Hanoi, Vietnam

January 8, 2013 By

Vietnam News

We were very sad to leave the comforts of our regal hotel only to find ourselves at another resplendent hotel, this time it was the Hotel Metropole (Sofitel) in Hanoi, Vietnam.  I have always found Vietnam to be very special as it gives us glimpses of Asia at the turn of the century.  Staying at the Metropole, I felt like I had stepped back in time.  There were two times that severely marked this hotel, the year it was built, and the years it was bombed (when the singer Joan Baez stayed and wrote a song to commemorate it).

 

In Hanoi we were met by the honorable and gracious gentleman, Alvaro Guzman who affectionately became my “cousin” given our common last name.  Alvaro introduced us to the luscious Vietnamese coffee drink, No Da coffee.  YUM!!!  I’m not a fan of coffee, but when the Vietnamese make it and drown it in condensed milk, it becomes quite a tasty concoction indeed.  I never have felt have had enough time in Vietnam.  I always leave craving more.  This time was no exception.

 

I presented a Masterclass at the Vietnam Conservatory of Music in Hanoi graciously presented by the beautiful Huong Thu Le.  She had lined up about 15 students who performed for me.  I was so endearing to present the elements of Beatbox to all these countries.  And to see the smiling faces of all the students was priceless.  Our concert was held at the Metropole Hotel where several of the students attended including a young and very beautiful young lady, Giang Nguyen Hoang Hien who has since become my Facebook friend.  She is lovely and I look forward to visiting with her again on my next trip to Hanoi.  Our last day in Hanoi, the Ambassador of Chile in Hanoi took us around to the Turtle Temple where at the bottom of the lake legend states there lives an ancient and wise turtle.  Mahani and I had dresses custom made at one of the tailors.  The traditional Vietnamese dress is so elegant and flattering to wear.  It was so nice when Alvaro took us to the Temple of Literature where we saw all the recent high school graduates wearing their traditional dress.  They looked spectacular.  Thanks to Facebook, again, I am now friends with several of these lovely young ladies as we ended up taking a few Flying Shots together.  What a memorable day this was for all of us!

Hanoi, Vietnam Recital Poster

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Jakarta, Indonesia

January 3, 2013 By

After making so many wonderful friends in Singapore, it was hard to leave at 4am on our flight to Jakarta.  But soon enough, we were to encounter the beauty that is Jakarta and especially it’s people.

Francisco came to pick us up in Jakarta.  I had first met him in Jamaica and was surprised and thrilled to see him again.  We performed at the Usmail Performing Arts Center where people like the Assad Brothers had visited before us.  We were thrilled with the acoustics of the concert hall.  Our Masterclass was presented at the Jakarta Conservatory of Music which is a modest and extremely warm and friendly place.  Meta was my host and she did a lovely job of setting up around 10 students to perform for me.  They even gifted us to a scrumptious lunch of Indonesian delights.  It was quite a feast and it gave us a chance to mingle a bit more with our students.  The whole exchange was a delight.  We finished off our busy day of teaching with a grand massage at the local salon before returning to our oh so luxurious Hotel Melia.  Heaven!

Viviana Guzman Altus Flutes Masterclass in Jakarta, Indonesia

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Singapore

January 3, 2013 By

At 5am the next morning, we were sad to leave Kuala Lumpur.  Actually, we really hated leaving every place as it was simply too short for us to stop for only 3 to 4 days in each location.  In Singapore we were greeted by Macarena and Mr. Philip the driver.  They generously presented us with lovely tours of the city and made sure we were well fed.  Singapore is a very safe place established by Lee Kuan Yew in 1965.  Singapore used to be part of Malaysia, but it seceded and became it’s own independent nation state.  It is VERY impressive what Singapore has become.  In only 30 years, Singapore established itself as one of the top ranking nations in Asia as well as in the world with a very high standard of living.  The streets are safe and very clean (chewing gum is not allowed by law, for example).

I remember on a previous visit to Singapore I left my hand carry luggage in the lobby of my hotel.  I left for the airport and just before arriving at the airport I realized that I didn’t have my hand carry luggage.  I panicked!!!  Of course, after living in New York city for so many years, where if this had happened there, I would have lost my flute, my computer, my everything.  But because I was in this magnificent country that is Singapore, when I arrived back at the hotel, my hand carry luggage was still sitting there right where I had left it 2 hours prior.  AMAZING!!!!!

We stayed at the Ambassador of Chile in Singapore’s Residence.  He and his staff were amazingly hospitable and generous with their time, taking time out of their own day to take us sightseeing and driving us around the city.  I presented a Masterclass and met some wonderful new friends, Dorin, Mark, Teg and Meri with whom we shared a lovely dinner afterwards.  Our rehearsals where at the Esplanade overlooking the marvelous Ship Building.  Our concert was at the historic Raffles Hotel which is famous for it’s Singapore Slings.  And my Flute Masterclass was sponsored by Altus Flutes and hosted by Teg.  After the informal class, we all went out for a delicious dinner.  After the concert, each one of my students presented me with wonderful gifts and flowers.  Singaporians are so generous and hospitable!

 

Singapore Program

Singapore Program
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Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

December 30, 2012 By

Our next stop was Kuala Lumpur.  We were graciously invited to stay at the Ambassador of Chile’s Residence which over looked the famous Petrona Towers in downtown Kuala Lumpur.  What a treat it was to visit my official 120th country!!  The Moslem influence is very visible in this glorious country.  Mahani and I visited a Mosque where we had to cover up completely in a pink overcoat with a hood.  I felt like a nun.  I was humbled by the beauty of the magnificent mosque.  We performed and presented a Masterclass at the Malay University where we were greeted and hosted by several of the students who graciously gave us a standing ovation after our performance AND little gifts to take home, too!

Viviana & Mahani Kuala Lumpur Recital Poster

Flute Masterclass at the Malaya University sponsored by Altus Flutes

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Bangkok, Thailand

December 30, 2012 By

After Bali, we continued onto Bangkok, Thailand as I had a few recitals and a masterclass with the Chilean pianist, Mahani Teave.  First we played a recital for the Yamaha Music School.  We also performed for various Ambassadors at the boutique and recently opened  The Siam Hotel.  Our final performance was at the Sukhomvit Sheraton Hotel.  Since I have so many body issues, one of the main reasons I love Asia (and specifically Bali and Thailand) so much is that I can actually afford to pay for daily massages in these places, often for 3 to 5 hours!!  Even after 5 days in Bangkok, I felt like it wasn’t enough.  In fact I was left thirsting for more of ALL the places we were about to visit in this Grand Asia Tour.

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Playing at Orphanage in Bali

December 30, 2012 By

After performing in 120 countries across the globe, I have decided that Bali is one of my favorite.  And this is why I decided that this is where I would spend my Honeymoon with my beloved.  Bali is a wonderful mix of Hindu and Buddhist religions.  They also have a wonderful abundance of artisans.  Spirituality and Ceremony are very important components in their culture.  I believe it is all these things that make for it’s people to  have beautiful smiles and as shared by other Asian nations, they always come from a place of gratitude and respect.  We spent a few days in Ubud and a few days on the North coast.  Towards the end of our stay I presented a Music Show for the Dorothy O’Shea Orphanage in Denpasar.  This became the highlight of our stay.  To see the joy of the faces of these youngsters, the commitment level of the staff and volunteers, some of the children even played piano!  It was a profound and deeply moving and gratifying experience which only inspired me to continue my work in presenting music in other orphanages around the world.

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Mendoza, Argentina & Santiago, Chile

December 29, 2012 By

I took off my Wedding Dress and popped on my Performance Sequins as I flew back onto my next destinations which were three recitals and a Masterclass in Mendoza, Argentina.  I flew into Santiago, Chile, and traveled by bus over the colossal Andes Mountains, through the tallest mountain in South America, the Aconcagua, and arrived on the other side in Mendoza, Argentina.  This time I was participating in the Flutes of the World Festival.  As through the years I have collected about 100 world flutes from my travels around the world, I fit right into this festival which featured all sorts of ethnic flutes.  I hung out and partied every night with the wonderful Christine Earlander Beard and Tomm Roland and felt very grateful to have met Pablo Salcedo and all his wonderful friends.  We had a blast at this festival, so exotic with all the unique flute sounds from deep in the Amazon, the Andes, Venezuela and Colombia.

Next on my agenda was presenting a Masterclass at the Escuela Moderna in Santiago, Chile, sponsored by Altus Flutes.  I was able to visit with long time flutist friend, Hernan Jara, as well as with my family in Santiago which is always a welcomed thing.

At the World Flutes Festival in Mendoza, Argentina with Tomm Roland

 

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Just Married!!!

December 29, 2012 By

Guess what I did days after Manaus???  I GOT MARRIED!!!!  Woo hooo!!!!  I slipped  into my wedding in between my concerts in Brazil, Argentina and Thailand.  I took off my performance dress and changed into my wedding gown.  My cliffside wedding overlooking the crashing California waves was every bride’s dream of an event not to mention that I simply adore my handsome husband!!!!  We’re so lucky to have found each other!!!!  After the romantic oceanside setting, we celebrated at the local Art Gallery/Yoga Studio to toast and dance the night away.  My honeymoon suite was at the oceanfront Cypress Inn, under the most idyllic and magical Blue Moon.

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Manaus, Brazil

December 28, 2012 By

The highlight of any year is the moment that I get to play in a beautiful European style theater as a soloist with orchestra.  This year, the event happened in Manaus, Brazil at the famous Teatro Amazonas with the Amazonas Fiharmonica.  Wow.  This was special.  I performed with this wonderful orchestra in this magnificent theater with the grand Maestro Benoit Fromanger.  This performance was part of the Brazilian Flute Festival where I in addition performed a recital and presented a Masterclass which was sponsored  my wonderful flute maker, Altus Flutes. 

Oblivion by Piazzolla YouTube Preview Image

Libertango by Piazzolla YouTube Preview Image

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Viviana in Vegas!

December 28, 2012 By

By now, I started calling this year my 2012 World Tour.  The next few months would be on massive revolving door of exciting destinations non-stop, one after the other.  Little did I know that I needed to fasten my seat belt and start getting used to the hugely fast pace of the next few months through the end of the year.  I wouldn’t have thought that I was a Vegas type of Gal as I’m much more of an Earthy Mystic Gypsy rather than a Gamblin’ Glam Puss.  But hey, I guess, for Vegas, for me, I had a smokin’ time!!  Most of all I enjoyed filming these two little videos.  I was there for the National Flute Association Convention.

I performed Thursday night my Las Vegas Style Show and then I focused on filming… have I mentioned how much I love making videos??  I filmed a few more videos for Flute Chats (yes, I know, I’m massively behind with this project…. another reason why I need to stay at home a wee bit more).  I also orchestrated a Flute Flash Mob just outside the Caesar’s Palace Hotel at which 50 flutists showed up to play Stars and Stripes Forever (every piccolo player’s dream).  All in all, I felt so moved by the camaraderie, the sharing, the friends, the exchanges, the good times that were had by all Flutists in Vegas that I decided to compile a little video to commemorate our experience together.

Vegas Flute Flash Mob Video YouTube Preview Image

NFA Find Yours Video YouTube Preview Image

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