Interview with Christopher Beach, President and Artistic Director, La Jolla Music Society from the 2008 Season of SummerFest

UCSD-TV: What sparked your love of chamber music?

CHRISTOPHER BEACH: My grandparents and great grandmother would have dinner parties where they and their friends would play chamber music, so as a child it was the very first music I heard. I have loved it since before I could remember.

UCSD-TV: Do you have a favorite composer?

CB: Every day my favorite composer changes, sometimes two or three times a day. The Goldberg Variations is always one of the pieces at the top. A month ago I was fixated by John Ireland. Elgar reminds me of my grandfather. Liszt and Chopin remind me of my great grandmother and my mother loved Sibelius. Grieg and I share a birthday (June 15th). And then there is opera. I worked for various opera companies for more than 15 years and Rigoletto, all Verdi, Strauss, Strauss, Strauss…you see, it is impossible to answer this question.

UCSD-TV: What piece of music could you listen to over and over?

CB: All of the above, but I love the three Mozart/DaPonte operas. They tell the story of life. Having just heard again the Vingt regards sur L’Enfant Jesus by Messian, I know it is one of the great works of the 20th Century.

UCSD-TV: What is your favorite Summerfest moment from seasons past?

CB: Last summer’s performance by Jimmy and Hai-Ye Ni and John Bruce Yeh, and Christopher Taylor of Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time…although Jacques Loussier’s performance and the Milone Piazzolla Suite were unforgettable.

UCSD-TV: What is the biggest challenge in putting on Summerfest every year?

CB: It is like a triple decker chess game. Artists’ availabilities, repertory artists would play well, who would play well together, what would sell tickets, and what can challenge the audience and yet not challenge them too much.

UCSD-TV: Summerfest is not just about great performances. So many of the events focus on educating the audience and sharing knowledge. Could you tell us a bit more about these activities and why they are so important to the chamber music community?

CB: Chamber music has more layers and more depth than any other instrumental music and yet, at the same time it is so transparent because it is so intimate. We have open rehearsals with the artist, Prelude lectures, artist workshops, and Encounters during the day that provide a context for all of the performances. I guarantee any of our audience members that if they partake of these free offerings they will leave the concert hall richer and with an even more memorable performance.

UCSD-TV: What can the viewing audience expect from the new season of Summerfest programs?

CB: Mendelssohn, Handel, Haydn and Purcell all celebrate anniversaries in 2009.

UCSD-TV: 2009 marks the 40th anniversary of the La Jolla Music Society. How will you celebrate?

CB: With Gustavo Dudamel, four great international women pianists, more dance than ever, and champagne.

Health Matters Takes Home an Emmy

UCSD-TV’s signature interview series “Health Matters” received a 2008 Emmy Award in the Health/Science Program category for “Health Matters: MS Doesn’t Have Me.” On hand to accept the award at the June 14 ceremony were UCSD-TV producers Jennifer Ford and Peter Kreklow, himself diagnosed with MS, and the show’s host, Dr. David Granet. The award-winning […]

UCSD-TV’s signature interview series “Health Matters” received a 2008 Emmy Award in the Health/Science Program category for “Health Matters: MS Doesn’t Have Me.” On hand to accept the award at the June 14 ceremony were UCSD-TV producers Jennifer Ford and Peter Kreklow, himself diagnosed with MS, and the show’s host, Dr. David Granet.

The award-winning program introduces viewers to individuals with multiple sclerosis, a disease affecting approximately 400,000 Americans, with about 200 new cases being diagnosed each week. These inspiring guests share their stories of diagnosis, treatment, and living with the disease. Dr. Granet is also joined by recognized expert Jody Corey-Bloom, MD, UCSD Department of Neurosciences, for an in-depth look at this unpredictable neurological disease.

The program was especially personal for producer Peter Kreklow, who was diagnosed with MS almost ten years ago. “I wanted to create a program that went beyond the clinical side of the disease,” stated Kreklow. “I have encountered some rather astonishing misconceptions by the general public about MS and its impact on the day-to-day lives of those who live with it. I felt it was important that this program be something anyone would be interested in watching and, hopefully, create a more open dialogue and understanding of the disease.”

“This is the first Emmy win for the series and I am tremendously proud of the program and the ‘Health Matters’ team,” commented “Health Matters” host Dr. David Granet. “Our goal has always been to make health issues accessible to all and this program succeeded by touching our viewer’s minds and hearts with these powerful, personal stories.”

UCSD-TV producer Jennifer Ford was equally excited by the Emmy win, stating, “This series is the flagship health program for UCSD-TV and the fact that this particular program has been recognized with an Emmy is a sign of more great things to come as we continue to find innovative ways to communicate valuable health information to our viewers.”

“Health Matters” and Dr. Granet have been fixtures on UCSD-TV since the series first premiered in 1995. The series provides current, practical information on how to improve one’s health and wellbeing. Over its thirteen-year run, the series has welcomed hundreds of guests to discuss health-related topics ranging from sleep disorders to summertime swim safety. All “Health Matters” programs are available for viewing on-line.

“Health Matters” is also no stranger to national and international awards, having received a gold Aurora earlier this year for “Health Matters: Fertility and IVF” and a bronze Telly in 2007 for “Health Matters: The Healthful Benefits of Pets.”

Host David B. Granet, M.D. is an award-winning physician at UCSD and has been hosting “Health Matters” since it first began production in 1995. Dr. Granet is the Anne Ratner Professor of both Ophthalmology and Pediatrics at UCSD and the adult ocular motility specialist for the Shiley Eye Center. Dr. Granet serves as the Director of the Abraham Ratner Children’s Eye Center and the Director of the UCSD Divisions of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Eye Alignment Disorders.

The Emmy Awards are given out by The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and recognize outstanding achievements in television within the Pacific Southwest region, which includes San Diego County and the television markets of Bakersfield, Oxnard, Palm Springs, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Santa Maria, California, and Las Vegas, Nevada.

Body Politic Behind-the-Scenes Photos, 2008

The Body Politic: World Views of USA, June 2008

A discussion with Stephan Haggard and Karen Ferree on how the American presidential campaign is being viewed in Europe, Africa and Asia followed by an interview with Philip Gourevitch on US soldiers at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.


Producer Shannon Bradley discusses topics for
the show with host Peter Gourevitch and guests Karen Ferree and Stephan Haggard.
Photo by Juanita LaHaye


Peter Gourevitch, Karen Ferree, and Stephan Haggard get acquainted on the set of The Body Politic.
Photo by Juanita LaHaye


Camera operator Harry Caruso readies the camera and teleprompter for the day’s shoot.
Photo by Juanita LaHaye


UCSD-TV crew member Alan Thwaites checks the microphones before taping begins.
Photo by Juanita LaHaye


A camera operator’s view.
Photo by Juanita LaHaye

Interview with Body Politic Program Host Peter Gourevitch, 2008

Since 1996, The Body Politic has been examining the issues creating local, national, and international news. After a brief hiatus, the series has returned with a new, yet familiar, host: Peter Gourevitch, professor of political science at UCSD . We asked him to tell us a bit more about the series and what we can expect to see in the future.

UCSD-TV: Welcome back to The Body Politic! What prompted you to return to television?

Peter Gourevitch: I had a great experience hosting the show ten years ago and with so many important things happening now in the world and in the U.S. it seemed a good opportunity to discuss important issues with the public.

UCSD-TV: Why is it important for UCSD faculty to participate in televised discussions about issues of the day?

PG: An informed citizenship is vital to a healthy democracy. Anything the faculty can do to help inform people we should do. My colleagues know lots of valuable things and I’d like to help them communicate it to the general public. You can read about these issues in the newspapers or online but there is something more direct about hearing from someone who is part of our community.

UCSD-TV: The Body Politic premiered on UCSD-TV in 1996. How has the political climate changed since the show began? Or has it?

PG: The political climate seems even more polarized than it was ten years ago. The difficulties we face in the U.S. and in the world have gone up – Iraq, the economy, the environment, inequality, infrastructure in the U.S., education – these have all increased as problems of concern.

UCSD-TV: What topics can the audience expect to be explored on upcoming episodes of the show? Immigration? Health care? Foreign policy?

PG: Yes, all of these issues: foreign policy, immigration, the economy, health, the environment. It is a matter of matching expertise, availability and the topic. Our constraint is time!

Interview with Producer Shannon Bradley for Devil’s Breath

UCSD-TV: What was your role as executive producer?

Shannon Bradley: Laura Castaneda brought this wonderful story to UCSD-TV and I had the privilege of providing a second pair of eyes to the script and helping her shape it for our audience.

UCSD-TV: Why did you choose the documentary format to tell this story?

SB: Because Laura had this amazing footage of the people who actually lived through this tragedy, some having been burned themselves and others who had lost loved ones in the firestorm. Her interviews with those who were directly affected presented the story in a much more compelling way than had she just recounted to camera what she had learned in her reporting…

Read the Entire Interview