Susan Lamb Cook in Conversation with Christian Baldini

 
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 had the chance of asking Susan some questions about our program, and below are her answers:

Christian Baldini: 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?
 

Susan Lamb Cook: 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!   

 
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?
 
SLC: 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.    
 
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?
 
SLC: 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.
      
 
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?
 
 
SLC: 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.
    
 

Susan Lamb Cook 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 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, 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.

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 Great Composers Chamber Music Series in collaboration with the Sacramento Baroque Soloists and the Sacramento Guitar Society, 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.

Susan’s past performances can be found on YouTube at Susan Lamb Cook, Concerts and Conversations, and the UC Davis Music channel.

 

Roger Xia in Conversation with Christian Baldini

Pianist and violinist Roger Xia will be our soloist for Clara Schumann's Piano Concerto on Saturday, February 22 with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra in Sacramento. I had the opportunity of asking Roger some questions, and below are the answers.

Christian Baldini: 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?

Roger Xia: 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.

CB: 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?

RX: 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.

CB: 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?

RX: 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.

CB: Why is art important? What is the role of music (and specifically, classical music) in today's world?

RX: 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.

CB: 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?

RX: In addition to violin and piano, I really enjoy playing tennis and practicing Kung-Fu. 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.

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.

CB: 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.

RX: Thank you Maestro Baldini and the Camellia Symphony Orchestra for inviting me back, and I’m looking forward to another great collaboration and performance!

Roger Xia, Photo by Carlin Ma

Roger Xia, Photo by Carlin Ma

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.                                                                                                                                  

         Roger started piano studies at age 5 with Ms. Linda Beaulieu and continues with Dr. Natsuki Fukasawa and Professor Richard Cionco.  He took violin lessons at age 7 with Mr. Dong Ho and continues with Mr. William Barbini.  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.  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), Sylvia Ghiglieri Piano Competition, and Classical Masters Music Competition, etc.  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).  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.  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.  He is also the National Young Arts Foundation merit award winner (2018) and honorable mention winner (2020) of Classical Music.  Roger played as a soloist with the Merced Symphony Orchestra (2010), Sacramento Youth Symphony (SYS) Premier Orchestra and Central Valley Youth Symphony (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.

         Roger has also been studying chamber music with Susan Lamb Cook, William Barbini, Natsuki Fukasawa, Aenea Keyes, Doris Fukawa, Gwendolyn Mok, Temirzhan Yerzhanov, and Angelo Moreno.  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.  Roger has also attended the prestigious Boston University Tanglewood Institute (BUTI) Summer String Quartet Workshop in 2017.  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).  These groups have been frequently invited to perform at senior residences in the Sacramento and Davis area.  Roger has been the concertmaster of SFSYO for the past three seasons and the Europe Performance Tour in the summer of 2019.  He is the current concertmaster of the DSHS Symphony Orchestra.  He 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 SYS Premier Orchestra (2013-2015) and Classic Orchestra (2010-2011).

         Aside from music, Roger enjoys science, math, reading, and movies.  He also likes swimming, skiing, and Kung-Fu, as well as playing tennis, Ping Pong, and soccer.  Most of all, he loves sharing music-making experiences with friends in the community.

Soloist Profile: Joy Yanai in Conversation with Christian Baldini

In preparation for our upcoming concert in Sacramento with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra, I had the pleasure of interviewing Joy Yanai, who will be our soloist for Dvorak's Silent Woods and Saint-Saëns' Cello Concerto No. 1. 

 
Christian Baldini: Joy, it is a real pleasure to have you with us as our featured "Rising Star" soloist for this concert. I am very grateful to Eunghee Cho (Artistic Director of the Mellon Music Festival) for making me aware of your talent! How did you meet Eunghee?

Joy Yanai: It is such a pleasure for me to join the orchestra as well! Eunghee and I were both in the studio of professor Paul Katz at New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA. Eunghee is not only an excellent cellist, but also a fantastic producer who is always willing to share his ideas and passion with other musicians and audiences. I really appreciate the many wonderful musical experiences Eunghee has given me including the opportunity to perform on his Mellon Music Festival which led to this Rising Star Concert.

CB: For our concert you will be performing three very different pieces. The Suite for Cello Solo by Gaspar Cassadó, and then with the orchestra, Dvorak's Silent Woods and Saint-Saëns' Cello Concerto No. 1. Can you tell me how you feel about the program and specifically about each of these pieces? What is special to you about them?

JY: Saint-Saëns' first Cello Concerto is oftentimes stuck with a bad rep as a "student concerto" because it is one of those pieces that pre-college students will learn to show off their technique. I am ashamed to admit that I was also one of those young cellists who reveled in the virtuosic scales and tricky arppegiations of the concerto. Returning to this concerto after many years, I found that the music is full of so many different colors and so much more emotional richness than I remembered. There is actually no specific reason for programming these pieces, but I tried to pick pieces that it would be interesting and fun to listen if I were in the audience. To be completely honest, many of Dvorak's works do not attract me in particular, I am convinced that his Silent Woods is one of the most beautiful pieces ever written for the cello. Every time I perform this piece, I feel as if I am telling a fairytale that simultaneously caresses and arouses the heart. Cassadó's Suite for Cello Solo is one of the my favorite pieces because it immediately sends me to Spain- a place where I still have not visited. It also always amazes me how versatile the cello itself can be with Cassadó's imaginative extended techniques. I would be very happy if I can share my feelings with the audience at the concert! 

CB: Tell us about your background. Where did you grow up? When did you start learning music and the cello? Was there someone who was particularly important in your upbringing, who was an inspiration to you and helped you become a musician?

JY: I was born in Montreal, Canada and raised in Sendai, Japan. I learned the piano first, but I never liked it because there were too many notes to deal with. I started leaning the cello when I was five years old because my mother really loves cello. I still clearly remember when my parents gave me my first cello as a Christmas Present. Though there are many people who supported and helped me become a musician, meeting professor Laurence Lesser was the turning point of my life; without him, I probably never would have considered studying outside of Japan. We met at the Orford Music Academy, my first ever international summer festival, when I was 12. I did not speak any English at that time, but Mr. Lesser was very patient with me in each lesson. When I came to the states for the first time for high school, he became my private teacher for the following 8 years.  

CB: What are some of the most memorable experiences of your childhood? 

JY: Some of the most memorable experiences of my childhood are playing in snow with my yellow lab in the winter and catching butterflies and dragonflies in the summer on a hill just behind my house in Japan. There were not many children around my age in my neighborhood at that time, but I never felt lonely because I was completely enamored by nature. My name is spelled Joinatsuru in Japan, but it is spelled "Naturu Joy" in Canada where I was born. My father named me "Naturu" after the great nature that is so special in Canada. It seems that in my case, my name truly does reflect my nature (excuse the pun!).

CB: You have obviously accomplished a lot already, playing chamber music, as a soloist, and developing your own voice. And where would you like to be in 5 or 10 years? What would you like to be doing, or where?

JY: My dream job is playing year-round in a professional opera orchestra. 

CB: Which other activities do you enjoy, outside music?

JY: When I am in the states, I would have to say that cooking is my favorite and most dedicated hobby. However, when I am in Japan, my absolute favorite activity is visiting Japan's many hot springs. 

CB: What would you recommend to a young musician starting out? What is some good advice for someone who would like to become a professional musician?

JY: Whenever you feel like you have explored all the great music in the world, keep searching for more. There is so much to experience as a musician outside of the confines of the practice room. All of this experience contributes to who we are a as a musician and expanding your horizons into other genres and performance mediums will only serve to nurture your connection to music. Also, practicing should never feel like a chore. Even though it is undeniable how much we enjoy playing our instruments so much, sometimes we need a break from practicing. Go ahead and take that break!

CB: It's been really wonderful to have the chance to know more about you and your upbringing. Thank you for sharing your wonderful talent and dedication with your audience, and I very much look forward to our performance together!

JY: Thank you for giving me such a wonderful opportunity to play with you and your orchestra and also to talk about myself. I am very excited to meet everyone in the orchestra and in the community! 

BIOGRAPHY
Canadian-Japanese cellist Joy Yanai began taking cello lessons at the age of five in Japan before attending Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, MA under the tutelage of distinguished pedagogue Laurence Lesser. She continued her studies in Boston at the New England Conservatory of Music completed B.M. and M.M. degrees, as well as a Graduate Diploma studying with Paul Katz and Lluís Claret.

In 2011 she actively joined the Earthquake and Tsunami relief efforts for Japan both with solo recitals in the affected regions and with fundraising performances in collaboration with Kim Kashkashian, Paul Biss, Laurence Lesser, and Masuko Ushioda. She participated in such international music festivals as Pacific Music Festival, Seiji Ozawa Music Academy Opera Project and Ozawa International Chamber Music Academy.

She actively performs with A Far Cry, Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, Phoenix Orchestra, and Eureka Ensemble. She will be performing as a Festival Artist at the Mellon Music Festival in Davis, CA in May 2019.

Christian Baldini in Conversation with Marta Lambertini

While I am getting ready to conduct the world premiere of Marta Lambertini's Angel apasionado II in Sacramento, California, I have the pleasure of asking Marta some important questions about her music. Here is the transcript from our interview (in English first, and then the original, in Spanish.) [para la entrevista original, completa, en castellano, vea más abajo]

Christian Baldini: Your music always has some kind of mystery around it. It is really like poetry painted somewhere in the music. The Angel apasionado II has much of this mystery, with sections seeming to be building into a climax, to suddenly turn a corner and go somewhere else. What can you tell us about that?

Marta Lambertini: I think you are right. In the case of Angel apasionado II I try to represent Mozart's mystery, and that is why these depths that stem from his string quartet "The Hunt" are always latent, but they never quite become evident fully. I try to show them, and to "unbury" these depths from the quartet, which in its surface shows a kind and gentle character. Measure 45 represents the 2nd part of the theme, revealed in all its dramatic strength. That is why this section must be performed in the softest possible way, as if it was coming from a different place, in which more than hearing it, you must guess it! So I wrote ppp (triple pianissimo), and I thought it would be too exaggerated to use more then 3 ppp, but if it was up to me, it could have thousands. I like for music to be guessed more then listened to.

CB: You have written many operas, and one could say you are a composer with a great dramatic streak, but also with a kind of sense of humor very few times seen in the musical environment. How would you describe your relationship with humor in your own works?


ML: Well, this is a difficult question. I consider myself a person with a good sense of humor. It is a feature that all of us in my family share: cousins, uncles, nephews, etc. It is kind of a defensive sensitivity, if you will. I think that it undoubtedly translates into music. But hold on, it is not the kind of humor that makes fun of just anything, sometimes in order to keep your sense of humor you must have a very serious face. I would define it with a more just word: absurdity. That is why I love Lewis Carroll, and my Alicias (Alices). The fact of maintaining a serious discussion on linguistics with an egg that seems to know a lot on the subject, or with a very philosophical caterpillar, completely exceeds every expectation about the absurd. In this place I choose to live.


CB: What is more important to you, opera or symphonic music? It is a difficult question. Perhaps there is no order of preference, but rather possibly priorities, or desires at different times in life.


ML: It is exactly like you say, just a matter of priorities. Or opportunities. There are themes or topics that lend themselves to a lyrical development, to a theatrical representation. There are also steps in-between, like musical theatre, which is very suitable to the chamber music genre. I name my works. There are other composers who are more austere or which have a narrower reach than me, and they call their works sonata, symphony, prelude. Instead, I like to give them an original name: it is a gift that I give the listeners, to give them a slight inkling, an idea about the content of what they are about to listen to. When you don't have a libretto, but just an idea, you write symphonic music. In my case, works like "Galileo descubre las cuatro lunas de Júpiter" (Galileo discovers Jupiter's four moons) or "Antígona", represent more than just an idea about the character. There is no narrative, but just ideas. I don't have preferences, but needs.


CB: Which are your favorite composers? And what would you recommend to people who might say that they don't like contemporary music (and who possibly have not listened to much of it)?


ML: Obviously Mozart. He is at the top of the peak. But he's not the only one. From past centuries I could mention so many composers that they would not fit here. And from this century I am still filtering. Nonetheless, the most contemporary one remains Mozart. With regards to the second question, I would tell people to try to come closer slowly, to assimilate gradually the multiple languages that we are using. I always say that one is what one eats, and if they eat a little bit more contemporary dessert, they will look a bit chubbier and prettier. Obviously, people prefer music that is well known, they always want the same tale, like children that go to sleep and ask their mom or dad to read them for the 11th time "Cinderella", and if daddy says that he would like to read a new tale that he just bought, the child will still want "Cinderella." That is the moment when the father needs to seduce the child to incorporate in their imagination a brand new tale. Old shoes are always more comfortable even if the newer ones are catchier to the eye.


CB: I thank you so very much for your time and for sharing your knowledge and so many experiences with is. I am very excited to present your beautiful music in Sacramento, and to share it with our audiences!


ML: And I am very proud that it will be you who will be conducting it for the first time.

Marta Lambertini

Marta Lambertini was born in San Isidro (Buenos Aires, Argentina). She studied composition in the School of Music of the Catholic University of Argentina with Luis Gianneo, Roberto Caamaño and Gerardo Gandini.She taught at the National University of La Plata, National Conservatory of Argentina, School of Fine Arts in Quilmes, and the School of Music of the Catholic University of Argentina, where she also served as Dean and Full Professor.She is a member of the National Academy of Fine Arts. She has received multiple prizes, including the 1st Prize in the National Music Award, the City of Buenos Aires Music Prize, Career Prize APA in 1972 and 1975, and the Konex Award (1999).She has been a jury member in international composition competitions in Brazil and Argentina.She is the author of the book "Gerardo Gandini, music fiction". She was nominated for Opera Theatres of the World for her opera "Cinderella", and for the Clarín Award as the most important figure in classical music.Her output includes diverse instrumental and vocal genres. Her operas "Alice in Wonderland" (1989), "S.M.R. Bach" (1990), "Hildegard" (2002), "Cinderella" (2006) and multiple symphonic and chamber works are worth mentioning. 

[the original interview in Spanish follows]

ENTREVISTA ORIGINAL (en castellano)

Christian Baldini: Tu música siempre tiene algo de misterio. Es realmente como poesía pintada en la música. El Angel apasionado II tiene mucho de este misterio, de secciones que parecen construir un climax y luego van hacia otro lado. Que nos podes decir al respecto? 

Marta Lambertini: Creo que tenés razón. En el caso de Ángel apasionado II  trato de representar el misterio Mozart, por eso surgen esas profundidades que están latentes en el cuarteto La caza, pero que no se manifiestan. Trato de mostrarlas, de desenterrarlas de las profundidades del cuarteto, que en su superficie muestra un carácter amable. El compás 45 representa la 2ª parte del tema, revelada en todo su dramatismo. Por eso debe tocarse todo ese segmento de la forma más piano posible, casi como si fuera algo que viene de otro lugar, remoto, que más que oírse se adivina¡ppppp! ahí puse ppp, me pareció una exageración gráfica ponerle más de tres, pero por mí podría tener miles. Me encanta la idea de que la música se adivine, más que escucharse.

CB: Has escrito varias operas, uno podría decir que sos una compositora con una gran veta dramática, pero también con un sentido del humor poca veces visto en el ambiente musical. Como describirías tu relación con la humorada dentro de tus obras?

ML: Bueno, difícil pregunta. Me considero una persona con sentido del humor. Es un rasgo que tenemos todos sin excepción en mi familia: primos, tíos, sobrinos etc. Es un tipo de sensibilidad defensiva, si se quiere. Creo que inevitablemente se traslada a la música. Pero ojo, no es un humor que se ríe de cualquier cosa, a veces para conservar el sentido del humor hay que poner la cara muy seria. Yo te lo definiría con otra palabra más justa: absurdo. De ahí mi amor por Lewis Carroll, mis Alicias. El hecho de poder mantener una seria discusión sobre lingüística con un huevo que parece saber mucho del tema, o con una muy filosófica oruga, rebasa toda expectativa sobre el absurdo. En ese lugar elijo vivir.

CB: Que te resulta mas importante, la opera o la música sinfónica? Es una pregunta difícil. Tal vez no haya un orden de preferencia, pero posiblemente prioridades, o deseos en distintos momentos de la vida.

ML: Tal como decís, a veces es cuestión de prioridades. O de oportunidades. Hay temas que se prestan a un desarrollo lírico, a una representación teatral. Hay también pasos intermedios, como el teatro musical, que se presta más bien al género de cámara. Yo le pongo nombre a las obras. Hay otros compositores más sobrios y menos desparramados que yo, que llaman a sus obras sonata, sinfonía, preludio. a mí en cambio me gusta ponerles nombre: es un regalo que se le hace al oyente para darle un atisbo mínimo, una orientación sobre el contenido de lo que van a escuchar. Cuando no tenés un libreto, sino solamente una idea, hacés música sinfónica. En mi caso, obras como Galileo Descubre las cuatro lunas de Júpiter o Antígona, representan más que nada una idea sobre el personaje, no hay ningún relato, solo ideas. No tengo preferencias, sino necesidades.

CB: Cuales son tus compositores preferidos? Y que le recomenderías a la gente que dice que no le gusta la música contemporánea (y que posiblemente no ha escuchado mucha)?

ML: Obviamente, Mozart. Está en la cima. Pero no es el único, de los de siglos pasados puedo mencionar tantos que no cabrían aquí. Y de este siglo estoy filtrando todavía. Igual el más contemporáneo sigue siendo Mozart. Con respecto a la segunda pregunta, le diría a la gente que trate de acercarse lentamente para asimilar poco a poco los múltiples lenguajes que estamos usando. Siempre les digo que uno es lo que come, y si comen un poquito más de postre contemporáneo, van a estar más gorditos y más lindos. Claro, la gente prefiere la música más conocida, quiere siempre el mismo cuento, como los chicos que se van a dormir y le piden al papá o a la mamá que le lean por enésima vez La Cenicienta, y si el papá le dice que tiene uno nuevo que le acaba de comprar, el chico sigue prefiriendo La Cenicienta. Ahí es donde papá necesita seducir al chico para que incorpore en su imaginario un cuentito nuevo. Siempre son más cómodos los zapatos viejos aunque los nuevos sean más vistosos.

CB: Te agradezco muchísimo por tu tiempo y por compartir tu sabiduría y tantas experiencias con nosotros. Estoy ansioso por presentar tu hermosa música en Sacramento y compartirla con nuestro publico.

ML: Y yo muy orgullosa de que seas vos quien por primera vez la dirige.

Christian Baldini conducting the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra

Christian Baldini has conducted opera for English National Opera, Teatro Colón (Buenos Aires), Aldeburgh Festival, and as Music Director of the Mondavi Center's Rising Stars of Opera, in collaboration with the San Francisco Opera. He has been a guest conductor of important orchestras such as the San Francisco Symphony, Munich Radio Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfónica do Porto (Casa de Música), Buenos Aires Philharmonic, Chilean Chamber Orchestra, among others. His CD recording "Mozart: Arias and Overtures" conducting the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and soprano Elizabeth Watts gathered multiple accolades such as the BBC Classical Music Magazine Recording of the Month, Classic FM CD of the Week, and 5- and 4-star reviews from the specialized media including Gramophone, Sinfini, The Guardian, etc. He's the Barbara K. Jackson Professor of Orchestral Conducting at the University of California, Davis, and the Music Director of the Camellia Symphony Orchestra. He is also a published composer, and his works have been performed all over the world by the Daegu Chamber Orchestra (South Korea), Memphis Syphony Orchestra, Orchestre National de Lorraine (France), New York New Music Ensemble, Munich Radio Orchestra, etc. He is fortunate to count Marta Lambertini as one of his main composition teachers.