Carrie Hennessey in Conversation with Christian Baldini

On November 9, the Camellia Symphony Orchestra will present Ein deutsches Requiem by Johannes Brahms. Below is an interview with our soprano soloist, Carrie Hennessey:

Christian Baldini: 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? 

Carrie Hennessey: 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!

CB: Besides the obvious soprano solo movement "Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit", what are some of your favorite moments in this piece?

CH: Movement IV, Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen 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 .


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?

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.


CB: Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful gifts with us, we very much look forward to the performance!

CH: Christian, thank you so much! I look forward to our time together with Brahms!

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. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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”.

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.

Soloist Profile: Parker van Ostrand in Conversation with Christian Baldini

On May 25, Parker Van Ostrand will perform the Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra. This talented young man has already achieved lots of things, and I enjoyed myself enormously talking to him and finding out more about his interests. Below is our interview.

Christian Baldini: Parker, at such a young age, you've already accomplished a lot. Please tell us how you started with the piano, and how did you become interested in it? And share with us any anecdotes and/or whether you were ever interested in other instruments as well.

Parker Van Ostrand: I started playing the piano when I was four years old. My mom played the cello and went to music school. I asked to learn play the piano when I was three years old after seeing a children’s book with a small keyboard on the cover. A year later my parents bought me an old upright piano. Seeing how much I loved to play the piano they decided to buy me a grand piano a few months later.

CB: Which other activities do you enjoy outside music?

PVO: Besides playing the piano, I love long distance running. I’ve been running since seventh grade and have been a member of  my high school cross country and track team for two seasons now. On average, we run 7-9 miles everyday. I enjoy being outdoors, doing workouts with my teammates, and running new hiking routes every time we go on vacation. I also enjoy travelling to foreign countries. This past summer I went to Northern Europe and Scandinavia, and I loved seeing the beautiful landscapes of Norway and the architecture of Stockholm and Helsinki. I also enjoy watching horror movies, creating oil paintings, and swimming.

CB: We look forward to featuring you as our soloist for the first movement of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 2. What are some of the features you like the most about this piece?

PVO: To those that do not know Beethoven very well, this concerto is actually the first piano concerto he wrote, even though it’s titled piano concerto No. 2. One feature I really like about this piece is that it is filled with contrasting characters, from playful to lyrical to very mysterious. It’s written in a style very similar to that of Mozart, with some elements of Beethoven’s later works still present. For example, when the piano first enters, the character is so charming and playful, a character that is rarely found in the later works of Beethoven. However, some of the parts in this concerto, such as the end of the cadenza, foreshadow the later styles of Beethoven’s music, often much darker with more drama.

CB: What is a day like in the life of Parker? How many hours do you practice, and how do you balance your music with school activities, and everything else?

PVO: On the weekdays, I practice around two hours every night, after track or cross country practice. As a member of my school’s cross country and track team, we practice every day after school year round for two hours except for December. I also participate in my school’s (McClatchy) Mathletes club, and we meet twice a month to prepare for monthly competitions held at different schools in the Sacramento area. On most weekends, I practice three to four hours a day. During the track and cross country season, we have meets almost every Saturday. During the springtime, I participate in several piano competitions that are both local and further away, such as the Bay Area or San Jose. I also volunteer on Saturdays at the McKinley Rose Garden, where I have painted many oil paintings.

In order to balance my music with school and other extracurricular activities I have learned to manage my time efficiently. I try to complete my homework as much as I can during class time and not procrastinate on projects/term papers.

CB: Why is music important to you?

PVO: Music is one of the most powerful ways in which I can create many different varieties of emotions and  feelings, tell stories, and develop characters. Playing music is very impactful and moving for me, and my goal is always to do the same for the audience. When I play music,  I focus on bringing each note to life. The notes come together to tell a unique story full of emotions and meanings. I love playing music for others, whether it is for a large audience, a family member, my classmates, or the residents of a nursing home. The emotions in the music I play vary from joy and triumph, love and passion, to tragedy and despair.  It is through these shared emotions that I can connect with my audience and allow them to feel the music I am performing.

CB: Where would you like to see yourself in ten years?

PVO: I want to continue playing the piano and pursue a career related to music, whether it is teaching piano, performing, or both. I greatly enjoy sharing the music I learn with others and I want to be able to continue playing for audiences for as long as I can. I also want to continue pursuing my education, specifically in a science-related field. One of my greatest interests is biology and the human body, so I would also love to find a career in the medical field or scientific research.

CB: Thank you very much for your time, and we look forward to introducing our audiences to you soon!

PVO: Thank you! I am looking forward to performing with your orchestra! Thank you for the opportunity!

Parker Van Ostrand is a 10th-grader at McClatchy High School in Sacramento. He began studying piano at age four.  At the age of five he performed at Carnegie Hall after winning gold in the AADGT Competition.  He has returned to Carnegie Hall twice and has performed numerous recitals throughout the United States, Singapore, and Japan.  As a concerto competition winner, Parker performed with the Merced Symphony, Central Valley Youth Symphony, Auburn Symphony, and California Youth Symphony.  This past summer, he toured with the California Youth Symphony to the Baltic and Scandinavian countries.  He was invited to perform with the Parnassus Symphony as a guest soloist in 2017.  Recently he won first place at the 2019 Henry and Carol Zeiter Piano Competition, 2019 Celia Mendez Young Pianist’s Beethoven Competition, the 2018 Mondavi Young Artist Competition, 2017 MTAC State Final Concerto Competition, Pacific Musical Society Competition, and the US New Star Etude Competition.  He currently studies with Dr. Natsuki Fukasawa and Ms. Linda Nakagawa.

Besides piano Parker enjoys swimming, painting, building Legos, and learning Japanese.  He runs cross-country and track at his high school.  One of his goals is to run a marathon, in particular the Boston Marathon.  He is also a member of his school Mathlete Club.

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.

Composer Profile: Chris Castro in conversation with Christian Baldini

In preparation for the world premiere performance of his new work "Sing High", written for violinist Er-Gene Kahng and the Camellia Symphony Orchestra, I had the opportunity of asking composer Chris Castro a few questions about his music, the relationship of "concert" music with other genres, and more.

Christian Baldini: Chris, it is such a pleasure to be bringing to life your new piece, especially written for our soloist and our orchestra. You were a member (principal bass) of this orchestra for two seasons. Did that inform the way you would write this piece for them?

Chris Castro: Yes, of course. I was able to play standard repertoire, 20th, and 21st century music with this group. After playing with a group for a few seasons you get an idea for what they like in sound and how much enthusiasm they bring to their performances. A highlight during my tenure with the CSO was Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony. This orchestra, under your baton, has an affinity for dark hued, burnished sounds, which I kept in mind. I am also friends with many of the musicians, and included a brief melody written by the daughter of one of the horn and oboe players in the score. I thought about the orchestra throughout.

CB: You mention that much of your music is informed by other music. Can you develop some more on this concept?

CC: A lot of contemporary music I feel is often written with not necessarily a program, but with extra-musical ideas. A piece could be about climate change, or social justice, etc. While I do not think this is a bad thing I often feel like one of the last composers to hold a torch for 'abstract' music: music dealing with itself. I often think of Gérard Grisey's quote:

"We are musicians and our model is sound not literature, sound not mathematics, sound not theatre, visual arts, quantum physics, geology, astrology or acupuncture."

My friends tease me by calling me a 'repertoire hound' because I love and think about the canon of classical music often and it comes out in my music. In Sing High for example, after the opening chord in the orchestra, four percussive attacks are heard in the woodblock and clave. While I use this motive differently, it is a direct allusion to Beethoven’s Violin Concerto. Just one detail of many veiled references to a wealth of classical and jazz repertoire that I feel I must come to terms with in my own way. My music is 'about' music.

CB: And specifically about this new piece, "Sing High", what would you say to anyone coming to the concert? What can they expect? What would you like them to take away from this performance?

CC: I can only say how I hear the piece; I do not like to tell anyone how to listen to my or any music. It has a Baroque sound to me, as the violin soloist is playing constantly, decorating the orchestral texture. The orchestra plays dark, rich, blurred sonorities mostly out of the way of the soloist. I hear it as a stoic piece, with moments of bizarre humor. It has a large narrative and arc. My music is obsessed with being transitory. A climax may be reached but the energy and momentum will be blurred to push the music forward until its final moments.

CB: Who are some musicians from the past that you wish you had worked with?

CC: What a question! For conductors, I have always admired the recordings of both Pierre Monteux and Otto Klemperer and would have loved to have played under their batons. My old bass teacher, Homer Mensch, said that of all the conductors he played under that Klemperer was the most sensitive to a soloist.

For a teacher, either the famed Nadia Boulanger or her (in my view) jazz counterpart, the great pianist Lennie Tristano. Singing and listening was everything to both of them and I would have loved the first hand experience of being taught how to listen by them.

For performers, I have always loved singers. I would have loved to play bass behind Sarah Vaughan - no one quite like her. I also fantasize about an opportunity for bass players in New York in 1978. After Eddie Gomez left Bill Evans trio Evans held auditions with the drummer Philly Joe Jones. The audition was to go to the Village Vanguard and sit in with those two. Can you imagine? The most coveted bass player seat in the history of jazz, open for all who dared. People like George Mraz and Rufus Reid tried out etc. I would have loved to have played just a single root for the greatest pianist ever.

CB: Your background as a performer is vast. You've played in orchestra for many years, including concerts with some wonderful conductors while at Juilliard or Tanglewood. Can you tell us some of the most memorable experiences you've had?

CC: I am very fortunate to have worked with some great conductors. A lot of the concerts stick out (like Das Lied von der Erde with Michael Tilson Thomas, Anne Sofie von Otter, and Gregory Kunde) but there are two rehearsals that still resonate with me. I'll never forget having Yannick Nézet-Séguin stop a rehearsal of Ravel's Daphnis et Chloe and grab the meaty part of his forearm and whisper to the orchestra "This is music of the flesh...." That gesture changed the entire string sound. I couldn't believe the color change. 

All conductors have heard the Richard Strauss quote "Never look encouragingly at the brass...." The late great James DePreist was leading us in a rehearsal of Strauss's Ein Heldenleben, specifically the brass heavy "Battle Scene." He stopped us, asked the brass not to play but to listen to the intense string passages underneath them. Afterwards he rhetorically asked "Did you know all of that was going on?" DePreist was all about respect for everyone, such an egoless man, and he wanted the brass to be aware that we were all sweating, trying to keep up with their tremendous sound. Every string player was thrilled. 

CB: And how about your background playing jazz or other kinds of music? When did you become interested in this, and how has it affected your compositions?

CC: The unfortunate thing about being a classically trained double bassist is the lack of chamber music repertoire one gets to take part in. Maybe you get called to play the “Trout” Quintet every few years but that is about it. I love playing with orchestras, but I really wanted to play chamber music, to have an equal say in a group, not just have conductors mold our sound. I came to jazz late, after hearing the Miles Davis and Gil Evans "Porgy and Bess" album. After that I needed to play it, and it really filled the void of chamber music for me. I was an equal member of a small group, able to voice my opinions, either through rehearsals or the way I was playing. 

Jazz has a subtle effect on my compositions in terms of the sound, but the structure can be deliberately similar. I have a series of pieces (Choruses I - IV) that are based heavily on the formal structures of specific jazz standards. They do not, however, sound jazzy or jazz influenced. I would not consider them genre-bending or hybrids, it is simply my music being "about" other music. That being said, I do believe that jazz and jazz standards have given the 20th century a new lease on harmony, which forever obsesses me. I consider myself a harmonic composer. If I am stuck in a composition of my own I do one of two things: play a Bach chorale or a song by Rodgers & Hart.

CB: Tell us about your background and growing up in New York. How did you start learning the bass, and when did you realize it would be your career?

CC: Both of my parents were born and still live in Brooklyn, New York. It seems like a dying thing now but my elementary school had a strings program. In the 2nd grade every student started the violin. In the 3rd grade you were allowed to choose among the  violin, mandolin, cello, xylophone, and double bass. Everyone gravitated towards the mandolin and xylophone, and to be honest I felt very sad that the bass was being ignored, so I decided to try it out. My parents pushed and pushed me to practice against my will for years, driving me to rehearsals and lessons. When I was 14, after playing bass for 6 years, an orchestra I was in began rehearsing Prokofiev's 5th Symphony. That's all it took. I had no idea music could sound like that. With that piece I was either fighting back tears or trying not to drop my bass from laughter. I still am. After that I was sold on music. I have to give full credit to my parents for driving me all around New York against my will. I love them deeply.

CB: Wow. That is such a powerful and beautiful way to have realized how important music was to you! Are there any tips, or any advice you'd like to give to any aspiring young musician starting off, or considering taking music seriously?

CC: You have to love to listen. Listening is hard. You have to practice how to listen. I mean that. It is not a natural trait. Listen deeply. Listen often. Listen to something new once a week. I have often heard writers say if you want to be a better writer you just have to read. Same thing applies. Learn to listen to the way you play. Practicing means nothing if you are not listening to yourself. Practice slowly. Listen slowly. Listen, listen, listen.

CB: Thank you very much for your time, and for sharing your incredible talent with us. We very much look forward to sharing your beautiful music with our audience here in Sacramento!

CC: Thank you so much for great questions, and for leading such a great group. It has been my pleasure.

Composer Chris Castro - Photo by Justin Han, Copyright UC Regents

Chris Castro is a composer and double bassist. He has a Ph.D. in Composition and Theory from UC Davis and a Bachelor's in Music from The Juilliard School in both double bass and composition. His compositions include a work for the St. Louis Symphony and David Robertson, a piano duo for the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, and a love song to drunkenness, Brooklyn Narcissus, a song cycle for soprano and chamber orchestra. He currently lectures at UC Davis and Sacramento State University. He is also head brewer at Pals Brewin'.