The late Walter and Ruth Coppock, Rogue Valley music patrons, underwrote the premiere of Young’s piece for piano, violin and cello
By Jim Flint for Ashland.news
When composer Webster Young steps onto the stage of Paris’ Salle Colonne on Sept. 16, it will mark both a career milestone and a tribute to two late Ashland philanthropists who quietly helped make it possible.
The concert will feature the world premiere of Young’s Trio in Five Movements for piano, violin and cello, alongside a screening of “6000 Miles to Ukraine,” a documentary partly filmed in Ashland and broadcast on Tacoma, Washington’s PBS station in 2023. The film recounts the story of Young’s symphony, which was performed in Lviv, Ukraine, on Ukrainian Independence Day in 2018.
The Paris work was underwritten by Dr. Walter and Ruth Coppock of Ashland, longtime patrons of classical music in the Rogue Valley. The Coppocks, through their Farnley Tyas Foundation, awarded Young a grant in 2023 to present a new chamber work in Paris.
Young learned only recently that both Walter and Ruth have since passed away.
In memoriam
“Our concert program in Paris will thus contain an ‘in memoriam’ mention of their support, and a program copy will be sent to their daughter,” he said.
For Young, who was born in White Plains, New York, and raised in New York City, the performance represents a long-awaited Paris debut.
“A trio concert, to be played in a modest, less expensive venue, was what was originally backed by the Coppocks,” he said. But when the Salle Colonne became available, “my collaborators at the hall thought we should show the Ukraine film so that the French audience would have a better sense of my music and who I am, since I am unknown here.”
The documentary raises the question of whether culture can aid peace efforts. Young believes it can.
“I think the fine arts culture of a great city like Lviv — and that means the greatness of the people that live it as well — can be a stimulus to peace,” he said. “Culture can help take eyes off disagreements and help focus on what is held in common — beautiful things that are very important in ways different from material things.”
A pivot to chamber music
The new trio is Young’s 228th composition, a pivot after decades devoted to large-scale works such as ballet and opera.
“It is a movement into a new area for me — chamber music,” he said. “Now I find it is ideal for purposes like introducing yourself to a new city and country because it can say a lot yet doesn’t require great logistics.”
Young has a long history in Ashland, where he kept a base for many years. He composed 10 works for Ballet in the Park, which was staged at the Butler Bandshell in Lithia Park for many years but has since been discontinued.
“I have three storage units full from a lifetime in Ashland, and a mailbox,” he said with a laugh, noting that he typically spent October through April in Southern Oregon before returning to Paris, New York or Aspen.
The Coppocks, whom Young called “great people,” supported many Rogue Valley musicians and events.
“They have encouraged a lot of local efforts with small grants and this has resulted in some quite memorable events,” Young said, recalling their interest in “doing things that bring great classical music to a small town.”
He hopes the couple would be pleased to see their final gift resonate on an international stage.
“I hope they know that something of high quality happened because of them in one of the greatest cities in the world. And that they have been acknowledged for that.”
Freelance writer Jim Flint is a retired newspaper publisher and editor. Email him at [email protected].
