Alina Kobialka in Conversation with Christian Baldini

Alina Kobialka is a remarkable violinist that I have known for a long time, and she has been a regular collaborator for me on several violin concertos. We sat down to discuss her upcoming performance of Bruch's Scottish Fantasy, which she will perform as our soloist with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra in Sacramento on December 7, 2024. Below is our exchange:

Christian Baldini: Alina, what a pleasure it is to collaborate with you again! It has been a while since the first time we met, and since the first time we performed together. You were probably 12 or 13 years old the first time I heard you play. Tell me, what are some of your favorite moments and musical gestures in the Scottish Fantasy, and why? What should people listen for in this piece?

Alina Kobialka: I am thrilled to collaborate with you again with this beautiful piece! It's hard to pick some favorite moments because I love the musical journey of the entire piece. If I had to choose, the very opening of the piece would be one of them, where the orchestra sets up this dream-like atmosphere for the solo violin to enter with a beautiful, quasi-cadenza-like melody. There are also so many other lovely moments in the piece where I get to trade lines with various instruments in the orchestra or even duet together with them. That's something that people can listen for in this piece, along with all the beautiful melodies and harmonies that are created. The harp also plays a great role, so definitely pay attention to that! I love that I get to sing my heart out with this piece, and then it all culminates in the exciting and challenging final movement. I've wanted to play this piece for a long time, and I am delighted that I finally get to! 

CB: A lot has happened since you and I first met. Now you are a tenured member of the New York Philharmonic, still at a remarkably young age! Tell me, how have the last couple of years been? What can you share about being a member of the NY Phil and working every week with wonderful soloists and conductors? What are some of your favorite memories?

AK: I feel incredibly lucky to be a member of the NY Phil. I have amazing colleagues, and it's so joyful and inspiring for me to play with them week after week. I am always learning from them and continuously motivated to improve myself to be the best musician and colleague. There is a certain flexibility that is also required from this job, as we are constantly working with many different soloists and conductors, and it's always amazing to me how quickly the orchestra can adjust and adapt. My favorite memories include working with exceptional soloists (I still remember how Emanuel Ax's encore made me cry!) and fantastic conductors who bring a certain energy and fun to the week. I got the chance to play the chamber version of Appalachian Springs with Hilary Hahn, and it was so fun to work with her in a smaller group setting. I also played a mixed-genre concert with Jacob Collier, Chris Thile, and Madison Cunningham, and it was amazing to see the improvisation and communication between those musicians. I could go on and on. It's been a phenomenal two-ish years with the orchestra. 

CB: Being a California girl, and after living in Chicago (for College), and now living in New York, what are some of the main differences you notice? And also, what do you miss the most about California?

AK: The first and most obvious answer that comes to mind is the weather! Going from no seasons to extreme seasons shocked me, and sadly, I still can't confidently walk in the snow. What I love about these cities is that they all have different personalities, and the experience varies from neighborhood to neighborhood. I do miss how accessible nature is in California, especially the beaches and hiking. But I love living in NYC and am lucky to be close to Central Park! 

CB: You have developed wonderful long-term relationships with many musicians, including Donato Cabrera and Michael Tilson Thomas. You and I have also performed several concertos together. What do you notice in these experiences where you know your collaborators so well? Is it quite different from performing with someone for the first time?

AK: I've been so lucky to have many great musical experiences with you all. A certain familiarity comes from collaborating continuously over time, and it can be easier to communicate specific musical ideas you have. It can be different when performing with someone for the first time, as you are familiarizing yourself with the person's style. Still, I've been fortunate to work with many great, flexible musicians who make the experience easy. 

CB: You are also an avid chamber music performer. What are some of your favorite things about performing chamber music?

AK: There is so much fantastic chamber rep, and I always have so much fun performing it. Chamber music has made me a better musician, as I've learned how to listen, communicate, and lead through it. I've also learned so much about timing and phrasing. I love collaborating and performing with other musicians, and I feel so fortunate to be able to play so much chamber music! 

CB: What are some of the next projects that you really look forward to? Also: what are some dreams you have which you may not have realized yet?

AK: I am performing Britten's String Quartet No. 1 with my colleagues in January. I love his music and would love to perform more of his works. Gustavo Dudamel, our incoming music director, is also coming in the spring, so I am incredibly excited about that! I am also passionate about community concerts and giving back, and I am working on putting together some projects with various organizations in NYC. I am currently living the dream, but I always strive to learn, find inspiration, and feel fulfillment, whatever that may mean at specific points in my life. 

CB: Welcome back Alina, and thank you very much for your time. I look forward to featuring your wonderful musicality with our audiences in Sacramento!

AK: I'm so happy to be back and excited to make music with you and Camellia Symphony again! 

Praised for her “beautiful tone, effortless precision, and musical maturity beyond her years,” Chinese-American violinist Alina Kobialka joined the New York Philharmonic in 2022. Hailed as a “jaw-droppingly assured” soloist with a gift for making “present and future converge” (San Francisco Classical Voice), Kobialka’s artistry shines as a collaborator, chamber musician, and soloist. “Watch for her name. She appears to be bound for greatness” (Las Vegas Review-Journal).

Since joining the New York Philharmonic, Kobialka has performed with luminaries such as Hilary Hahn, Yo-Yo Ma, and Emanuel Ax. She frequently appears in the Philharmonic’s Merkin Hall Chamber Series and has toured extensively in Asia, including Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China. In May 2024, she performed with the World Union Orchestra in South Korea alongside members of the New York Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

A three-time artist at the Marlboro Music Festival, Kobialka has collaborated with legendary musicians such as Dame Mitsuko Uchida, Jonathan Biss, and Kim Kashkashian. Her love for cross-genre collaboration has brought her to the stage with Jacob Collier, Chris Thile, and Esperanza Spalding in performances seamlessly blending classical, folk, and jazz elements.

Kobialka is a prizewinner of the 2017 Elmar Oliveira International Violin Competition and a laureate of the 2016 Irving M. Klein International Competition. She also received the Grand Prize at the Mondavi Center National Young Artists Competition.

A San Francisco native, Kobialka made her solo debut at age 14 with the San Francisco Symphony during its 100th Anniversary Concert at Davies Symphony Hall. She has since appeared with the orchestra three times, most recently under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas. Other solo engagements include performances with the Las Vegas Philharmonic, ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, and Asheville Symphony.

Kobialka began her violin studies at age five with Li Lin and later trained at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s preparatory division under Wei He. At 16, she moved to Los Angeles to study at the Colburn School’s Music Academy with Robert Lipsett and Danielle Belen. She earned her master’s degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studied with Ilya Kaler.

Catherine (Shin-Rou) Lin in Conversation with Christian Baldini

On September 28, I will have the pleasure of conducting Brahms' Violin Concerto with Catherine Lin as our soloist with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra in Sacramento. Also on the program are Daniel Godsil's "Cathedral Grove" and Shostakovich's Symphony No. 1. Below is an interview with Catherine. (click here for ticket information)

Christian Baldini: Catherine, welcome, and let's start by talking about Brahms. What do you like the most about this concerto? Why is it special? What should people listen for in this piece?

Catherine Lin: Brahms is definitely one of my favorite violin concertos. It has a lot of beautiful melodies and lines between the solo violin and the orchestra. Why is this piece special? I think the most interesting thing and unusual thing is Brahms gives the orchestra a very strong role and, not just for the soloist. I highly recommend everyone to listen to the sixteen notes from the orchestra part in the first movement and the beautiful melody in the beginning of the second movement. All the themes can also be heard in the orchestra parts too.

CB: Let's talk about your beginnings with music. Growing up in Taiwan, how did you first encounter the violin? Did you play other instruments as well?

CL: First time I saw the violin was when I was three. My brother was practicing on his violin. I saw it and I told my mom I also want to play this instrument and she said, “Ok, only if you decide to make the violin as your career, otherwise you should just play the piano since I’m a piano teacher.” I was very excited and said yes! I will practice every day. Now, I feel very lucky that I made the right choice.

As for other instruments, as I mentioned, my mom is a piano teacher, so she taught me theory, piano and musicianship (like rhythm and solfège). So I know how to play piano and when I was in middle school, I also learned percussion for a year and that was fun!

CB: Who are some of your favorite composers? And favorite violin concertos?

CL: Paganini, Beethoven, and of course, Brahms. I like many violin concertos, such as Tchaikovsky, Sibelius and Glazunov, but if I have to pick one it will still be the Brahms violin concerto.

CB: Have you played a lot of chamber music as well? Is the experience different from playing as a soloist with an orchestra?

CL: Yes, I’ve played a lot! Playing chamber music is very fun, but it’s different from playing with an orchestra. The size of a chamber group is much smaller. Whereas orchestras have strings, winds and percussions. So they have much larger scale. For chamber music, I think discussion is more important than playing; you need to spend time discussing how to create good music and find compatible partners with similar music ideas.

CB: What's a day like for you? How much do you practice? Do you have hobbies? Do you exercise?

CL: I have a pretty busy life doing my schoolwork at San Francisco Conservatory of Music. I usually practice at least 3 to 4 hours on weekdays and practice more on the weekends. I like drawing and working out when I’m free.

CB: What is your advice for your musicians who are starting out? How does one deal with frustrations? How does one stay positive?

CL: listen carefully and practice slowly are my suggestions. Usually when I feel frustrated, I would find something I like to do like talking to friends or do something I enjoy to do like painting or playing with my cats.

CB: Thank you for your time Catherine, I look forward to making music with you!

CL: Thank you, Maestro for inviting me to play with you and this amazing orchestra!

Catherine Lin rehearsing Brahms with Maestro Baldini and the Camellia Symphony Orchestra

Catherine Shin-Rou Lin, 21, was born and raised in Taiwan. She started playing violin when she was four and now she is currently an undergraduate student at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, studying with Professor Chen Zhao.
Catherine has participated in several music festivals, including the Beverly Hills Music Festival, where she played for many professors such as Oleh Krysa, Margaret Batjer, and Tamara Chernyak. She also attended the Round Top Music Festival and the Bowdoin Music Festival these past few years. Additionally, Catherine has taken private lessons with renowned violinists such as Ilya Kaler, Nai-Yuan Hu, Keng-Yuen Tseng, Nancy Zhou, and Danny Tzu-Ti Chang.
In addition to her festival experiences, Catherine had a great time with the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra in 2022, receiving excellent guidance from SF Symphony’s members and conductors.

Salomé Ospina in Conversation with Christian Baldini

On March 17, I will have the pleasure of conducting the Grieg Piano Concerto with Salomé Ospina with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra in Sacramento, as part of our "Rising Stars" concert series. On the same program we will also feature the Sibelius Violin Concerto with Suni Norman. Below is an interview with Salomé:

Christian Baldini: 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?

Salomé Ospina: 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!

CB: You started playing the piano as a young child. Who have been your most important mentors, and why?

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.

CB: What are other works and other composers you love playing,  and why?

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. 

CB: Do you play other instruments? Do you branch out into other music styles besides classical?

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!

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?

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. 

CB: What are your plans for the future? Where would you like to see yourself in ten years?

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. 

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?

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!

CB: Are you fully bilingual? How have languages shaped or influenced you as a person and as a musician?

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. 

CB: Thank you Salomé, I look forward to making music with you and sharing your talents with our audience in Sacramento very soon!

SO: Thank you for this opportunity and for having me!

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.

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. 

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. 

Eric Zivian in Conversation with Christian Baldini

On November 4, 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.

 

Christian Baldini: 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?

Eric Zivian: 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.

 

CB: 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? 

EZ: 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!

 

CB: 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?

EZ: 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^th and 19^th-century music.

 

CB: You also love the music of Brahms, and of Ligeti. What attracts you so much to their music, and why?

EZ: 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.

 

CB: As a composer, what are some of your priorities, and/or what do you try to achieve with your own music?

EZ: 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.

 

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?

EZ: 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.

 

CB: Thank you Eric, I am very much looking forward to our performance together!

EZ: Thanks Christian, I can’t wait!

ERIC ZIVIAN

 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.

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.

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.

 

Parker van Ostrand in Conversation with Christian Baldini

On September 23, I will have the pleasure of conducting Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3 with the wonderful young pianist Parker van Ostrand. 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. Below is an interview with Parker.

 
Christian Baldini: 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?


Parker van Ostrand: 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!

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?

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.

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?

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.


CB: When I interviewed you back in 2019, 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?

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.



CB: Tell us about your education and your main mentors since you finished high school.

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.


CB: Lastly: what are some of the things (anything) that interest you the most outside music?

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.



CB: Thank you very much for your time. I look forward to sharing your wonderful artistry with our audience members.


PvO: Thank you! Looking forward.

Parker Van Ostrand currently studies at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music with Garrick Ohlsson and Yoshikazu Nagai.

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.

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.

Parker is from Sacramento, CA, and previously studied with Linda Nakagawa, Natsuki Fukasawa, Sarah Chan, and Jon Nakamatsu. 

Meredith Clark in Conversation with Christian Baldini

On April 30 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.

Christian Baldini: 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!)

Meredith Clark: 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. 

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?

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.

CB: How were your beginnings with music? Did you start on the piano, the harp, or something else?

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!

CB: What are some of the wonderful unique features of the harp? What made you fall in love with it?

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. 

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?

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.

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!

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! 

Meredith Clark (courtesy photo)

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. 

 

Composer & Soloist Profile: Xavier Beteta in Conversation with Christian Baldini

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On April 27, our program "Exuberant Energy" with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra will feature works by Gabriela Lena Frank, Xavier Beteta and Mozart. Below is an interview with pianist and composer Xavier Beteta.

Christian Baldini: Xavier, it is a pleasure to feature the US premiere of your Piano Concerto "Tomás de Merlo" in Sacramento with you as our soloist. You performed the world premiere of this piece a few months ago in Guatemala, your home country. What can you tell us about the genesis of this piece, and your inspiration in the painter Tomás de Merlo and his stolen paintings?

Xavier Beteta: First, thank you Christian for the invitation to perform with the Camellia Symphony and for featuring the US premiere of my piano concerto. The concerto is inspired by three paintings by XVII century Guatemalan painter Tomás de Merlo. De Merlo was one of the most important colonial painters with a distilled and very original style. In his paintings some characters have “mestizo” and indigenous features, thus, representing the traditional Christian themes in the entourage of the New World. In 2014, six of his paintings were stolen from thechurch “El Calvario” in Antigua Guatemala. When I read the news, I felt frustrated and was confronted with the impossibility of doing something about it, thus, I decided to write a piece of music that somehow could connect with these paintings. I chose three of the stolen paintings, “The Prayer in the Garden, “The Pietá” and “The Crowning with Thorns,” which depict scenes of the passion of Christ. To write this piece I requested high resolution pictures of the paintings and used them to improvise at the piano. Each movement comes from a process of first improvising and recording musical ideas at the piano, and later giving it final form as a three-movement concerto. The plundering of colonial art in Guatemala is a raising problem. While in law school, one of my research topics was precisely the protection of cultural heritage and I wrote a paper about the different international conventions that protect colonial art. I hope writing a piece of music about this topic could help create awareness of this problem, and hopefully inspire authorities to do more to protect the artistic treasures of different countries.

CB: And how was your experience performing it with the National Symphony in your own country? After living in the US for pretty much half of your life, how does it feel to go back to your origins and share everything you've learned as an artist, composer and pianist with your community?

XB: It was a rewarding experience. I think a lot of good and interesting things are happening musically in Guatemala, there is a new generation of young talents willing to perform contemporary music. While in Guatemala this past November, I had the opportunity to teach some master classes and give a talk about my aesthetics as a composer. I was also able to reconnect with friends and students and to talk about possible projects for the future. Regarding the premiere of my piano concerto, I think it was well received. The main figures of the musical and artistic scene in Guatemala were there that night. It was a memorable concert because it also had first performances of works by Manuel Martinez-Sobral and Ricardo Castillo, two Guatemalan composers of the early 20^th century that are rarely heard. Thus, in a way, it was a concert that opened horizons to perform more Guatemalan repertoire. 

CB: Tell us about important figures that have inspired you in your education and training. Who are those people that you will always be grateful to, and why?

XB: I would mention three, my piano teachers Sylvia Kersenbaum and Sergei Polusmiak and my first composition teacher Rodrigo Asturias. Kersenbaum was a teacher that knew basically all the pianistic repertoire by heart, and I was fortunate to meet her at a time in my studies where I needed to develop technique and a sense of originality. Polusmiak studied with Regina Horowitz (sister of Vladimir) and through him I learned the basics of the Russian school of piano: the importance of good sound, impeccable technique, and musical expression. My composition professor Rodrigo Asturias was probably the most influential. I was his only composition student, and he taught me composition because he believed in me. He introduced me to a lot of contemporary music but also, to literature and philosophy. Our meetings were full of discussions of Proust, Musil, Mallarmé, Celine, and many others, and lots of listening of the main masterpieces of the 20^th century. He introduced me not only to the main figures like Boulez or Stockhausen, but also to figures like Bernd Alois Zimmerman, Koechlin, and Jolivet. He set a good example for me.

Now that time has passed and I look back, I can see that, in the three of them, there was, above all, a deep humbleness, and that’s what I admire the most in them. I think the greatest an artist is, the humbler he or she becomes because they are conscious of how long the road is. I think that sense of humility is something we don’t see anymore, especially nowadays where facebook and the social media outlets have created a culture of egocentrism.    

CB: In your opinion, what is the role of art in society nowadays? We keep hearing or reading these dark comments that classical music audiences are aging, do you believe in this, and if so, what should or could be done to reverse this trend and invigorate our audiences?

XB: I believe the role of art in society should always be that of questioning and formulating critique. It is in art where we first sense the ethos of a time and a culture, thus, it is extremely important to create new art, and also propose new trends that can formulate a critique to the current discourses, always informed with a sense of tradition and what has been done before. True art is not entertainment, it is a window into the transcendent and points toward the deepest nature of humanity.

Regarding the dark comments you mention, I believe good music will continue to be done and people who appreciate good music will continue to ask for it. So, I think there will always be people interested in classical music, but it is true that audiences are shrinking. Changing this is not an easy task, but a good start could be to learn “how to feel.”

CB: Thank you for your time and for your very interesting answers, we look forward to featuring you both as a composer and our soloist for our upcoming concert!

XB: Thank you Christian, it is a pleasure to collaborate with you.

Xavier Beteta (composer and pianist)

Born in Guatemala City, Xavier studied piano at the National Conservatory of Guatemala with Consuelo Medinilla. At age 18, he was awarded the first-prize at the Augusto Ardenois National Piano Competition and third-prize at the Rafael Alvarez Ovalle Composition Competition in Guatemala. He continued his piano studies in the United States with Argentinean pianist Sylvia Kersenbaum and with Russian pianist Sergei Polusmiak. He also attended master-classes with pianists Massimiliano Damerini and Daniel Rivera in Italy. Xavier has performed in different venues in the United States, Europe and Latin America and has been a soloist with the Guatemalan National Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra Augusto Ardenois.

As a composer, Xavier did most of his studies privately with Rodrigo Asturias. In 2013 he won the Second Place at the fourth International Antonin Dvorak Composition Competition in Prague. Xavier studied music theory at the University of Cincinnati where his thesis about the music of Rodrigo Asturias was ranked no. 4 in the National Best-Seller Dissertation List. He recently finished his Ph.D. in composition at the University of California San Diego with Roger Reynolds.  

At UCSD he also studied with Philippe Manoury and Chinary Ung. His compositions have been performed in diverse festivals such as Festival Musica in Strasbourg, France, Darmstadt Composition Summer Courses in Germany, June in Buffalo, SICPP in Boston, Opera Theater Festival of Lucca, Italy and by ensembles such as Accroche Note, Ensemble Signal, and UCSD Palimpsest.

Xavier also holds a law degree from Salmon P. Chase College of Law and his diverse interests include art law, copyright, poetry, and tango.