JANUARY 18 • 2024 | 43

an incredible moment for me 
because I had grown up with 
the name of the Beaux Arts 
Trio and had been to their 
concerts when I was a kid. I 
knew their recordings really 
intimately. 
“Suddenly, to be stand-
ing opposite this incredible 
musician who had so much 
knowledge of chamber music 
and then to be playing cham-
ber music with him was an 
incredible moment for me. He 
was an amazing guide in tell-
ing how to read a great score.”
Hope has played about 10 
concerts in Michigan, mak-
ing his U.S. orchestral debut 
with the Detroit Symphony 
Orchestra. During the pan-
demic, Hope produced con-
certs in his German home, 
“Hope@Home,” that reached 
television and video audienc-
es with performances by some 
400 musicians.
After that, he produced 
two feature films. Celtic 
Dreams covers the Irish music 
known by his father, and The 
Hollywood Sound relates to 
his mother’s Judaism as it 
explores pieces developed 
by Jewish composers escap-
ing the Holocaust to go to 
Hollywood.
Wogaman, the fourth 
president of Chamber Music 
Detroit (formerly named 
the Chamber Music Society 

of Detroit) has worked in 
Michigan for more than 12 
years and is especially appre-
ciative of the honor bestowed 
on Pressler.
“This chair is to honor 
an artist who exemplifies 
the values of music-making 
demonstrated and advocated 
his whole life,” Wogaman 
said. “Pressler was maybe the 
greatest chamber musician 
who ever lived. 
“It is an incredible honor 
and privilege to be able to 
have as the first occupant 
of that chair someone like 
Daniel Hope, who performed 
with him hundreds of times. 
It is our effort to create a 
designation every year of 
someone who shares and con-
tinues to promote 
the same values 
in their own play-
ing and their own 
music-making.”
Wogaman 
explained that he 
was among some 
700 students taught 
by Pressler in 
Indiana and about 
70 who earned a doctorate. 
“There was no more 
important person in my 
musical life,” Wogaman said. 
“I had him come here twice. 
Once was his first recital 
with a vocalist. I would put 
in his contract that I would 
personally provide his 
transportation from his home 
in Indiana to Detroit, and I 
would spend 12 hours in the 
car, six with him, and it was 
always worth it.”
Besides explaining the 
quality of Detroit music-
making to Wogaman, Pressler 
introduced him to Henry 
Shevitz by telling that his 
Detroit page turner was a 
doctor. 

Shevitz was introduced 
to music by his mother, 
concert pianist Edythe Shoob 
Shevitz. She started her son 
with piano lessons when he 
was 4, and he plays chamber 
concerts regularly with the 
group Friends of Four Hands, 
which features two pianists 
playing together.
Daily practice on his own 
Bösendorfer Grand is a 
must for Shevitz, who found 
Pressler to be very friendly.
When Pressler was 
performing at Hill 
Auditorium in Ann 
Arbor, Shevitz went to 
the performance and then 
asked an usher about going 
backstage to say hello. After 
being told that Hill does not 

allow people backstage, 
Shevitz explained that it 
should be pointed out the 
person asking was the 
doctor/page turner.
“I was told Pressler would 
love to see me, and I felt that 
it was nice he remembered,” 
said Shevitz, who started 
turning pages when asked 
for a program at Temple Kol 
Ami and the word got out to 
Chamber Music Detroit that 
he would do that. 
Now musicians have their 
pages on iPads, and pages are 
turned with actions of their 
own feet.
“I’m happy to contribute 
to Chamber Music Detroit 
because it’s a worthwhile 
organization,” Shevitz said. 
“I’ve been attending for 
decades and know that 
Chamber Music Detroit 
presents wonderful programs 
and musicians.” 

Details
“La Belle Epoque” will be presented 
8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, at the 
Seligman Performing Arts Center, 
22305 W. 13 Mile, Beverly Hills. 
Tickets start at $30. (313) 335-3300. 
chambermusicdetroit.org.

COURTESY HENRY SHEVITZ

COURTESY STEPHEN WOGAMAN

Pianist Dr. Henry Shevitz was 
Pressler’s Detroit page turner.

Stephen Wogaman, Chamber 
Music Detroit president, stud-
ied with Menahem Pressler.

