Henry Winkler, author of the popular Hank Zipzer childrens’ book series that empowers kids who have learning challenges, was a guest speaker during Wednesday’s (Jan. 20) Classical Kaleidoscope concert program at the Arcadia Public Library.
This month’s free program sponsored by the Arcadia Public Library Foundation was called “Gentle Dissonance” and featured Dmitri Shostakovich’s 1939 Piano Quintet in G-minor, with Ming Tsu on the piano, Lorenz Gamma and Paul Stein on violins, Maksim Velichkin on cello, and Aaron Oltman on viola.
Highlights of the quintet and Winker can be seen in the two-minute video below. Picturered left-to-right in photo with video below are Stein, Winkler, Arcadia City Manager Don Penman, and Director of Library and Museum Services Carolyn Garner-Reagan.
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Get the Flash Player to see this content. Stein, who is the director of the Classical Kaleidoscope chamber music series at the Arcadia Library, noticed Winkler at several L.A. Philharmonic concerts over the past several years and invited him to be a guest speaker at the Arcadia Library series for families.
Winkler, who struggled with his education due to his own learning challenges, is best known for his wildly popular good-hearted “hood” character nicknamed “Fonzie” (The Fonz”) from the 1970s/80s TV series “Happy Days” for which he won two Golden Globe Awards. He has had many successes and recognitions in myriad arenas since then and enjoys the inspiration his books provide.
Winkler had the Library audience thoroughly engaged with funny and sometimes heart-tugging anecdotes from his childhood, on which many of the Hank Zipzer stories are based. And he had them laughing loudly as he read a passage from one of the Hank Zipzer books “I Got a ‘D’ in Salami.’ Afterwards he autographed books, 85 of which were purchased on the spot.
The next Classical Kaleidoscope concert will be on April 28.