tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73307560975500989742024-03-13T12:11:45.693-07:00Christian BaldiniA conductor and composer working with, interviewing and collaborating with many wonderful musicians of our time.Christian Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182366797490629513noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7330756097550098974.post-88104113198337395342024-03-11T09:38:00.000-07:002024-03-11T09:42:42.049-07:00Salomé Ospina in Conversation with Christian Baldini<p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: medium;"><b>On March 17, I will have the pleasure of conducting the Grieg Piano Concerto with Salomé Ospina <a href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/6127193" target="_blank">with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra in Sacramento, as part of our "Rising Stars" concert series</a>. On the same program we will also feature the Sibelius Violin Concerto with Suni Norman. Below is an interview with Salomé:</b></span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.christianbaldini.info/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></a></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.christianbaldini.info/" target="_blank">Christian Baldini:</a> Salomé, welcome, it has been very fun to have you in rehearsals with us and to make music with you. Tell us, what are some of your favorite things about the Grieg Piano Concerto? What would you say to someone who's never listened to it? What should they listen for? What will they encounter in this music?</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Salomé Ospina: <span face="-apple-system, helveticaneue">Thank you so much for having me! It has been an honor to play with the Camellia Symphony orchestra and you for the past couple of weeks. I honestly love every single moment in the Grieg concerto. One of my favorite moments in the entire piece is during the slow part of the third movement. I have a solo with the first cello accompanying me as well during this section. I was actually unaware that it was only the first cello until the first rehearsal with the orchestra. This is so meaningful to me because my mother, Maria Hoyos, plays first cello in this orchestra. This duet is so beautiful and I believe it encapsulates all the love and support she has given me over the years. I also really enjoy the last two sections of the third movement because this is the "grandioso" section of the piece. I get to accompany the brass players for a great solo and it is the moment where the tension from the entire piece is finally released. I would describe this piece as adventurous and beautiful. I would listen to the recurring themes especially in the first and third movement. They are everywhere! They get subtly changed throughout the piece but are truly resonant. They will encounter a beautiful journey through this music. I hope that they really enjoy this piece!</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="im" style="color: #500050; font-size: medium;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>CB: You started playing the piano as a young child. Who have been your most important mentors, and why?</b></span></p><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: medium; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">SO: Some of my most important mentors have been: Kirsten Smith, Helen Mendenhall, Tatiana Scott, Betsy Collins, and Joe Gilman. They have all guided me for many years with private instruction and are one of the main reasons that I am where I am today musically. They have really helped me develop my technique and love for music as well. I am so grateful to have had these wonderful people in my life.</span></p><span class="im" style="color: #500050; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>CB: What are other works and other composers you love playing, and why?</b></span></p><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: medium; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">SO: I really enjoy playing Brahms and Chopin because their harmonic structure is just so beautiful. Also the storytelling that goes on within their pieces is incredible. I recently played the Brahms Piano trio no. 1, and it was incredible because of the complex harmonies and especially because of the interaction between the strings and the piano as well. I also really enjoy listening to Sibelius’s Symphony no 5. </span></p><span class="im" style="color: #500050; font-size: medium;"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>CB: Do you play other instruments? Do you branch out into other music styles besides classical?</b></span></p><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: medium; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">SO: I do not play any other instruments. My mother tried to teach me cello at the age of three, but I decided that piano was what I preferred. I am deeply passionate about playing jazz as well as classical. I love to play in both combos and big bands and I am starting to begin composing as well! I also enjoy playing a variety of styles from latin america with my parents such as boleros, cha-cha-cha, salsa, and many more! I love to listen to music by Hector Lavoe, Duke Ellington, Oscar Petterson, Oscar De Leon and many more!</span></p><span class="im" style="color: #500050; font-size: medium;"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>CB: What is a typical day like for you? How much do you practice in addition to all your other activities? You are still in high school, right?</b></span></p><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: medium; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">SO: I am actually still a junior in high school! I typically spend my time in jazz band and concert band at school as well as in some other challenging classes. I typically go home after lunch time at school and usually have a rehearsal with a jazz combo or a private lesson. I try to practice for 2 to 3 hours in a day, but it really depends on how much schoolwork I have. I love to spend time on the weekends with my friends as well. </span></p><span class="im" style="color: #500050; font-size: medium;"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>CB: What are your plans for the future? Where would you like to see yourself in ten years?</b></span></p><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: medium; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">SO: I hope to become a music teacher or a French or Spanish teacher. I really am not sure about where I see myself in ten years. I can envision myself branching out into many things. However, I see myself the most as a teacher of some sorts, and hope to be a performer on the side. </span></p><span class="im" style="color: #500050; font-size: medium;"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>CB: Both of your parents are musicians, right? Your mother is of course Maria Hoyos, our wonderful principal cellist with the Camellia Symphony. I am sure it will be extremely special to both of you to be playing this concert together. How has it shaped you to come from a musical family?</b></span></p><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: medium; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">SO: Being around music constantly is such a privilege for me. I am so grateful to have such wonderful, loving parents. My mom plays cello with the Camellia Symphony and my dad plays saxophone and flute. Being around parents that are practicing exposed me to so much music from a young age and inspired me to become who I am now. This concert means so much to both of us and I can’t believe that I am going to be able to play as a soloist in a concert with my mom as the first cellist. This has been my mom’s dream for many years now, and I am very excited to be playing!</span></p><span class="im" style="color: #500050; font-size: medium;"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>CB: Are you fully bilingual? How have languages shaped or influenced you as a person and as a musician?</b></span></p><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: medium; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">SO: Yes, I actually only speak Spanish at home with my parents! Being around two different cultures at once has influenced my view on the world and especially on my values. I try to get the best from both cultures and try to often combine values in order to try to achieve a more balanced lifestyle. I have been introduced to so much music because of them and because of that, I have a love for many different genres. </span></p><span class="im" style="color: #500050; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>CB: Thank you Salomé, I look forward to making music with you and sharing your talents with our audience in Sacramento very soon!</b></span></p><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: medium; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">SO: Thank you for this opportunity and for having me!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLFEMvsbRPbQa_DUJ_W7qeIGQCbyYeFOIH3cMWYP2lW5iU1XJNrzTzj5ZsNTwwIzJJewwyyRKjiCGPYnlDsxzPnfZObBGnyBGtuV08NlXbnRwI0naUTsnXGkOYrDWGKEtBoxDc4SLkaXO_AATCEg1gJZ7zs_Z4XbxEwooii0TnCRq55pOIcMXT44iurlo/s3982/Salome%20Ospina.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3187" data-original-width="3982" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLFEMvsbRPbQa_DUJ_W7qeIGQCbyYeFOIH3cMWYP2lW5iU1XJNrzTzj5ZsNTwwIzJJewwyyRKjiCGPYnlDsxzPnfZObBGnyBGtuV08NlXbnRwI0naUTsnXGkOYrDWGKEtBoxDc4SLkaXO_AATCEg1gJZ7zs_Z4XbxEwooii0TnCRq55pOIcMXT44iurlo/w640-h512/Salome%20Ospina.jpg" title="Salomé Ospina (courtesy photo)" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Salome Ospina is a junior at Rio Americano High School. She currently studies with Kirsten Smith for classical piano and Joe Gilman for jazz piano. She has also previously studied with Helen Mendenhall, Tatiana Scott, Betsy Collins, and Craig Faniani.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Salome debuted as a soloist with the Saint Saens Piano concerto no 2 in November 2022 with the “Sinfónica Joven de Colombia” in Medellin. She has been a part of the Placer County Youth Orchestra, and has performed with the Sacramento Youth Symphony as well. The Summer of 2022, she toured Austria and the Czech Republic with the Rio Americano Jazz and Concert Band. Salome enjoys accompanying other students for performances. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In February, she went to New York to participate in the Charles Mingus High School Jazz Competition with a small jazz combo from Rio Americano. Salome is a part of The New Traditionalists, a jazz combo that has gone to perform in Orlando and New Orleans. In 2023, Salome was selected as one of 6 people nationwide for the Monterey Next Generation Women in Jazz Combo. This group had the opportunity to perform at the Monterey Jazz Festival in September 2023 and Berklee College Music January 2024. Salome was chosen as one of the winners for the 2024 National YoungArts Award for jazz piano. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></p></div>Christian Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182366797490629513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7330756097550098974.post-72511118257702431572024-03-11T07:57:00.000-07:002024-03-11T08:36:52.981-07:00Suni Norman in Conversation with Christian Baldini<b><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">On March 17, I will have the pleasure of conducting Sibelius' Violin Concerto with Suni Norman <a href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/6127193" target="_blank">with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra in Sacramento, as part of our "Rising Stars" concert series.</a> On the same program we will also feature Salomé Ospina playing the Grieg Piano Concerto. Below is an interview with Suni:</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /></b><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.christianbaldini.info/" target="_blank">Christian Baldini:</a> Welcome, Suni. I am delighted to feature you as our soloist with our orchestra. Tell me, what are some of the features of the Sibelius Concerto that you enjoy the most? What would you say to someone who does not know this piece, what should they listen for?</b><br /><br /></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Suni Norman: Sibelius Violin Concerto is one of my favorite concerti — this concerto has the perfect amount of soaring melodies and virtuosic passages. Sibelius wanted to be a professional violinist, but due to starting at a late age he was never good enough to fulfill his dream of joining the Vienna Philharmonic. This piece encompasses Sibelius’s failed dream to become a professional violinist. He includes virtuosic techniques from Paganini and Wieniawski, and some Bach-like material can even be heard throughout.<br /><br /></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>CB: Besides the Sibelius Concerto, what are some of your other favorite pieces, and why?</b><br /><br /></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SN: My favorite pieces are always changing, but right now I love listening to Mozart! I love listening to Mitsuko Uchida’s Mozart Piano Concertos. Mozart’s music is very bright and happy — at the end of the day it gives my brain a break from all the music I’m playing.<br /><br /></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>CB: You were born in Utah, and you have studied with wonderful teachers, and have been a laureate of important competitions including the Stradivarius one. How did it all start for you with music? Who have been your most important mentors?</b><br /><br /></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SN: I had a computer game when I was 3 years old called JumpStart Toddlers. In the game there was an interactive orchestra and if you clicked on the instruments they would play a song. The violin played the beginning of “Spring” from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and I thought it was the coolest thing (probably because it was one of the only tunes I recognized). I ended up starting years later, and decided it was what I ultimately wanted to have a career in. My most important mentors have been my violin teachers Soovin Kim and Chen Zhao.<br /><br /></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>CB: You are a supernumerary with both the San Francisco Symphony and the Utah Symphony. What can you tell us about playing with these two wonderful orchestras? Do you have some specific favorite projects with them and different conductors that you could share with us?</b><br /><br /></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SN: One of my favorite performances was Mahler 6 with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony. It was inspiring to play with a conductor and ensemble who know the Mahler symphonies like the back of their hand.<br /><br /></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>CB: What is your advice for young musicians? How do you best deal with challenges, frustration and adversity?</b><br /><br /></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SN: My advice for young musicians is to take it slow and relax. Enjoy the process and know progress isn’t always a steady slope up. Sometimes we need bad days to appreciate when we sound good!<br /><br /></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>CB: Thank you for your time Suni, and I look forward to making music with you in Sacramento!</b><br /></div><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">SN: Thanks Maestro, looking forward to a fun Sibelius Concerto!</span></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-GvtwhbIBZoHKjgn8kx8gymuAaO7TLHjlozIvB_KKnSC-ML1jT0NtmcuUEwvtjgzUJZY9W7RsXpgR-Mgfg7YLolZUsfBfWtiOLwJxARFkFsiv-hDEfKKg0LSwxDn2jFTOx459FOJo5h6uQd2ihtF9eDQYm8s_7W_k8xNJyB4C-60LOa4yWNGeke35ER0/s6240/image_6483441%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="6240" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-GvtwhbIBZoHKjgn8kx8gymuAaO7TLHjlozIvB_KKnSC-ML1jT0NtmcuUEwvtjgzUJZY9W7RsXpgR-Mgfg7YLolZUsfBfWtiOLwJxARFkFsiv-hDEfKKg0LSwxDn2jFTOx459FOJo5h6uQd2ihtF9eDQYm8s_7W_k8xNJyB4C-60LOa4yWNGeke35ER0/w640-h426/image_6483441%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Suni Norman</b> is an accomplished violinist from Tooele, Utah. She is a laureate of multiple violin competitions including the Stradivarius Competition. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from New England Conservatory and an Artist Diploma from San Francisco Conservatory. Norman has participated in festivals such as New York String Orchestra, Music Academy of the West, Colorado College Festival, Heifetz and Kneisel Hall. </span></span><p></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /></span><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Norman has appeared as a soloist and chamber musician across the United States. Notably, she has recently collaborated with eminent musicians including Ben Beilman, Robert Mcdonald, Marcy Rosen, Shai Wosner, as well as quartets such as Borromeo, Miro, Takács and Fry Street. </span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /></span><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Suni Norman is currently a supernumerary for San Francisco and Utah Symphony orchestras. She is also featured on an episode of PBS’s </span><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Now Hear This</span><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> (Copland: Dean of American Music). </span></span></p>Christian Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182366797490629513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7330756097550098974.post-18765567002761325242024-02-07T13:03:00.000-08:002024-02-07T13:03:51.553-08:00Dagenais Smiley and Susan Lamb Cook in Conversation with Christian Baldini <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><span id="docs-internal-guid-05b5df63-7fff-efdf-3f19-99608b808506"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">On February 17, 2024, I will have the pleasure of collaborating with violinist Dagenais Smiley and cellist Susan Lamb Cook bringing to life together the beautiful Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra by Brahms. <a href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/6127167" target="_blank">This will be in Sacramento with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra. After intermission, we will perform Bruckner’s 5th Symphony.</a> Here is a conversation we had with Susan and Dagenais, in preparation for our performance.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmZssHJIeLotHpJkCySvQ1eC13KNqWFYCO-gh-BKC6UoG8i5L2nCoTOUrO44Sh5bqbWWocKN_y-TteeCv4eRGivQUhXf8smHRH7TfTwpLBJ6_-qa2WyCklSD9CsX5ydlWsPTAH4ppyCQC5bopKsjCnkTgtLV1xXg9Xd-fe5gptVeWDcJn2XBBAhvVUts/s2796/IMG_5231.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1290" data-original-width="2796" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmZssHJIeLotHpJkCySvQ1eC13KNqWFYCO-gh-BKC6UoG8i5L2nCoTOUrO44Sh5bqbWWocKN_y-TteeCv4eRGivQUhXf8smHRH7TfTwpLBJ6_-qa2WyCklSD9CsX5ydlWsPTAH4ppyCQC5bopKsjCnkTgtLV1xXg9Xd-fe5gptVeWDcJn2XBBAhvVUts/w574-h296/IMG_5231.PNG" title="Dagenais Smiley and Susan Lamb Cook in Rehearsal with Camellia Symphony Orchestra and Christian Baldini" width="574" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><a href="https://www.christianbaldini.info/" target="_blank">Christian Baldini: </a>Welcome, Susan and Dagenais, it will be a real treat to do this double concerto with you. Please tell me, what are some of your favorite features about this piece? Why is this such an important piece in the repertoire, and what do you love about it?</span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><a href="https://www.susanlambcook.com/" target="_blank">Susan Lamb Cook: </a> I have always been a fan of the music of Brahms and have studied and performed much of his chamber music repertoire, from the wonderful cello sonatas, to his string quartets, quintets, sextets, piano trios, quartets – the list goes on. So, having the opportunity to perform the Double Concerto is truly a highlight for me, especially with my dear friend and colleague Dagenais Smiley as well as with you, Christian, and the Camellia Symphony Orchestra. So often, concertos begin with a long orchestral introduction but in this case, Brahms launches immediately into a cello cadenza, similar to the opening of the Elgar Concerto which I had the pleasure of performing with you and the CSO last season. In Brahms’ opening cadenza, he soon has the violin join in, creating a conversation between the two instruments which gives a preview of what is yet to come. The Brahms Double is an expansive work containing technical and musical challenges not only for the soloists but for the orchestra as well. This was Brahms’ final symphonic composition, and one can hear the luscious textures which Brahms is so famous for throughout this monumental work.</span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><a href="https://arts.ucdavis.edu/dagenais" target="_blank">Dagenais Smiley:</a> As a violinist, I always love playing the works of Brahms, from the symphonies to the string quartets, and his violin concerto is one of my favorites. He always writes incredible melodies, and intense textures, which is thrilling to perform. I haven’t had the pleasure of working on the Double Concerto before now and it’s been an incredibly rewarding undertaking. It’s a unique experience to share a concerto with another instrument, especially the rich voice of the cello, and as Susan already mentioned, it’s like having a conversation with a colleague. It is technically demanding while still presenting beautiful, soaring melodies. It’s interesting to note that it wasn’t immediately a hit upon its presentation, but it has now become a favorite amongst both cellists and violinists. I am extremely excited to be performing this work with Susan and with you, Christian, and the Camellia Symphony!</span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Christian: As you know, composers (and especially followers in their circles) had rivalries, and this was also the case between Brahms and Bruckner. Constantin Floros states that “</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In the last third of the 19th century Brahms and Bruckner were regarded as antipodes.” For different reasons, this was also the case at times with performers. Brahms and the famous violinist Joachim (for whom the Double Concerto was written, together with cellist Hausman) had had a fallout. Brahms offered this concerto as an olive branch to Joachim. In fact Clara Schumann wrote in her diary that </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #231f20; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">after Joachim, Hausmann, and Brahms had tried out the piece for friends, “The Concerto is a work of reconciliation. Joachim and Brahms have spoken to one another again.” - My long related questions to both of you are: What does music mean to you? Is it possible to alter/affect the human spirit through music? Which kind of atmosphere does it communicate, or which kind of spirit inhabits this particular concerto?</span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Susan: The world of music, and specifically the cello, has been a part of my life ever since I can remember, so I feel as though the cello is simply an extension of who I am. My cello and I spend so much time together – in the practice room, in the teaching studio, on the concert stage – that I really can’t imagine my life not being filled with music and the art of music making. As to whether or not music can possibly affect the human spirit, my answer would be absolutely, yes. It is interesting how we each seem to be drawn to different styles or genres of music, composers, artists etc., and sometimes we can all listen to the same piece of music but each has a completely different reaction to it. Our reactions can include joy, excitement, sadness, despair, but the fact is that we react or respond to the way in which the music touches us emotionally. I do hope that, through our performance of the Brahms Double, we will be able to stimulate reactions from the audience members, perhaps a feeling of excitement from the powerful opening statements of both the first and last movements, as well as a sense of affection and joy from the gloriously optimistic melody of the second movement. This monumental work leaves me breathless, so I hope it will do the same for our audience members.</span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Dagenais: My relationship with my violin and with music is much like a relationship/friendship with a fellow person. Sometimes it’s filled with joy and humor, sometimes sadness and even a bit of frustration, but it’s always there and as Susan has already stated, I can’t imagine a life without playing music. I had the opportunity to play Mahler 4 recently and during some of the rests, I looked out into the audience and saw how rapt the audience was, and some attendees were even in tears, so yes, I do believe that music has the ability to affect our spirit. I have favorite pieces I gravitate towards when I’m in a certain mood, as I’m sure we all do, and part of why I love performing (any type of music), is the connection with the audience. It’s very rewarding to bring the joy, beauty, emotion, sadness, etc. of music to new people. I’ve talked to some who have never attended a concert before and they were so excited and moved by what the music made them feel. I look forward to sharing this great piece with the audience and I also look forward to hearing the Bruckner!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #231f20; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Christian: You are both wonderful educators, and colleagues of mine at the University of California, Davis. What are some of your favorite things about working with young people and helping them grow as musicians and human beings?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Susan: Teaching brings me great joy - I really love working with my UC Davis students as well as my adult and my pre-college students. Many of my students at UC Davis have chosen fields of study other than music, like animal sciences, engineering, environmental science, etc., but they truly love and value their connection to music through their cello. I am pleased and honored to assist them in becoming better players so that they will have the life-long ability to continue expressing their passion for music through their cello playing. I continue working with pre-college students through my Rising Stars of Chamber Music Program which takes place each year over the winter holiday. The students in this program are advanced players who are passionate about chamber music and are totally committed to their music making, As these students study some of the great works in the chamber music repertoire, I can see them develop as musicians through their understanding of musical lines and phrases, and more importantly, I can see them develop and use tools of cooperation and collaboration while working with their group members, which ultimately allows for wonderful friendships to be formed. This is one of the greatest benefits of being a musician. </span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Dagenais: As Susan mentioned, many of the students we have are majoring in other challenging disciplines yet they want to maintain that connection to music and their instruments.I help them with time management and give them suggestions on how to practice efficiently with limited time and I love seeing the excitement in my students’ eyes when they realize how much progress they’ve made over the quarter. I am very proud of my students when they are able to master a new technique or play a piece they never thought they would be able to before through their hard work and diligence. It’s rewarding seeing how important music is to them despite how busy they are in their other fields and I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with them on their musical journey.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #231f20; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Christian: Lastly, what would be your advice for young musicians? We have all felt challenges in life. Most people have thought about quitting, multiple times in many cases. What advice would you give to someone who is struggling with their musical development?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Susan: There is no doubt that succeeding in music takes a great deal of time, effort, and commitment, and I can certainly remember that, when I was younger, there were periods of time in which I simply wanted to give up. I was fortunate, though, to have had wonderful teachers along the way, not to mention my parents who were always encouraging me to continue practicing and not be discouraged if things did not always go as I had hoped (in performances, competitions, etc.). As musicians, we are always putting ourselves on the line, baring our souls to the listener and opening up an often intimate and very personal part of ourselves. Not an easy thing to do. I always tell my students, though, that every performance is a dress rehearsal for the next performance, with the thought that we are always practicing, doing our best to improve and, of course, always striving for the perfection that we may never achieve. Some great advice that I received early on was to surround myself with those who were better than me so that I could always continue learning. This advice has served me well, not only in the area of music. </span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Dagenais: My approach to teaching is to be encouraging, but also realistic and understanding. One of my students was struggling with the motivation to practice, so we had a chat about it and I acknowledged that student’s feelings (we’ve all been through that struggle in our life) and gave them some advice on how to move forward. I think it’s important to recognize when something is a struggle and to accept and acknowledge those feelings rather than try to erase them. I try to teach my students to have patience with themselves (something that I struggled with in school). It’s ok to take a day off practice when you’re in a negative head space and return the next day feeling refreshed and excited to begin again. It’s easy to get stuck in the cycle of trying to achieve perfection and the rat race of gigging so much that we can sometimes get frustrated and lose the joy of performing. It’s important to take the time to remember what music means to us. Sometimes it can be a wonderful change to attend a concert rather than performing in one to remember how powerful it can be to experience live music.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #231f20; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Christian: Thank you both very much for your time, and especially for your wonderful musicianship that I will be delighted to share with our audience in Sacramento!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #231f20; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #231f20; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #231f20; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD4akvSTCFsNh-R7urr3BRmmbGcI50XhmWG777W9r_WDnbZPBuMQ8stYSRbWFfNOHFTmtbm4DiwGfYGXd-e48j1ZxLwYGenulCkt0iFQiIRXhTcZLB61bJ2g14D30E35Co7rllIbUDHmdWb8GimI-IfMLLpdh2CGaxco3aL6XqqXUnMOiyQSQG-wzDb5E/s640/2022%20SLC%20casual.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD4akvSTCFsNh-R7urr3BRmmbGcI50XhmWG777W9r_WDnbZPBuMQ8stYSRbWFfNOHFTmtbm4DiwGfYGXd-e48j1ZxLwYGenulCkt0iFQiIRXhTcZLB61bJ2g14D30E35Co7rllIbUDHmdWb8GimI-IfMLLpdh2CGaxco3aL6XqqXUnMOiyQSQG-wzDb5E/w428-h640/2022%20SLC%20casual.jpeg" width="428" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKCX99WlT2DBVtedf7EKj_iYXUxonL30m7Vbpgqm4Mcc2LrH6tZw8iyeLMejfIZ3s3a6aUwMu9mhvvMybFca24qtOmkftRBCRAJmBMVvWN-wGND2H5Ox3cd8jMRwNA17od_UHz8LQV29ktQpnjbmYb10SoFsDtAme5Rs6kjEKoZyrZxHirfRPSHhZdVa0/s550/headshot-green.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="550" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKCX99WlT2DBVtedf7EKj_iYXUxonL30m7Vbpgqm4Mcc2LrH6tZw8iyeLMejfIZ3s3a6aUwMu9mhvvMybFca24qtOmkftRBCRAJmBMVvWN-wGND2H5Ox3cd8jMRwNA17od_UHz8LQV29ktQpnjbmYb10SoFsDtAme5Rs6kjEKoZyrZxHirfRPSHhZdVa0/w640-h466/headshot-green.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 23.76px; text-indent: 1.33333px;"><span class="il">Dagenais</span> Smiley, a Northern California native, earned her </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 23.76px; text-indent: 1.33333px;">b<span style="color: black;">achelor</span>’s degree<span style="color: black;"> </span>from <span style="color: black;">the Oberlin Conservatory under the direction of Milan Vitek and her </span>m<span style="color: black;">aster</span>’<span style="color: black;">s </span>of m<span style="color: black;">usic from the U</span>SC’s<span style="color: black;"> Thornton School of Music, studying with Ms. Kathleen Winkler. An active orchestral and chamber musician, <span class="il">Dagenais</span> perfor</span>ms with the<span style="color: black;"> Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera</span>,<span style="color: black;"> and is currently acting Ass</span>ociate<span style="color: black;"> Concertmaster with the Modesto Symphony, often stepping in as </span>Concertmaster. <span style="color: black;">She recently </span>became Assistant Concertmaster of the Reno Philharmonic and<span style="color: black;"> also performs with the Stockton Symphony, the Monterey Symphony, the Fresno </span>Philharmonic<span style="color: black;">, and other various Northern California orchestras. Ms. Smiley currently teaches violin at UC Davis and maintains a private violin studio. She enjoys skiing, hiking and playing Pokemon Go in her spare time.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 23.76px; text-indent: 1.33333px;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 23.76px; text-indent: 1.33333px;"><span style="color: black;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="Ar Au Ao" id=":1r9"><div aria-controls=":32w" aria-expanded="false" aria-label="Message Body" aria-multiline="true" aria-owns=":32w" class="Am aiL Al editable LW-avf tS-tW tS-tY" g_editable="true" hidefocus="true" id=":316" role="textbox" spellcheck="false" style="direction: ltr; min-height: 240px; text-align: left;" tabindex="1">Susan Lamb Cook is Lecturer in Cello and Chamber Music at the University of California, Davis, and holds degrees from the University of Iowa and the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna, Austria. She is a member of the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera and the Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra and is director of the VITA Academy’s Great Composers Chamber Music Series at the Harris Center in Folsom. Her solo performances include those with the Sacramento Philharmonic, the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra, the Reno Philharmonic, the Cairo Symphony (Egypt), the Paradise Symphony, and the Camellia Symphony. In Addition, she was featured as soloist in a Gala Concert in the Esterhazy Palace, Eisenstadt (Austria) with the Classical Music Festival Orchestra. As an active performer and educator both nationally and internationally, Susan has completed five concert and teaching tours of China, has performed and given master classes at San Francisco State University, Scripps College, Harvey Mudd College, Marshall University in West Virginia, Austin College in Texas, and Utah Tech University, and her performances have been featured on National Public Radio and Austrian National Television. She has served on faculty at the Saarburg International Music Festival in Germany, the Vianden Festival, Luxembourg, and on the artistic staff for the Classical Music Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria. As member of the Kismarton Trio, she has performed at the Hungarian National Museum and the Petöfi Museum of Literature in Budapest (Hungary). Susan performs regularly for the UCD Shinkoskey Noon Concert Series, the Westminster Music At Noon Series, and the Crocker Art Museum’s Classical Concert Series, and her past performances can be found on YouTube at Susan Lamb Cook, Concerts and Conversations, and the UC Davis Music channel.</div></div></div><br /><br /></span></span></div></span></div><br /><br />Christian Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182366797490629513noreply@blogger.com0Sacramento, CA, USA38.5815719 -121.494399610.271338063821155 -156.6506496 66.891805736178839 -86.3381496tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7330756097550098974.post-33528585906059441472023-10-30T17:17:00.004-07:002023-10-30T17:17:59.282-07:00Eric Zivian in Conversation with Christian Baldini<p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/6127071" target="_blank">On November 4</a>, I will have the pleasure of collaborating with pianist Eric Zivian as our soloist in Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra in Sacramento. Also on the program (aptly titled "Revolutionary Spirits") will be Beethoven's Symphony No. 2, as well as Ruth Crawford Seeger's Andante for Strings. Below is a conversation with Eric.</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><u></u></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.christianbaldini.info/" target="_blank">Christian Baldini:</a> Eric, once more it will be a pleasure to work with you and to make music together. What are some of the things you like the most about this Beethoven Concerto? And what should people listen for in it?</b><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.sfsymphony.org/Data/Event-Data/Artists/Z/Eric-Zivian" target="_blank">Eric Zivian:</a></b> It’s wonderful to be back working with you again! The Beethoven Fourth Piano Concerto is a very special piece in the repertoire. It is not stormy or extroverted like Beethoven’s other concertos, but predominantly gentle and lyrical. The slow movement, a dramatic dialogue between the orchestra and piano, is absolutely stunning. In the first movement, Beethoven breaks the usual pattern of concerto first movements and opens with a rhapsodic piano solo before the standard orchestral introduction. I find the ornaments in the piano part toward the end of the movement, after the cadenza, to be some of the most delightful ever written.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>CB:</b> <b>Does your interpretation change much as rehearsals go forward? Aside from practicalities, do you feel that rehearsing with others and in different spaces affect your performance or your understanding of a piece? </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>EZ: </b>Absolutely. There is nothing like rehearsing with a full orchestra under the direction of an intelligent and sensitive musician like you to give me a fresh perspective. Plus, during practice I always think of new things!<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>CB:</b> <b>Well thank you, it is truly a wonderful collaboration working with you and receiving so much feedback from you in rehearsals! You also play a lot on the fortepiano. Has this informed how you approach a Beethoven or Mozart Concerto when performing on a modern instrument?</b><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>EZ: </b>Very much so. I have a fortepiano modeled on the kind of instrument Mozart and Beethoven would have known. It has a totally different touch and sound, very articulate in all registers with deep bass notes, bringing out the clarity of the counterpoint. With that sound in my ear, I have learned to emphasize those qualities on the modern piano when playing 18<sup>th</sup> and 19<sup>th</sup>-century music.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>CB: You also love the music of Brahms, and of Ligeti. What attracts you so much to their music, and why?</b><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>EZ:</b> Although Brahms and Ligeti were very different composers, I love their music for much the same reason: they use complex rhythms that appeal to my sensibility, while at the same emphasizing clarity and directness of expression.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>CB: As a composer, what are some of your priorities, and/or what do you try to achieve with your own music?</b><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>EZ: </b>To be fully transparent, I haven’t written music in some years. But in my composing days, I also aimed to write music that reflected a combination of rhythmic intricacy and straightforward expression. Decades of composing music also helps me, as a performer, to gain insight into the composer’s perspective.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>CB: What would be your advice for young pianists and for young composers? What is your advice when people lose hope or get frustrated with themselves?</b><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>EZ:</b> My advice is: always remember what drew you to performing or composing. By all means listen to the valuable advice of your teachers and mentors, but stay true to your own vision of what music is all about. During performance, or the creative process, relax and let the music flow through you.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>CB: Thank you Eric, I am very much looking forward to our performance together!</b><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">EZ: Thanks Christian, I can’t wait!</span><u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4yq50M-l_0rbtKyhXph1yl7jYnn72popcbazflecLbJp1MqI92Jd4nVxz8Anm-Xdnmk-YNhkZsJTunTntWeFUXBwxbSi_wG9tLCOfHyH_PRj3_WB1A3MGsb81uunbqNZv6iMzFyIs8RsbobU-dMaQVmZtISRU04BXffNaXE_ddwlPtevrdfnmoT47Xr8/s3600/Eric%20Zivian%20headshot%202022%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3600" data-original-width="2400" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4yq50M-l_0rbtKyhXph1yl7jYnn72popcbazflecLbJp1MqI92Jd4nVxz8Anm-Xdnmk-YNhkZsJTunTntWeFUXBwxbSi_wG9tLCOfHyH_PRj3_WB1A3MGsb81uunbqNZv6iMzFyIs8RsbobU-dMaQVmZtISRU04BXffNaXE_ddwlPtevrdfnmoT47Xr8/w426-h640/Eric%20Zivian%20headshot%202022%20(1).jpg" title="Eric Zivian" width="426" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;"><b>ERIC ZIVIAN</b></span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;">Eric Zivian received music degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music, the Juilliard School and the Yale School of Music. He studied piano with Gary Graffman and Peter Serkin and composition with Ned Rorem, Jacob Druckman, and Martin Bresnick.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;">Eric is equally at home on modern and period instruments. He is Music Director of the Valley of the Moon Music Festival, a festival in Sonoma specializing in Classical and Romantic chamber music played on period instruments, and a longtime member of the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble in San Francisco.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;">Eric recently performed the Mozart C minor Concerto with the Portland Baroque Orchestra and the Beethoven Choral Fantasy with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra. At the height of the pandemic, Eric livestreamed all 32 Beethoven piano sonatas on period pianos.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span></div><br /><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><u></u> <u></u></p><div><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" type="cite"></blockquote></div>Christian Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182366797490629513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7330756097550098974.post-75879912184973474572023-09-18T17:48:00.003-07:002023-09-18T17:48:13.889-07:00Parker van Ostrand in Conversation with Christian Baldini<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><b>On September 23, I will have the pleasure of conducting Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3 with the wonderful young pianist Parker van Ostrand. <a href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/6126962" target="_blank">This will be in Sacramento (California) with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra, in a program that will also feature Brahms' Second Symphony, as well as Midnight Stirring by Nancy Galbraith.</a> Below is an interview with Parker.</b></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> <br /><a href="https://www.christianbaldini.info/" target="_blank">Christian Baldini:</a> Dear Parker, it is a pleasure to welcome you again in your native Sacramento to feature you as our soloist in Prokofiev's 3rd Piano Concerto with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra. Tell us, how does it feel to come back home and be featured as our soloist?</b><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://washingtonpianofest.com/parker-van-ostrand/" target="_blank">Parker van Ostrand:</a> I’m really excited. Playing with orchestra is one of my favorite things as a musician, and getting to do it with a great orchestra and conductor makes it even better. And this will be the first time I play Prokofiev 3 with orchestra. It's also nostalgic since I’m performing again at my old high school. The first rehearsal was the first time I went back there since graduating more than two years ago!<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>CB: The first (and last) time we featured you as our soloist it was within our Rising Stars series, and you played Beethoven's 2nd Piano Concerto. This was four years ago, and you have amassed a number of successes since then, including winning prizes at major international competitions, performing together with Yuja Wang in San Francisco, being named a 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts. How do you feel? What has changed for you?</b><br /><br />PvO: I feel really grateful for all the opportunities I’ve had in the last couple years. Playing with Yuja was definitely a highlight because I’ve looked up to her more than almost any other pianist ever since I was a kid. One thing that’s changed with all this experience is I feel more open to being spontaneous on stage. I’m more confident in my musical decisions and style of playing, so I’m able to take more risks and see what ideas I can come up with on the spot. When you let loose and don’t worry so much about being perfect or how other people might judge your playing, performing becomes a lot more fun.<br /><br /><b>CB: Tell us about Prokofiev, and his Third Piano Concerto. What are some of the things you like the most about this piece, and what should people listen for when you perform it?</b><br /><br />PvO: Prokofiev 3 is one of my favorite concertos to play- it’s naughty, sarcastic, even grotesque at times. I love playing this piece because it’s really fun to go all out with making the piece as “rude” and brash as possible. The writing is very virtuosic and even acrobatic at times, so it’s pretty cool to watch from the audience standpoint. Prokofiev himself was rebellious and cocky during his time at conservatory, and this piece perfectly encapsulates that. There’s a lot of conflict between the piano and orchestra parts, and it’s pretty cool to be one person fighting against 100 other people on stage. There’s also moments in the concerto that are nostalgic, smoky, elegant, beautiful–and the fact that these moments are so rare make them even more memorable. Part of the second movement is a variation that has the sounds of a dark, icy Siberian winter. It will give one chills.<br /><br /> <br /><b>CB: <a href="https://christianbaldini.blogspot.com/2019/05/soloist-profile-parker-van-ostrand-in.html" target="_blank">When I interviewed you back in 2019</a>, we talked a lot about your practice routine, the meaning of music to you, and also about your goals in life. Have your goals changed? Do you see anything very differently?</b><br /><br />PvO: Because so much has happened in the last couple years I could never have expected or planned (musically related), I actually haven’t been one to set specific goals recently. With a career path in music, so much is out of your control except your ability as a musician. So my goal these days is just to be as good as I can be at the piano, and see what happens from there.<br /><br /> <b><br /><br />CB: Tell us about your education and your main mentors since you finished high school.</b><br /><br />PvO: I’ve been at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music since January of 2022, and I’m now working with Garrick Ohlsson and Yoshikazu Nagai. I’ve studied with Garrick since I was 16, and just recently started studying with Yoshikazu Nagai. Knowing Garrick for this long, he’s had a huge impact on me and just been an amazing teacher, mentor, and someone I look up to. I can also say the same about my previous teacher here at the conservatory, Jon Nakamatsu, who I studied with during my first three semesters at SFCM.<br /><br /> <b><br />CB: Lastly: what are some of the things (anything) that interest you the most outside music?</b><br /><br />PvO: I like going to the gym a lot. It’s fun to keep pushing yourself and setting new goals all the time. When I have more time, I love adrenaline activities like riding rollercoasters or jetskis, and also doing challenging hikes. Nowadays, I am also pretty into watching movies, thrillers in particular. <br /><br /> <br /><br /><b>CB: Thank you very much for your time. I look forward to sharing your wonderful artistry with our audience members.</b><br /><br /> <br />PvO: Thank you! Looking forward.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2nnXm7uCXvvMra6Bnk2wtj0wO2XR145tZmtF0K5t5bNmrnh7ar1X2d6Iq3AL9lcNuYrhRbmyxBg-DyHHMO9xye7eRElYuueTa8HQwLRKOZUPQEJBhipTwcCPzXVbQvNuVACb1EoITnK4R8JS_S23H2pqfv6QTtyolHIfUDFZpmysDm654-kwWjVa_AA/s2573/headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2573" data-original-width="1693" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2nnXm7uCXvvMra6Bnk2wtj0wO2XR145tZmtF0K5t5bNmrnh7ar1X2d6Iq3AL9lcNuYrhRbmyxBg-DyHHMO9xye7eRElYuueTa8HQwLRKOZUPQEJBhipTwcCPzXVbQvNuVACb1EoITnK4R8JS_S23H2pqfv6QTtyolHIfUDFZpmysDm654-kwWjVa_AA/w422-h640/headshot.jpg" title="Parker van Ostrand (courtesy photo)" width="422" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Parker Van Ostrand currently studies at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music with Garrick
Ohlsson and Yoshikazu Nagai.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">He recently won the 2023 PianoTexas Academy Concerto Competition and performed with the
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra this past June. In 2022, he won the Gold Medal in the 71st
Wideman International Piano Competition and in November, collaborated with Yuja Wang for a
two-piano performance at the SFCM Gala. Last summer, he was selected to play in the inaugural
G. Henle Verlag Murray Perahia Masterclass in Munich. He also toured with the California
Youth Symphony to Eastern Europe last summer with Bernstein’s Symphony No. 2, “The Age of
Anxiety.” In 2020, Parker won Third Prize and the Best Sonata Award in the 10th National
Chopin Piano Competition, and was one of 20 high school students nationwide named a 2021
U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">This season, Parker will be performing with the Camellia Symphony, Symphony Parnassus, the
South Arkansas Symphony, the Shreveport Symphony, and the San Francisco Conservatory of
Music orchestra as winner of their 2023 Concerto Competition. He will also give recitals at the
Tutunov Series in Ashland, the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival, the Washington International
Piano Festival, and Gretna Music with violinist Amaryn Olmeda.<br /></span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Parker is from Sacramento, CA, and previously studied with Linda Nakagawa, Natsuki
Fukasawa, Sarah Chan, and Jon Nakamatsu.</span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;"> </span></span></div>
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</div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><br /><p></p></div>Christian Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182366797490629513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7330756097550098974.post-19091153821489194882023-09-13T16:15:00.007-07:002023-09-13T18:43:06.640-07:00Composer Profile: Nancy Galbraith in Conversation with Christian Baldini<p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/6126962" target="_blank">On September 23</a>, I will have the pleasure of conducting the symphonic work "Midnight Stirring" by composer Nancy Galbraith. This will be in Sacramento with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra in a program that also includes Prokofiev's 3rd Piano Concerto and Brahms' 2nd Symphony. Below is a Q&A with the composer:</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b> </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://www.christianbaldini.info/" target="_blank">Christian Baldini:</a> Nancy, it is a pleasure to welcome you and to conduct your music in Sacramento. Tell us, what are some of your priorities and main interests as a composer?</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.nancygalbraith.com/" target="_blank">Nancy Galbraith:</a> I am naturally compelled to continuously expand and grow and explore new pathways of expression. Fortunately for me, the Pittsburgh metropolitan area is home to a wealth of talented musicians who are always happy to perform outside of their classical music comfort zones. One prominent example is my colleague at Carnegie Mellon, Stephan Schultz, who is a world class Baroque flutist who truly enjoys all the electroacoustic challenges I send his way. He is one of many among the soloists, instrumental ensembles and conductors from this area, who are eager and delighted to perform music on the cutting edge.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I am also deeply immersed in the world of choral music. Much of that is sacred music, which is born out of my lifelong involvement as a church organist and music director. And again, the Pittsburgh area has an ample pool of talented conductors and ensembles who welcome the kind of new music I have to offer.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">As you might surmise, I love writing for specific artists and ensembles, both instrumental and choral.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>CB: You are also a renowned educator, as Professor and Chair of Composition at the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University School of Music in Pittsburgh. What are some of the values and life-long lessons that you try to instill in your students during your lessons?</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">NG: First I should mention that I especially enjoy teaching undergrads, as they are mostly very open to learning and growing. They each arrive with their own special musical interests, and I let them know I’m happy to honor and nurture those throughout their time with me, but only if they trust me to help them explore a full array of other musical avenues. As first-year students, I provide them with an extensive listening list of mostly current composers from a wide range of genres, along with selected works from earlier composers. I encourage—insist, I should say—that they continuously listen to what is happening in the present, and thus my list is dynamic and ever changing. Most importantly, I steer them toward the goal of finding their own true artistic voices, no matter what they may be. Their senior year concludes in a public concert of their own symphonic works performed by the superb Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic Orchestra. The energy, artistry and eclecticism of those programs are prominent annual highlights of the music scene in Pittsburgh. My graduated students from the past four decades operate in an extremely wide spectrum of musical fields.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>CB: Let’s talk about your own mentors. Who were some of the most influential and important ones to you, and why?</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">NG: Many of my chief mentors have been dead composers (lol), including J. S. Bach, Stravinsky, and Copland, to name a few. I have mostly learned from studying scores and performing their works; and I should mention that John Adams was a strong early influence as well. In my childhood, teen and college years, I studied piano and clarinet; and during those years, I was fortunate to perform a wide ranging repertoire of classical and contemporary music.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>CB: How did you start composing “Midnight Stirring”? What came to you first? How was the process?</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">NG: This work was originally composed for flutes. In 2009, I was commissioned to write a work for flute choir for the 37<sup>th</sup> Annual National Flute Convention. This was one of the few musical genres I hadn’t yet visited, and all of a sudden, I was initiated into the flute world! The music director of the distinguished Columbia Flute Choir, the late Sharyn Byer, commissioned me to write “Midnight Stirring” for the 43<sup>rd</sup> annual convention. Then, at the request of a conductor friend, I adapted it as a light, easy-to-program work for chamber orchestras. It is scored senza percussion, which is a rarity for me.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b> </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>CB: What is the relevance of music in today’s life? Why is it important?</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">NG: Music is no more relevant today than it has been in any time in human history. It is an esoteric and universal language that reaches one’s inner being in ways that words cannot.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>CB: Lastly, what would be your advice for young composers, starting out in this profession?</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">NG: Without any cues from me, most of my students follow their own hearts and instincts, and they somehow find pathways to many and various careers in music. Some of them dwell in a state of uncertainty for a while, and I advise them to consider music education or arts management to carry them through that period of their lives. But many of them just hit the ground running. I’m always sceptical when, once in a while, one says to me, “I’m moving to New York!”—but quite a few of those have actually succeeded tremendously! I am shocked at how they make important connections so quickly, in ways that have always escaped me. So I’ve learned to simply encourage them to pursue their dreams.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>CB: Thank you very much for your time, I look forward to conducting your beautiful music and sharing it with our audiences!</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">NG: Thank you, and best of luck with your performance.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqk9EOkLSb3n2SmzGiXl-sN7e4fTiJWnvkSBHnHOJlxYymFi4LjKTfcz52iL0LK352E90arUXk7OvdNeATmSoTAYYUVSlHH5ov8VKV7m23fybxRyDDV9mGT2Z4mLJDoE7enILObBuUZFiXDV1PBn4-d_Ctc6XNudNS_MH6rfnfZWY45qfNwS1zQ6BVkI/s3750/NancyGalbraith-2020-hi.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3750" data-original-width="2700" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqk9EOkLSb3n2SmzGiXl-sN7e4fTiJWnvkSBHnHOJlxYymFi4LjKTfcz52iL0LK352E90arUXk7OvdNeATmSoTAYYUVSlHH5ov8VKV7m23fybxRyDDV9mGT2Z4mLJDoE7enILObBuUZFiXDV1PBn4-d_Ctc6XNudNS_MH6rfnfZWY45qfNwS1zQ6BVkI/w460-h640/NancyGalbraith-2020-hi.jpg" width="460" /></a></div><br /><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><br /></span><p></p><p class="just" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 1.6; text-align: justify; vertical-align: top;"><b><a href="http://www.nancygalbraith.com/" target="_blank">Nancy Galbraith</a></b> (b.1951) resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, where she is Chair of Composition at the Carnegie Mellon University School of Music, and holds the Vira I Heinz Professorship of Music endowed chair at the College of Fine Arts.</p><p class="just" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 1.6; text-align: justify; vertical-align: top;">In a career that spans four decades, her music has earned praise for its rich harmonic texture, rhythmic vitality, emotional and spiritual depth, and wide range of expression. Her works have been directed by some of the world's finest conductors, including Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Mariss Jansons, Keith Lockhart, Donald Runnicles and Robert Page. Her compositions are featured on numerous recordings, including nine anthologies.</p><p class="just" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 1.6; text-align: justify; vertical-align: top;">With major contributions to the repertoires of symphony orchestras, concert choirs, wind ensembles, chamber ensembles, electroacoustic ensembles, and soloists, Galbraith plays a leading role in defining the sound of contemporary classical music.</p>Christian Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182366797490629513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7330756097550098974.post-11294407710869449372023-05-31T14:57:00.008-07:002023-05-31T15:18:37.337-07:00Flipped Interview: Chase Spruill Interviews Christian Baldini<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: blue;">Christian Baldini: Chase Spruill is the concertmaster of the Camellia Symphony since 2019. He's also a widely sought-after soloist, educator, and a wonderful person that I have had the pleasure to work with and to call a friend for many years now. Instead of the usual interview in which I interview our guest artists, I accepted Chase's proposal to flip the interview, and to have him interview me this time. Chase will perform as our soloist twice in the coming two weeks. </span><span style="color: red;"><a href="https://www.mondaviarts.org/event/2022-23/uc-davis-symphony-orchestra-3" target="_blank">On June 3, he will perform Philip Glass' Violin Concerto No. 1 with the UC Davis Symphony, at the Mondavi Center</a>.</span><span style="color: blue;"> </span><a href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5492044" target="_blank"><span style="color: #38761d;">On June 10, he will perform Vaughan Williams' The Lark Ascending, with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra in Sacramento.</span></a><span style="color: blue;"> Below is the record of what happened:</span></span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rPfKX__kY5Knz89LS6zdpV-ELEEduDsjsbvdOJeN8jHMuXi7D8jIqLhzCZzagCcr5cJS1pAIhqbWbmS8wRsBxv7E5kx9ZC8l4xdoSovJq4WcLuHwfnHVsbHrGSlKKgAL8egOFgCsIPzlsuosdy2xIWj7GXOEz1TAI_J221qBCqH073V7vFh39QWJ/s4032/IMG_2431.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rPfKX__kY5Knz89LS6zdpV-ELEEduDsjsbvdOJeN8jHMuXi7D8jIqLhzCZzagCcr5cJS1pAIhqbWbmS8wRsBxv7E5kx9ZC8l4xdoSovJq4WcLuHwfnHVsbHrGSlKKgAL8egOFgCsIPzlsuosdy2xIWj7GXOEz1TAI_J221qBCqH073V7vFh39QWJ/w400-h300/IMG_2431.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/0BAmi9xRzmDOwkQXUhivft" target="_blank">Chase Spruill: </a>The Maestro and I met for coffee back in the Summer of 2018, and I believe that was our first chance to meet face-to-face. I'd seen him on the podium as an audience member, or occasionally came across videos of some of his performances with various orchestras, and we had similar connections through cross sections of artists we both knew and loved. This particular conversation was going to be about working with him in the Camellia Symphony Orchestra, but I don't think I knew he was interested in me for the position of Concertmaster at the time. A lot of the conversation was about life, interests, bonding over being a Dad, and then we came around to music. I think we were a few weeks into our first rehearsals, and somewhere online appeared a video of him surfing, and I immediately felt underqualified at any attempt to try and be cool in this life</i>.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Working near Christian on the podium is a unique experience to watch him quickly jot down notes in his score, or sing a phrase under his breath, or ask himself or someone nearby a question in multiple languages. If you're not sitting there, or standing there talking with him at break time, there are some things you might be fascinated to know. We couldn't nearly cover all of them today, but for the longest time, I've been curious to hijack his interviews and flip the script to ask </i>him<i> some questions I've been curious to know in general</i>.</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Chase Spruill: Maestro, thank you for taking part in this flipped interview...</span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://www.christianbaldini.info/" target="_blank">Christian Baldini:</a></b><b style="font-style: italic;"> </b>Well dear Chase, thank you, the pleasure is mine, and what a treat it is to have a good conversation with you, always, whether it is about music or anything else!</span></div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">CS: This is a big year for CSO celebrating its 60th Season. In my own estimation, the programming was particularly huge and diverse. How do you begin to think ahead of your seasons in order to program, and what are some of the factors you take into account while you're brainstorming?</span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>CB:</b> Most people may imagine that programming is one of the most fascinating and most active parts of being a music director. I really try to think of many aspects in a natural, holistic way. I take into account factors that are important for the orchestra, and also for the audience members. An orchestra's history, its relationship with the community, whatever may be happening at the moment in public life, in politics, a particularly important event, an anniversary, a discovery. The inspiration by a poet or a painter, or a collaboration with a ballet company or a choral organization. All of this falls into place when planning a season with integrity, beyond thinking "I'll choose a nice overture, a fun concerto with a great soloist, and some random symphony that I feel like doing". It is very easy to fall in that trap. It is lazy to think that way, it is simplistic and it undermines the value of what we do. Music is not mere entertainment. It is part of our shared culture. It adds something to people's lives. It enriches us, it inspires us, it makes us curious. So when we promote the work of a composer that was at some point (or even now) forgotten or denied access to the concert hall, we are creating a space for healing, for uniting us, for inspiring our future generations to think more inclusively, more generously, more globally. And yes, finding music that I strongly believe in is very important. My word is my bond with our audience members. So yes, I enjoy finding concepts, connecting threads, and ideas that will make a program more powerful, and an entire season more coherent. </span></div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">CS: Have you ever had an experience mid-season where you're working on a particular piece with the orchestra, and somehow the accomplishment of the group strikes a new idea inside of you for a future program? What are some instances you can remember where that might have happened?</span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">CB: Definitely! I remember many instances, for example when we performed the Sacramento premiére of Amériques, by Edgard Varèse. This was a massive work, written for a humongous orchestra including 14 percussionists, quintuple woodwinds, etc. Our orchestra played exceptionally well, and the audience (who had come to the performance to listen to the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto with a wonderful Russian soloist) gave Amériques a very long standing ovation. I was blown away by the extremely positive response this music got, both from the musicians and from the orchestra. This experience very much motivated me and inspired me to keep looking for challenges and very ambitious projects for our orchestra. It was very clear from this that our musicians are eager to learn new things, they are always open to absorb new languages, new paths, and to navigate them together, with trust and love for what we do. And the same was clear for our audience members. Many people talked to me after the performance, telling me they had never heard of Varèse, and had only come because of Tchaikovsky, but they were now going to go and look for more works by this French master. A truly beautiful thing!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">CS: The season finale of the 60th season is called LIGHT OF THE WORLD. In addition to the expansive and emotional Faure Requiem and a deeply touching Elegy for Strings from Elliott Carter, you chose to program The Lark Ascending, a romance for violin and orchestra by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Vaughan Williams was one of many composers drawn to nature and landscape as inspiration. It was much later in our working relationship when I started seeing photos of you during treks through forests, or out on choppy ocean waves. I'm curious, what role does being out in the world's natural landscape play for you in your life? What does it do for you personally? Does it inspire you musically?</span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>CB: </b>What an excellent question! Many of the composers that I love have been inspired by nature, from Sibelius to Brahms and Schumann, going through John Luther Adams and Kaija Saariaho. I must say I never realized how important nature was to me until I moved to Buenos Aires. I grew up in a smaller coastal city called Mar del Plata about 250 miles south of Buenos Aires. This is right by the Atlantic coast. My parents' house was only 6 blocks away from the beach. I took the beach for granted. It was gorgeous, incredibly beautiful, and always there for me. When I moved to Buenos Aires I really missed the ocean, going to the beach to do body boarding and being able to walk or run along the coast. I remember going back home to visit my parents and taking a stroll to the beach with my manuscript paper, a pencil and an eraser. I would stay hours in front of the ocean, just by myself, drinking mate (my favorite infusion, pretty much like an espresso green tea), and composing. Only then I realized the level of influence that nature, and the ocean in particular had had on me since I was a child.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">With regards to our upcoming program, "Light of the World", I think it is going to be a very beautiful and invigorating program. The music in it is varied, and simultaneously also quite related. The atmosphere of this program is about healing, about acceptance, about sharing the beauty of life with other humans. Post-pandemic, this is one of the most comforting programs I could possibly think of. I sense it almost like a representation of generosity of spirit, all done through the gestures and means of expressions of these three master composers: Carter, Vaughan Williams and Fauré. I keep reminding myself about how fortunate we artists are to be able to share and express these emotions with other human beings.</span></div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">CS: What are some of your first memories of natural habitats you loved visiting at a young age or otherwise? Do you remember the impression it left on you, and if it did, why so?</span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>CB: </b>I remember vividly our family holidays when I was a child, going to Patagonia with my parents and my sister. Spending the day by the various lakes, surrounded by beautiful mountains with snowy tops. Seeing wild animals, kayaking in the lake, bathing in the icy cold water. All of this is incredibly invigorating to me. I love camping, making a fire, cooking with fire. Still to this day, this is one of my favorite things to do. It is almost like a primal instinct. I will also bring my guitar and enjoy a bit of music around the campfire. What a treat!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">CS: In addition to conducting and composing, you're also a devoted educator. So much of your time is spent pouring into people as they strive to know themselves and challenge themselves musically and academically. Have you ever had to challenge a collaborator-learner in your classroom or rehearsal hall to think outside of the notes on the page or in the score? Where do you point them in order to encourage them to think about intention and drama beyond the manuscript and the textbook?</span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>CB:</b><b style="font-style: italic;"> </b>As a student I really thrived when my mentors challenged me and pushed me. I grew leaps and bounds whenever someone encouraged me to think outside the box, and to experiment and go well beyond my comfort zone. This is not always the case. But to me, I was very grateful to those mentors that were not afraid to speak and share with me their brutal honesty. I am not saying it is good to be mean, or that I am a masochist. Not at all. But I think that sugarcoating critique and feedback hinders growth. We absolutely need honest feedback. We also need to point them in any kind of direction that will help them open their curiosity and awaken interests in different things that they may not be considering. A book, a movie, a song, an experience, whatever helped us grow or have that "eureka" moment, we must share with our students. We need to respect our students as we would like to be respected. We need to treat them with compassion, but also with honesty, admiration and respect. Our students are really our younger colleagues. It is a wonderful thing when you see one of those former students grow and develop into masters, and to one day share the stage with them, and/or to première one of their compositions. Nothing gives me more pleasure than to see someone I helped from the beginning thrive and achieve greatness. It essentially has nothing to do with me. I am there just to support them and help them discover how wonderful they already are.</span></div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">CS: We're coming up on the Summer. How do you typically spend your time before the seasons begin in the Fall?</span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>CB: </b>Summer is usually a time when I love finding moments to connect with nature again. To recharge. To go on hikes, to explore lakes and mountains, and to spend as much time as possible enjoying the ocean with my board. Summer is -paradoxically- also a time when I get to experience winter in the Southern hemisphere. So indeed this summer I will spend some time with my sons enjoying nature, and I will also spend some time conducting the National Symphony Orchestra in Buenos Aires, in the middle of their winter. This is an orchestra which I have been conducting for many years, and I admire and respect them very much because it is one of the orchestras that nourished me as a young aspiring musician. I would go to see their concerts every week. I studied with some of the maestros in the orchestra. And as a young professional when I first conducted this orchestra they were very welcoming to me, and since then we have done many concerts together, even national tours and recordings. It is always good re-connecting with our origins. This for me is literally going back home, to my family, to my home country, and to one of the orchestras that taught me so much as a young musician.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">CS: I've really enjoyed this opportunity to get to know more about you, and I know there are a few people reading this who know things about you now that they didn't know before, so I really appreciate you taking the time and for letting me take over your interviews and ask you some questions. I'm looking forward to being near you on the podium again in these next few weeks!</span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-style: italic;">CB: </b>What a pleasure dear Chase, thank you for your insightful conversation, and for being such a dedicated, inspiring and wonderful leader. I very much look forward to making music with you this week, next, and for many years to come!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>Biography</b><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Charles “Chase” Spruill, IV is forging a unique path connecting the fields of contemporary chamber music, music education and public service. He was an artist-in-residence and founding violinist of Sacramento State University’s resident contemporary ensemble before accepting a permanent residency as a core faculty member at the Nationally celebrated Community MusicWorks in Providence, Rhode Island which The New Yorker hails as “…a revolutionary organization in which the distinction between performing and teaching disappears.” He’s collaborated with and performed alongside notable artists in the field such as composer/electric guitarist Steven Mackey, composer Alexandra Gardner, violinist Johnny Gandelsman of Brooklyn Rider and the Silk Road Project with Yo-Yo Ma, British composer and pianist Michael Nyman, and most recently, Kronos Quartet. In 2014, Chase began touring as a duo with pianist and longtime director of the Philip Glass Ensemble Michael Riesman. Together, they are premiering new concert works for violin and piano arranged from film scores by Philip Glass housing iconic monsters of cinema. The pair made their debut at the 2014 Festival of New American Music and are continuing throughout North America and Europe. The performance of “Glass & Blood” at (le) Poisson Rouge with Michael Riesman marks his New York City recital debut. Future plans include premieres and performances of a newly commissioned concert work for violin and piano by Michael Nyman and the premiere of collaborative string quartet arrangements with composer Nico Muhly.</span></span></p></div><div style="margin: 2px 0px 0px; outline: none; padding: 10px 0px; width: 22px;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRrvs0cSZtGAa7eItN8d5gf-R5QXQruq_jtJBQice8Bu6HwrnUWRcs0ANWq-k03QoXiaoVsETPzFpEwtf0biRQzRsEKZikohAP3tRnNoYHENxfWCp79Tu48wnsFxfPee2xCfr-Q2k2b-aSXcqsxBKPWEIJFxOqhP8n_gxQfxy__Yc7xc4jG72XzLN4/s4032/IMG_1970.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chase Spruill and Christian Baldini after rehearsal at the Mondavi Center" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRrvs0cSZtGAa7eItN8d5gf-R5QXQruq_jtJBQice8Bu6HwrnUWRcs0ANWq-k03QoXiaoVsETPzFpEwtf0biRQzRsEKZikohAP3tRnNoYHENxfWCp79Tu48wnsFxfPee2xCfr-Q2k2b-aSXcqsxBKPWEIJFxOqhP8n_gxQfxy__Yc7xc4jG72XzLN4/w640-h480/IMG_1970.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rPfKX__kY5Knz89LS6zdpV-ELEEduDsjsbvdOJeN8jHMuXi7D8jIqLhzCZzagCcr5cJS1pAIhqbWbmS8wRsBxv7E5kx9ZC8l4xdoSovJq4WcLuHwfnHVsbHrGSlKKgAL8egOFgCsIPzlsuosdy2xIWj7GXOEz1TAI_J221qBCqH073V7vFh39QWJ/s4032/IMG_2431.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chase Spruill and Christian Baldini in rehearsal at the Mondavi Center" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rPfKX__kY5Knz89LS6zdpV-ELEEduDsjsbvdOJeN8jHMuXi7D8jIqLhzCZzagCcr5cJS1pAIhqbWbmS8wRsBxv7E5kx9ZC8l4xdoSovJq4WcLuHwfnHVsbHrGSlKKgAL8egOFgCsIPzlsuosdy2xIWj7GXOEz1TAI_J221qBCqH073V7vFh39QWJ/w640-h480/IMG_2431.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="margin: 2px 0px 0px; outline: none; padding: 10px 0px; text-align: left; width: 22px;"><br /></p>Christian Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182366797490629513noreply@blogger.com0Davis, CA 95616, USA38.5474428 -121.776530910.237208963821153 -156.9327809 66.857676636178837 -86.6202809tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7330756097550098974.post-26628535638953851162023-04-24T09:03:00.003-07:002023-04-24T09:03:33.234-07:00Anyssa Neumann in Conversation with Christian Baldini<p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>On April 29, 2023, Anyssa Neumann will perform the Piano Concerto No. 1 by Franz Liszt <a href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5492037" target="_blank">with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra in Sacramento.</a> I will have the honor of conducting this beautiful program, which also includes Florence Price's Andante moderato, and Lutoslawski's Symphony No. 4. Below is an interview with Anyssa, who is visiting from the United Kingdom.</b></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfOeqYNU8p47kGtsAra-VRwuCXZbt14ju_p5o5e3MKMhIKD2ynCskagMJ-AqKPfZt8PIxuZiRe9k7EnpQ4EQtAKrrnbWSvQS9duQycatg-ZFqKom8__pMKQ1MOY6qdadE4akf_zvWq9MnzLpFPymm9CxpmdhzX2e85XPVB1YC-xMfWEOoPsXvFUCH/s5760/Anyssa%20Neumann%20piano%20headshot%20(1).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5760" data-original-width="3840" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfOeqYNU8p47kGtsAra-VRwuCXZbt14ju_p5o5e3MKMhIKD2ynCskagMJ-AqKPfZt8PIxuZiRe9k7EnpQ4EQtAKrrnbWSvQS9duQycatg-ZFqKom8__pMKQ1MOY6qdadE4akf_zvWq9MnzLpFPymm9CxpmdhzX2e85XPVB1YC-xMfWEOoPsXvFUCH/w213-h320/Anyssa%20Neumann%20piano%20headshot%20(1).jpeg" title="Anyssa Neumann (courtesy photo)" width="213" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b><p></p><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><a href="https://www.christianbaldini.info/" target="_blank">Christian Baldini:</a> Anyssa, please tell us what is so special to you about this particular concerto? What should people listen for in it?</b></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: white;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><a href="https://anyssaneumann.com/" target="_blank">Anyssa Neumann: </a>My favourite pieces seem to be the ones I've heard <span lang="EN-US">great</span> performances of, and this is no different. I <span lang="EN-US">vividly remember</span> hearing a friend perform <span lang="EN-US">the Liszt</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US">E-flat concerto </span>with orchestra when I was 18, and <span lang="EN-US">it was love at first listen</span>. It's such a fun concerto<span lang="EN-US">—</span>serious music that doesn't take itself <span lang="EN-US">too </span>seriously, full of spark and fire and shimmering magical fairylands. And it moves between sections so rapidly that you can't get bored. This concerto sometimes gets a bad rap<span lang="EN-US">—</span>people think it's too flashy and shallow, not substantial enough. I disagree. Liszt <span lang="EN-US">as composer (rather than pianist) </span>often took a beating from the critics<span lang="EN-US">, and he agonized over finalizing his written works before subjecting them to public scrutiny. This concerto, on which he worked for 25 years,</span> starts with a stentorian theme in the strings and winds, a nine-note phrase to which <span lang="EN-US">he</span> (and possibly his son-in-law Hans von Bülow) later attached the words, “Das versteht Ihr alle nicht, haha!” (“None of you understand this, haha!”) in rebuttal to those critics. A musical cocking-a-snook, as the Brits say!</span></p><span class="im" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><b>CB: How were your beginnings with music? I know you also played the trumpet when you were growing up. Was there a time when you played both instruments with equal emphasis? When/how/why did you decide to quit the trumpet in favor of the piano?</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">AN: I hated <span lang="EN-US">the </span>piano <span lang="EN-US">for most of my childhood</span>. I wanted to play the violin, but my parents wouldn't let me (to be fair, beginn<span lang="EN-US">er</span> violin isn't the most <span lang="EN-US">melodious of</span> sound<span lang="EN-US">s</span>). When I was 9, I decided to play trumpet in the<span lang="EN-US"> school</span> band<span lang="EN-US"> (thrilling my parents, no doubt)</span>. I <span lang="EN-US">liked </span>trumpet much more than piano, but I was quite happy playing <span lang="EN-US">seco</span>nd <span lang="EN-US">(or third) </span>chair<span lang="EN-US">. T</span>o be a professional brass player, you have to<span lang="EN-US"> really</span> <i>want</i> to be in the spotlight, to play all those high notes. I didn't. <span lang="EN-US">But t</span>rumpet allow<span lang="EN-US">ed</span> me to be part of a musical community<span lang="EN-US"> in a way that solitary piano never did. I played trumpet in</span> the Sacramento Youth Symphony <span lang="EN-US">from ages 11-16, and t</span>hat<span lang="EN-US">,</span> more than anything<span lang="EN-US"> else,</span> kept me interested<span lang="EN-US"> in</span> and engaged <span lang="EN-US">with</span> classical music <span lang="EN-US">during</span> my <span lang="EN-US">piano-hating years</span>.</span></p><span class="im" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><b>CB: What does music mean to you? How does music (and more specifically classical music such as the Liszt Concerto) fit into today's society?</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">AN: Good grief, where to start<span lang="EN-US">?!</span> I think I'll paraphrase what an old teacher of mine once said: "a life with music is better than a life without." <span lang="EN-US">I have thought about changing careers many times</span>, doing something that actually pays well, something I can leave at the office. (Fact: musicians don't get weekends.) But the thrill of making music, the portals that these sounds open up to other times and places, that feeling of emotional and physical aliveness, and that communal experience with other musicians and audiences<span lang="EN-US">—</span>well, you can't beat that.</span></p><span class="im" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><b>CB: You grew up in Sacramento, played trumpet in the Sacramento Youth Symphony while growing up here, and you have now been based in the UK for a while. What are some of the things you miss (if any) about living in the US?</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><b> </b></span></p></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">AN: Old-fashioned donuts. Deli sandwiches. Mexican food. In that order. I also miss <span lang="EN-US">the </span>wonderfully varied landscape and the smell of summer. And, of course, my friends and family.</span></p><span class="im" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><b>CB: Besides being a wonderful concert pianist you are also a musicologist, and an Ingmar Bergman scholar. You are currently completing a Postdoc at Uppsala university in Sweden. How do you manage it all? Would you mind sharing some thoughts about your Ingmar Bergman work?</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><b> </b></span></p></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">AN: Most of the time it feels like I'm not managing any of it! Once the pandemic hit, I was very glad that I hadn't put all my eggs in the performing basket—I actually had an academic job during many of those fallow months when musicians suffered the most. Becoming a musicologist was sort of accidental. I was interested in academia<span lang="EN-US">, </span>and being a student was the only way I could get visas to live in other countries. So I just kept climbing the degree ladder until <span lang="EN-US">I finished</span> a PhD. I fell into Bergman by way of Bach's <i>Goldberg Variations</i><span lang="EN-US">, which </span>Bergman <span lang="EN-US">uses</span> in his film <i>The Silence</i> (1963). I wrote a paper on it, discovered that nobody else (at the time) had written much about Bergman's use of music, and that if I ever did a PhD, that would be my topic. I love cinema, I love storytelling—stories are how I make sense of the world. So studying the interaction of film and music was a natural fit for me.</span></p><span class="im" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><b>CB: Do you have any advice for young musicians? At certain times in life we all face challenges, competition, and many musicians have thought of quitting more than once. What has helped you in your trajectory, and inspired you to keep going forward?</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">AN: It's a tricky one, giving advice. I'm not sure I have any<span lang="EN-US">—</span>only a few statements I find to be true. The classical music industry can be absolutely brutal. The pay is crap, the work is relentless, your dreams of soloist stardom will probably come to naught, and you will struggle with feelings of inferiority and failure throughout your entire career. If you don't want to do it<span lang="EN-US"> anymore</span>, then don't—it's ok to do something else. In fact, if doing something else makes you happier, do that instead! I'm selling it well, aren't I? The important part is this: you don't have to be a <span lang="EN-US">full-time </span>professional musician to play or enjoy music. Music is for <i>everyone</i>. It's part of our legacy on this planet. It's the best of humanity. So take it seriously, learn it, listen to it, play it, understand it, make it part of you, pursue a career in it if that's what calls <span lang="EN-US">to </span>you. I think we sometimes get so caught up in the competitive culture of classical music—the commercialism, the perfectionism, the comparisons, the number of likes and listens—that we forget what music actually is: a way of communicating something about the beauty and urgency of life. </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">I love what Donna Tartt writes in her novel </span><i style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">The</i><i style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> </i><i style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Goldfinch</i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">about the lasting qualities of art: “And in the midst of our dying, as we rise from the organic and sink back ignominiously into the organic, it is a glory and a privilege to love what Death doesn't touch. For if disaster and oblivion have followed this [art] down through time—so too has love. (...) It exists; and it keeps on existing.” A glory and a privilege—gets me every time. </span></p><span class="im" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><b>CB: Lastly, what are some of the most inspiring experiences (or people) in your life, and why?</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></p></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">AN: My most inspiring experiences have come from artist residencies, particularly those at the Banff Centre in Canada<span lang="EN-US">. </span>Getting to know other musicians (or artists more generally), working and living alongside them—with the right people and the right surroundings, an alchemical transformation occurs, of excitement, solidarity, support, understanding, openness, inspiration, collaboration, realness. I'm inspired by people who are real, who don't hide behind a facade of perfection or control (even as I type this I feel the need to maintain my own facade!). Obviously<span lang="EN-US">,</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US">vulnerability can be uncomfortable</span>, so there's a time and a place, and trust is essential<span lang="EN-US">,</span> but...we're all human. W<span lang="EN-US">e all make mistakes, in music, in life</span>. We all <span lang="EN-US">feel, at various times, that we have</span> no idea what we're doing. Can't we just be honest about that? We're all in the same boat. It's better to journey together than not.</span></p><span class="im" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><b>CB: Thank you very much Anyssa, we very much look forward to featuring you as our soloist!</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></p></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">AN: <span lang="EN-US">Thanks for having me</span>!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWTMNybQ0YyxI5jC0OOYTvCYCqLHiQFqmWk7tZ9s6WsXOj4BXBX3BgTCAwUNl9shK3MxsbrJ620cgtmGNGF0D0dcM-zfy4pL_aAVr1_f3yA_2VCLdA4kGjdXdb69-c00bpjFRMyLOOOtELIpsxdlaRfmjc0aZsPMllEg7zsw0UXBtIL4l3q9iehHnJ/s5760/Anyssa%20Neumann%202018-1373%20v2%20(1).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5760" data-original-width="3840" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWTMNybQ0YyxI5jC0OOYTvCYCqLHiQFqmWk7tZ9s6WsXOj4BXBX3BgTCAwUNl9shK3MxsbrJ620cgtmGNGF0D0dcM-zfy4pL_aAVr1_f3yA_2VCLdA4kGjdXdb69-c00bpjFRMyLOOOtELIpsxdlaRfmjc0aZsPMllEg7zsw0UXBtIL4l3q9iehHnJ/w426-h640/Anyssa%20Neumann%202018-1373%20v2%20(1).jpeg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="Ar Au Ao" id=":1yq"><div aria-controls=":2gw" aria-label="Message Body" aria-multiline="true" aria-owns=":2gw" class="Am Al editable LW-avf tS-tW tS-tY" g_editable="true" hidefocus="true" id=":1ym" role="textbox" spellcheck="false" style="direction: ltr; min-height: 240px;" tabindex="1"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Raised in </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Sacramento</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> and based </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">in the UK / Sweden</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">, <b>pianist
Anyssa Neumann</b> has been praised for the “clarity, charm, and equipoise” of
her performances, which span solo and collaborative repertoire from the Baroque
to the 21st century. Recent </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">highlights
include concerto performances with the NYKO Sinfonietta (Sweden) and the Lompoc
Pops Orchestra (USA); </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Bach’s <i>Goldberg Variations</i> in Sweden</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> and </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Norway</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">; solo recitals in Rome, London, Uppsala, the Pacific
Northwest, and throughout California; and artist residencies at the Banff
Centre (Canada), Avaloch Farm (USA), and the Bergman Estate (Sweden). During
the Covid-19 pandemic, she video-recorded Bach’s <i>Goldberg Variations</i> at
home, calling the project <i>#IsolationVariations</i>; the playlist of all 32
videos, accompanied by short essays, can be found on YouTube.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Recent projects include </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">a
Don Quixote-inspired song </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">program</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">
with British bass-baritone Timothy Dickinson and a concert tour of New Mexico
and California with American soprano Rena Harms. </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Other collaborative partners include soprano Emma Tring (BBC Singers),
mezzo-soprano Katherine Nicholson (BBC Singers), violinist Yolanda Bruno
(Toronto Symphony), cellist Sara Sant’Ambrogio (Eroica Trio), and the London
Chamber Collective. She has also performed as guest pianist with the Sheba
Ensemble and appeared on NPR’s <i>Performance Today</i>, Sirius Satellite
Radio, Swedish Radio P1 Kultur, Estonia National Radio, and </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">David
Dubal’s radio program <i>The Piano Matters</i></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">, which featured her </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">solo debut album</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> of works by Bach, Beethoven, Messiaen, and Prokofiev.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">A</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">fter studying with Natsuki Fukasawa and
Richard Cionco in Sacramento, Anyssa</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">attended the</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> Manhattan
School of Music </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">(BM) </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">and
University of Oxford</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> (MSt) before</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">continuing</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">further </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">studies with
Fabio Bidini in Berlin and Paul Stewart at Université de Montréal</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">She has additionally worked with
Thomas Adès, Rita Wagner, and András Keller at</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> IMS Prussia Cove,</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> and with Mitsuko Uchida, Anne Sofie von Otter, Bengt
Forsberg, Marc Durand, Julian Martin, Ronan O’Hora, </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Anton Kuerti, </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Andre-Michel
Schub, Joseph Kalichstein, and Russell Sherman in master classes.</span></div></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-size: 10pt;"></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">She earned her PhD in musicology from King’s College London in
2017, focusing on pre-existing music in the films of Ingmar Bergman</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">,</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> which she</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> then </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">developed into a lecture-recital</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> and presented</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto, London,
Madrid, Helsingborg, Lund, Uppsala, and Fårö, culminating in a live broadcast
from the Arvo Pärt Centre in </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Laulasmaa</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> as part of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in 2021.
She currently </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">holds a postdoctoral position </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">in the Engaging Vulnerability Research Program at</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">
Uppsala University.</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> For more information, please visit
www.anyssaneumann.com.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p></div></div></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><p style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></p></div>Christian Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182366797490629513noreply@blogger.com0Sacramento, CA, USA38.5815719 -121.4943996-7.6639399787337794 168.1931004 84.82708377873378 -51.181899599999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7330756097550098974.post-12905132755633405962023-03-15T15:09:00.004-07:002023-03-15T15:09:49.515-07:00Alexandra Simpson in Conversation with Christian Baldini<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5486412" target="_blank">On Sunday, March 19, 2023</a>, I will have to pleasure of conducting a program featuring two wonderful Rising Stars on works for violin and orchestra (with Ani Bukujian), and viola and orchestra (with Alexandra Simpson), to crown the program with both of them together in Mozart's beloved Sinfonia Concertante. This will be with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra in Sacramento. I had the chance of asking Allie a few questions, and below are her answers:</span></b></span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.christianbaldini.info/" target="_blank">Christian Baldini: </a>Allie, what a pleasure it is to be making music with you again! And I am also excited about the wonderful work that you have chosen: the Rhapsody Concerto by Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů. Please tell me, how did you choose this work? What are some of the things you like the most about it? There is an interesting connection between this work and the San Francisco Symphony, and our region. Please tell us, what will people love about this work?</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white;"><blockquote style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.alexandrasimpsonviola.com/" target="_blank">Alexandra Simpson:</a> Such a pleasure to be back!! I have always wanted to perform this piece- it has such soaring, gorgeous melodies but also a lot of emotional depth a virtuosity. There are also some really intense moments that are almost like heavy metal rock! It does have a very interesting connection to SFS- it was commissioned by the Principal Violist at the time, Jascha Veissi. He was from Ukraine originally and his beautiful deSalo viola inspired Martinu with its sound like a human voice!</span></div><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></span></div></div></blockquote><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CB: In addition, we will also get to perform the beautiful Sinfonia Concertante by Mozart with you and Ani as our soloists. What are some of the things you like the most about this piece?</b><br /></span><blockquote style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="font-size: medium;">AS: Mozart never wrote a concerto just for viola, so it’s such a thrill to play a Mozart concerto- and this one is just one of the most beautiful pieces ever written. I’ve always loved it- it has such playfulness and joy, like two puppies chasing each other. It shows off the virtuosity of both instruments without being too over- the-top, and the slow movement is just divine. </span></div><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></span></div></div></blockquote><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CB: How is it to collaborate with another soloist on a concertante piece? What qualities do you look for in such a partner? What can you tell us about Ani and her role in this piece?</b><br /></span><blockquote style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="font-size: medium;">AS: As a violist, I’m often serving as a mediator of sound between violin and cello, so it’s so fun to be in a collaborative solo position. Ani is so incredibly inspiring to work with- just hearing her and trying to blend to her sound makes me a better player. She has that rare combination of world-class technical ability and soulful playing that I always love to hear and play with. </span></div><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></span></div></div></blockquote><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CB: What would be your advice to young musicians who are starting off with a professional career in music? What are some of the challenges we face, and how do we deal with them?</b><br /></span><blockquote style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="font-size: medium;">AS: I would tell young musicians that everyone fails, but the people who achieve great things know how to recover from failure and keep trying! So many things can happen thanks to luck, so your odds are better if you’re willing to learn from mistakes and keep working. </span></div><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></span></div></div></blockquote><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CB: Thank you very much for your time, I look forward to this new collaboration with you!</b><br /></span><blockquote style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="font-size: medium;">AS: so excited to work with you and this beautiful orchestra!</span></div></div></div></blockquote><p style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGF3iaDipHwmNiEFCQcTEUpqWFtBKcrK30cm6-I8MWGsGI5GxdRmPc3QpbiNBzJf-azQhawnd3HU3_iV_VkRVxh1kMqUMXbfP9TN52T23mqvEiKrGd22QojvDWv__kExs34_vXpk5XKpc5DqWplUHY6VzQbWSK3td-7zfmQd8cGJ5R47gKCnbQo3xi/s1650/allie%20green%20dress%207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1100" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGF3iaDipHwmNiEFCQcTEUpqWFtBKcrK30cm6-I8MWGsGI5GxdRmPc3QpbiNBzJf-azQhawnd3HU3_iV_VkRVxh1kMqUMXbfP9TN52T23mqvEiKrGd22QojvDWv__kExs34_vXpk5XKpc5DqWplUHY6VzQbWSK3td-7zfmQd8cGJ5R47gKCnbQo3xi/w426-h640/allie%20green%20dress%207.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Alexandra Simpson has traveled the world as a performer and educator: from Bucaramanga, Colombia to Cornwall, England. She is based in the San Francisco Bay Area, freelancing as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player- primarily as the Assistant Principal Violist of the California Symphony.</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Alexandra has appeared as a soloist with Camellia Symphony Orchestra, Marin Symphony, SFCM New Music Ensemble, and Classical Music Institute Chamber Orchestra. As a chamber musician, Alexandra travels frequently to festivals to perform, learn, and teach. Alexandra has participated in the Prussia Cove International Musicians’ Seminar, Kneisel Hall, Glenn Douglas Memorial Chamber Festival, Bard Music Colombia, Musikiwest Chamberfest in Pebble Beach, and Classical Music Institute in San Antonio, Texas. As an orchestra musician, she has played with San Francisco Symphony and SFOpera, and served as Principal Violist for OPERA San Antonio Fresno Symphony, Stockton Symphony, One Found Sound, and Merced Symphony.</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Alexandra performs regularly in the Bay Area, and has given chamber music concerts at Herbst Theater, Old North Church, Berkeley Piano Club, Piedmont Center for the Arts, and with Benicia Chamber Players. She accompanied international superstar DJ Kygo at the closing act of Outside Lands in 2019, and in 2022 at BottleRock in Napa. She has appeared in music videos for Chuck Prophet and Mercury Soul, and appeared in Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's keynote for the 2020 Build Conference, as well as advertisements for Microsoft Teams. Alexandra also joined the string sections for Michael Buble, Josh Groban and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and performed at The Queen's Ball: A Bridgerton Experience.</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Alexandra earned her Bachelor of Music studying with renowned and Grammy-winning violist Kim Kashkashian at New England Conservatory, with the Donald Green and Lotta Crabtree Scholarships. She received both a Master of Music and Master of Musical Arts from Yale School of Music. While at Yale, Alexandra taught New Haven schoolchildren through the Yale Music in Schools initiative and developed a passion for teaching in underserved communities. Festivals such as Classical Music Institute and Bard Music Colombia have allowed her to develop this passion all over the world. In addition to teaching privately, she also teaches in underserved schools of Daly City through the Harmony Project.</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">While studying chamber music at San Francisco Conservatory of Music, she received coachings and lessons from world-class musicians, including Dimitri Murrath, Ian Swensen, Bonnie Hampton and the Telegraph Quartet. She had the opportunity to receive masterclasses from Kim Kashkashian, Hsin-Yun Huang, and Milena Pajaro-van-de-Stadt, and participate in residency performances with Tessa Lark, Owen Dalby, Norman Fisher, and Itamar Zorman.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div>Christian Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182366797490629513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7330756097550098974.post-2742005470146139482023-02-14T09:17:00.002-08:002023-02-14T13:48:34.832-08:00Kinga Augustyn in Conversation with Christian Baldini<p><b><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><a href="https://www.christianbaldini.info/" target="_blank">Christian Baldini:</a> Dear Kinga, it will be a pleasure to feature you as our soloist with the <a href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5486410" target="_blank">Camellia Symphony in Sacramento in Korngold's beautiful and unusual Violin Concerto</a>, in a program that includes Shostakovich's Symphony No. 6 and the world première of a work by composer <a href="https://christianbaldini.blogspot.com/2023/02/trey-makler-in-conversation-with.html" target="_blank">Trey Makler.</a> </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">What does this concerto mean to you, and what would you recommend for people to listen for?</span></b></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://kingaaugustyn.com/" target="_blank">Kinga Augustyn</a>: It is a gorgeous work with lots of singing lines, oftentimes derived from Korngold’s film music, and with some violinistic acrobatics that are super fun to hear and watch! I would encourage people to check out some films such as “Another Dawn” or “The Prince and the Pauper” where we can hear the themes that Korngold later used in his awesome Violin Concerto. Then I would listen for them during the concert. </p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Korngold was an immigrant, like myself, and that automatically makes me understand many of the feelings and emotions in his music. Also, the concerto was composed after some initial persuasion of a great Polish violinist Bronisław Hubermann, who was also an immigrant. In fact there are quite a few connections here that make me feel very close to the piece. Above all, however, I just love it, and I cannot wait to perform it in a few days! </p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>CB: You are an extraordinary violinist, with an international career, multiple recordings, and a true status as a virtuoso on your instrument. How did you get there? Who have been your most important mentors?</b></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">KA: Everything is always a build-up and a combination of choices and events in one’s life, not necessarily only music related. Consistency is important, as well as prioritizing things in order to avoid feeling overwhelmed and to actually get something accomplished. Constant growth is a must and is certainly possible. </p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">My Juilliard teachers Mr. Cho-Liang Lin and Ms. Naoko Tanaka have definitely been among some very important figures in my life. Not only did I learn a lot from both of them that has benefited my violin playing and music learning, but they have also shaped some of my life journey. </p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>CB: How was your childhood, growing up in Poland? You came to the US when you were 18 to study at the prestigious Juilliard School. How did your life change then? Was it difficult to adapt to a different culture?</b></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">KA: my childhood was great, although my father died when I was 6 and that complicated a couple things including that I could not start learning the violin till almost 8 years old. My mom, nevertheless, a strong and independent woman, made sure that I had all I needed to be content and to follow my dreams. I was always surrounded by music, art and books. I had the best violin that was available in my city (although, frankly, in the US it would be considered a low standard, but hey, a $500 fiddle that was the love of my life at that time and got me to Juilliard, got me scholarships and, indirectly, took care of me? Can’t go wrong with that! As a child I often attended master classes abroad and they were also very helpful to my musical growth. When I moved to the US I did face quite a lot of difficulties to adopt to a completely new life. Having been babysat by my mom for a long time, suddenly I was on my own, swimming in a big ocean and having to fight for myself! As they say “what doesn’t break you, will make you” so what did in fact break me first also helped me grow more than I would have grown otherwise. In New York there are many different cultures, and there is “everything”, meaning both good and bad, and one just really has to search for and find what one is looking for. Juilliard has a large community of international students, so I was not lonely or special in that regard. Without a doubt, however, it took quite some time to feel like I truly belonged somewhere, and I think it was only when I became American, fairly recently, that I, deep down, didn’t feel like an outsider any more. Now, a dual citizen, I feel good both in the US and anywhere in Europe. I belong where the music takes me. </p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>CB: Thank you for sharing that. What are some works you have not performed yet, but that you would love to perform?</b></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">KA: There are many and the list is actually growing, as more music is constantly being composed, and many composers and great works are being rediscovered. Of the standard repertoire one of the great pieces I hope to perform in the upcoming years is the beautiful Samuel Barber Violin Concerto, and of the lesser known pieces are the seven Violin Concertos by Polish female composer Grazyna Bacewicz. </p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>CB: What is some advice you would give to young musicians who are starting off on the violin? What would you say people can do when they feel frustrated or are on the verge of quitting?</b></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">KA: Well, if you absolutely hate it then quit! But there is a 99.9% chance that you will regret such a decision, as most people who quit do, so don’t quit just because it got hard. The truth is that it will always be “hard” in some ways, so get over it and accept the challenge. Studying violin or any other instrument will certainly always keep you occupied and on your toes, and will never be boring, if you really get into it. Realize how blessed you are to play music! And by the way, any other profession is also going to be difficult in one way or the other. The most important thing is to do what you love, so if you do love music, turn any frustration into motivation and go practice, go to a concert, if you need inspiration, and be happy. If you radiate happiness, you are making the world a better place, and what’s more important than people’s happiness? </p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>CB: Thank you for your time. We look forward to featuring your remarkable talent with our audience in Sacramento!</b></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">KA: thank you Christian. I could not be more excited to make music with you and the Camellia Symphony Orchestra! See you soon!</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1WNK9D9DmqYJElCuw4j8QGqf2LpjFahpIlUwJpTZ_-f6cFFnHkHzYYpoEWqQRsf4upaM249CaPOVkBxID0m-s095OklKJsJUHX1ZIFwmTMc8Kek1yprZeJQtCWqOu6hUGN53z1l6QnVrrIA9sJujM9KfQ8RgofizpSq_DO4K058EuMxIVJblMyxQ6/s1050/5624_700w.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="700" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1WNK9D9DmqYJElCuw4j8QGqf2LpjFahpIlUwJpTZ_-f6cFFnHkHzYYpoEWqQRsf4upaM249CaPOVkBxID0m-s095OklKJsJUHX1ZIFwmTMc8Kek1yprZeJQtCWqOu6hUGN53z1l6QnVrrIA9sJujM9KfQ8RgofizpSq_DO4K058EuMxIVJblMyxQ6/w426-h640/5624_700w.jpeg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: futura-pt; font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.17px; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">Polish-American Kinga Augustyn is a versatile New York City-based virtuoso concert violinist and recording artist. “Stylish and vibrant” (The Strad Magazine), and “beyond amazing, one hell of a violinist!” (The Fanfare Magazine), Ms. Augustyn has performed as a soloist with orchestras in the United States, Europe and Asia, and they include the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, Queens Symphony Orchestra, Catskill Symphony Orchestra, Deutsches Kammerorchester Berlin, Magdeburg Philharmonic Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra Leopoldinum, and the Wrocław Philharmonic Orchestra. She has toured China and performed at China’s most prestigious venues such as Beijing Poly Theater and Shanghai Oriental Art Center. As a recitalist and chamber musician Kinga has appeared at the Stern Auditorium and the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Aspen Music Festival, the Chicago Cultural Center, Teatro Ristori and Gran Teatro La Fenice. In addition to concerti with orchestras and recitals with piano, Ms. Augustyn frequently performs unaccompanied solo violin recitals and is also a member of the Baroque Virtuosity trio with lutist Christopher Morrongiello and harpsichordist Rebecca Pechefsky.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: futura-pt; font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.17px; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kinga Augustyn is often praised for her musical interpretations, profundity, deft phrasing, beautiful tone, mastery of the bow, perfect intonation, and for unique programming ideas. “With completely secure technical control, she couples a tapestry of tone color to her innate musicality” (The Fanfare Magazine). Music Web International describes her recording of the Bruch Violin Concerto with Janacek Philharmonic as “extremely moving and expressive,” characterized by “beauty, richness and smoothness of her tone,” and as “music she responds to on a deeply personal and emotional level.” </p><p style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: futura-pt; font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.17px; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ms. Augustyn’s repertoire includes music both standard and lesser–known, stylistically varied and ranging from early baroque to contemporary. Kinga is an advocate of new music and has performed and recorded multiple world premieres of works written especially for her. She also researches and brings awareness to lesser-known composers, including those of her native Poland. Up to date, Augustyn has recorded three albums of Polish music. <em style="overflow-wrap: break-word;">Grażyna Bacewicz: A Portrait</em> was released in 2022 on Centaur Records. The other two albums, released on Naxos, are world premieres by the contemporary Polish composer Romuald Twardowski (b. 1930), recorded with the Torun Symphony Orchestra and Mariusz Smolij, and the Polish Violin Music, a highly praised, “fascinating” (The Strad) album of lesser-known Polish works. </p><p style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: futura-pt; font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.17px; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">In 2021 Augustyn released on Centaur Records Turning in Time, a critically acclaimed album featuring 20th and 21st Century unaccompanied solo violin works by Krzysztof Penderecki (world premiere of <em style="overflow-wrap: break-word;">Capriccio</em>), Debra Kaye (world premiere of <em style="overflow-wrap: break-word;">Turning in Time</em>), as well as other works, significant in the violin repertoire, by Elliott Carter, Luciano Berio, Isang Yun and Grażyna Bacewicz. Gramophone calls the album “remarkable” and praises Augustyn for “vibrant intensity, caressing the phrases and bringing bold focus to the electric unfolding of creativity”. </p><p style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: futura-pt; font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.17px; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">Augustyn’s expanding discography also includes the Paganini Caprices, which music critics consider as convincing as Perlman’s or Midori’s, and an “an enduring benchmark” (Classical Net); La Pasión, featuring 6 Tango-Etudes for Solo Violin by Astor Piazzolla; Telemann 12 Fantasias for Solo Violin (Centaur Records), in which “her interpretations are convincing in every piece here, and the Baroque spirit of the violin and Telemann’s mastery abiding throughout” (Music Web International); and Glen Roven’s Runaway Bunny Concerto performed with Catherine Zeta-Jones as a narrator and featuring Kinga Augustyn’s Solo Violin Cadenza (GPR Records). </p><p style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: futura-pt; font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.17px; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ms. Augustyn has won international awards, including First Prizes at the Alexander & Buono International String Competition (USA), Artist International Presentations (USA), and the J. S. Bach String Competition (Poland), as well as other top honors that include prizes at the Johannes Brahms International Competition (Austria), the Kloster Schoental International Young Artist Competition (Germany), Michael Hill International Violin Competition (New Zealand), and the Kosciuszko Foundation Wieniawski Violin Competition (USA).</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: futura-pt; font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.17px; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ms. Augustyn studied at The Juilliard School with Dorothy DeLay, Cho-Liang Lin, and Naoko Tanaka, and earned there both the Bachelor and the Master degrees as a full tuition scholarship recipient. She holds a doctorate from the Stony Brook University, where she was also awarded a full-tuition scholarship and assistantship and worked with Phil Setzer and Pamela Frank. </p><p style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: futura-pt; font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.17px; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">On a regular basis Kinga Augustyn plays a violin made by Joseph Gagliano in 1774, generously on loan to her from a private collector. When playing early music in a historically informed style, she plays Lukas Wroński’s uniquely designed violin inspired by the famed statue Venus de Milo.</p><div><br /></div>Christian Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182366797490629513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7330756097550098974.post-36554784595584430402023-02-14T08:50:00.002-08:002023-02-14T13:48:58.885-08:00Trey Makler in Conversation with Christian Baldini<p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: small;"><b><a href="https://www.christianbaldini.info/" target="_blank">Christian Baldini:</a> I am thrilled that young composer Trey Makler has written a new work that we will perform with the <a href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5486410" target="_blank">Camellia Symphony Orchestra in Sacramento</a>, in a program that includes Shostakovich's Symphony No. 6 and <a href="https://christianbaldini.blogspot.com/2023/02/kinga-augustyn-in-conversation-with.html" target="_blank">Korngold's Violin Concerto with Kinga Augustyn</a>. Working closely with a composer on a world première is always a very exhilarating experience. In this case, we have had the luxury of having Trey in several rehearsals, which was very helpful for a work of the nature of "false starts, missed connections", in which Trey has orchestra members inhabit quite a different world from what they are usually asked to do in more 'traditional' settings. Trey, in this work you ask orchestra members to sing, play in unsynchronized ways, and you also make unusual and beautiful requests with regards to character and/or sound production, such as "flickering", "stutters", "a mobile with many parts", etc. Please tell us, what is behind this work? How did you come up with these beautiful and very free ideas?</b></span></p><span class="im" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #500050; font-size: small;"><div><br /></div></span><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/trey-anthony-makler" target="_blank">Trey Makler:</a> Thanks, Christian. It's been an exciting journey working through this piece with everyone. I commend the orchestra on all of their efforts, especially with the new techniques! In many ways, this work was made as a joke with myself. I've been writing quite a bit of music over the past year, and this is actually the second piece for orchestra during that time. Writing for orchestra is daunting—there are so many moving parts, and I feel it's really important to try and give every player something interesting to do so that everyone can feel that their role is valuable in bringing the music to life. This final version of <i>false starts, missed connections</i> is actually my fifth or sixth attempt at the piece, so pushing through my initial block became the impetus for the entire piece: gestures will burn bright and quickly die out, or players will have quasi-unisons that never seem to align. All of my decisions were channeled into writing a piece about how hard it is to write a piece, and finding some joy and playfulness in that situation. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> As for some of the techniques and free gestures, I go back and forth between writing fixed and free music. I have only ever written really tight, heavily notated music for orchestra, but my chamber music has gotten far more open. So, I wondered what it would be like to give a large ensemble a more open approach that isn't so reliant on rigorous precision and virtuosity; in many ways, I turn precision and virtuosity on their heads in this piece, and reimagine them in radically different contexts. With this approach, I get to be a little bit more involved in rehearsals, too, and I think that's extremely important, that I'm not just a random person dropping off a score and parts and then circling back to hear the result at the end. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> And finally, I spend an incredible amount of time determining the language I use in the score. Notes are rarely enough, and in the whole creative process I will discover these tiny bits of phrases, descriptors, or images that act as mental placeholders for the music, so that I can quickly recall ideas. We're all people with rich and varied lives, so I like to think that precise and colorful language allows the players to more fully imagine the music, whether it be melodies, textural gestures, or the full narrative unfolding of the piece.</div><span class="im" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: small;"><div style="color: #500050;"><br /></div><div><b>CB: What should people know about your music in general? What are your main goals, and what defines you as a composer?</b></div><div style="color: #500050;"><br /></div></span><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">TM: I try to always take a risk, and to treat every piece as an opportunity to grow. Recently, nearly all of my music has featured the voice, despite there rarely being a vocalist. There is so much beauty in hearing a person's normal, everyday, singing-in-the-shower voice, and it always brings me back to memories of my grandma working around the house and singing or humming under her breath. I think we can all relate to each other through singing. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Formally speaking, I keep accidentally stumbling into writing pieces that are essentially in two, mostly unrelated, parts. <i>false starts, missed connections</i> is like this, too! I think this has something to do with imagining a before-and-after in a narrative, with some sort of rupture that occurs and changes everything. If a main "theme" comes back, it's often quite disfigured and fragmented, like a memory that keeps getting further away. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> I'm defined by a desire to write serious music that doesn't take itself too seriously. My music is always playful and has a sense of humor, and I think it's important that everyone involved is able to enjoy themselves through the music—the audience can always hear if the players are in it, or if they're just playing the notes, and I think this responsibility is in part on the composer to curate a positive experience. The world is a really scary, challenging place sometimes, so I try to resist replicating that darkness in my music. It's just not interesting to me; I'd much rather imagine a sparkly utopia that shows hope on the horizon. </div><span class="im" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: small;"><div style="color: #500050;"><br /></div><div><b>CB: Who are some composers from the past that you love, and why?</b></div><div style="color: #500050;"><br /></div></span><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">TM: Stravinsky always comes to mind immediately. Everything he did was so bold, and no matter what "style" he wears, be it Russian, neoclassical, serial, etc., it sounds like Stravinsky. He is one of the first composers that I spent considerable time with when I began formal study in college, and I have made so many meaningful relationships through his music. Lully is really fabulous, it's such bouncy music with lots of frills and ornaments, which have absolutely rubbed off onto me. Ligeti has been deeply impactful, too, particularly his approach to color, texture, and gestural freedom. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Sort of a "hidden gem" for me is Henning Christiansen, who was a Danish composer associated with the Fluxus and New Simplicity movements. I did a research project on his music when I first began my PhD at UC Davis, and I was blown away by the clarity of his vision, and his concern for making music that didn't seek to emotionally manipulate the audience. Plus, some of it is really wild! There's a great story about his dismissal from the Royal Danish Academy of Music that I won't recount here, but find me after the concert and I'll share it with you! I think my gravitation towards musical mobiles comes in part from his music. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">And while not a composer per se, I also heard a lot of oldies growing up; my grandma had an Aretha Franklin greatest hits album that she would play constantly. I love the declarative melodies, extended harmonies, and high-energy rhythms, and they creep into my music every now and then. </div><span class="im" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: small;"><div style="color: #500050;"><br /></div><div><b>CB: Who are some living composers that you admire, and why?</b></div><div style="color: #500050;"><br /></div></span><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">TM: Hans Abrahamsen is definitely one of my favorites. Another Danish composer and a student of Ligeti, he composes with such intention and restraint. <i>Schnee, </i><i>Let Me Tell You, </i>and his wind quintets are such incredibly intense pieces, but it's a different intensity, really unlike the typical approach. Often quiet, really delicate. His music is always evocative to me, conjuring mental images of vibrant, snowy landscapes. Plus, he interacts with the past in really interesting ways that draws attention to the constructedness of composition; composers can wear all sorts of styles, and sometimes more is more.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Gloria Coates, particularly her <i>String Quartet no. 9</i>, is stellar. She detunes half the quartet by a quarter tone, and repeats these haunting melodies over and over again until they're eaten up by glissandi to create a Shepard's tone. It's otherworldly and I can't get enough of it. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Steve Reich is another go-to of mine. I think I have a bit of a minimalist urge when I'm writing, and I blame his music! It's infectious, and if you keep listening these gorgeous hidden melodies start to reveal themselves from the repetition, even in his early tape music. If I had to pick a favorite piece of his, it would probably be <i>Tehillim</i>.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> I have to also mention that I was absolutely obsessed with Japanese Role-playing Games (JRPGs) as a kid, so the music from video games like the Final Fantasy series (Nobuo Uematsu, and others more recently) and Chrono Cross (Yasunori Mitsuda) has a deep impact on me. Also, all of the cute little melodies from the early Pokemon games (Junichi Masuda). When you're playing a game of this genre, there is all of this musical repetition, and tons of themes. It's almost like a Wagner opera! But you will hear them so often that they become a part of you, and to this day I can recall so many emotional narrative arrivals from these games that are really uplifted through their scores. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Talking composers can turn into purgatory because it will never end, so I'm exercising some restraint, but of course this list can go on and on and on.</div><span class="im" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: small;"><div style="color: #500050;"><br /></div><div><b>CB: Tell us a bit about your education. You and I met at UC Davis, where you are now completing your Ph.D. in composition. You came with a very strong background having studied at the Juilliard School in NYC. What are some of the most important formative experiences you've had? Are there any mentors that were particularly positive in your early stages?</b></div><div style="color: #500050;"><br /></div></span><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">TM: Well, I grew up on ten acres off a gravel road in rural southeast Missouri, and fell into music by accident. I played oboe and a bunch of other instruments in concert/jazz/marching bands throughout middle and high school, and then joined choir towards the end of high school. I was a little scared of going too far away from home for college, so I ended up at the University of Missouri (Mizzou) for my undergraduate study, which is another hidden gem. It has an incredibly well-supported new music initiative, plus was the first music school in the country to offer a certificate in music entrepreneurship. Of course, I had no idea what any of this really meant at the time—I didn't really know anything from the "canon" as we think of it in classical music, nor did I have any concept of what a professional life in music looked like outside of teaching high school band, which was my initial calling. I just liked making music, and I had twiddled my thumbs in Finale, a music notation software, for several years. The first mentor that I shared this secret hobby of mine with was my high school choir director, Sue Bauche. She encouraged me to apply to the composition program at Mizzou, and helped record and premiere my very first piece, which was for choir, so that I could have at least one real recording for the application. She unfortunately passed away from cancer the summer after my freshman year of college, but I think of her often. She is a huge reason why I am on the path that I am. It's worth noting that after I realized how I would approach <i>false starts, missed connections</i>, I got very emotional on a drive home thinking of her, and that inspired me to include the singing at the end of the piece. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> During undergrad, I had two composition teachers who were really impactful: W. Thomas McKenney, and Stefan Freund. Tom was so sweet and supportive, which I really needed to get over my imposter syndrome. I think any young artist has to face those demons, and it's so much easier to do it when you have a mentor with a lifetime of experience who recognizes that you really can make your dreams come true through hard work and dedication. Stefan was really important in linking me up to the greater "new music scene," as he is a member of Alarm Will Sound and that gave me a glimpse of the long term new music life. Plus, he guided me through some dark mental health struggles, particularly during my graduate auditions, which can be such a grueling process.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> I did my Masters at Juilliard, where I studied with Pulitzer Prize winner Melinda Wagner. She was absolutely the best part of my experience in New York City. She pointed me towards John Waters movies, deepening my appreciation of camp, and showed me the joy of taking inspiration from things that might not be so serious. In one lesson, she explained how she was inspired by cartoons from her childhood in writing a piece of hers, <i>Wick</i>, that I really love. She also told me to take risks, because when one puts their neck on the line, the universe recognizes that and responds. She's such an amazing composer, too; I just recently heard a relatively new piece of hers, <i>Dido Reimagined, </i>performed by Brentano String Quartet and Dawn Upshaw in San Francisco, and it was one of the most powerful pieces of new music I've heard in a long time. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Mindy was also the person who recommended UC Davis to me, and now, here I am in year four of my PhD! We have five composers on faculty, and they all bring something different and vital to the table. I've had the luxury of working with them all in some way or another, and they've done an excellent job of creating a wonderful, welcoming, and supportive environment. Mika Pelo instilled in me some work ethic strategies, like approaching composition twice a day: in the morning with a clear goal to achieve, and in the evening with no expectations, just presence and curiosity. Pablo Ortiz offered a flood of support during Zoom-school, which was a really challenging time for everyone, and was a period of trying new things for me, with some successes and some failures. He has this really poetic way of approaching music that resonates with me, and he's also really fun and brilliant. Sam Nichols is currently shepherding me through improving my electronic music chops, which has been arduous, but he's a really patient and attentive pedagogue with a great sense of humor. It really helps to be able to laugh off the things that I find really challenging, and I find myself always revisiting his metaphors. Laurie San Martin was my guide through my qualifying exam, and I deeply respect her directness. There have been moments where she helped me reorient and find my path forward, and probably didn't even realize she was doing it. We're always sharing little laughs and chatting about pieces (if only there was time to listen to all that music!). My current teacher and dissertation advisor is Kurt Rohde. He has helped me understand what my process is, why my process is, and truthfully pulled me back from an edge where I wondered if composition was really the path for me. I am grateful to have a mentor with whom I can be fully vulnerable and transparent, which has direct implications for my dissertation project, too. I couldn't have embarked on this final journey in my education with just anyone because it's so deeply personal. Through our work together, I have found who I am as a composer in a way that feels intentional and honest, which is really important to me, yet has always felt difficult to articulate. Kurt is truly my safe space, which is absolutely invaluable for a young composer.</div><span class="im" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: small;"><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>CB: Lastly, what is your advice for young composers, what has been most helpful to you?</b></div><div style="color: #500050;"><br /></div></span><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">TM: We are often told that our careers are advanced through luck. I don't buy it. It is through dedication, relentless overcoming of obstacles (some of which we erect ourselves), nurturing relationships, and showing up for yourself. Composition has this mythology of being a purely isolated, lonely activity, but when I look back on my life as a musician, I see a kaleidoscope of friends and near-strangers who have helped me clear hurdles when I felt that I couldn't, and who believed in me whenever I found it hard to believe in myself. Make the music you want to make, and find joy in what you do, and never back down. If making music brings you joy first, it will radiate out and bring joy to those who play and hear your music. I know it's cheesy, but I believe that music transforms lives, and it has transformed mine. </div><span class="im" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: small;"><div style="color: #500050;"><br /></div><div><b>CB: Thank you for sharing your wonderful insight; I very much look forward to conducting your beautiful music in Sacramento!</b></div><div style="color: #500050;"><br /></div></span><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">TM: Thank you, Christian, and I'm looking forward to hearing the orchestra bring <i>false starts, missed connections</i> to life!</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><p dir="ltr" style="color: black; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: black; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">BIOGRAPHY</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: black; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The music of composer Trey Makler explores the human situation of musicking while imagining alternative worlds and bonds. Melodies and other musical objects are conceived almost as people, with their own socio-musical interactions and identities shaped by circumstance and environmental influence. These objects are woven together playfully, and often rest within hyperactive mechanisms that are activated through dense counterpoint, rhythmic vitality, and long, expressive lines. </span></p><br style="color: black;" /><p dir="ltr" style="color: black; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trey’s music has been performed by Alarm Will Sound, Berlin PianoPercussion, Empyrean Ensemble, The Great Noise Ensemble, Juilliard Orchestra, NEO Sound Orchestra, The University of Missouri Philharmonic Orchestra and Opera Workshop, and members of the St. Louis Symphony; he has received commissions from Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, the Mizzou New Music Initiative, the New York Choreographic Institute, Camellia Symphony, and Vallejo Symphony. Notable presenting venues have included Alice Tully Hall, Areté Venue and Gallery, the Empress Theatre, National Sawdust, Sheldon Concert Hall, and the Jewel Box in Forest Park (St. Louis), among others. Trey has been the recipient of the Arthur Friedman Prize in Orchestral Composition (The Juilliard School) and the Sinquefield Prize (University of Missouri), and was selected as the winner of the first annual Boston New Music Initiative Young Composers Competition. His dissertation research on the aesthetics of AIDS and the lived experience of musical form has been generously supported by a Bilinski Educational Foundation Dissertation Writing Fellowship.</span></p><br style="color: black;" /><p dir="ltr" style="color: black; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trey is a PhD candidate in Music Composition and Theory at the <a href="https://arts.ucdavis.edu/makler" target="_blank">University of California, Davis</a>. He holds degrees from The Juilliard School and the University of Missouri. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: black; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicRYWrcTEt3LgNe6hzjdBxRpN-i9zw2rqsdEba15DvlBo5-c3yb8oP2ZbNtKH9gneAvokJv9wXT6azm4K5oUmwH753MjnJYXjCUnz-gB_AKEBl-W5vAMVNCjROYs5FiUVPQxwSLCod48wZfrtX1E7nQHRa3JcC4V40FSUMSZNH5j_PwPt6hhtkzqhg/s6000/Trey-023.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicRYWrcTEt3LgNe6hzjdBxRpN-i9zw2rqsdEba15DvlBo5-c3yb8oP2ZbNtKH9gneAvokJv9wXT6azm4K5oUmwH753MjnJYXjCUnz-gB_AKEBl-W5vAMVNCjROYs5FiUVPQxwSLCod48wZfrtX1E7nQHRa3JcC4V40FSUMSZNH5j_PwPt6hhtkzqhg/w640-h426/Trey-023.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trey Makler (courtesy photo)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="yj6qo ajU" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 2px 0px 0px; outline: none; padding: 10px 0px; width: 22px;"></div><div class="yj6qo ajU" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 2px 0px 0px; outline: none; padding: 10px 0px; width: 22px;"><br /></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 2px 0px 0px; outline: none; padding: 10px 0px; text-align: left; width: 22px;"><br /></p>Christian Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182366797490629513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7330756097550098974.post-41421109958013943242022-11-02T09:56:00.000-07:002022-11-02T09:56:15.464-07:00Carrie Hennessey in Conversation with Christian Baldini<p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5485081" target="_blank">On November 5, 2022, I will be conducting the Camellia Symphony Orchestra</a> in a wonderful program featuring a West Coast première by Salina Fisher (from New Zealand), Richard Strauss' Four Last Songs with the superb soprano Carrie Hennessey, and Prokofiev's extraordinary Symphony No. 5. Below is a conversation I had with Carrie about our upcoming performance.</span></b></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.christianbaldini.info/" target="_blank">Christian Baldini: </a>Dear Carrie, as always it is a pleasure to collaborate with you. Please tell me, what is your personal history with this marvelous work by Richard Strauss, and what do these beautiful songs mean to you personally?</span></b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.carriehennessey.com/" target="_blank">Carrie Hennessey:</a> Well as a young singer, with an old soul, growing into the big lyric voice, these were always the “one day I hope to sing these!”. I studied every version I could get my ears on. I never knew if I’d have a chance to sing them with an orchestra so I have performed them many times in concert with piano. Now I am blessed to sing these a second time with an orchestra with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra! The first time was with conductor Danny Stewart. We performed in a venue in the redwoods, so the final movement was overwhelming. Watching the sunset while singing “Im Abendrot” is a treasured memory. It was difficult to not cry!</span></span></p><span class="im" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>CB: Could you share with people what each of these four songs is about? What is your take on them?</b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: #500050; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p></span></span><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">CH: These songs weren’t originally grouped together as a set until later. The first Song “Frühling” or Spring elicits the trembling feeling of new, intoxicating smells and sights. In nature. In Life. This leads to “September”, summer shuddering and smiling at his dying dream of a garden. The golden leaves taking over and leading into “Beim Schlafengehen”, or Going to Sleep. A poem of a soul tired, wearied and wishing for sleep, a soul free to live and fly freely into the magic night. Strauss first set the Eichendorff poem “Im Abendrot”, At Sunset, about a couple at the end of their journey together, seeing the sunset and asking “is this death?”, which became the last in the group. This for me, yes, can represent the literal last sunset but more viscerally for me is the sunset of a life gone by, the past leaving and walking through a metamorphosis. I see the people who have walked through it with me until this point, what I need to leave behind to bloom further and what lies on the other side of the incredible shift and change. These last two years have been filled with personal and collective transformation. These songs to me deeply represent that new discovery of who I am and what I have to offer the world, honoring the path I’ve taken thus far as well as letting go of what I don’t need in order to truly step into what lies ahead. </span></span></p><span class="im" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>CB: Which of the four songs is your favorite, if any, and why?</b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: #500050; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p></span></span><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">CH: I think I have to say Beim Schlafengehen, because it was the first I ever sang. The composer that helped bring me back to singing after 12 years away played this in a church service. We had exchanged stories of our love for Strauss and he slipped it into the prelude by surprise. I teared up, remembering what it felt like to truly sing with that kind of freedom. To soar freely as the text and music inspires. We performed it at a New Year’s eve service. A time to reflect on the past and look forward to shift and change. I was ever changed. </span></span></p><span class="im" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>CB: What would you recommend to someone who is not familiar with these songs, or with Richard Strauss? What should they listen for?</b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: #500050; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p></span></span><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">CH: I think the thing that stands out to me most is the general feeling of longing. Some specific themes to listen for are the “flying theme” violin solo in “Beim Schlafengehen” that is then repeated in the voice with the words “the soul wishes to soar freely” and I LOVE how Strauss truly captures the sunset. The grand gesture at the end of “Im Abendrot” when the sunset has the deepest, fiery orange blazing through the pink sky, followed by the last birds singing their song, in the flutes and piccolos, before sleep. Stunning writing!</span></span></p><span class="im" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>CB: Thank you Carrie, and as always, I know our audience will be in for a treat!</b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="color: #500050; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p></span></span><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">CH: I am thrilled to be back making such beautiful music with you and the Camellia Symphony Orchestra!</span></span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_0vkan5pB3ZTJ0l6NGuGx34E9jXxw-sUaTjHnyZpkuIy3ymGP8GxzWIQW8eyReAVDdO1ZTQhl3FasD08qw4-JQaFNhRwnOHHilMFfYiOjcG5fB7T_73v9TQtOi4RFs1UgHqYJPXv6OjGEv6_Wn6sV4r0b5rabvdJd16suP2DtJ96uNBg3Uz-ULrtN/s2451/Carrie-Hennessey-Slide-3-Hi-Res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1632" data-original-width="2451" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_0vkan5pB3ZTJ0l6NGuGx34E9jXxw-sUaTjHnyZpkuIy3ymGP8GxzWIQW8eyReAVDdO1ZTQhl3FasD08qw4-JQaFNhRwnOHHilMFfYiOjcG5fB7T_73v9TQtOi4RFs1UgHqYJPXv6OjGEv6_Wn6sV4r0b5rabvdJd16suP2DtJ96uNBg3Uz-ULrtN/w640-h426/Carrie-Hennessey-Slide-3-Hi-Res.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carrie Hennessey (courtesy photo)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">Carrie Hennessey is a wayfinder through the deep, spiritual and technical discoveries of the voice.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">Early success in the Metropolitan Opera Auditions led to high expectations, but singing after trauma in her early 20s dismantled the ease in her voice and presence. A top artistic mentor once reviewed, ‘This is not the same singer I heard 2 years ago. Go back home’, and a famous singer/coach exclaimed, ‘If you’d just sing like Renata Tebaldi…’ Hennessey left, losing her identity and voice.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">Ms. Hennessey has since found her true voice and created a wildly unique and energized career path in theater, opera, symphony work, recital, and education, wearing with pride the hats of trauma-informed teacher and facilitator, producer, singer, actor, innovator and writer.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">She is currently most known for her soaring voice and richly nuanced characters onstage, and has sung all over the world. Notable highlights include on the heels of Covid debuting as Kát’á in Kát’á Kabanová. Ms. Hennessey “in a vivid star turn in the title role…brought a wondrous blend of silvery tone and sinuous phrasing to her assignment…Hennessey’s performance touched perfectly on Katya’s anxiety, joys and uncertainty, all through a surge of Puccinian lyricism.”- Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">On a vulnerable and delusional ride through the mind of Tennessee Williams and Blanche Du Bois in Previn’s A Streetcar Named Desire, Carrie “gave us a Blanche that let us burrow into her character’s soul, even into the darkest crevices…Hennessey, using a one-two punch of music and drama, made it resonate in a way that equaled the finest stage performances of the part I’ve seen.” (Fresno Bee). Carrie captivated audiences of both the Slow Food Movement and opera alike at Sacramento’s own, Magpie Cafe as Estelle in an immersive production of The Stronger, based on the intense Strindberg play.She channeled the physical comedy of Carol Burnett and fearless vocalism and sense of humor of Beverly Sills in the world premiere ballet by Darrell Grand Moultrie “On the Rocks, Please!”, bringing the Sacramento Ballet house to surprised belly laughter and then to its feet. Ms. Hennessey has also debuted with Houston Symphony, St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Budapest, Reduta Hall in Bratislava, Rudolfinum Hall in Prague, the International Mahler Festival, the Concertgebouw in Bruges, Ypres, Belgium and at the Liederhalle in Stuttgart.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">Carrie lights a fire in those around her teaching music education through lectures, workshops, Master Classes, and is joyfully dedicated to guiding people to find their true authentic voice in the world. Currently, Carrie is developing her one woman show about her life in singing, quitting for 12 years post trauma and creating from nothing a versatile and vibrant career steeped in authenticity. Want to be a part of this creative adventure? Subscribe to her email list and blog at <a href="http://www.carriehennessey.com/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">www.carriehennessey.com</a> and follow on social media @carriehennessey for updates!</p><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>Christian Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182366797490629513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7330756097550098974.post-75762917041827866972022-09-18T17:09:00.000-07:002022-09-18T17:09:08.766-07:00Sarah Wald in Conversation with Christian Baldini<p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">On September 24, 2022, I will have the pleasure of conducting the world première of Sarah Wald's work "After Brahms", which she wrote for the <a href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5475371" target="_blank">Camellia Symphony in Sacramento. On the same program we will also perform Brahms' Symphony No. 4,</a> which Sarah knew about when I asked her to write the piece. I had the chance of asking Sarah some questions about her music, and below are the answers:</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.christianbaldini.info/" target="_blank">Christian Baldini:</a> Sarah, it will be a pleasure to bring your music to life once more. Please tell us about "After Brahms". How did you decide to include material from Brahms' 4th Symphony into your new piece?</span></b></p><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.sarah-wald-composer.com/" target="_blank">Sarah Wald:</a> Both of the other pieces on the program, Elgar's Cello Concerto and Brahms' 4th Symphony, are in E minor. So, I decided to compose something in E minor as well—I liked the idea of an E minor extravaganza! Following that, I thought taking material from the end of the Brahms symphony would provide a neat bookend for the concert. So I used a slightly modified version of Brahms' last-movement theme as my repeating bass line. </span></div><span class="gmail-im"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>CB: What are some tips and pointers about your music, and about this piece in general that people should listen for? What would you say to someone who does not know your music at all?</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div></span></span><div><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">SW: This particular piece is all about repetition, but repetition that is constantly subjected to three different processes: cycling through different keys, getting passed around different instrumental groups, and increasing in tempo. I was interested in how the same material could take on different characters in these different iterations.</span></div><span class="gmail-im"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><div><br /></div><div><b>CB: What do you try to communicate with your compositions?</b></div><div><br /></div></span></span><div><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">SW: I think that really depends on the piece. Some of my pieces are programmatic, meaning that they're about extra-musical subjects. In my vocal music, I'm trying to support and enhance the text I'm setting. In some cases, I'm simply concerned with crafting beautiful or intriguing sounds (in some kind of logical order). But in most of my pieces, I'm very concerned with affect, or going on some sort of emotional/psychological journey.</span></div><span class="gmail-im"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><div><br /></div><div><b>CB: You are also a very fine performer (Sarah was for three years principal flute of the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra) - can you tell us how being a performer has affected or influenced you as a composer?</b></div><div><br /></div></span></span><div><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">SW: Thank you. Well, when I compose an orchestra piece specifically, I suppose I can't help imagining myself sitting in the flute section. What would it feel like? How would I hear my part in relation to the other parts? When playing orchestral repertoire, it's always fun to hear how you fit into the harmony, or to hear something you just played get picked up by another instrument, for example. So I think that perspective makes me think more carefully about how everything fits together.</span></div><span class="gmail-im"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><div><br /></div><div><b>CB: What advice would you give to young composers starting out? How do we connect with performers? What to do about choosing a good graduate program, or about getting commissions to write pieces? Anything else you would recommend?</b></div><div><br /></div></span></span><div><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">SW: If you're in college or grad school, working with your fellow students/musicians can result in ongoing collaborative relationships years down the line. In a similar vein, attending summer music festivals or workshops is really invaluable, in my opinion: They offer additional performance/recording opportunities and broaden your network of potential collaborators. The Composer's Site is a good resource for finding various types of opportunities. And even basic Google searches for opportunities can help: When I was in college in NYC, I found out about the New York Youth Symphony's composition program just via Google search.</span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">As far as choosing a good graduate program goes, I think it's mainly a matter of figuring out what you're looking for—what you want to get out of graduate school. Is there a particular teacher you want to study with? Are you interested in particular kinds of opportunities, like inter-departmental projects? Also, definitely talk to alumni of the programs you're interested in: You'll learn a lot about the program, good and bad, that you can't find out through any other channels.</span></div><span class="gmail-im"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><div><br /></div><div><b>CB: Thank you for your time, and I look forward to conducting the world première of this very imaginative piece that you have written for us!</b></div><div><br /></div></span></span><div><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;">SW: Thank you!</span></div><div><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhynF1bO7eHiMhaqd_3VB-NWODiJeYIwzDZPFVNlnMyuEgWaYWXwzEcFhlGj635KkcfSaYBBe409aMyxlSmQ_vZ2OifKrSpps1HDiHULVexaBWmoizMzlxiTLIjUsBhUbFOyqrah6EP8JqCtAC8bAiKbrb74rXodvSwU6ymxrY46XgdvuD6as7ww7fe/s1234/Sarah%20Wald2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1234" data-original-width="822" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhynF1bO7eHiMhaqd_3VB-NWODiJeYIwzDZPFVNlnMyuEgWaYWXwzEcFhlGj635KkcfSaYBBe409aMyxlSmQ_vZ2OifKrSpps1HDiHULVexaBWmoizMzlxiTLIjUsBhUbFOyqrah6EP8JqCtAC8bAiKbrb74rXodvSwU6ymxrY46XgdvuD6as7ww7fe/w426-h640/Sarah%20Wald2.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div><br /></div><p class="font_8" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgb(var(--color_15)); line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; pointer-events: auto; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sarah Wald was born in Chicago. She attended Columbia University in the City of New York for her bachelor’s degree in music with a focus in composition. While at Columbia, Sarah studied composition with Tristan Murail and Arthur Kampela, as well as with Robert Lombardo in Chicago. She also studied flute with Sue Ann Kahn. Sarah then studied with Conrad Susa and David Garner at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music for her master’s degree in composition. For her master’s thesis, she composed and produced <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Elegy for a Lady</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">: a Music Drama in One Act</span>. As a graduate student at the University of California, Davis, Sarah was awarded a Graduate Scholars Fellowship for her first year. She recently finished her PhD in composition and music theory. Her dissertation advisor was Kurt Rohde.</span></span></p><p class="font_8" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgb(var(--color_15)); line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; pointer-events: auto; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="font_8" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgb(var(--color_15)); line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; pointer-events: auto; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Over the past several years, Sarah's music has been featured at various festivals and other programs, including the Wintergreen Summer Music Festival, the European American Musical Alliance in Paris, the New York Youth Symphony’s Composition Program, the <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">nief-norf</span> Summer Music Festival, the Brevard Music Center, the TALIS Festival, and the Bowdoin International Music Festival. Her work was also performed at Sävellyspaja in Finland and has been featured on radio stations such as WFMT (<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Relevant Tones</span>) and CJSR.</span></span></p><p class="font_8" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgb(var(--color_15)); line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; pointer-events: auto; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="font_8" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgb(var(--color_15)); line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; pointer-events: auto; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sarah has received several honors, awards, and commissions. She graduated from Columbia <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">magna cum laude</span> and also received Columbia’s Rapaport Prize in 2012. In 2015, she was awarded professional development grants from the Illinois Arts Council Agency and Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. Her percussion quartet, <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Pas de Quatre</span>, was selected by the University of Tennessee Knoxville for performance at PASIC 2015's New Literature Showcase Concert. Sarah has also received several individual commissions as well as commissions from Access Contemporary Music, the University of Tennessee at Martin Contemporary Music Group, and the Saint Xavier University Flute Choir. In 2016 and 2017, she was selected in calls for scores from New Music on the Bayou and Vox Musica. She was also a selected composer for North/South Consonance's call for scores in 2018 and the Sewanee Summer Music Festival in 2020. In January 2020, Sarah was selected to compose a score for the Sound of Silent Film Festival in Chicago.</span></span></p><p class="font_8" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgb(var(--color_15)); line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; pointer-events: auto; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><p class="font_8" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgb(var(--color_15)); line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; pointer-events: auto; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Currently, Sarah is a Resident Artist with the concert platform Sparrow Live and a Teaching Artist with the San Francisco Opera Guild.</span></span></p><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="gmail-yj6qo gmail-ajU" style="cursor: pointer; margin: 2px 0px 0px; outline: none; padding: 10px 0px; width: 22px;"><br class="gmail-Apple-interchange-newline" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /></div>Christian Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182366797490629513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7330756097550098974.post-16970562427673412502022-09-17T11:14:00.004-07:002022-09-17T11:14:27.114-07:00Susan Lamb Cook in Conversation with Christian Baldini<h4 style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5475371" target="_blank">On September 24, 2022, I will have the pleasure of conducting the Elgar Cello Concerto with Susan Lamb Cook and the Camellia Symphony Orchestra in Sacramento. I</a> had the chance of asking Susan some questions about our program, and below are her answers:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.christianbaldini.info/" target="_blank">Christian Baldini:</a> Dear Susan, it will be a pleasure to collaborate with you
once more as our soloist, this time with the beautiful Elgar Concerto. Can you
tell me your history with this piece? When did you first come across it, and
what are some of your fondest memories of playing it?<br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> <br /></span><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.susanlambcook.com/" target="_blank">Susan Lamb Cook: </a></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I was first introduced to this piece when I was just finishing my
studies at the University of Iowa. After
a friend shared with me the famous recording by Jacqueline Du Pré, I was so
moved by this music that I felt I simply had to learn it. It was not as easy to acquire sheet music at
that time as it is today, so I had to wait some time before I could get started
and, besides, I was in the process of moving to Europe to continue my studies
and it took some time to get settled back into a serious practice routine. Although I spent a great deal of time working
intensively on this piece, it wasn’t until almost 10 years later that I had the
first opportunity to perform it with orchestra, and that was in fact with Dan
Kingman and the Camellia Symphony in 1989.
I had just returned to Sacramento from Europe and was thrilled to be
able to perform this piece so dear to my heart back in my hometown with such
fine local musicians. A few years later,
I was contacted by a colleague whom I had met in Vienna, and who was at that
time the music director of the Cairo Symphony in Egypt. Interestingly, I had already been to Egypt
twice, once as a tourist and again as a member of the Ente Lirico Orchestra
from Verona, performing Aida at the Luxor Temple. Obviously, I jumped at the
chance to return to Egypt, especially to perform the Elgar Concerto with the
Cairo Symphony and guest conductor Antoine Mitchell at the Cairo Opera
House. Many years later, I had the joy
of performing the Elgar with the UC Davis Symphony in beautiful Jackson Hall at
the Modavi Center, and now I have returned full circle to the Camellia Symphony!
</span><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">CB: Besides being a remarkable musician yourself, you are also a
phenomenal cello teacher. What do you try to instill in your students' minds?
What are some of the most important teachings that you hope they take away from
you?<br /></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">SLC: </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">In our current environment in which everything seems to be moving at
lightning-speed around us, it is hard not to expect that a skill like learning
a musical instrument should come quickly and without much effort. However, for
anyone who has stepped into this world of music, it becomes immediately
apparent that patience, method, practice and above all time, are the essential
ingredients for success. Obviously, the
physical aspect of learning an instrument is only one part of the
equation. Being fluent in music theory
is important to understanding the relationships between notes and their
function in the structure of the piece.
In addition to studying music theory, I encourage my students to learn
as much as they can about the composers, their lives, and the history of the
times in which they lived. All of these
ingredients add to a fuller and deeper understanding of the music we are hoping
to interpret through our own voice and personal expression. <br /></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">CB: You are also very active performing chamber music with your
wonderful colleagues. What are some of the pieces you would still like to
perform, which you have not had a chance to yet?<br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> <br /></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">SLC: </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">When I founded the Great Composers Chamber Music Series in 2014,
the programming was planned through the lens of a western European eye. Because of my experience in Vienna, my
comfort zone had always seemed to be within the realm of the European classical
and romantic periods, so I therefore started off with a complete Beethoven
series, followed by a complete Brahms series. Obviously, each of these composers has a
plethora of chamber music works to choose from, so it was not difficult to fill
out each of those series. Each year, I
continued programming works which I considered to be by the “Great Composers”,
mostly European men, however, it was only in more recent years that I realized
how narrow my focus really was. I am so
thankful to colleagues who have encouraged me to open my eyes to lesser-known
composers and their works that deserve to be programmed alongside what we might
consider the “standard” repertoire. It
has been a fascinating and humbling journey as I discover, for the first time,
wonderful chamber music works by women and composers of color whose works have
been neglected over time, and I hope that the Great Composers Chamber Music
Series will move forward as a platform embracing all great composers.<br /></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">CB: What would be your advice for any young musician trying to
make it in the profession? Any advice about auditioning for orchestras, being
constant, and not losing hope when we (inevitably) fail during some auditions?<br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">SLC: </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">As I mentioned earlier, patience, method, practice, and time are
essential ingredients to learning an instrument, but here I will also add the
importance of working with excellent teachers, listening to others and, if one
wants to go into the profession, getting performance experience, particularly
through public recitals and competitions.
It is one thing to sit in one’s home environment practicing a piece, and
a completely different experience when performing that piece in a competitive
setting or in front of an audience. Each
one of us deals with the stress of performance in a different way, and the
earlier one can figure out how to handle this very personal issue, the
better. Fortunately, the world of music
offers many opportunities to those who want to make it their profession, so I
believe that the more well-rounded one can be, the more likely one can create a
sustainable life in music. Many
orchestral musicians also perform as chamber musicians, have active teaching
studios, and participate in school or community presentations in order to
create a sustainable income. I think
that it is important for students to understand that sitting and playing an
instrument is only one thread of the fabric that will make up their life as a
musician, but such a life is enriching beyond measure.</span><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> <br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOtd33_pPZsBq5_3G1uKsMzMRzjCj7ZNyKK9vem5Wg5uQ2yreIseNXVI6WYohukjkty-aVY_HVA3Nwaibx3DS_F_TCrEImXaqhiRG17EBThOs935a3NjoUHc6CNNiboOXh3uTKYPu3QjHVU4JFRExidMtqpCiJFc4vE2EfBOtyJOU1nh3CPyeZ5bD1/s640/SLC%20formal,%202022%20(1).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOtd33_pPZsBq5_3G1uKsMzMRzjCj7ZNyKK9vem5Wg5uQ2yreIseNXVI6WYohukjkty-aVY_HVA3Nwaibx3DS_F_TCrEImXaqhiRG17EBThOs935a3NjoUHc6CNNiboOXh3uTKYPu3QjHVU4JFRExidMtqpCiJFc4vE2EfBOtyJOU1nh3CPyeZ5bD1/w429-h640/SLC%20formal,%202022%20(1).jpeg" width="429" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></h4><h4 style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><p style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 400; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Susan Lamb Cook </span></i></b><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">is Lecturer in cello and chamber music at the University of California, Davis, a member of the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera and the Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra, and director of the VITA Academy’s <i>Great Composers Chamber Music Series </i>at the Harris Center in Folsom. Her solo performances include those with the Sacramento Philharmonic, the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra, the Reno Philharmonic, the Cairo Symphony (Egypt), the Paradise Symphony, the Camellia Symphony, and was featured as soloist in a Gala Concert in the Esterhazy Palace, Eisenstadt, Austria with the Classical Music Festival Orchestra. As an active performer and educator both nationally and internationally, Susan has completed five concert and teaching tours of China, has performed and given master classes at San Francisco State University, Scripps College, Harvey Mudd College, Marshall University in West Virginia, Austin College in Texas, and Dixie State University, Utah, and her performances have been featured on National Public Radio and Austrian National Television. She has served on faculty at the Saarburg International Music Festival in Germany, the Vianden Festival, Luxembourg, and on the artistic staff for the Classical Music Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria, and has performed at the Hungarian National Museum in Budapest. Susan performs regularly for the UCD Shinkoskey Noon Concert Series, the Westminster Music At Noon Series, and the Crocker Art Museum’s Classical Concert Series.</span></p><p style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 400; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">As Director Emeritus of the Sacramento Youth Symphony’s Summer Chamber Music Workshop, Susan spent 30 years developing this program which trains youth musicians in the art of chamber music and, in 2019, the Sacramento City Council awarded Susan a Resolution recognizing her work with young, local musicians. In July 2020, Susan developed Sacramento Summer Music, an educational program for young chamber musicians which focused on under-represented composers including women composers and composers of the African Diaspora. This program ultimately developed into the Sacramento Summer Music Virtual Festival of Concerts, and “Concerts and Conversations” produced by the <i>Great Composers Chamber Music Series </i>in collaboration with the <i>Sacramento Baroque Soloists </i>and the <i>Sacramento Guitar Society</i>, all partner organizations of the Harris Center. Susan is a member of the Chevalier String Quartet and, in collaboration with clarinetist Deborah Pittman, created a multimedia project centered on the life of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges called the “Chevalier Project” which includes a film, study guide, and musical examples of the works of Saint-Georges.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 400; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Susan’s past performances can be found on YouTube at <i>Susan Lamb Cook</i>, <i>Concerts and Conversations</i>, and the <i>UC Davis Music</i> channel.</p></h4><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span><p></p>Christian Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182366797490629513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7330756097550098974.post-2609297578804540422022-05-29T17:25:00.000-07:002022-05-29T17:25:40.180-07:00Carrie Hennessey in Conversation with Christian Baldini<p style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5231519" target="_blank">On June 4, 2022 I will share the stage with soprano Carrie Hennessey</a>, who has been a frequent collaborator of mine. She will sing arias by Verdi and Dvorak, and duets by Offenbach and Delibes with mezzo-soprano Sarah Fitch. All of this will be with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra in a program that includes Holst's masterpiece <i>The Planets</i>. </span></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.christianbaldini.info/" target="_blank">Christian Baldini: </a>Dear Carrie, I am always delighted to work with you and to share your amazing voice and musicality with our audience here in Sacramento. This time we get to do a couple of duets with you and Sarah Fitch, as well as two wonderful arias by Verdi, and one by Dvorak. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">T</span></b><span style="font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">ell me, what is special to you about this program, these pieces, this collaboration?</span></span></p><p style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 7pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://www.carriehennessey.com/" target="_blank">Carrie Hennessey:</a> Well, two of the arias are ones that I performed and advanced in the Metropolitan Opera Auditions, <i>Merce dilette amiche</i> and Rusalka's <i>Song to the Moon</i>. The Dvorak holds a special place in my heart. I am currently in the process of writing a one woman show about my singing life, the devastating 12 years away from singing and the coming back to it. This aria has its own tender scene in the show retelling the other worldly experience of my very first Met Audition. I also, of course, love singing with my dear friend Sarah Fitch, so the two duets will have me smiling from the inside out!</span></span></p><span class="gmail-im" style="color: #222222;"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia;"><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 7pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CB: How were your beginnings with opera? How did it all start for you?</span></p></span></span><p style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 7pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia;">CH: Growing up in MN, we were exposed really early on to choral, symphonic music and opera. My mother accompanied many local choirs and as a small child I was already memorizing all the parts! In high school I sang in the choirs, the musicals, solo competitions, and one year a famous conductor from the MN Bach Society came to our school to coach our school choir. My choir teacher had me sing a little Italian aria for him and he decided I should work on Handel’s “Let the Bright Seraphim” for the next competition. He accompanied me, brought in a professional trumpet player, and needless to say helped me develop some rather flashy ornamentation! The more I learned about opera, I loved the playful, collaborative nature of it all and the depth of the storytelling that was possible. </span></span></p><span class="gmail-im" style="color: #222222;"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia;"><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 7pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CB: Why do you think opera is relevant nowadays? What would you like to convey to people in the audience with your wonderful artistry?</span></p></span></span><p style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 7pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia;">CH: Opera, by its nature, conveys deep emotional content. It’s larger than life and can truly house the tremendously big emotions we all feel. Opera allows for the force of these emotions to move through us in a way that everyday life doesn’t allow. The release is visceral. The depth and breadth of storytelling in this tradition is vast and needed, especially now. My intent is always to connect first to the text and music, to find the universal truth and to take risks vocally and dramatically in order to serve it as best as I can. I intend to be the vessel for our communal, musical experience that we have been lacking during the pandemic. To feel the shared vibrations in these concert halls is a moving way to connect as humans. </span></span></p><span class="gmail-im" style="color: #222222;"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia;"><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 7pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CB: Do you have any advice for young singers who are starting out? What are some helpful considerations? How does one deal with frustrations, failure, and hard decisions? (we have all gone through those!)</span></p></span></span><p style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 7pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia;">CH: Oh my goodness, do I! Seek advice and support from those who are doing the work, those you admire. Communicate clearly with mentors and teachers when things are getting frustrating and you find your needs are shifting. Only YOU know the kind of career you want, the only path is yours. Seek teachers who encourage you to look outside their studio, to be curious, to have questions. Don’t be afraid to ask, even if it seems like a risk. Artists want to support one another, and often we forget that. I left singing for over 12 years because I didn’t have the tools to communicate as clearly as I needed, so I am a huge advocate in teaching my young vocal students to truly advocate for what they need, even if they think that the powers that be might shut them down, embarrass them or never hire them again. It is still so important to communicate needs so that we can be vulnerable in this rehearsal and performing space.</span></span></p><span class="gmail-im" style="color: #222222;"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia;"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 7pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CB: Thank you so much Carrie. I very much look forward to our upcoming performance. I know that people will be in for a treat, as is always the case with you!</span></p></span></span><p style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 7pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia;">CH: Thank you, Christian! This will be a full and satisfying program indeed!</span></span></p><p style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 7pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 7pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHFzgld2wAZtVQ--JLrdgkFSp5wwC3397wQqFPgDs6dZrBFtQ8R2dY4nmckMEtGU3U8MvPwa9EzIzcJNjmQdcDy7Rf0xlFpqM9UPmWwKKrQe1uDR5z7Lo2H6rCOtUjXS4nSn8AxNeYeB9OZ09MI2qCTITB5UD4QbLoNnqB-4E1WSk9DSpKEH22JHHP/s2451/Carrie-Hennessey-Cymberella%20Photo-Hi-Res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1632" data-original-width="2451" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHFzgld2wAZtVQ--JLrdgkFSp5wwC3397wQqFPgDs6dZrBFtQ8R2dY4nmckMEtGU3U8MvPwa9EzIzcJNjmQdcDy7Rf0xlFpqM9UPmWwKKrQe1uDR5z7Lo2H6rCOtUjXS4nSn8AxNeYeB9OZ09MI2qCTITB5UD4QbLoNnqB-4E1WSk9DSpKEH22JHHP/w640-h426/Carrie-Hennessey-Cymberella%20Photo-Hi-Res.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carrie Hennessey - Photo by @cymberella</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></p><p style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 7pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Known for her soaring voice and richly nuanced characters, soprano Carrie Hennessey is consistently thrilling audiences and critics in opera and concert appearances around the world. As Kát’á in <i><span style="color: #080808;">Kát’á Kabanová,</span></i><span style="color: #080808;"> “</span>in a vivid star turn in the title role...brought a wondrous blend of silvery tone and sinuous phrasing to her assignment...Hennessey’s performance touched perfectly on Katya’s anxiety, joys and uncertainty, all through a surge of Puccinian lyricism.”- Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #080808;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #080808;">The 2022/2023 season kicks off with <i>Opera and Interstellar Voices </i>with the Camellia Symphony, the Brahms’ <i>Requiem</i> and Happy Birthday, USA! with the Music in the Mountains Chorus and Orchestra, and appearances with the Bear Valley Music Festival and the Auburn Symphony.</span><span lang="EN"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Recent engagements include the title role in<span style="color: #080808;"> <i>Kát’á Kabanová</i> by Leoš Janáček and her illuminating the comic, awkward, and vulnerable Rose in <i>At the Statue of Venus</i> accompanied on piano by composer Jake Heggie. Ms. Hennessey performed the</span> inaugural season of the Capitol Public Radio Garden Concert Series, as soloist of operatic arias with the Cleveland Philharmonic, <span style="color: #080808;">the world premiere of <i>Bones of Girls </i></span><span style="color: #2f2e2e;">by librettist, Cristina Fríes and composer, Ryan Suleiman, </span><span style="color: #080808;">with The Rogue Music Project. </span>“<i>And Yet She Persisted”</i> is a visceral<i> </i>and heartfelt recital with long time collaborator Jennifer Reason of all female composers.<i> </i><span style="color: #080808;">Debuting as Estelle in a sold out run of an immersive production in the opera <i>The Stronger </i>was a highlight in the Sacramento restaurant Magpie.<i> </i> <i>Song of Sacramento</i> , a benefit that also amplified the voices of local composers.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Notable opera highlights include Blanche Du Bois in <i>A Streetcar Named Desire,</i> Sarah Miles in the Bay Area premiere of Jake Heggie’s <i>The End of the Affair</i> and Elle in <i>La Voix Humaine </i>in NYC. Concert highlights include <span style="color: #080808;">Strauss’ <i>Vier Letzte Lieder</i></span>, <span style="color: #080808;">collaborating in the development and performance of a world premiere ballet <i>“On the Rocks, Please!”</i>, “Bernstein 100” with the Colorado Symphony, </span>Britten’s <i>War Requiem, </i>Mahler’s <i>Symphony No. 2 </i>as well as debuts at the Concertgebouw in Bruges, in Ypres, Belgium and at the Liederhalle in Stuttgart, Germany singing the soprano solo in the Verdi Requiem. Alongside the world-renowned composer Ricky Ian Gordon in the fall of 2016, Ms. Hennessey gave Master Classes and performed a recital of his original art songs. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Hennessey has also performed with the Houston Symphony, at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Budapest, Reduta Hall in Bratislava, Rudolfinum Hall in Prague, and at the International Mahler Festival in the Czech Republic.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span lang="EN">Ms. Hennessey continues to actively support music education through lectures, workshops and Master Classes in the communities in which she works, as well as nurturing a thriving private vocal studio. She is currently in the process of writing a one woman show about her early life in singing, walking away from a singing career for 12 years and coming back to create a unique, versatile and vibrant performing and teaching career. Subscribe to her email list </span><span lang="EN"><a href="http://www.carriehennessey.com/" style="color: #1155cc;">www.carriehennessey.com</a></span><span lang="EN"> and follow on social media @carriehennessey for updates in the creative process! </span></span></p></div><p style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 7pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /><br /><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p>Christian Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182366797490629513noreply@blogger.com0Sacramento, CA, USA38.5815719 -121.494399610.271338063821155 -156.6506496 66.891805736178839 -86.3381496tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7330756097550098974.post-40610752139413151882022-04-27T13:11:00.002-07:002022-04-27T13:11:58.303-07:00Meredith Clark in Conversation with Christian Baldini<div><span class="gmail-im"><span style="color: black;"><div><b><a href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5225659" target="_blank">On April 30 </a>I will have the pleasure of conducting the beautiful and rarely performed Harp Concerto by Alberto Ginastera with a wonderful soloist: Meredith Clark (who plays regularly as guest principal harp with the San Francisco Symphony). I had the opportunity to ask Meredith some questions about her love for her instrument and for Ginastera's music. Below are the answers.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><a href="https://www.christianbaldini.info/" target="_blank">Christian Baldini:</a> Meredith, I am very excited to have you with us for this magnificent harp concerto. People don't get to see the harp featured as our concerto soloist very often, so this is particularly wonderful. Please tell me, why is Ginastera's Harp Concerto such a favorite piece of yours? (I asked you what your favorite concerto was several years ago backstage and you answered immediately "the Ginastera", and I have been planning on doing this piece with you since then!)</b></div><div><br /></div></span></span><div><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.meredithclarkharp.com/" target="_blank">Meredith Clark: </a>Thanks so much Christian! The Ginastera Harp Concerto is my favorite because of how lively and powerful you get to be as the performer. It's very rhythmic and dancelike, there's a high drama factor and it's a really amazing piece of music. My whole career, I've heard stereotypes of how angelic the harp is, and how beautiful it is (and don't you wish you played the piccolo?), and this concerto speaks directly to those things. It lets me show off what the harp is capable of, I can be loud, rhythmic, surprising even, and do things that no other instrument is capable of. I love the shock factor, and then it's almost more meaningful to have the more beautiful and intimate moments too. </span></div><span class="gmail-im"><span style="color: black;"><div><br /></div><div><b>CB: This concerto, as well as most of the very important ones of the 20th century were commissioned by the same person. Edna Phillips was a maverick, she is the reason why so many great harp concertos exist. She also had a long association with the Philadelphia Orchestra. What can you tell us about this wonderful woman and the trailblazing work she did for the harp and harpists?</b></div><div><br /></div></span></span><div><span style="color: black;">MC: Edna Phillips studied with Carlos Salzedo at the Curtis Institute and became the Principal Harpist for the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1930 under Leopold Stokowski. She was both the first woman in that orchestra, and the first woman to be a Principal player in any major American orchestra. She was 23, and had only been playing the harp for 5 years at that point when she auditioned for the job. She retired from the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1946, but continued to commission many concertos, including most famously the Ginastera. She commissioned Ginastera to write it in the late 1950's, and helped with some revisions though ultimately didn't perform the premiere. She was also instrumental in developing music programs in Philadelphia, and had a passion for philanthropy. I'm so grateful for the work she did, and the amazing legacy she's left behind for all of us today.</span></div><span class="gmail-im"><span style="color: black;"><div><br /></div><div><b>CB: How were your beginnings with music? Did you start on the piano, the harp, or something else?</b></div><div><br /></div></span></span><div><span style="color: black;">MC: I started on piano. My mother is a pianist and organist, and we had a baby grand in the living room. When I was around 4 years old, my mom caught me trying to plunk out the theme song to Sesame Street, and she decided it was time to start lessons. She wisely decided not to teach me and enrolled me in a piano program at TCU. I played the piano happily enough for a few years until my younger brother started Suzuki violin. They had a Christmas concert one year that I went to, highlighting all of the different Suzuki instruments, and at one point there were harps on stage, and I was elbowing my mom telling her THAT is what I wanted to do. Eventually we got in touch with the teacher, rented a harp, and it took off. It was clear that harp was more my thing, and I never looked back!</span></div><span class="gmail-im"><span style="color: black;"><div><br /></div><div><b>CB: What are some of the wonderful unique features of the harp? What made you fall in love with it?</b></div><div><br /></div></span></span><div><span style="color: black;">MC: Obviously it's a visually impressive instrument. It's large, glamorous, and maybe a bit intimidating. I love that there's a direct physicality of making music with the harp - there's my fingers on the strings, and how I pluck them is what makes the sound. With no bow, reed or mouthpiece necessary, it feels like an extension of myself when I'm playing. There are the mechanically tricky parts too, and having 7 pedals to navigate can be a challenge, but I love how it's a bit like a puzzle. I had a friend once describe sitting in front of harpists in an orchestra like being in front of a stampede of unicorns, and I love that analogy. </span></div><span class="gmail-im"><span style="color: black;"><div><br /></div><div><b>CB: You have played under many of today's foremost conductors, including last week performing with the San Francisco Symphony Mahler's 5th Symphony with Gustavo Dudamel. What can you tell us about some of these incredible experiences of working at such a high level? What are some of your favorite recollections?</b></div><div><br /></div></span></span><div><span style="color: black;">MC: Wow, I'm still taking last weekend in. Working with Dudamel was incredible, and for it to be on such an iconic piece for the harp was really special. Getting to play other Mahler symphonies with the San Francisco Symphony and MTT was always a treat - one time especially was a bit scary, as I had to play Mahler 10 and 1 with SFS at Carnegie Hall, without rehearsal. Until the night beforehand, I don't think I'd ever even heard Mahler 10! Sometimes you just have to trust your training, study the score, and go out there and make music. One of my favorite memories playing 2nd harp with the San Francisco Symphony was playing Strauss' Alpine Symphony with the recently-retired Principal Harpist Doug Rioth. That week we felt especially in sync, and it was almost as if we were one harpist making one giant sound, perfectly together. Playing unison with another harpist is very challenging, so having that kind of experience and connection is unforgettable! Getting to work with Esa-Pekka Salonen on things ranging from Beethoven to premieres of new works has been amazing, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the orchestra changes under his leadership. It's exciting to be a part of, and to share a commitment to bringing what's on the page to life for the audience. I'm still so grateful that we're back, getting to perform for live audiences. The audience is an integral part of what I feel on stage, and I'm so happy we can share that space again.</span></div><span class="gmail-im"><span style="color: black;"><div><br /></div><div><b>CB: Wonderful to have you with us dear Meredith, I can't wait to make music with you and showcase this beautiful and exciting music with our audience!</b></div><div><br /></div></span></span><div><span style="color: black;">MC:Thank you so much Christian! I'm honored to be playing this piece with you and Camellia, and can't wait for the audience to hear it! </span></div></div><div><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_jbVom7K5AQIg91qzzWQjwUfe6sTlNQYPYHfDm5McXMdT-3yAQHFrNJL3bjyWIkb_HCi8HmqkgigZKni6AbSiPcE4izxKeqfkyOzYGXySatuD6JSeaeT-3bknbZJ-Dhh7ZRvkDS5_nA-E6dIxSY0yaDkOjL48xcoX_FCJitw6UzDD625BUMRMPU7/s2160/HARPCOMP20180217_015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1442" data-original-width="2160" height="429" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_jbVom7K5AQIg91qzzWQjwUfe6sTlNQYPYHfDm5McXMdT-3yAQHFrNJL3bjyWIkb_HCi8HmqkgigZKni6AbSiPcE4izxKeqfkyOzYGXySatuD6JSeaeT-3bknbZJ-Dhh7ZRvkDS5_nA-E6dIxSY0yaDkOjL48xcoX_FCJitw6UzDD625BUMRMPU7/w640-h429/HARPCOMP20180217_015.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meredith Clark (courtesy photo)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Meredith Clark has established herself as the lead freelance harpist in the San Francisco Bay Area. She currently has the distinction of playing as guest principal harpist of the San Francisco Symphony, and holds positions with the Oakland Symphony and San Francisco Contemporary Music Players. She enjoys working under some of the most sought-after conductors in the world including Esa-Pekka Salonen, Michael Tilson Thomas, Gustavo Dudamel and many others. Meredith enjoys a varied career, having traveled around the world to play solo, chamber and orchestral music. She also can be heard on the soundtracks for many films and video games. During the Pandemic, Meredith co-founded a business called Boundless Musician, where she works with other musicians to help them feel more connected and gain confidence in their musical abilities through work away from the instrument, blending coaching and a more holistic approach. She aims to perform at the highest level while celebrating the fact that we’re all human, and there’s more life and beauty to be found when not attempting to be perfect. Meredith grew up in Fort Worth, Texas and studied under Yolanda Kondonassis at the Oberlin Conservatory and the Cleveland Institute of Music. </span></div><p> </p>Christian Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182366797490629513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7330756097550098974.post-22302921330016671012022-02-15T21:53:00.001-08:002022-02-15T21:53:18.896-08:00Amos Yang in Conversation with Christian Baldini<p><b><a href="http://www.christianbaldini.info" target="_blank">Christian Baldini:</a> <a href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5224706" target="_blank">On February 19</a> I will have the pleasure of welcoming one of the most outstanding cellists in the US to play Prokofiev's Symphony Concerto Op. 125 as our soloist with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra in Sacramento. Amos is the assistant principal cello with the San Francisco Symphony, and has had a long and extremely successful career collaborating with some of the most important musicians of our time. Amos, can you start by sharing with us why this piece by Prokofiev is so important to you? And why do you think it is so rarely performed?</b></p><p><b><br /></b><a href="https://www.sfsymphony.org/Discover-the-Music/Articles-Interviews/Articles/MOM-Amos-Yang" target="_blank">Amos Yang: </a>It’s a tour de force for everyone on stage which I think makes it so much fun. The challenge for the orchestra is to balance the fine line between chamber music and full symphonic tuttis. For me, the scope of it is something I’ve always been in awe of and is a bit like Alex Harold climbing El Capitan free solo. The sheer forces and complexity of the piece are challenging but more and more people are playing this piece as our collective technique improves.<br /><br /><b>CB: Please tell us about your background. Do you come from a musical household? How did you get started with music? When did you decide/realize you would make this commitment of becoming a professional musician?</b></p><p><b><br /></b>AY: My parents aren’t musicians but they LOVE music and wanted to share that love with all of their children. I started at the SF Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of Irene Sharp. She was an amazing teacher and dedicated to all of us reaching our full potential. It wasn’t until my junior/senior year in high school though that I made the decision to make a go of it as a musician.<br /><b><br />CB: As a cellist, chamber musician and member of one of the greatest orchestras in the world, what/who would you say have been the most inspiring experiences in your life?</b></p><p> <br />AY: My colleagues inspire me daily with the level of playing they achieve. Touring the world with the orchestra is inspiring in and of itself. I love playing in different concert halls in different cities. It gives you perspective when you return home and while tours are brief, you get a feel for many new places and people.<br /></p><p><b>CB: Who have been your most important mentors, and why?</b></p><p><br />AY: As a cellist Irene Sharp helped mold me from the age of 5. I became a cellistic mutt after that and owe a great deal to all my professors. Channing Robbins, Joyce Robbins, Paul Katz, Steve Doane and Joel Krosnick to name a few. Channing helped organize me, Joyce guided me as only a violinist could, Paul helped me greatly with sound, Steve inspired with his playing and Joel showed me what a true understanding of musical intent can convey. <br /><br /><b>CB: Why would you say performing music is important? What does it bring or add to our everyday lives? What is its role in society?</b></p><p><br />AY: It is a cliche but music really is a language without borders. It can bridge racial, cultural, social and monetary differences. Unlike languages that are usually organized with borders, music flows easily without these limitations. Because there aren’t words in much of music, the same music means something different to all who hear it. Yet, we perceive harmonies and melodies in a similar uniquely human way.<br /><br /><b>CB: What would be your advice for young musicians? What was helpful to you? How do they stay motivated, on track, and always in a growth mindset?</b></p><p><br />AY: For all young musicians I’d advise you to learn how to sing. Singing a phrase is by far the easiest and most natural way to figure out how you should shape an idea of music. Motivation is different from person to person. If you are like me, it helps to have a carrot for motivation. For me that meant competitions, auditions etc…For others that might be scheduling performances as goals. It’s hard to stay motivated if one doesn’t have an audience to play for and share our music with. <br /><br /><b>CB: Lastly: what are three or four things that people should listen for in the Prokofiev Symphony Concerto? What would you say to someone who has never listened to a work by Prokofiev?</b></p><p><br />AY: Enjoy the banter between the soloist and the orchestra. Listen for dialogue as you might in a movie. <br /><br /><b>CB: Thank you very much for your time Amos. I very much look forward to our performance on February 19!</b></p><p><br />AY: Thank you I’m looking forward to it as well!<br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmHqmCp_UOv0bMy4btmUrT9aXQumeOYxVqotnZgy5Qh_ltJ7sQhIYNEtzqkFU8Sw6VhoYCsC0t340hId8WmwFOuVsYowPSu_kLMnXU_hXCsyroY14tSispj7Cf4M3okq0ilb0Dl5ZBbZ2r0NVEKmn2WjTO-eow3Cew0TWnoIh2Cxs_DkDaP_Sgf4ie=s889" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="889" data-original-width="712" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmHqmCp_UOv0bMy4btmUrT9aXQumeOYxVqotnZgy5Qh_ltJ7sQhIYNEtzqkFU8Sw6VhoYCsC0t340hId8WmwFOuVsYowPSu_kLMnXU_hXCsyroY14tSispj7Cf4M3okq0ilb0Dl5ZBbZ2r0NVEKmn2WjTO-eow3Cew0TWnoIh2Cxs_DkDaP_Sgf4ie=w512-h640" title="Amos Yang (courtesy photo)" width="512" /></a></div><br /><p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: ABCSymphonyText, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.2rem; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Watching San Francisco Symphony Assistant Principal Cello Amos Yang onstage, you’d never guess that his introduction to the cello was anything less than love at first sight. “My mother and I were going to sign up for violin lessons when we bumped into a family friend whose daughter had just auditioned for a wonderful new cello teacher,” he says. “My mom asked me if I wanted to try the cello, I shrugged my shoulders indifferently and off we went to the audition. It turns out the audition consisted of ‘bear hugging’ a tiny cello. As soon as I did that I was accepted into the studio and here I am forty plus years later still playing and hugging my cello most mornings.”</p><p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: ABCSymphonyText, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.2rem; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Amos’s is a uniquely San Francisco story. He studied with Irene Sharp at the San Francisco Conservatory and played with the SFS Youth Orchestra in its early days. “I was a bit of a challenge as an easily distracted eleven-year-old, but I'm glad they stuck with me. It was a terrific experience and training ground.” Amos’s studies weren’t limited to orchestral playing, however. “The San Francisco Boys Chorus also helped develop my physical and musical voice. I am constantly encouraging my students to sing and most of them are too embarrassed and inhibited to do this. If you can sing it you can play it!”<br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: inherit;" /><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: inherit;" />He went on to earn degrees from the Juilliard School before landing a post with the Seattle Symphony and performing as a member of the Maia String Quartet. Winning a position with the SFS in 2006 offered a rare and prized opportunity to join his hometown orchestra.</p><p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: ABCSymphonyText, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.2rem; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Amos’s return to the Bay Area continued the circle in more than one way. His son, Noah, also studies cello with Irene Sharp, while Amos teaches at the San Francisco Conservatory. He and his wife, violinist Alicia, are also parents to a daughter, Isabel, a budding violinist who sings in the San Francisco Girls Chorus.</p><p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: ABCSymphonyText, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.2rem; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The enormity of being part of the orchestra he listened to as a child isn’t lost on Amos. “Anytime we set foot in or draw the bow across the strings in a place like the Concertgebouw or the Musikverein, it's like a baseball player playing a game in Yankee Stadium or for a basketball player, the Boston Garden. It's a blessing and a privilege to share music with audiences in these settings.”</p>Christian Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182366797490629513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7330756097550098974.post-61639172767892914432021-11-01T12:23:00.000-07:002021-11-01T12:23:13.705-07:00Composer Profile: Laura Schwartz in Conversation with Christian Baldini<i><b><a href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5223469" target="_blank">On November 6th 2021</a>, I will conduct the Camellia Symphony Orchestra in Sacramento in a program that includes the world première of Laura Schwartz' work "Figment". Below is a brief interview with this very talented young composer. </b></i><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="http://www.christianbaldini.info" target="_blank">Christian Baldini:</a> Laura, it will be a pleasure to conduct the world premiere of your new piece "Figment", which you wrote for the Camellia Symphony Orchestra. Tell me, how did you approach writing this piece? In your program notes you affirm that "During this piece you hear the bones of an acoustic x-ray." Could you develop further on this very intriguing idea? </b></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.lauraroseschwartz.com" target="_blank">Laura Schwartz: </a>In my process of writing Figment, I chose a few string techniques that already have a tendency towards “noisiness”. I write music that enhances the noise elements of sounds. Examples of compositional techniques I used in Figment that have noise as an integral part of their structure are the sound of the bow hairs striking the stings, the sound a very high note that gently wavers as the player changes their bow position, and the sound of a bow bouncing in a controlled an uncontrolled manner against the strings of an instrument. I consider noise to be the bones of a sound. Noise gives a listener an awareness of space and place, as the noisiness of the piece intermingles with the noisiness (mechanical hums, fans, or wind) of a performance venue. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>CB: What are some of the things you care about the most when it comes to music (both new and old)? </b></div><div><br /></div><div> LS: In my music composition, form is a primary way I think about my taste in music. As a composer, I care about creating a piece that teaches the audience its internal logic and boundaries. It creates a sonic environment that becomes apparent through listening. For me, it is okay if the technical nuances or musical references are lost in the first or second listen. If the form is communicated, such that a sense of expectation and subversion of expectation is generated, then it is something I find musically attractive. For instance, Haydn’s String Quartet in Eb “the Joke” and Kate Soper’s “Only the Words Themselves Mean What They Say” are examples that capture this characteristic for me. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>CB: You studied at UC Davis (that's how we met, when you were still an undergraduate student), and you've developed a remarkable career already. Can you tell us about some of the most important or inspiring experiences and/or people that you've had so far? What has helped you or inspired you to continue growing and excelling as an artist? </b></div><div><br /></div><div>LS: At UC Davis, the support I had from my friends Cindy, Liz, and Kristina inspired me to continue in music. All three of them, who were not music majors, would go with me to experience the Empyrean Ensemble concerts (the new music ensemble at Davis). It became known as going to see the “weird music” with Laura. It helped me understand how a general audiences can view contemporary music, what could be picked up easily in a piece, and what would be lost. For me, learning how they listened shaped the “who” in the audience I write my music for. I strive to write music that captivates non-music specialists.
In my music career, the support from my family has been immense. My mother is probably the person next to myself that has heard most of my pieces live. She is not a trained musician. She is a lover of music. Having one person who is always on my team and who is willing to take notes during a performance so that she can try to understand the conceptual nature of the piece better is a wonderful blessing. I excel because I am part of a network of support. </div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>CB: What would you recommend to someone who doesn't know your music yet. How should they approach it? Is there anything in particular that they should listen for? </b></div><div><br /></div><div>LS: For someone who does not know my music yet, I would recommend a short exercise. You will need your favorite piece of music, speakers, and an electric fan. Play the music while the electric fan is running. The interplay between the fan noise, the wind, and your music is what I write as my music. In approaching my music, I think of it like a logic puzzle or a mystery novel. An intriguing concept is introduced at the beginning of a piece. It is both deadly serious and mischievously lighthearted. The mystery is explored and elaborated on as clues during instrument dialogues are hinted at. How do the parts fit, blend, or contrast? Are all questions that I answer throughout the piece. I would recommend listening to the instrumental dialogues and how silence is shaded through noise. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>CB: To end this brief interview, I'd like to ask you to dream of a music festival for which you'd be the artistic director. What would you program? Which guests would you invite? Which orchestras and/or ensembles would be featured? (to make it even more difficult: you'd have unlimited funds!) </b></div><div><br /></div><div> LS: The experience that I enjoy the most from creating music festivals is creating an immersive experience for an audience. At my dream festival, I would create a 8-week site specific event in collaboration with a local marching band, a video projection studio, and an octet that was a combined saxophone quartet and percussion quartet. I would commission four composers and four video artists to create music for this open air project. Bi-monthly would be a new premiere in the same space. As an artistic director, I strive to create scenarios that pose compositional conundrums that bridge artistic disciplines. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>CB: Thank you for your time, we look forward to performing your music! </b></div><div><br /></div><div>LS: Thank you to Christian Baldini and the musicians of the Camellia Symphony for the opportunity to write a new work for your ensemble. I look forward to listening to it.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEie6GK0OcgF6CNdb4m5PgWGB2lhE2zfNrlFOJaTsKiEDKFPriLGjVxhfuJe1R4auYQbd0OKDCwtfcqSKBA2exgdNvR8TCNpXu77em0mPlCXvLEF9AFEurKiyiT5O7vt_72rz75mPGMxZW9ch47hziZrffcnEcqetYbXk_hv0ZaVTRcbefK8Znw2Bn5E=s612" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEie6GK0OcgF6CNdb4m5PgWGB2lhE2zfNrlFOJaTsKiEDKFPriLGjVxhfuJe1R4auYQbd0OKDCwtfcqSKBA2exgdNvR8TCNpXu77em0mPlCXvLEF9AFEurKiyiT5O7vt_72rz75mPGMxZW9ch47hziZrffcnEcqetYbXk_hv0ZaVTRcbefK8Znw2Bn5E=w326-h400" width="326" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laura Schwartz (Photo by Natalia Banaszczy)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><div>Laura Schwartz is composer and video projectionist. Her music explores written notation as a</div><div>facilitator of a performer’s own creativity and self-formation. She blends elements of</div><div>traditionally notation scores, verbally notated scores, and illuminated manuscripts situating the</div><div>participant in a space of their own curiosity and creativity. Schwartz uses cellphones, combs, and</div><div>cut flowers to highlight everyday technologies as shapers of our lived sound environments. She</div><div>performs guided improvisations on amplified electric fans and graphing calculators.</div><div><br /></div><div>For more information visit <a href="http://www.lauraroseschwartz.com">www.lauraroseschwartz.com</a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Christian Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182366797490629513noreply@blogger.com0Sacramento, CA, USA38.5815719 -121.494399610.271338063821155 -156.6506496 66.891805736178839 -86.3381496tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7330756097550098974.post-17678778365940048762021-10-28T08:35:00.001-07:002021-10-28T08:35:19.001-07:00Alina Kobialka in Conversation with Christian Baldini<p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><b><a href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5223469" target="_blank">On November 6th, 2021</a> I will have the pleasure of conducting the <a href="http://www.camelliasymphony.org" target="_blank">Camellia Symphony Orchestra</a> in the rarely performed Violin Concerto by Carl Nielsen with a wonderful soloist that I've known for many years, and with whom I've collaborated several times. Alina Kobialka comes from a distinguished musicians' family, in fact both of her parents were (her mother still is) key members of the San Francisco Symphony, an orchestra with which Alina made her solo debut at age 14, for their 100th anniversary. </b></i></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><b><a href="http://www.christianbaldini.info" target="_blank">Christian Baldini:</a> Dear Alina, it will be such a treat to collaborate with you once again. I remember fondly our previous performances with you as our soloist, whether it was the Sibelius, the Beethoven, or the <i>Waxman Fantasy</i>, you always bring so much to the table, so much commitment and talent, and it is always very beautiful to work with you. Tell me, how are you feeling about this upcoming concert, and what can you share with people about the Nielsen Violin Concerto? What makes it so special, and why do you think it is so rarely performed?</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://www.alinakobialka.com/" target="_blank">Alina Kobialka:</a> I am incredibly excited for this upcoming concert and the opportunity to play with you and the Camellia Symphony again, especially with such a special concerto! I have the best memories of collaborating with you, and all those performances we did together really helped me grow and develop into the musician I am today.<br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Nielsen concerto has two movements, with both consisting of a slower beginning leading into a faster section. In addition, he was quite particular about the concerto being virtuosic and dazzling without turning superficial. This turned out to be a challenge that he struggled with for quite some time, but I believe he ultimately succeeded in fulfilling his goal. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Although the concerto is greatly loved by many musicians, it is rarely performed, as you mentioned. I believe a reason for this is because Nielsen’s music takes time to digest with all its harmonic twists and turns. A passage can seem to be going one way but then he writes something that goes a completely unexpected way. Part of the fun of his music is the more you listen to it, the more you discover. This takes time but is extremely rewarding. </span></p><span class="im" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><b>CB: You come from a very musical household, so this question might be pretty straightforward to you. As a violinist, what/who would you say have been the most inspiring experiences in your life? When did you decide/realize you would make this commitment of becoming a professional violinist? </b><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><b><br /></b></p></span></span><p style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>AK:</b> I am very grateful to my teacher Ilya Kaler for being an inspiring and influential figure in my musical growth, as well as my former teachers Robert Lipsett, Danielle Belen, Wei He, and Li Lin.<br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In terms of inspiring musical experiences, I would say joining the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra really fostered my love for classical music and ultimately led to me deciding to become a professional musician. It was so special for me to play great music with wonderful and inspiring peers every Saturday. We were also so lucky to be coached by San Francisco Symphony musicians and meet incredible guest artists that would be in town playing with the SFS. Even a decade later, I often fondly reminisce that special time in my life. </span></p><span class="im" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><b>CB: Can you recall two or three examples of people that you've loved working with, and why?</b><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><b><br /></b></p></span></span><p style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>AK: </b>First and foremost, I had such an incredible time working with conductor Michael Tilson Thomas. His support and guidance were so inspirational, and I often find myself thinking of his advice during my practice sessions. <br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">During my time at the Marlboro Music Festival, I had the immense honor of working with pianist Mitsuko Uchida. I looked so forward to every rehearsal, as she would have fun anecdotes and was such a sincere and joyful person to work with. She truly puts the music first and foremost, and I find that so inspirational. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Finally, I had an amazing time working with violinist Vadim Gluzman. Not only is he a fantastic musician, but he is also immensely kind and quite hilarious! We performed a double concerto together, and I felt that he really brought out the best in my playing. Working with these three incredible artists has been so influential for my musical growth and development. </span></p><span class="im" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><b>CB: Why would you say performing music is important? What does it bring or add to our everyday lives?</b><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p></span></span><p style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>AK: </b>Music is such a wonderful and essential form of expression. We encounter it all the time, whether it be at concerts, in movies, or even in the elevator. It can touch people in wonderful and mysterious ways, and it adds so much value and color to our everyday lives. For myself, I find it immensely therapeutic and grounding to take my violin out of my case and play, rain or shine. </span></p><span class="im" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>CB: What would be your advice for young musicians? What was helpful to you? How do they stay motivated, on track, and always in a growth mindset?</b></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p></span></span><p style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>AK: </b>I would say to be critical but also remember that we are only human. Self-compassion is an important skill to have, both with music and life in general. Mistakes are inevitable, and sometimes they will be the most valuable experiences we draw on. <br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I would also say play for and collaborate with other musicians when possible, attend concerts and masterclasses, and most importantly, enjoy the ride. Even if this doesn’t end up being your profession, learning music can really change a person’s life for the better.</span></p><span class="im" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>CB: Lastly: what are three or four things that people should listen for in the Nielsen Violin Concerto? What would you say to someone who has never listened to a work by Nielsen?</b><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p></span></span><p style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>AK: </b>In the Nielsen concerto, be ready for some fun harmonic twists and turns! In addition, he wrote this with a Neoclassical melodic structure, so see if there are any melodic lines that you can grab onto and listen for in future sections. For someone who has never listened to a work by Nielsen, I would say the elements I mentioned above also apply. Many of his works contain unusual tonal structures, and it is always quite an interesting journey for both the listener and performer. <br /></span></p><span class="im" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>CB: Thank you very much for your time Alina. I very much look forward to our performance on November 6!</b></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p></span></span><p style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>AK: </b>Thank you so much, Christian! I can’t wait!</span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4bYNQGxmv2U3Yuk1dbHb3c-PJV4K_lC3XWp6xSKHZs5HfGr_uT5QdeSVokwa3hta_FfquxRFauaDB0kJxNhG0APIcee1wfJdwVDZOUpa6ehLUcoYTV-ygIqiFUa3a20sbsiQ5qIVO-FIf0S6T6JLEOwGOV2k8zygvqvdFyKXZ2OaI1oeUDtm1e_Nf=s900" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4bYNQGxmv2U3Yuk1dbHb3c-PJV4K_lC3XWp6xSKHZs5HfGr_uT5QdeSVokwa3hta_FfquxRFauaDB0kJxNhG0APIcee1wfJdwVDZOUpa6ehLUcoYTV-ygIqiFUa3a20sbsiQ5qIVO-FIf0S6T6JLEOwGOV2k8zygvqvdFyKXZ2OaI1oeUDtm1e_Nf=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alina Kobialka (courtesy photo)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Alina Kobialka</b> has been praised as a remarkable violinist due to her beautiful</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">tone, effortless precision, and musical maturity beyond her years. After her first guest</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">solo appearance with orchestra at the age of ten, she has toured and performed with many</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">ensembles throughout the world. The San Francisco Classical Voice described her as a</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">“jaw-droppingly assured” soloist, who “made present and future converge.” The Las</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Vegas Review Journal wrote, “Watch for her name. She appears to be bound for</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">greatness.”</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Alina began her studies at the age of five with Li Lin. She continued on to the</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">San Francisco Conservatory Preparatory Program, where she studied with Wei He.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Leaving San Francisco at age 16, she attended the Colburn Music Academy in Los</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Angeles, where she studied with Robert Lipsett and Danielle Belen. Most recently, Alina</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Music with her Master’s in Violin</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Performance, under the tutelage of Ilya Kaler.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">At age 14, Miss Kobialka made her solo debut with the San Francisco Symphony</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">at their 100th Anniversary Reunion Concert in Davies Symphony Hall, where she has</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">since returned three times as a soloist. Soon after, she was featured live on the nationally</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">acclaimed radio show NPR’s From the Top. Since then, Alina has performed with</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">various American orchestras, including the Las Vegas Philharmonic, ProMusica</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Chamber Orchestra, California Symphony, the Colburn Academy Virtuosi Orchestra, and</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">others.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In 2015, Miss Kobialka made her performance debut in Asia with the Macau</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Youth Symphony for their New Years’ Concert. She returned in 2016 to tour Japan with</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">the Kagawa International Youth Orchestra, and in 2017 to perform in the Shanghai</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">International Arts Festival gala concert.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Alina was awarded second prize as the youngest competitor of the 2017 Elmar</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Oliveira International Violin Competition. Other competition accolades include being a</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">laureate of the 2016 Irving M. Klein International Competition and receiving the Grand</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Prize at the Mondavi Center National Young Artists Competition.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Recent concert highlights include performing with world-renowned conductor</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony and making her debut with</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Vadim Gluzman and the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra. She also performed a guest</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">artist recital at Southwestern University in Texas and Brahms Double Concerto for Violin</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">and Cello with the California Symphony.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">An avid chamber musician, Alina has been an artist at the Marlboro Music</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Festival for the last few years. This past summer, she had the great honor of performing</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">with acclaimed pianist Mitsuko Uchida. Other celebrated musicians she has worked with</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">include pianist Jonathan Biss, violist Kim Kashkashian, cellist Peter Wiley, and violinist</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Scott St. John. Future concerts include embarking on a Marlboro National Tour and</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">returning to the Marlboro Music Festival next summer.</span></div></div><p style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></span><p></p>Christian Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182366797490629513noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7330756097550098974.post-70250363975170351922020-02-17T09:17:00.000-08:002020-02-20T11:16:45.915-08:00Roger Xia in Conversation with Christian Baldini<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Pianist and violinist <a href="https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/event/classical/camellia-symphony-orchestra-cosmic-power-of-sound" target="_blank">Roger Xia</a> will be our soloist for Clara Schumann's Piano Concerto <a href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4262749" target="_blank">on Saturday, February 22 with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra</a> in Sacramento. I had the opportunity of asking Roger some questions, and below are the answers.</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.christianbaldini.info/" target="_blank">Christian Baldini</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.christianbaldini.info/" target="_blank">:</a> Roger, it is a pleasure to welcome you back once again with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra. Some years ago, you were our featured "Rising Star", performing concertos on both the violin and the piano. It is so nice to see how much you have developed since those days, and what a mature musician you have become already. Please tell us, what is special to you about performing in the Sacramento and Davis region, where you grew up?</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.davisenterprise.com/arts/roger-xia-to-be-featured-with-san-francisco-symphony-youth-orchestra/" target="_blank">Roger Xia</a></span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.davisenterprise.com/arts/roger-xia-to-be-featured-with-san-francisco-symphony-youth-orchestra/" target="_blank">:</a> The Sacramento/Davis region is where I feel most at home and I always love performing for friends and family. I frequently reconnect with old friends, both musicians and non-musicians, at my performances and it’s a joy to catch up with them about our busy lives and future plans. Most of all, I absolutely enjoy inspiring younger children to play classical music, just as I had been inspired and supported by the community.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">CB</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">: Tell us about the Clara Schumann Piano Concerto. What is inspiring to you about her? What are some of the features and musical elements that you like the most about this concerto, and what should people listen for while you play it?</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">RX</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">: For me, the most inspiring element of Clara Schumann’s Piano Concerto is her boldness in incorporating a variety of styles. Some lyrical passages resemble Chopin, while other feisty, technical passages remind me of Liszt. I also like the attacca between the 3 movements of the concerto; the continuation gives the piece a nice flow and creates an unfolding storyline. I hope the audience will enjoy the affirmative and lyrical solo lines in the first movement, the intimate duet with the cello in the second, and the improvisatory, gypsy-like flair in the last movement.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">CB</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">: At your young age you've already collaborated with and worked with many wonderful musicians and teachers. Are there any experiences or people that have been particularly inspiring to you?</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">RX</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">: I’m very fortunate to have started piano lessons with Linda Beaulieu when I was five, and to have continued to study with Dr. Natsuki Fukasawa and professor Richard Cionco for ten years. I’m also grateful to Dong Ho for starting me off on violin when I was six and William Barbini for teaching me during the past seven years. I’d also like to thank Maryll Goldsmith and Michael Neumann for their guidance when I was in the Sacramento Youth Symphony. Many thanks to teachers and staff members at the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra and San Francisco Conservatory of Music Pre-College for continuously helping me develop my artistic potential. I’m also very thankful to Susan Lamb Cook’s continued support in my chamber music learning, Angelo Moreno at my school orchestra coaching. All of these mentors and supporters have inspired me to pursue my lifetime music-making journey.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">CB</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">: Why is art important? What is the role of music (and specifically, classical music) in today's world?</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">RX</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">: Art is something that is unique to humans; it cannot be replaced by robots or AI. It is the most direct expression of the human soul, incorporating kindness, pain, tenderness, ecstasy, and more endless emotions. Music serves as a universal language, an outlet for all these kinds of emotions. As the only audible art form without words, music helps to connect people across the globe with all sorts of backgrounds and portray relatable experiences. Classical music is very unique in the way that it developed alongside music theory and incorporates sophisticated forms like symphonies and operas.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">CB</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">: Please tell us about your plans, dreams and wishes for your future. You have managed to continue your remarkable development on both the violin and the piano. What other passions do you have? And now that you will soon embark on your college career, what would you like to do?</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">RX</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">: In addition to violin and piano, I really enjoy playing tennis and practicing Kung-Fu. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">moving my body around and breaking a sweat is also a great way for me to clear my mind and serves as a nice break from the academic and musical grind. Every winter, I also go to Lake Tahoe to ski as a mini-vacation with friends and family.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">In college, I plan to continue playing piano and violin and participate in chamber music and orchestra ensembles. I’m also really interested in science and would like to simultaneously study academics at a university. Ultimately, I hope to combine music with science to help others.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">CB</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">: Thank you so much for your time, and we wish you all the best in your future, which will undoubtedly be remarkable. We look forward to sharing your astonishing talent with our audience very soon.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">RX</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">: Thank you Maestro Baldini and the Camellia Symphony Orchestra for inviting me back, and I’m looking forward to another great collaboration and performance!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7iAkOhP-ZEJIAazqOWGMrEeJoTkJEqevfzT7z466kwMl7tUHqJsI9N5NBJPnF1QZov5lSylyEM4wF0Kn7H8c31vY6Ah_vdx7z-lRMGim5ODR_dB05HptYnT6HUfwMWCEEB83uWYPJdSs/s1600/Roger-Xia_Carlin-Ma+5724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7iAkOhP-ZEJIAazqOWGMrEeJoTkJEqevfzT7z466kwMl7tUHqJsI9N5NBJPnF1QZov5lSylyEM4wF0Kn7H8c31vY6Ah_vdx7z-lRMGim5ODR_dB05HptYnT6HUfwMWCEEB83uWYPJdSs/s320/Roger-Xia_Carlin-Ma+5724.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roger Xia, Photo by Carlin Ma</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBY8SkHi8fjqBWMaWVToJNYdhCWKvw-d-ZtN9IEBmsfXXKaCXrBhNcT9iB91mtxGScI3pbpChfe1Ao5kHuOfRPHPd9QhyHZC7BM9UPKNWL8kblAxf8e5j-67v3RXrNLha9uT_-f2tLFGE/s1600/Roger-Xia_Carlin-Ma+5762.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBY8SkHi8fjqBWMaWVToJNYdhCWKvw-d-ZtN9IEBmsfXXKaCXrBhNcT9iB91mtxGScI3pbpChfe1Ao5kHuOfRPHPd9QhyHZC7BM9UPKNWL8kblAxf8e5j-67v3RXrNLha9uT_-f2tLFGE/s320/Roger-Xia_Carlin-Ma+5762.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roger Xia, Photo by Carlin Ma</td></tr>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 12.0pt;">Roger Xia, age 17, a senior at Davis
Senior High School (DSHS), is also a San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM)
Pre-College scholarship student.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Roger
</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">started piano studies at age 5 with Ms. Linda
Beaulieu and continues with Dr. Natsuki Fukasawa and Professor Richard Cionco.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He took violin lessons at age 7 with Mr. Dong
Ho and continues with Mr. William Barbini.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="background: white; color: black;">At age 10, Roger made his
Carnegie Hall debuts as first prize winner of the American Fine Arts Festival
(AFAF) Golden Era of Romantic Music International Competition and the American
Protégé International Music Talent Competition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span>He won top prizes in Pacific Musical Society (PMS), Music Teacher
Association of California (MTAC), United States Open Music Competition (USOMC),
CMTANC/USIMC International Youth Music Competition, Diablo Valley College
Competition (DVC), <span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Sylvia
Ghiglieri Piano Competition</span></span>, and <span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Classical Masters Music Competition, etc.</span></span><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
the youngest participant in all three age groups, Roger was awarded the
memorial scholarships sponsored by the MTAC Sacramento branch (2010, 2014, and
2017).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also performed at the Junior
Bach Festival, Bear Valley Music Festival, Orfeo International Music Festival, InterHarmony
International Music Festival, and joined the National Youth Orchestra (NYO-USA)
in the summer of 2019.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>Roger won the
2015 Mondavi Young Artist Competition Pianist and Bouchaine Young Artists Prizes
and was featured on the 2016 From the Top show 322. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is also the National Young Arts Foundation
merit award winner (2018) and honorable mention winner (2020) of Classical
Music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: black;">Roger played as a soloist with the Merced Symphony Orchestra (2010),
</span><span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Sacramento
Youth Symphony </span></span><span style="background: white; color: black;">(SYS) Premier
Orchestra and </span><span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Central
Valley Youth Symphony</span></span><span style="background: white; color: black;">
(CVYS) Orchestra (2014), UCD Symphony Orchestra (2016), as well as the Palo
Alto Philharmonic and Camellia Symphony Orchestra (2017). He was the winner of the
DSHS Concerto Competition in 2018 and performed as a violin soloist with the
DSHS Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in the summer of 2018. Roger is also the
winner of the 2019 San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra (SFSYO) Concerto
Competition and played as a piano soloist at Davies Symphony Hall with the
orchestra in the fall of 2019.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Roger has
also been studying chamber music with Susan Lamb Cook, William Barbini, </span></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Natsuki Fukasawa<span class="text"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">, Aenea Keyes, Doris Fukawa, Gwendolyn Mok, Temirzhan
Yerzhanov, and Angelo Moreno.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a
violinist and founding member of the SFCM Pre-College Division ensemble Locke
Quartet, which won second prize in the 2019 ENKOR competition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roger has also attended the prestigious
Boston University Tanglewood Institute (BUTI) Summer String Quartet Workshop in
2017.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His chamber music groups in the
Davis-Sacramento area won top places at USOMC (2013), Classical Masters Music
Festival (2013), and VOCE competition of MTAC (2013 and 2015).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These groups have been frequently invited to
perform at senior residences in the Sacramento and Davis area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roger has been the concertmaster of SFSYO for
the past three seasons and the Europe Performance Tour in the summer of 2019.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is the current concertmaster of the DSHS Symphony
Orchestra.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He </span></span><span style="color: black;">was also the concertmaster of the Holmes Junior High (HJH)
Orchestra (2014-2017), the California Orchestra Directors Association (CODA)
Honor Symphony Orchestra (Nov. 2016), and the <span style="background: white;">SYS
Premier Orchestra (2013-2015) and Classic Orchestra (2010-2011).</span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Aside from
music, Roger enjoys science, math, reading, and movies. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also likes swimming, skiing, and Kung-Fu, as
well as playing tennis, Ping Pong, and soccer. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Most of
all, he loves sharing music-making experiences with friends in the community.<span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Christian Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182366797490629513noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7330756097550098974.post-87377428602618646852020-02-15T14:47:00.000-08:002020-02-15T14:47:04.636-08:00Meet Our Operatic Rising Stars<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">March 15, 2020 at beautiful C.K. McClatchy Auditorium in Sacramento. <a data-mt-detrack-inspected="true" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4262756&source=gmail&ust=1581892359484000&usg=AFQjCNEMgHubmtYNeJxEcY5UxpBcL0Oz0Q" href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4262756" target="_blank">For Tickets and the full program listing, CLICK HERE.</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Since 2015, it has been my honor and pleasure to promote and showcase the talent of several extraordinary young musicians as soloists with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra in Sacramento. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This year, for the first time, we will feature extremely promising opera singers. It's been wonderful to collaborate with <a data-mt-detrack-inspected="true" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.csus.edu/archives/music/faculty/fisher.html&source=gmail&ust=1581892359484000&usg=AFQjCNGcsnwbMedvdmwlYQzawtI7By6XDw" href="https://www.csus.edu/archives/music/faculty/fisher.html" target="_blank">Prof. Robin Fisher</a> from Sacramento State School of Music, and to put together a program that creates a platform for these young talented singers to gain valuable experience, and for our audience to be blown away by their remarkable musicianship and beautiful voices. In addition to several Sac State alumni, we are also featuring mezzo-soprano <a data-mt-detrack-inspected="true" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.operamusica.com/artist/monica-danilov/&source=gmail&ust=1581892359484000&usg=AFQjCNFvPICQqNdWaBDGjpVsGeyb3G3PBA" href="https://www.operamusica.com/artist/monica-danilov/" target="_blank">Monica Danilov</a>, who is a native of Sacramento, and lives in Bogotá (Colombia), where she is <a data-mt-detrack-inspected="true" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://facartes.uniandes.edu.co/miembro/monica-danilov/&source=gmail&ust=1581892359484000&usg=AFQjCNHnySH-7bLe_rYQEHX5nhB8C5OSgA" href="https://facartes.uniandes.edu.co/miembro/monica-danilov/" target="_blank">on the faculty</a> at Universidad de los Andes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">With the goal of getting to know a little bit about each of the seven singers participating in our performance, I asked each of them to provide their answers for three questions. Below are their colorful and illuminating answers:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfc5CDwUUChXbLejTym6tgEabdwNmbUNBk9RePAk3K_70gXOvX7es8o0ClJVIco3t5U1oXKyWsJg6wx1ei1KVeO1guit4DF0kRnQFmQ4W0IyQhQIPJcV6Rn5mI4Vcu6lZluxwIgVWXt2k/s1600/Monica+Danilov.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfc5CDwUUChXbLejTym6tgEabdwNmbUNBk9RePAk3K_70gXOvX7es8o0ClJVIco3t5U1oXKyWsJg6wx1ei1KVeO1guit4DF0kRnQFmQ4W0IyQhQIPJcV6Rn5mI4Vcu6lZluxwIgVWXt2k/s320/Monica+Danilov.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">MONICA DANILOV</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.christianbaldini.info/" target="_blank">Christian Baldini:</a> When did you decide to become an opera singer?</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.miaartists.com/monica-danilov/" target="_blank">Monica Danilov:</a> I don't really remember a time when I decided, it just happened, in the sense that I had been singing and had been involved with music since I was a child, so when it was time to decided on a mayor to study (around the age of 18), I didn't think twice about studying vocal performance and becoming an opera singer. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> -Why is opera important to you? In your opinion, is this art form relevant and necessary in today's world?</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Opera is important to me because it is an expression of art at its largest form. It includes all forms of artistic expression at the same time: music, dance, acting, visual arts, and so many other art forms. It shows the singer as an athlete in the sense that we sometimes must sing for hours without a microphone using our bodies and our voice constantly. I think this art form is very relevant in todays world because it is just as relevant as reading a novel or watching a movie. We are watching entertaining stories being unraveled before us which cannot be repeated: each show is live and is unique in its own way, no two shows are exactly the same. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">-What are some fun anecdotes you can share with us about being a singer, whether in rehearsals, lessons, or professional experiences?</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My anecdotes about being a singer often have to do with the stage itself, not so much the singing. Nobody really tells you while your in school that the set may move while you are beside it, or sometimes on top of it.. As movements are often happening during the show. Sometimes things don´t always go as planned and pieces move when they shouldn't. So for example, I was working at this Theatre in Bogota, Colombia singing 42 shows of The Sound of Music, and while my cast and I were singing the "concert" scene, pieces of the constructed "theatre" behind us were supposed to come down and be placed on the stage. Well, something happened behind the scenes and the pieces came down, touched the stage and then continued to move forward, looking like it would fall on top of us or the orchestra in the pit. Fortunately this didn't happen, and the show went on, but you just never know what can happen on stage externally to singing or acting that are just out of your control- so its important to always stay alert and in the moment.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuxHmg64DUY7b2sZgk9iasS7uOf5ocNkCMPcWXzNsvMMOw_fahTX6ak9EqwiD8nTMPWjeONVZK_YTwAoPwYvUoUOS2o6Vm7PAYjNfl6szxOzw_vLAeWo306qYED3-8IhK65N0RTrhylio/s1600/IMG_5529+Amandine+Photo+Devon+CassFFFFfffff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuxHmg64DUY7b2sZgk9iasS7uOf5ocNkCMPcWXzNsvMMOw_fahTX6ak9EqwiD8nTMPWjeONVZK_YTwAoPwYvUoUOS2o6Vm7PAYjNfl6szxOzw_vLAeWo306qYED3-8IhK65N0RTrhylio/s320/IMG_5529+Amandine+Photo+Devon+CassFFFFfffff.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">AMANDINE EDWARDS</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Christian Baldini: When
did you decide to become an opera singer?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MezzoAmandine/" target="_blank">Amandine Edwards:</a> This is a two-part answer. I first wanted to
be an opera singer when I was thirteen years old, I started taking private
lessons, but due to extenuating circumstances I stopped after a couple years
and turned my attention to medicine. I studied medicine in university for three
years until I realized just how much I missed music, and came to understand
just how integral music was in my life (also, I was constantly singing to the
cadavers in anatomy and physiology labs!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I switched my major to vocal performance, and I never looked back. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-Why is
opera important to you? In your opinion, is this art form relevant and
necessary in today's world?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the past I’ve heard the argument against
opera being “well, it’s in a language I don’t understand, and that’s why I
don’t listen to it.” But as we’ve seen with the recent advent of the
international K-Pop explosion, a language barrier certainly did not deter the
thousands, if not millions, of people from listening to K-Pop artists (and I
sincerely doubt that all of these listeners became fluent in Korean in order to
understand the songs). The music is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">felt</i>,
the intentions of the song can intrinsically be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">understood</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Opera, to me, is the ultimate expression of
the human spirit, made so by the sheer power of the unadulterated, unamplified,
untampered, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pure</i> human voice. Opera
is vocal athleticism at its finest, dealing with the extremes of dynamic and pitch,
from the softest floating high pianissimo to the most bombastic fortissimo;
opera uses this immense arsenal to bring poignant emotion to life to its
ultimate degree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We see all the time in film, even videogames,
the utilization of the operatic/classical voice, it is used in moments of
extremes, often in scenes depicting anger and sadness. Particularly it is used
to convey a sense of “epic-ness,” especially in war films; this vocal quality,
its power as well as its delicacy, beautifully serves the emotion of the scene.
Opera deals with big human themes just like theatre does: love, revenge,
despair, and so on. The operatic medium adds its own gravitas, breadth, and
depth to these themes and situations; and is most certainly still relevant to
our present day, the old repertoire as well as the new shows being, and yet to
be, composed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Opera is grand and grandiose, larger than
life, the emotional stakes are incredibly high; there is nothing quite like it,
it is the ultimate art form<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-What
are some fun anecdotes you can share with us about being a singer, whether in
rehearsals, lessons, or professional experiences?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the world of classical music and opera
there may exist this veneer of seriousness and sophistication, but all of that
goes out the window in the training process. You have to be ready and willing
to try anything to get the best sound, or in understanding the optimal internal
sensations in order to produce the best sound, from: snorting like a pig,
making sirens, singing bent over, singing through a straw, to imagining you
have a laser beam shooting out of the top of your head, and many, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">MANY,</b> more. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">GALINA ORLOVA</span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Christian Baldini: When did you decide to become an opera singer?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/galina.orlova.927" target="_blank">Galina Orlova:</a> When I was a little girl, I remember hearing opera singers on the radio at home. My mother would take us to performances in Minsk at the Bolshoi Opera House of Belarus. As a little girl, I loved to see the women come to the theater in beautiful evening dresses, and men in tuxedos. Hearing the opera singers seemed to be something fantastic, even unreal. How can a human sing like that? I believed that opera singers were people from heaven, or they had kind of device built into their throats so that they can make such sounds ...))) lol.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Since infancy, I have absorbed beautiful music. My mother was the first one to teach me to sing; we sang together often at church. She passed away a few years ago, and it has been hard to sing on without her.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Despite the fact that I dreamed of becoming a surgeon, I loved music so much. The opera pulled me like a magnet, and one day I embraced the goal to become an opera singer. I knew it is a very complicated art-- just right for me! I love the challenge of the impossible .... lol. As I began to study opera in more detail, I began to love it even more and more. Opera is not just singing, not just acting or a movie. It is an entire life that the characters experience on stage, a whole era, with all its beauty, pain and passion. I really love what I do!</span><br />
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<b style="color: black;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">-Why is opera important to you? In your opinion, is this art form relevant and necessary in today's world?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #201f1e;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Opera is an elite art. Out of 50 audience members, only 1 may really love this art form. The remaining 49 come to the theater to understand this art and touch something high and inaccessible.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;">We live in the time of fast-food, but opera is like eating in an expensive Italian restaurant, where you will taste the chef's masterpieces. Of course, opera is a very complex art, and the singer must be intellectual, have an exceptional voice and solid vocal technique, as well as acting skills to portray the character, have a great appearance and have a special talent to convey to the public the plans of the composer. This is all very complicated...</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;">Opera is an absolute--a thing of great beauty imparted to us, and touching it can only make a person better. Yes, opera is in a realm to itself and remains the highest, sometimes even incomprehensible art.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;">This is a very solemn, massive, expensive thing! The opera is not designed for a quick effect, but for long contemplation. So a city with an opera company is a high-level city. Theater is something that cannot be carried on a flash drive--it is a live experience with a direct emotional connection between the viewer and the singer.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;">Nowadays, theater directors offer innovative productions, and they are very modern. I believe opera will never become obsolete, just like expensive Swiss watches that do not feature new-fangled digital displays, and just like the most expensive supercars that are not intended to be economical, practical or affordable. Just like an expensive classic tuxedo, opera will remain elite and ageless.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;">Opera unites generations: it will become very popular and prestigious among the younger generation. Therefore, through my love of opera, and my singing, I would like to show the beauty and meaning of this art.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">-What are some fun anecdotes you can share with us about being a singer, whether in rehearsals, lessons, or professional experiences?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #201f1e;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">-Very often in my life, like in the life of other musicians, funny and curious situations occur during rehearsals, and especially during performances. I want to share what occurred recently. A couple of years ago, I sang Handel’s aria, "Rejoice greatly," from Messiah with an orchestra and choir. That evening we performed the entire oratorio. An orchestra and choir were behind me. My professor stood at the end of the auditorium and observed how beautifully the choir sang. And suddenly, during my singing, he abruptly ran to the stage, to the frightened response of the conductor and bewilderment in public. I could not understand what was happening and panicked, but continued to sing all the melismas ...)))) I even thought that I was singing wrong or in the wrong language ...) ))) It turned out that one of the singers in the choir had fainted. Thank God all was well with her. But this moment made me understand how important it is to stay focused in performance, and to be prepared for all situations.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;">I also want to share one more funny thing. Once at a concert I had exactly two minutes to go backstage and change my dress. I left the stage and quickly changed my dress. I was ready to go out to perform the following song, and I was already on the stage as the musicians played the introduction, when the thought struck me: did I zip up the dress?</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;">Honestly, this thought tormented me during my performance singing, mixed with thoughts about the song and vocal technique. I will never forget the feelings that overwhelmed me. So now I check 10 times whether the dress is zipped before going on stage.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">KATIE THORPE</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #201f1e; font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Christian Baldini: When did you decide to become an opera singer?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a data-mt-detrack-inspected="true" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.facebook.com/sacstatemusic/posts/congratulations-to-katie-thorpe-a-junior-in-the-vocal-performance-degree-program/10156173009522301/&source=gmail&ust=1581892359484000&usg=AFQjCNHYuU6T6gj2hHf36xO2yPNltQUz6Q" href="https://www.facebook.com/sacstatemusic/posts/congratulations-to-katie-thorpe-a-junior-in-the-vocal-performance-degree-program/10156173009522301/" target="_blank">Katie Thorpe:</a> I decided to become an opera singer when I first saw an opera at Sacramento State a few years ago.</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #201f1e;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">-Why is opera important to you? In your opinion, is this art form relevant and necessary in today's world?</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Opera is important to me because through it I have been able to find my own niche, what I am truly capable of. I do think that opera is relevant in today's society because it has been developed as more operas are still being composed. I think that operas can represent the extremes of the world while also showcasing the extreme abilities of the voice. </span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #201f1e;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">-What are some fun anecdotes you can share with us about being a singer, whether in rehearsals, lessons, or professional experiences?</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Opera is an opportunity to make lasting friendships and become inspired by the people around you who are thriving within opera. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">JUSTIN BIRCHELL</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jbirchell" target="_blank">Justin Birchell:</a> I saw my first opera, Turandot, at age 14, and it blew my mind. With 0 training, I used to walk around the halls of my high school singing opera arias. Finally, a friend encouraged me to audition for the local opera chorus and I did. The next year I had my first solo role (Gregorio in Romeo et Juliette) and, after that, I was hooked!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Opera is just another way of telling human stories and exploring human psychology. Because the art form is extremely stylized and unrealistic, it allows access to more abstract aesthetic realms. For the thinking art-consumer, opera is a fascinating field of interplay between the physical body (which after all is the source of the voice), and the extremely cerebral realm of musical ideas and aesthetic impressions. Opera has the power to be relevant, although to my mind social relevance is not the crowning goal of artistic endeavor.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One of my favorite activities in my performing life has been participating in the Gluck Fellows Music Outreach Program, performing opera and musical theatre excerpts for underprivileged school kids and elderly folks in nursing homes throughout the LA area. The engagement of these audiences and their capacity to be enraptured and entertained by this music is more heartwarming than many an opening-night standing ovation.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">AARON GALLINGTON</span></td></tr>
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<b style="color: black;"><span style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Christian Baldini: When did you decide to become an opera singer?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.aarongallington.com/" target="_blank">Aaron Gallington:</a> I decided to become an opera singer my junior year of college while studying with American tenor Henry Price at Pepperdine University. Dr. Price gave me the encouragement as well as the training necessary to continue my vocal studies and pursue singing classically. I am forever in his debt for recognizing my abilities, supporting me with kindness and patience, and giving me opportunities to explore this amazing art form. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Opera is important to me personally because it is an art form that allows a part of my soul free. It can be hard to describe but there is something very restorative and joyful about allowing ones voice to soar with such beautiful music. Opera is a dramatic and emotional musical experience that envelopes the audience in the human experience like no other art form can. To hear and feel the human voice as it portrays many of life’s experiences is something quite astounding. I believe that this art form is necessary in today’s world because it allows us to escape our day to day challenges and experiences, but unlike technology or social media, it is experienced as a fleeting moment in time created only for the audience who has come to appreciate it. Opera may not appeal to all people but for those who take the time to experience and appreciate it, it can be a deeply rewarding and wonderful experience. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I began learning the role of Rodolfo for a summer program with my university where we studied in Heidelberg, Germany. Of course as a group we traveled to some of the famous opera houses around Europe. In La Scala in Milan my director pushed me and my counterpart Mimi into singing O soave fanciula in the gilded lobby. The tourists around us all loved it however a representative of the opera house quickly came up to us and told us to stop singing immediately because they were having a rehearsal on stage and the conductor was very annoyed! We had a good laugh and now I can say I have sung in one of the world’s most famous opera houses! </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"> MATT HIDALGO</span></td></tr>
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<b style="color: black;"><span style="color: #201f1e;">Christian Baldini: When did you decide to become an opera singer?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a data-mt-detrack-inspected="true" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://soundcloud.com/user-945179382&source=gmail&ust=1581892359485000&usg=AFQjCNFaJcv74bDCUB42Wq142JBTQA718w" href="https://soundcloud.com/user-945179382" target="_blank">Matt Hidalgo:</a> I was 15 when I discovered I had a talent for singing. I attended high school in the heart of the "boy band" craze (cerca year 2000) and I have to admit, I was hooked! I loved how "high" these guys were singing and how much emotion they put in to every song. I really latched onto the R&B singers especially. I thought the good artists really knew how to move you, and that's what I wanted to do. I decided then that I wanted to be a pop star/R&B singer when I grew up! I ended up joining the choir at the high school my Freshman year and I loved it! The next year, my Dad purchased voice lessons as a birthday present for me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A few weeks later, I started voice lessons with my High School choir teacher; who also happened to be a budding opera singer himself. He let me know during the first lesson, "I don't teach pop, but what I will teach you, you can apply to a wide variety of different styles of singing." I thought, "sure!" I loved that and he knew exactly which song to give me as my first art song, "O del mio dolce ardor," by Christoph Willibald Gluck. It was perfect with all of it's color and melismas that it perfectly suited my transition from pop to a classical music. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It wasn't until my senior year of high school that I decided to purchase some classical cds, for reference of course. I had heard a lot about this "Pavarotti guy", but really had no clue who he was or how he sounded. I walked into a Borders (when they were still around), went to the classical section and selected three Pavarotti CDs and one Three Tenors CD (I had a gift card). When I got to my car, I opened one of the CDs (Pavarotti's Romantica Album) and fast forwarded to the first aria, "Che gelida manina," from La Boheme. I was immediately transformed, transfixed, memorized, words cannot describe what I felt in that moment. I can still remember the beauty in tone and brilliance of his high notes and I thought to myself, "this is better than any of the pop stars I know!" I decided right then that I wanted to become an opera singer and devote my life to this art form. From that point forward, I have dedicated my life to voice and classical music. I love to perform this genre and count myself lucky every time I have an opportunity. My drive is to turn my love for music into a sustainable career and develop as a full time opera singer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Opera is important to me for many reasons. The first and most important, is the music. There are very few art forms which can be considered "timeless" and opera is one of them. With every new generation of performers comes a new interpretation of a work in new and exciting ways. I love to sing arias because there is always a character behind what you are singing, with goals, a history, and trying to get somewhere. As the singer, I have the opportunity to internalize these goals and emotions and interpret them in any number of ways. That's the beauty of opera! Everyone has their own interpretation, and most of the time everyone is right! For example, the aria, "Vesti la guibba," from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci, depending on the singer, Canio's aria can be sung contemplatively, angrily, whoa-fully, sarcastically, it all depends on the singer. I love that about opera. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Opera is also very interactive. There are very few solo operas, so one has to be able to work with others and play off of each other to make an ensemble work. One of the greatest joys for me when I perform opera, is the other talented singers I get to make beautiful music with. Nothing makes me more happy than performing a Mozart ensemble scene, and all players are in-sync...it's magic. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I think opera can be made more relevant for today's audience, and I think the genre is going more that direction. Opera companies are having to be more innovative. They employ galas, broadcasts, dinners, beer and wine tastings, and a large number of other things to bring the genre to new audiences. Opera is timeless and it is proven in its longevity. Bringing the genre to new audiences and connecting with them takes effort and purpose, but it's completely possible to keep opera thriving. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One other thing is I love how music can move some people to tears. One of the greatest joys I get from stage (and this may sound weird) is I love to see audience members crying/tearing up from the music they are experiencing. I know I am doing my job in conveying the emotion of the work and I know they are having a transformative experience. I strive to move someone to emotion in every performance I give as it fills my soul knowing I provided an amazing experience for someone else. </span></div>
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Christian Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182366797490629513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7330756097550098974.post-61702757212498635192020-02-04T12:21:00.002-08:002020-02-05T09:00:46.006-08:00Bruckner Society President Interviews Christian Baldini<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://christianbaldini.blogspot.com/2020/02/bruckner-scholar-benjamin-korstvedt-in.html" target="_blank">In the first part of this interview</a>,</span> Christian Baldini had the chance of asking Benjamin Korstvedt several questions about his research and Anton Bruckner's music. In this second part of the interview, the roles are reversed, and the musicologist is now the one asking the conductor some questions.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www2.clarku.edu/faculty/facultybio.cfm?id=448" target="_blank">Benjamin Korstvedt:</a> </span>I bet your fans would be interested to hear what you as a conductor find to be most challenging about a Bruckner symphony? Perhaps more important, what’s most exciting about leading one of his symphonies?</b><u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><a href="http://www.christianbaldini.info/" target="_blank">Christian Baldini:</a> </b></span>As a conductor, encountering a symphony by Anton Bruckner represents many challenges. The sound world is very different from any other composer. This is music that at times seems to come from another universe, so it takes some time getting not only acquainted with it, but also comfortable, as if learning a new language until you speak it fluently. Its extraordinary dimensions and seemingly quirky sonic structures also are a challenge. One has to build and sustain tension, and learn how to release it, through these journeys; one has to navigate through modulations and find a way to arrive somewhere refreshed, without a sense of exhaustion. I think these challenges are precisely what make conducting his music so exciting as well. There is nothing else like it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>BK: Bruckner’s use of the brass section is one of the most striking elements in the soundscapes of his symphonies. Do the brass players generally relish the chance to play Bruckner? What other instruments play distinctive roles?</b><u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">CB: Yes, of course, Bruckner is a great favorite of most (maybe all) Brass players. You see, many composers restrict the use of certain instruments, where they end up waiting, counting rests, and occasionally come and play for a few bars, to continue waiting until the next distant entrance. Bruckner really builds blocks of sound with the brass, and naturally brass players relish the opportunity to play these wonderful chorales, fanfares, and lyrical lines that he wrote for them. String players also have various distinctive roles, from the (in)famous Bruckner tremolo (with which he stars all of his symphonies!) to the tender, lyrical singing, to the Wagnerian flourishes (for example in the second movement of the 7th) that might be reminiscent of the Tannhäuser Overture. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>BK: People who love Bruckner were often powerfully struck by his music the first time they heard it, like a thunderbolt! Did something that happen to you?</b><u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u></u>CB: I remember my first contact with his music. On a trip to New York with my father, I purchased a double CD set conducted by Eugen Jochum, which included the 8th and 9th symphonies. It was not the usual path (which for most people might be to begin with the 4th), but I immediately fell in love with the bursts of energy, the lyricism, the warmth and the powerful sonorities that his music presented me with. It was so different from all the other composers I had been interested (at that time I was familiar with most of Mahler's Symphonies, and as a student in Buenos Aires I had been also listening to the Ring Cycle. This music was different, directly, from the start. And it captivated me! <u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>BK: Do you have a special piece of advice for the audience that will help them appreciate the performance?</b><u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u></u>CB: More than anything else, I like to let music speak for itself. My advice to someone who comes to Bruckner as a newcomer is to not necessarily try to understand it or label it, or to define it with words. Sometimes the best possible option is to absorb it, feel it, let it sink in. And have patience. In the midst of our hectic contemporary lives, sometimes we deny ourselves the calm moments to read a good book, to go see a theatre company performance, to enjoy the live performance of symphonic music or opera. We have everything at our fingertips right from home, Netflix, Spotify, Google Music and Apple Music, and it is easy to forget how special a live performance can be. Give yourselves the chance to appreciate what human beings in front of you can do for you, with their hearts beating faster and slower depending on how they are performing, breathing with the music, shaping a phrase, becoming more and more involved and committed in the performance. Allow yourself to enjoy the vastness of Bruckner's music, as if you were entering a temple or a palace, whose rooms you were not yet familiar with. I think you will enjoy the various presences that you will encounter in this journey.</span><u></u></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirIjWzwqs-gp2YALsOHt3LSwG8lj8UyFovKxTRMhTqQZwpoATCpQ9xSsxPMolGf8Nzq7tM3obR11kL8RKt_LAziQPHWgr5aVqFRfNxM6WLUN-C_-og8POUGyyjdoJoQS4Geh2whZdSaBE/s1600/DSC01099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirIjWzwqs-gp2YALsOHt3LSwG8lj8UyFovKxTRMhTqQZwpoATCpQ9xSsxPMolGf8Nzq7tM3obR11kL8RKt_LAziQPHWgr5aVqFRfNxM6WLUN-C_-og8POUGyyjdoJoQS4Geh2whZdSaBE/s400/DSC01099.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christian Baldini - PC: Lance Zihao Chen</td></tr>
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Christian Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182366797490629513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7330756097550098974.post-6176502076107264242020-02-04T11:25:00.000-08:002020-02-04T12:25:04.380-08:00Bruckner Scholar Benjamin Korstvedt in Conversation with Christian Baldini<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<b><a href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4262749" target="_blank">On February 22</a>, I will be conducting Bruckner's Symphony No.
7 with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra in Sacramento. Below is an exchange that I had with
the leading Bruckner scholar Professor <a href="https://www2.clarku.edu/faculty/facultybio.cfm?id=448" target="_blank">Benjamin Korstvedt</a>. For part 2 of this interview (with Prof. Korstvedt interviewing Christian Baldini, reversing roles) <a href="https://christianbaldini.blogspot.com/2020/02/bruckner-society-president-interviews.html" target="_blank">click here.</a></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.christianbaldini.info/" target="_blank">Christian Baldini:</a> </span>Professor Korstvedt, first of all, thank
you very much for your time and willingness to share your insight about the
music of Anton Bruckner with me and our followers in the Sacramento region. You
have written some wonderful program notes for us, and I'll take advantage of
this opportunity to ask you a few questions about this man and his music. In
your opinion, what is it that makes Bruckner's music so distinctive, and so
different from any other composer?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://www2.clarku.edu/faculty/facultybio.cfm?id=448" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Benjamin Korstvedt:</span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is always a pleasure to be able to talk about Bruckner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His music is so wonderful and truly
multifaceted, but not as well-known as it should be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a sense, I almost envy folks who will be
encountering his music for the first time in concert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Bruckner performance is a true
experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is so much to discover
and enjoy!<o:p></o:p></div>
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To me, perhaps the single most
distinctive quality of his symphonies is, simply, how splendid they sound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bruckner uses a large orchestra to be sure,
but even more important is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">how</i> he
uses it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He obviously was much attuned
to the sonorous qualities of music, a sensibility which must have been informed
by his lifelong activity as an organist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The tonal palette of his music is wide and varied, nowhere more so than
in the Seventh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Listeners will be struck
by the range of colors he creates in characterizing and building different
sections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some passages are massive, to
be sure, with full brass supported by the entire orchestra, but others are
really subtle with one or two players in the foreground, often in very
imaginative settings.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Also, the time-scale of his
symphonies is highly distinctive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
are not short, but despite what the clock seems to say, they do not feel long
in the usual sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bruckner has a
special sense of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the Adagio in
particular, time becomes different, almost meditative, some listeners feel it
is cosmic in some way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It invites you to
enter into its pace, which can become a most intense experience, if you accept
that invitation.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>CB: Please tell us about the dynamics in the music world in
this particular time in history. The relationship between Bruckner and Wagner,
and those contrasting or opposite figures such as Brahms or Hanslick.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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BK:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s an
important topic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Music held great
importance in Vienna at that time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
city was very proud of its image as “Musikstadt Wien”—Vienna, the City of
Music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And people really did care about
music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Viennese music world was
quite polarized, though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were
those who valued a more traditional, classical style; Brahms was the greatest
figure on this side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Others were more
committed to the ideals of musical innovation, exploring new styles, forms and
realm of expression.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In many ways,
Richard Wagner was the figurehead of this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Bruckner did not fit into this bipolar scheme very easily; he admired
Wagner and was certainly innovative in style but was also deeply rooted in Austrian
musical traditions as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He became
identified as symphonic composer of the Wagnerian school, a view he encouraged
in certain ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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His music was embraced by segments
of the Viennese musical world, particularly among younger listeners, but he
also had some committed antagonists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hanslick, the most influential critic in Vienna, if not Europe, was
often harsh in his criticism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He and
Bruckner were also colleagues on the faculty of the University of Vienna and
some professional tensions spilled over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Brahms, who was a friend and ally of Hanslick, was notorious for his
disdain for Bruckner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In private he
called him a “poor, deluded fellow” whose “symphonic boa constrictors” were “a
swindle” and would be forgotten in a few years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Clearly, he felt a little bit of resentment, and I suspect jealousy
towards him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bruckner was more
gracious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said once, “He is Brahms, and
my hat is off to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I like my
things better!” <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>CB: If you had to describe in a few short sentences what
makes Bruckner's Symphony No. 7 such a special piece, what would you say? And
what would you say to people who claim they don't like Bruckner's music?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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BK:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I mentioned,
the Seventh has a very distinctive sound world, as your listeners will
immediately hear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is also a very
lyrical symphony in many passages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
opens with a wonderfully wide soaring melody sung by the cello section.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are several stretches of really soulful
lyricism from the cellos later too—one of the most remarkable occurs in the
middle of the first movement (at the beginning of the development
section).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Adagio is also filled with
very beautiful contrasts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The way that
the grave lament of its opening section fades away and suddenly dissolves to
reveal a totally different music of lilting beauty in the full string section
never fails to move me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For those
who think they don’t like Bruckner my simple advice is to listen with an open
mind (and open ears and open heart, too). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enjoy
the sounds and allow yourself to enter into the symphony’s time zone and
soundscapes, even try to breathe with the music as you listen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be open to its expressive world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This music will speak to you if you give it a
chance.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>CB: With most if not all of Bruckner's works there are
multiple editions and versions. You have in fact published the first modern
edition of the 1888 version of his Fourth Symphony for the Bruckner Collected
Works edition of 2004. Can you explain to people the reasons why his works have
been exposed to so many revisions and different versions? Furthermore, could
you tell us what your research has shown and what your conclusion is about the
use of the percussion, in particular the famous cymbal clash in the 2nd
movement (that some editions, including the Haas omit)?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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BK: The roots of this situation lie in numerous circumstances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The starting point was Bruckner’s approach to
composition and revision, which involved a good deal of revision before he
produced the best possible final version.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In some cases, he actually produced several distinct versions of most of
his symphonies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He left autograph scores
of his nine symphonies to the Court Library in Vienna in his will and this
bequeathal greatly facilitated access to earlier, unpublished versions of
several of his symphonies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
Bruckner’s death, scholars and editors became fascinated with these unpublished
scores and tried to produce new versions that were somehow more authentic than
what had been published in Bruckner’s time. These efforts did produce some
valuable results and new discoveries but also sowed confusion, especially when
some editors became overzealous in their efforts to rediscover the “true
Bruckner.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Haas’s edition of the Seventh
is classic example of this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a spirit
of overidentification with his self-appointed task, Haas became convinced on
little evidence that Bruckner did not truly want to include the tympani, cymbal
and triangle that sound so dramatically at the climax of the Adagio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Haas claimed, despite that fact that these
parts are written into the score in Bruckner’s hand, that they had been foisted
upon him by his students and Arthur Nikisch, the conductor of the first
performance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Numerous complex decisions
and judgment are inevitably involved in editing Bruckner, but nowadays very few
serious scholars indeed would agree with Haas’s interpretation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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In many ways the extraordinary
attention given to topic of Bruckner versions has not helped Bruckner’s
cause.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For many fans it stirs up an air
of intrigue that carries its own appeal, often, alas, quite distant from
historical facts and even actual musical issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And along the way, it can generate feelings
of both righteousness and indignation about the “right” and “wrong”
versions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of this carries the danger
of distracting from the actual musical experience of a Bruckner symphony, which
should of course be paramount. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://christianbaldini.blogspot.com/2020/02/bruckner-society-president-interviews.html" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://christianbaldini.blogspot.com/2020/02/bruckner-society-president-interviews.html" target="_blank">Click here to read the second part of this interview</a>, where the musicologist is asking the conductor some questions about Bruckner.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-j1r8nEzfhyphenhyphenS66XNRt-KLt2vIA7t2Xa0eEVTEYmFlt7WxI0R5v-XgOUBCyQk1uVPDZ8mw2cQed05iFWyCpAmoOCxrHBZHo3z_wLbD0W8ESpJv95wljhvZDKkpsX_O1XhZgOnkqD0F3ok/s1600/2015-Benjamin-Korstvedt-Clark-University-1024x598.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="1024" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-j1r8nEzfhyphenhyphenS66XNRt-KLt2vIA7t2Xa0eEVTEYmFlt7WxI0R5v-XgOUBCyQk1uVPDZ8mw2cQed05iFWyCpAmoOCxrHBZHo3z_wLbD0W8ESpJv95wljhvZDKkpsX_O1XhZgOnkqD0F3ok/s400/2015-Benjamin-Korstvedt-Clark-University-1024x598.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><strong>Benjamin Korstvedt</strong> graduated <em>summa cum laude</em> from Clark University in 1987 with a B.A. in Music and received his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1995. He joined the Clark faculty in 2002, where he is now Professor of <a href="https://www.clarku.edu/academics/undergraduate/programs/majors-minors/music/" style="color: #a19d83;">Music</a>. He has served as Chair of the Department of Visual and Performing Arts and as Program Director for Music. He is also affiliated with the program in <a href="https://www.clarku.edu/academics/undergraduate/programs/majors-minors/media-culture-and-the-arts/" style="color: #a19d83;">Media, Culture and the Arts</a> and <a href="https://www.clarku.edu/academics/undergraduate/programs/minor/german-studies/" style="color: #a19d83;">German Studies</a>. Before coming to Clark, Professor Korstvedt taught at the University of St. Thomas, Ball State University, and the University of Iowa. He has held fellowships with the American Musicological Society, the NEH, the Mannes Institute for Advanced Studies in Music, and the <a href="http://www.ifk.ac.at/" style="color: #a19d83;">Internationales Forschungszentrum Kulturwissenschaften</a> (International Research Center in Cultural Studies) in Vienna</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #464645; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Professor Korstvedt is the author of a critical study of the musical aesthetics of the German philosopher Ernst Bloch (1885-1977) entitled</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #464645; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </span><a href="http://www.cambridge.org/us/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=0521896150" style="color: #a19d83; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;" target="_blank"><em>Listening for Utopia in Ernst Bloch's Musical Philosophy</em></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #464645; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">. The book, which is the first work in English to address this topic, explicates central themes of Bloch's philosophy of music and develops them through essays on works by Wagner, Mozart, Bruckner and Brahms.</span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Professor Korstvedt is also a leading scholar of the Austrian composer Anton Bruckner (1824-96). His work has explored the complex text-critical issues surrounding Bruckner's works, the reception of his music by critics and scholars in the Third Reich, the place of Bruckner's music in the culture of <em>fin-de-siècle</em> Vienna, and the form and meaning of Bruckner's symphonies. He has published numerous articles on these topics and has presented papers at conferences and symposia in the United States, Canada, England, Germany, Hungary, and Austria. In 2000, he published a <a href="http://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/music/nineteenth-century-music/bruckner-symphony-no-8" style="color: #a19d83;" target="_blank">monograph</a> on Bruckner's Eighth Symphony that considers the <a href="http://assets.cambridge.org/97805216/35370/excerpt/9780521635370_excerpt.pdf" style="color: #a19d83;" target="_blank">history</a>, musical design, aesthetic meaning, and performance of that great work.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">He published the first modern edition of the 1888 version of Bruckner's Fourth Symphony for the Bruckner Collected Works edition in 2004. This version of the symphony has been performed internationally in Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Austria, as well as in the U.S. A video production of a performance by the Cleveland Orchestra, conducted by Franz Welser-Möst in the St. Florian Abbey, Austria has appeared on <a href="http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=101682" style="color: #a19d83;" target="_blank">DVD</a> (Euroarts). The Minnesota Orchestra gave the score its American premiere and recorded it on <a href="http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/about/press-room/269-bruckner-4-cd" style="color: #a19d83;" target="_blank">CD</a> under the direction of Osmo Vänskä, (BIS SACD 1746) in 2010.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">In 2010 Professor Korstvedt was awarded the <a href="http://news.clarku.edu/campusdigest/2010/10/04/benjamin-korstvedt-receives-bruckner-medal-of-honor/" style="color: #a19d83;">Julio Kilenyi Medal of Honor</a> in recognition of his achievements in promoting the better understanding and appreciation of the music of Anton Bruckner.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">In 2007 Professor Korstvedt was a Senior Fellow as the<a href="http://www.ifk.ac.at/" style="color: #a19d83;"> Internationales Forschungszentrum Kulturwissenschaften</a> (International Research Center in Cultural Studies) in Vienna. His project there, "<a href="http://www.ifk.ac.at/archive__fellow_list.php?so=12&id=169" style="color: #a19d83;" target="_blank">Rhetorical excess and the cultural unconscious in Viennese music criticism</a>," explored music criticism as a <a href="http://diepresse.com/home/techscience/wissenschaft/303808/index.do" style="color: #a19d83;" target="_blank">public discourse</a> in fin-de-siècle Vienna. Professor Korstvedt is currently President of the Bruckner Society of America. He also has a long interest in the music of Joseph Haydn and has served as Vice President of the <a href="http://www.haydnsocietyofnorthamerica.org/" style="color: #a19d83;" target="_blank">Haydn Society of North America</a>. His current projects include essays on fraught aspects of bourgeois consciousness as expressed in Schubert's epic mode, in Brahms's revisions of the Trio, op. 8, and in <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxFd_kBsve0&list=PLP4k3iduYLUkajFY9Hm_CKNAatboavdEK&index=27" style="color: #a19d83;" target="_blank">the psycho-social drama of Wagner's <em>Die Meistersinger</em></a>.</span></div>
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<!--EndFragment--><br />Christian Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182366797490629513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7330756097550098974.post-75547153927937279412019-11-01T14:13:00.000-07:002019-11-01T14:31:41.802-07:00Composer Profile: Qing Olivia Yang in Conversation with Christian Baldini<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4262742" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">On November 9</span></a>,</span><span style="color: #222222;"> I will have the pleasure of conducting the US premiere of </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/yang.qing.music" style="color: #222222;" target="_blank">Qing Olivia Yang</a><span style="color: #222222;">'s work "Alice", with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra in Sacramento. Below is a nice exchange we had with Olivia, in preparation for the performance.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.christianbaldini.info/" target="_blank">Christian Baldini</a>: Olivia, it will be a pleasure to welcome you in Sacramento as a composer and performer to bring your piece to life in California for the first time. The work is written for voice, sampler/electronics and orchestra, and it is not very usual to have the composer serve as the performer as well, so a special treat in many ways. Please tell us about the genesis of this work, based on a lonely whale. How did you get this idea and its inspiration for your music?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/yang.qing.music" target="_blank">Qing Olivia Yang</a>: Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to work with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra and you! <span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0); color: black;">I happened to read about Alice on the Internet and heard the real voice sampling of this whale. It was unable to communicate properly with other whales and was lonely because the whale had a frequency of 52Hz, compared with 15 to 25Hz for normal whales. Alice's situation reminds me of myself, and I often feel lonely like Alice: whenever some thought or action is not understood by others, especially those close to me... But I never give up expression, looking for my soul mate, just like Alice!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">After seeing it, I immediately had a lot of inspirations. And I imagine</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">d</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">expressing</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> the resonance between human beings and animals in the form of orchestral music, electronic music and human voice: orchestral music is the sea, electronic music is Alice itself, and human voice represents human beings. These three voices sometimes appear in isolation, sometimes </span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">appear </span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">in each other </span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">indistinguishab</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">ly</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a data-mt-detrack-attachment-inspected="true" data-mt-detrack-inspected="true" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="m_7148525279435806410_OLE_LINK7" style="color: #222222;"></a><a data-mt-detrack-attachment-inspected="true" data-mt-detrack-inspected="true" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="m_7148525279435806410_OLE_LINK8" style="color: #222222;"></a><a data-mt-detrack-attachment-inspected="true" data-mt-detrack-inspected="true" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="m_7148525279435806410_OLE_LINK9" style="color: #222222;"></a><a data-mt-detrack-attachment-inspected="true" data-mt-detrack-inspected="true" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="m_7148525279435806410_OLE_LINK10" style="color: #222222;"></a><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">I also have a unique design about the structure and style of the music. </span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Depending on</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> Alice's own</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">sound motive, </span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">I</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> develop</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> it</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> into a new melody</span></span><a data-mt-detrack-attachment-inspected="true" data-mt-detrack-inspected="true" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="m_7148525279435806410_OLE_LINK1" style="color: #222222;"></a><a data-mt-detrack-attachment-inspected="true" data-mt-detrack-inspected="true" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="m_7148525279435806410_OLE_LINK2" style="color: #222222;"></a><a data-mt-detrack-attachment-inspected="true" data-mt-detrack-inspected="true" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="m_7148525279435806410_OLE_LINK3" style="color: #222222;"></a><a data-mt-detrack-attachment-inspected="true" data-mt-detrack-inspected="true" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="m_7148525279435806410_OLE_LINK4" style="color: #222222;"></a><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">, a</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">nd g</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">radually </span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">moving from impressionist music style to a </span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">contem</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">porary music style</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">, </span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">finally </span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">back to the original voice</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">…</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">I want to</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> express the </span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">change of </span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Alice </span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">that from happiness in the sea originally to pain, lone</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">liness</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> cause </span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">the </span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">unique</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> <wbr></wbr>voice</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> of itself when it finds that and finally it </span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">calm</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">s down and go on </span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">seeking</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">the</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> bosom friends.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">The work premiered at the opera hall of the </span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">C</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">entral </span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">C</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">onservatory of </span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">M</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">usic</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">(</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Beijing, China) on June 25, 2018. </span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">The </span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">conductor was</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Mr.Hao</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> Shen(</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">professor</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">of </span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">CC<wbr></wbr>OM</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">)</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">,</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">and </span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">UNAM-CCOM orchestra and I played it</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">.</span></span><span style="line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> After the first performance, I received a lot of good comments.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>CB: Who would you say are your main influences as a composer?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">QOY: <span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">T</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">here are a lot of composers I like very much. T</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">heir work impressed </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">when I was a child, such as Bach, </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">V</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">ivaldi, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Debussy, </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">L</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">igeti</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">, and active in modern </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">X</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">iaogang</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Y</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">e, </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">J</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">ianping</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">T</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">ag, </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">W</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">enjing</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> Guo</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">, </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">D</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">un</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> Tan</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">, G</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">uop<wbr></wbr>ing</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> Jia</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">, </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Wenchen</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> Qin</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">, </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">C</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">hangyua<wbr></wbr>n</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">L</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">iu, </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Biny</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">ang</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> Li</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">, Simon</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Steen</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Anderson, and so on.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>CB: What do you try to communicate with your own music? What is special about symphonic music? Would you be interested in writing an opera?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">QOY: <span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">I don’t want to limit my music or my expression by making music</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">in</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">to a single style, but </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">I would like to </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">express an idea clearly in each work </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">by “music”</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">, </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">because </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">I think </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">the form</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">should </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">serve the content. </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">So</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> b</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">efore each creation, I</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> often imagine and choose </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">a theme to express</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> the spirit</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">, and then determine the appropriate form, style and structure. Of course, I am very interested in opera, I love singing since </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">I was a </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">child, I think the voice is on</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">e of the most direct way to express music emotions. I've written several musicals, and I</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> want to</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> write an opera</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> very much!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>CB: Tell us about your background. You grew up and studied in China. Who were the main influences and teachers in your life?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">QOY: <span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">I started to learn the keyboard when I was five</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">years old. After one year of learning, I could play Bach's </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Gigue</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">, then my </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">first</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> music </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">te</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">a</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">c</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">her Mr. </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Guohui</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"></span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Qiao</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">discover</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">ed my gift and </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">r</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">ecommend me to engage in music</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">.</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">After a few years, </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">I studied music composition in the</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">middle</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> school attached to Central Conservatory of Music</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">. </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Professor </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">C</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">hangyuan</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> Liu</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><wbr></wbr> is my first teacher of music composition</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">, h</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">e is a very famous Chinese composer</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> also</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">. </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">And </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">I studied </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">fo</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">r </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">the bachelor and </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">master</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> degree </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">in the composition department of the </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">CCOM</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">, under Professor </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Jianping</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> Tang</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> and </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Gu<wbr></wbr>oping</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> Jia</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">, who are also very famous composers in China.</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">I really </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">app</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">reciate</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> all three teachers </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">for</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> their help </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">with </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">m</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">y studies</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">and</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> the inspiration they gave me </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">in</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">the road of music </span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">composition</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>CB: Where do you see yourself in 10 years? What would you like to be doing?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">QOY: <span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">I'm not sure where I will be </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">after </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">10 years. I love traveling</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">, m</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">aybe I will be in the </span></span><a data-mt-detrack-attachment-inspected="true" data-mt-detrack-inspected="true" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="m_7148525279435806410_OLE_LINK5" style="background-color: transparent;"></a><a data-mt-detrack-attachment-inspected="true" data-mt-detrack-inspected="true" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="m_7148525279435806410_OLE_LINK6" style="background-color: transparent;"></a><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Antarctic </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">when we contact one day</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> in the future</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">. But no matter where I am, of course I will always write as a composer, this is my </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">career,</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> I can't live without music.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>CB: Thank you very much for your time, and we look forward to featuring your considerable talents as singer and composer in Sacramento.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">QOY: <span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">T</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">hank you,</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Christian.</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Thank you everyone! </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">I'm looking forward to the performance on the evening of </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">9</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 7.2px; vertical-align: super;"><span style="line-height: 14.4px;">th </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">November</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/yang.qing.music" target="_blank">Qing (Olivia) Yang</a> (born in 1992), young composer, is a resident composer of the China Broadcasting Art Troupe. Qing is also a member of the Chinese National Orchestral Society.<br /><br />Qing graduated from the Attached Middle School of Central Conservatory and got her bachelor’s degree of composition from Central Conservatory of Music. In 2015, she was recommended as a graduate student majoring in composition in Central Conservatory of Music. Qing was tutored by several great Chinese composers, including professor Changyuan Liu, professor Jianping Tang, professor Guoping Jia, etc.<br /><br />During her study in CCOM, Qing won a considerable amount of prizes, honors, and scholarships. Qing Yang composes an extensive range of works. The compositions have won her several prizes. Qing composes works from serious music to popular music, from classical music to fusion music, even movie soundtracks. As it comes to the genres she composes, there are solo music, chamber music and symphony for both Chinese traditional instruments and western instruments.<br /><br />Qing’s compositions are well performed both domestically and internationally. Her works have been performed in Beijing National Center for the Performing Arts, Zhongshan Concert Hall, Beijing Concert Hall, Central Conservatory of Music Concert Hall, Beijing Century Theatre, Peking University Centennial Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Center Concert Hall, Taipei Zhongshan Hall, etc. There are also overseas performances in cities in Europe and North America, for example, Toronto, Tallinn, Nuremberg.<br /><br />Qing cooperated with some brilliant orchestras, including China Broadcasting National Orchestra, China Broadcasting and Film Symphony Orchestra, Central Conservatory of Music Symphony Orchestra, China Youth Symphony Orchestra, Xi'an Symphony Orchestra, Taipei City Orchestra, Camellia Orchestra, Yuanyang Chamber Music Group, etc. Qing also have cooperations with Jiapeng Peng, Ling Li, Tao Fan, Hao Shen, Christian Baldini, Chunquan Qu, Bingbing Zhang, Yujue Ji and many other outstanding conductors.<br /><br />The representative works of Qing can be categorized into several genres. She wrote symphonies including The Flowing River Runs into the Heart, and Alice; the symphony for national orchestra, named Overture of the National Costums; the fusion work called Screaming, solo piece called The Memory of the Tashilhunpo Monastery for the instrument Sheng; the piece for chamber music called Samatha; national symphony with a small arrangement called Songs of Chu; Concertino named Road for Konghou; soundtracks for the movie Embarrassments in Vietnam; music for stage shows called Castle in the Sky and The Magic of Panda Fairy; music for contemporary primitive dance Women of the Dai Minority in Mountains; popular song called Shining Star.<br /><br />In 2017, Qing’s work Road-Trilogy was selected in the Young Composing Talent Program of the China National Arts Fund. In 2018, Qing held an exclusive concert titled Screaming performing her compositions, which was highly praised by the audiences.</span></span></span></div>
Christian Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182366797490629513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7330756097550098974.post-63136755468204461862019-10-26T14:21:00.000-07:002019-10-26T14:21:24.229-07:00Carrie Hennessey in Conversation with Christian Baldini<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4262742" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">On November 9, the Camellia Symphony Orchestra will present <i>Ein deutsches Requiem</i> by Johannes Brahms.</span></a> Below is an interview with our soprano soloist, <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.carriehennessey.com/" target="_blank">Carrie Hennessey</a>:</span></span><div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span><br /><b><a href="http://www.christianbaldini.info/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Christian Baldini:</span></a> Carrie, it is a pleasure to welcome you back to the Camellia Symphony Orchestra for this beautiful music. You and I have worked together with different orchestras in various cities, and it is wonderful for me to showcase your gorgeous voice with our orchestra here in Sacramento. Please tell me, how does the Brahms' Requiem fit within the usual (operatic) repertoire that you sing more frequently? </b></span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.carriehennessey.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Carrie Hennessey:</span></a> The vocal line for this particular aria is quiet, extremely long, expansive, fluid and exposed. Often in the operatic repertoire that I sing, someone in the orchestra is doubling the vocal line which gives more ease to the singer, because if something goes a bit off the rails technically, there is backup in the orchestra. This opening passage really takes so much technique, but once it felt comfortable to me, it is the one line that I completely relish in ALL the repertoire that I sing! It’s quite special. This vocal line in the Brahms is beautifully accompanied by the orchestra with a counter melody that lingers in the air which allows for the opening phrase to also linger and spin. The soprano line then joins the orchestra at the end of the first few phrases and then brings in the chorus’ first lines. Just stunning! <br /><br /><b>CB: Besides the obvious soprano solo movement <i>"Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit"</i>, what are some of your favorite moments in this piece?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br />CH: Movement IV, <i>Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen </i>is one of my favorite movements! This was one of my mother’s favorite bible verses. She was my accompanist growing up and my musical inspiration, so to hear this text set with such joy right before I sing my aria is perfection for me. My mother passed several years ago, and never heard me sing this piece. The aria was added later after Brahms’ mother had passed, so this is quite a moment of comfort and joy for me . <br /><br /><br /><b>CB: This is for sure an unusual Requiem, not only in the choice of language, as most others are in Latin, but also in the fact that the composer himself carefully chose the texts that represented the message he wanted to communicate. What are your feelings about this, and about the general feeling of the piece?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br />CH:I have to say I feel deeply connected to this work. The texts chosen were truly for humankind and were all inclusive. We all feel grief. We all need comfort. The opening lines make me weep every time with their ethereal and shimmering beauty "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” This truly is a work of hope, a work looking to find and give comfort in the chosen texts instead of focusing on the fire and brimstone contained in the more traditional Requiem texts. <br /><br /><b><br />CB: Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful gifts with us, we very much look forward to the performance!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br />CH: Christian, thank you so much! I look forward to our time together with Brahms! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br />Known for her soaring voice and richly nuanced characters, soprano <a href="https://www.carriehennessey.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Carrie Hennessey</span></a> is consistently thrilling audiences and critics in opera and concert appearances around the world. Ms. Hennessey’s much awaited debut in Previn’s A Streetcar Named Desire “gave us a Blanche that let us burrow into her character’s soul, even into the darkest crevices…Hennessey, using a one-two punch of music and drama, made it resonate in a way that equaled the finest stage performances of the part I’ve seen.” (Fresno Bee) Ms. Hennessey’s embodiment of the title role in the West Coast Premiere of Tobias Picker’s opera Emmeline earned her a Bay Area Broadway World Awards for “Best Leading Actress in a Musical” nomination. Praised for bringing her signature “exquisite vocal purity and range to the title role”and was “nothing short of sensational” (San Francisco Classical Voice). As Mimì in La Bohème, Ms. Hennessey “..possessed of a full, powerful lyric soprano, which delivers Puccini’s arias and duets richly. Her “Mi chiamano Mimì” (Yes, they call me Mimì) in Act 1 is gorgeous”. (San Francisco Classical Voice) On only one day’s notice, Ms. Hennessey made her debut with the Modesto Symphony Orchestra, as soprano soloist in Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, to great acclaim.<br /><br />2020/2021 season includes a title role debut in Kát’á Kabanová by Leoš Janáček, Rose in At the Statue of Venus by Jake Heggie. Ms. Hennessey will also perform in Blitzstein’s Triple Sec and a world premiere of the opera Bones of Girls by librettist, Cristina Fríes and composer, Ryan Suleiman, both aforementioned productions with The Rogue Music Project, a collective of performers that cultivates adventurous musical and theatrical experiences. Other performances include collaborating in the development and performance of a world premiere ballet with choreographer Darrell Grand Moultrie and the Sacramento Ballet, Carmina Burana, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Gounod’s Messe solennelle en l’honneur de Sainte Cécile, Brahms’ Requiem, as well as numerous recitals, chamber music and orchestral concerts, cabarets and continuous music education projects.<br /><br />Recent engagements include Ms. Hennessey’s orchestral debut of the Strauss’ Vier Letzte Lieder with conductor Daniel Stewart, a celebration of Leonard Bernstein’s music with concert “Bernstein 100” with the Colorado Symphony and Sinfonia Chamber Brass, a role debut in a sold out run as Estelle in the opera The Stronger, a recital in several East Coast venues “Crisis of Faith” with bass Paul An of arias, duets and scenes from new operas including several World Premieres, Song of Sacramento a recital benefitting the Sacraemtno Children’s Chorus, featuring local composers and 8 world premiere songs, Carmina Burana with Sacramento Ballet, Mozart’s Exsultate, Jubilate! and Requiem, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, chamber works including Respighi’s Il Tramonto, Ravel’s Trois Poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé and William Walton’s Façade, as well as several appearances in recital.<br /><br />Previous performances include Britten’s War Requiem, Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 as well as debuts at the Concertgebouw in Bruges, in Ypres, Belgium and at the Liederhalle in Stuttgart, Germany singing the soprano solo in the Verdi Requiem. Alongside the world-renowned composer Ricky Ian Gordon in the fall of 2016, Ms. Hennessey gave Master Classes and performed a recital of his original art songs.<br /><br />Notable recent opera highlights include Blanche Du Bois in André Previn’s A Streetcar Named Desire, Sarah Miles in the Bay Area premiere of Jake Heggie’s The End of the Affair with West Edge Opera, Mimì in La Bohème, Elle in La Voix Humaine in NYC, Lauretta in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Magda and Floria Tosca in Puccini: A Man and His Muses for Sacramento Opera. Notable concert appearances include Other highlights include her debut with the Houston Symphony at Jones’ Hall, Mozart’s Mass in C minor at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Budapest, Hungary and Reduta Hall in Bratislava, Dvorak’s Requiem in Rudolfinum Hall in Prague, Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen at the International Mahler Festival in the Czech Republic, the Verdi’s Requiem, Mozart’s Requiem, Villa Lobos’ Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5, Mendelssohn’s Elijah and Lobgesang. the Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and Vaughn Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem.Handel’s Messiah with the renowned Pacific Symphony, Stravinsky’s ballet Pulcinella, Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, a World Premiere song cycle written for Ms. Hennessey and the Rootstock Percussion Trio, Orff’s Carmina Burana with Grand Rapids Symphony, and Fauré’s Requiem and Brahms’ Requiem with Oakland Symphony where Hennessey brought “bright tone and elegant legato”.<br /><br />Ms. Hennessey directed the Sacramento Children’s Chorus their joint production in Brundibar Sacramento Opera, is currently an artistic advisor to the board and mentor to the artistic staff. Ms. Hennessey continues to actively support music education through lectures. workshops and Master Classes in the communities in which she works, as well as nurturing a thriving private vocal studio in Northern CA.</span></div>
Christian Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182366797490629513noreply@blogger.com0