WHIZ KID: Robbie Fitzsimmons, 16, is featured in January's San Jose Magazine as one of 12 "whiz kids" selected from private schools in the valley. Fitzsimmons, a student at Bellarmine, is a percussionist who has his own band and has won many awards.
His band is a jazz combo called Take Five. He also plays in Icarus, an alternative rock band with a CD that was rated the third best new CD on John Shelton Ivany's top 20 list. He has the lead in the Bellarmine play The Roar of the Greasepaint, the Smell of the Crowd, running Feb. 27March 2 and March 58.
In addition, Bellarmine has been asked to perform at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, in August, and Fitzsimmons is composing the music for that production. The original play to be presented is The Se7en Ages of Bob.
Fitzsimmons has won scholarships to the Berklee School of Music in Boston and to San José State University from the San Jose Jazz Society. He also received the Duke Ellington Composition Award from Stanford's Jazz Workshop. He counts among his earliest and continuing influences Los Gatos piano teacher Gloria Malander.
Other inspirational teachers he cites are Frank Wyant and Tom Alessandri.
Robbie is the son of Cissy and Michael Fitzsimmons, the grandson of Helen and John Fitzsimmons, all of Los Gatos, and the grandson of Gerrye Ellis, a former Los Gatan who now lives in the Cambrian area. Ellis "has raised half the kids in Los Gatos," she says, having owned Ellis Day Care for years, with a cumulative total of 1,400 children under her care over the years.
Robbie's brother Greg is a sophomore at San Diego State, and his uncle is Rob Ellis, a percussionist who lives in the Los Angeles area and travels the world accompanying name musicians. VAS is the name of his group.
INTERNATIONAL CELEBRATION: A new piece commissioned by the Mission Chamber Orchestra and composed by Los Gatan Craig Bohmler will be presented at the International Friendship Celebration at 8 p.m. on Feb. 8 at Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph in San Jose.
The celebration will feature the Mission Chamber Orchestra, the San Jose Symphonic Choir and the Cantabile Children's Chorus. The Bohmler work, titled Sisters, celebrates San Jose's diversity and its collaborative efforts with its several sister cities.
Also on the program are Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 and Mozart. Renowned solo violinist Pip Clarke will perform and Emily Ray conducts. For tickets, write to P.O. Box 32872, San Jose, 95152. For more information about the orchestra, visit www.missionchamber.org.
COMMUNITY CONCERT: Violinist Yoon Kwon and her sister, pianist Min Kwon, will present a concert on Feb. 2 at 2:30 p.m. at the Los Gatos High School auditorium. Both sisters began their music studies as toddlers in Korea, receiving lessons from their mother, a piano teacher.
The family moved to the United States in 1985, and both girls went to Juilliard. Violinist Yoon was the youngest winner of a Juilliard School competition at age 17. Pianist Min earned a doctorate in music from Juilliard, where she also taught. The sisters have two CDs, have appeared as soloists on four continents and have won many international awards.
The Los GatosSaratoga Community Concert Association is the sponsor. Tickets, priced at $20 for adults and $5 for students, are available at the door or by calling Ray Strong at 408.377.1106 or Leah Frey at 408.356.5698.
HE-ART AFFAIR: A raffle and silent auction on Feb. 14 will benefit Los Gatos museums. The artwork to be auctioned off will be on display Jan. 30Feb. 14 at the Art Museum of Los Gatos. The event is called "Touch my heART." For tickets, call 408.395.7375.
HAKONE CLEANUP & SEMINAR: Hakone Gardens in Saratoga will host a two-day cleanup of the bamboo garden in conjunction with the American Bamboo Society. The project is Feb. 8 and 9, and speakers from ABS will give talks on a variety of subjects. Lunch and tools will be provided as participants help contain the garden's growth.
CELTIC CONCERT: A Celtic concert, featuring the Prince Charles Caledonian Club of San Francisco Pipe Band, will perform Feb. 1 at Los Gatos High School at 7:30 p.m. Highland dancers, Irish dancers and the Celtic band Molly's Revenge will also be part of the package. Tickets are $15; $12 for seniors and students.
Los Gatan Margaret Hokeness is the contact at 408.356.1747.
USE IT OR LOSE IT: As one gets older one's night vision diminishes and driving at night can be a challenge. One friend of mine found herself about to drive home one night over a route she knew well and was feeling no trepidation about her abilities—only trouble was, she couldn't remember where her car lights were activated.
She finally resorted to the owner's manual. But it took a great deal longer than one would expect because she and her passenger were laughing so hard they couldn't locate the right page.
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By Mary Ann Cook