber Music. Woodstock Times Music Critic, Leslie Gerber, called the festival, “Delicious . . .an incredible treat.”
In 2006 the Board of Trustees of the Olive Free Library invited Trail Mix Concerts to move the series to the library’s spacious community room where a magnificent, recently rebuilt, Steinway & Sons grand piano stood idle. Opting for a slightly bigger space, where the rich repertoire of larger ensembles could be presented, Trail Mix Concerts opened the 2007/8 series with pianist Ami Hakuno and world renown pianist Pascal Rogé with a Two Piano Concert.
Trail Mix Concerts aims at keeping its performances in tune with the word Chamber. Audience members are invited to sit in whisper distance from the musicians, and performers are encouraged to share some of their own personal insights, thoughts and stories about their choice of program with the audience. The warm and friendly atmosphere provides a wonderful opportunity for listeners to intimately experience the music, the instruments and the musicians. And, for the players, who repeatedly express “what a wonderful enthusiastic, receptive and warm audience!”, to promise and return to the Catskills.
We look forward to sharing great music with you.
Trail Mix Music Festival, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization 501(c)(3) whose mission is to present an annual program and year round schedule of world class music and art related activities that promote artists, culture, inspired learning, and diversity.
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