The Well-Tempered Ear

Classical music: The annual Karp Family Labor Day Concert for this year has been CANCELLED

By Jacob Stockinger

Today’s posting has sad news to report.

The Ear has learned that the annual Karp Family Labor Day concert for this year has been CANCELLED.

It would have been the 39th annual FREE community gift from the talented Karp family (below) – Madison’s First Family of Music — to the community.

Over the years the well attended family concert, which was usually performed on Labor Day night or the Monday night before classes began at the UW-Madison, had become the unofficial start of the new concert season, both at the UW-Madison and in the larger community.

Performers included grandparents, parents, children and grandchildren as well as guest artists.

For 38 years, many new works were premiered and no work was ever repeated.

That is an impressive record.

The immediate reason for the cancellation is as follows: After the death of pianist Howard Karp in 2014, eldest son Parry Karp (below) became the patriarch and guiding spirit, and the show went on. Parry Karp is a cello professor at the UW-Madison and longtime member of the Pro Arte String Quartet.

But several months ago Parry Karp sustained a serious injury to the fourth finger on his left hand, which is the hand that finds the notes. (You can hear Parry Karp playing a cello duet five years ago with his daughter Ariana Karp in the YouTube video at the bottom.)

That same injury caused him to cancel performances this summer with the Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society and the upcoming Token Creek Chamber Music Festival.

Perhaps the Labor Day tradition will be revived next year. You can read about past concerts by using the search engine on this blog.

But perhaps not, although everyone certainly wishes Parry Karp a full and speedy recovery.

The Ear gives bravos and a big thank you to all the Karps, who gave us so much wonderful music over so many years.

Others can also leave words of gratitude and encouragement in the COMMENT section.