Mary Jo and Lloyd Capps talk Perugia and all things music and travel
Mary Jo and Lloyd Capps are passionate about music and travel. They’ve travelled the world with their earliest musical trip being to New York to hear the NY Phil and the Met, Blue Note and Birdland. None of which disappointed. They heard Leonard Bernstein/Jessye Norman/Barbara Hendriks in Mahler2; the Zeffirelli production of La Boheme; Carmen McRae & Zoot Sims at Blue Note and Ron Carter at Birdland . “This was absolute bliss,” said Mary Jo whose musical credentials include being appointed the Chair of the Australian Festival of Chamber Music in 2022 after serving for almost 20 years as CEO of Musica Viva Australia. She has also held senior management and consultancy roles with all the major Australian orchestras, Create NSW, Company B Belvoir Theatre, Australian Dance Theatre, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and a range of small to medium arts organisations, as well as serving on a number of business and pro bono boards.
Lloyd Capps’ The Jazz Beat
Mary Jo is passionate about 2MBS Fine Music Sydney and especially when Lloyd Capps’ The Jazz Beat is playing. Those who tune in to the sounds of Lloyd will know he plays CDs from his own collection and thus it is only the music that he has a fondness for that float over the airwaves on a Tuesday night. Lloyd adores 2MBS Fine Music Sydney because it attracts such a gifted range of volunteers. “The volunteers have had amazing careers prior to their time at 2MBS Fine Music Sydney and come together with a shared passion for music and fascinating backgrounds,” he said.
Who would the Capps invite to dinner?
When asked which three musical performers the Capps would most relish having dinner with,Mary Jo and Lloyd took a few days to answer. “We debated this one for ages,” she declares. “We finally decided upon two pianists and a violinist who are all lovely people.” The lovely people turned out to be Yehudi Menuhin, Oscar Peterson (from MJ’s territory, Toronto Canada) and Sir Stephen Hough (their favourite living pianist).
The ultimate performance for the Capps would be to watch the Takacs Quartet performing anywhere. Mary Jo said, “I doubt, with their Hungarian history, they would agree to perform in St Petersburg, if we are dealing in the real world! So maybe hearing them in the Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall or the Brahms Hall in the Musikverein of Vienna. But we’ll happily go with our alternative of going to the Manaus Opera House in the Amazon to hear Wagner’s Ring Cycle.”
Perugia, Italy
It’s always fascinating to get insider tips from the well-travelled. The Capps have given First Class some insider knowledge on their favourite hotel at their favourite musical destination. Trasimeno Festival in Umbria (in & around Perugia) – which flows into the Umbria Jazz Festival – is their number one choice of musical destination where they say it’s important to book early and immerse yourself in the entire festival. Mary Jo has led two Renaissance Tour Groups to Trasimeno and found a number of pleasant surprises at the festival. “There are a number of small venues which host people you may have never heard of in museums and galleries. At the Jazz Festival, some performers are very localised, but we were also treated to Diana Krall performing with Joe Lovano.” Sadly, this is the last year Angela Hewitt will be presenting the Trasimeno Festival, so if you’re not been before, it is probably too late!