Carnegie Hall

Program 1

DEBUSSY Syrinx (3 minutes)
VALERIE COLEMAN Danza de la Mariposa (7 minutes)

Notes for Speaking:

Anytime I hear a work of Valerie’s, without hearing or seeing the title or composer’s name, I instantly know it’s her. Valerie’s music is filled with contrasts that represent the various experiences and histories she’s been inspired by. Danza de la Mariposa is an impression of the diverse species of butterflies in South America and the cultural spaces they inhabit. Imagine what kinds of butterflies you might see passing by as someone sings a Peruvian lament song (Yaravi), featured at the beginning, and the danceable Argentinian concert tango towards the end. Danza de la Mariposa (Dance of the Butterfly), is a piece where butterflies can also symbolize the beauty and inner strength of communities.

Program 2

SHULAMIT RAN East Wind (6 minutes)

POULENC Flute Sonata (4 minutes, 30 seconds)
I. Allegretto malincolico

Notes for Speaking:

When I first worked on the Poulenc sonata, as a student, I did not fully understand the beauty of his work. Describing Poulenc, French music critic Claude Rostand said, “In Poulenc, there is something of the monk and something of the rascal.” The double-tongued passages sound flirtatious and flighty. These sections are contrasted by long lyrical vocal melodies. The mood is familiar, and the musical voice is distinctive. I think this movement embodies the composer’s dynamic personality.

Program 1

BOZZA Fantaisie Pastorale (6 minutes)

ALYSSA MORRIS Collision Etudes (2 minutes, 30 seconds)
II. City Landscapes

Notes for Speaking:

My program today was designed not only to show off the extreme technical and expressive capacities of the oboe, but also to give you an idea of a piece I might use in an educational setting. The Bozza was written as a competition piece, and therefore offers many opportunities to explore virtuosity in every sense of the word—technique, phrasing, tone color, breath control, and range. Alyssa Morris’s City Landscapes is based off a painting of the same name by Joan Mitchell. In a classroom, the work could be used, with or without the painting, to invite students to engage with the sounds and sights of a city as portrayed in music through articulation and rhythm.

Program 2

R. SCHUMANN Three Romances, Op. 94 (3 minutes)
I. Nicht schnell

ALYSSA MORRIS Four Personalities (2 minutes)
IV. Red

JEFFREY AGRELL Blues for DD (3 minutes, 30 seconds)

Notes for Speaking:

I chose my program today not only to provide extreme stylistic contrasts but also to represent three diverse facets of my own personality and life principles. I begin with Robert Schuman’s Romance No. 1, a beautiful, passionate, expressive love song written for his wife. Red from Alyssa Morris’s Four Personalities is powerful and assertive, while Jeffrey Agrell’s Blues for DD—written in a style very unfamiliar to the oboe and on the edge of available technical capacity—represents my own desire to constantly take on new challenges and personal growth.

Program 1

R. SCHUMANN Fantasiestücke, Op. 73 (3 minutes)
I. Zart und mit Ausdruck

ADOLPHUS HAILSTORK Three Smiles for Tracey (1 minute, 30 seconds)
I. Swiftly

C. SCHUMANN Three Romances, Op. 22 (2 minutes, 45 seconds)
II. Allegretto

DENISOV Sonata (2 minutes)
II. Allegro giusto (with a cut in the middle)

Notes for Speaking:

I chose this selection of pieces to present some of my favorite kinds of clarinet playing. The Robert Schumann Fantasiestücke is a work that has been in my repertoire since high school. In playing the first movement, I am always struck by a sense of nostalgia as I am simultaneously drawn back in time and propelled forward with new ideas. I wanted to hear the conversation between the Robert Schumann and the Clara Schumann Romances, a piece that was written just a few years later. The work, like the Fantasy Pieces, translates to many different instrumental pairings with piano. To contrast the lyrical, singing qualities of the Fantasy Piece and the Romance, I chose the first “Smile” from a set of three by the American composer Adolphus Hailstork. A fleeting, delicate work, it provides a short breath of fresh air within the Schumann family. To round out the program, I have the second movement of the Denisov Sonata, a work created to explore the range and technical extremes of the clarinet.

Program 2

UNSUK CHIN Advice from a Caterpillar (5 minutes)

BRAHMS Sonata in E-flat Major, Op. 120, No. 2 (5 minutes)
II. Allegro appassionato

Notes for Speaking:

The piece by Unsuk Chin is from a humorous moment in her opera, Alice in Wonderland, when the bass clarinetist from the orchestra comes on stage dressed as a caterpillar and plays this eight-minute solo to a bewildered Alice. There are words that are meant to be projected alongside the player, the gist of which is the caterpillar asking Alice, who are you? While the first piece is full of questions, the second work on the program is passionate and confident.

Program 1

BRAD BALLIETT Warbling Vireo (5 minutes)

BABBITT Semi-Simple Variations (1 minute, 30 seconds)

ALICE JONES Dark is a way (2 minutes)

CHAD HUGHES Suite (2 minutes)
III. Gigue

Notes for Speaking:

The concept here is an all-solo set that are all transcriptions of other works—birdsong, a work for piano, an open score piece, and a piece for cello. They are all meaningful pieces and hopefully this set also shows adaptability, arranging skills, and imagination.

Program 2

NINA C. YOUNG Fleeting Musings and Restless Pause: A Bassoon Pocket Concerto (7 minutes)

ELLIOT COLE The Sleeping Kronosaurus (2 minutes)

JOSEPH JONES Soliloquy (1 minute, 30 seconds)
II.

Notes for Speaking:

The concept here is all pieces that I personally commissioned that show starkly different sides of the bassoon.

Program 1

DAVIES Sea Eagle (3 minutes)
I.

R. SCHUMANN Fantasiestücke, Op. 73 (arr. Machala) (3 minutes)
II. Lebhaft, leicht

LUCIER Still and Moving Lines of Silence in Families of Hyperbolas for horn and oscillating wave generator (4-minute excerpt)

Notes for Speaking:

I often hear the horn as a voice of solitude, and even as a kid was drawn to this sound which can seem so much “by itself” even within the texture of a larger ensemble. These three pieces each offer different kinds of aloneness: Peter Maxwell Davies’s Sea Eagle mixes a floating detachment with moments of anger and even violence; the second of Robert Schumann’s three Fantasy Pieces (stolen shamelessly from the clarinet repertoire) sounds like a moment spent looking out a window, fondly remembering some bygone thing; and while listeners might initially hear an austere and even forbidding quality in Alvin Lucier’s Still and Moving Lines, upon settling into the piece I find that it becomes a visceral wash of sonic sensation, the kind of listening experience that pulls you out of the world and puts you firmly into your own body, deep into your own immediate experience as fields of sound waves vibrate through and around you in space.

Program 2

FANNY MENDELSSOHN Abschied von Rom (arr. Holt/Kuester) (3 minutes)

NICHOLAS DEYOE 714 Traction Ave, Los Angeles (2-minute excerpt)

R. STRAUSS Horn Concerto No. 2 (5 minutes)
III. Rondo: Allegro molto

Notes for Speaking:

With the first two pieces of this program, I wanted to convey something about how important close collaboration is to me, and how much my joy in playing horn depends upon working with other musicians. The first piece I arranged with pianist Danny Holt when the two of us were brainstorming recital repertoire that might transcend the usual mediocrity of works for horn and piano. He pointed me to this really sweet piano piece Abschied von Rom by Fanny Hensel, and I immediately knew that the melody, with its nostalgic farewell to a beautiful city, would be perfect on horn, and so Danny and I collaborated to make an arrangement that fit both the piano and horn’s voices. The second piece, 714 Traction Ave, was written for me by the LA-based composer Nicholas Deyoe, whose rich musical colors and textures I’ve admired for a long time. Especially since it includes sung material, Nick and I had to be in close touch not only about what I can (and can’t!) do on horn but also what my particular voice is capable of. The result is a quiet and fussily virtuosic piece that plays around with a muted kaleidoscope of covered timbres on the horn. And Strauss’s Second Horn Concerto? This falls outside my theme of close collaborations, but hopefully this musical weirdo can be forgiven if she still likes to have a good E-flat major rollick from time to time.

Program 1

HONEGGER Intrada (4 minutes)

HENZE Sonatina (3 minutes)
Toccata
Canzona

SOFIA GUBAIDULINA Songs Without Words (2 minutes)

Notes for Speaking:

I love starting off with Honegger; it shows off so much of what the trumpet does well—power, cantabile, and agility. With Honegger there’s always something exciting to find in every line and phrase. Henze is such a fascinating composer with a complicated history growing up in Germany and eventually fled to Italy because of his political views and being gay in Germany at that time. His Sonatina is so angular and wild in the first movement and then contrasted with such a beautiful, muted questioning second movement, really allows for the soloist to express oneself through this short piece. After the complexity of Henze, ending with the Song Without Words allows for a reflective moment to enjoy the beauty of the piece and breathe.

Program 2

HAYDN Trumpet Concerto in E-flat Major (3 minutes)
I. Allegro (exposition and cadenza)

TAKEMITSU Paths (4-minute excerpt)

R. STRAUSS Allerseelen (2 minutes)

Notes for Speaking:

I would talk about Haydn being a witty conversation between soloist and orchestra, Takemitsu’s Paths being a conversation between open and muted trumpet, and finishing with the Strauss as a representation of my own voice. Allerseelen is a piece on my trumpet journey that showed me the trumpet voice I wanted to develop.

Program 1

PERSICHETTI Parable (3 minutes)
Beginning–Tempo 1 on pg. 3

HORACIO FERNÁNDEZ Suite Latino-Americana (3 minutes)
Salsa, Beginning–E

DAI FUJIKURA Deliquesce (3 minutes)
mm. 25–92

Notes for Speaking:

This program features works by two young international composers, in addition to a frequently performed unaccompanied work by the American composer Vincent Persichetti. Whenever I have the opportunity to present a program, it is one of my goals to highlight composers with diverse and global perspectives, in addition to championing works that are underrepresented on concert programs. My program begins with a staple of unaccompanied trombone repertoire (Parable for solo trombone by Vincent Persichetti) and ends with a work that I believe is a new and significant contribution to trombone repertoire (Deliquesce by Dai Fujikura). Both works explore their expressive palette of trombone in different ways. Persichetti’s work combines leaping melodies and zig zagging rhythmic interjections to create a dramatic arc, while Fujikura uses the expressive possibilities of glissandi that are narrow in range to illustrate the idea of something melting or dissolving.

The third piece I will be performing, which is placed in the middle of these two works, is a piece by the Mexican composer Horacio Fernández. This piece was not written for trombone; it was originally written for guitar and flute, but when I first heard it I loved the melody so much that I contacted Horacio and we collaborated on creating a version for trombone. Horacio’s music cleverly straddles popular and traditional forms, and I enjoy playing this work because there are very few works for trombone written in this style.

Program 2

DEBUSSY Syrinx (Arr. Ralph Sauer) (3 minutes, 30 seconds)

RABE Basta (4 minutes, 30 seconds)

J. S. BACH Cello Suite No. 4 in E-flat Major (2 minutes, 30 seconds)
IV. Sarabande

Notes for Speaking:

I chose this program because it explores both ends of the dramatic spectrum for trombone: melodious and lyrical to dramatic and aggressive. As a young trombonist, I was inspired by the beautiful lyrical playing that is a trademark of Tommy Dorsey, and I love playing Syrinx because it gives me an opportunity to channel that inspiration. The second piece on the program is one that has been a staple in my repertoire for years: Basta. I love performing this piece as if it is a dramatic monologue—really leaning into the extremes of dynamics and articulation. One of my favorite things to play on trombone are Bach cello suites. The Sarabande from the Fourth Cello Suite is one of my favorites—I always come back to it when I need a little musical inspiration.

Program 1

EUGENE NOVOTNEY A Minute of News (1 minute)
(snare drum)

JOSEPH PEREIRA Word of Mouth (4-minute excerpt)
(multiple percussion)

FRANCO DONATONI Omar (5 minutes)
I.
(vibraphone)

J. S. BACH Solo Violin Sonata No. 1 in G minor (4 minutes)
IV. Presto
(marimba)

Notes for Speaking:

• Use of theme throughout the musical example
• How each composer uses harmony

Program 2

DELÉCLUSE Test-Claire (2 minutes)
(snare drum)

ECKHARD KOPETZKI Canned Heat (5 minutes)
(multiple percussion)

ANDREW THOMAS Merlin (4-minute excerpt)
II.
(marimba)

KREISLER Tambourin Chinois (4 minutes)
(marimba)

Notes for Speaking:

• Rhythmic motifs used throughout the compositions
• How each composer tells a story throughout the musical example

Program 1

CHOPIN Mazurka in A Minor, Op. 59, No. 1 (2 minutes)
mm. 1–90

BEACH Fantasia Fugata, Op. 87 (4 minutes)
mm. 1–92

RAVEL Miroirs (3 minutes)
Une barque sur l’océan, mm. 1–60

Program 2

BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata in A-flat Major, Op. 110 (2 minutes)
I. Moderato cantabile e molto espressivo, mm. 1–37

UNSUK CHIN Piano Etude No. 2, “Sequenzen” (3 minutes, 30 seconds)

SCRIABIN Piano Sonata No. 5, Op. 53 (4 minutes)
mm. 1–165

Notes for Speaking:

This program features three pieces that have comforted and inspired me during the pandemic. Beethoven’s A-flat–Major Sonata, Op. 110, brought constant discovery in its compositional mastery and a sense of hope and warmth in every phrase. I had long heard about the South Korean composer Unsuk Chin and finally had the chance to explore her piano etudes this past year. In “Sequenzen,” a chain of rhythmic dissonant lines are staggered in layers while tolling pedal points function as unyielding pillars, providing structure to an otherwise cacophonous disorder and looming uncertainty—not unlike the feeling when everything shut down in the spring of 2020. Scriabin’s Fifth Sonata is equally chaotic but captures the whole gamut of human emotions, from dreamy longing to the daring determination and will that keeps us going. The excerpt of his poem included in the score often gave me inspiration: “shadows of life, to you I bring audacity.”

Program 1

“Multifacets of Atonality”

SCHOENBERG Violin Concerto, Op. 36 (3minutes, 30 seconds)
I. Poco allegro—Vivace, mm. 1–92

SCHNITTKE A Paganini (3 minutes)
Rehearsal 3–Rehearsal 9

ELEANOR ALBERGA The Wild Blue Yonder (2 minutes, 30 seconds)
Last quarter of the work

Notes for Speaking:

When asked for an opportunity to devise a program of “breadth,” one may not immediately select three works written during the 20th century. However, this program consists of emotionally available and powerful works that are very near to my heart. These selections from three composers of diverse educations and backgrounds tell a complicated harmonic story, accentuated by different treatments of rhythm and line. The music of Arnold Schoenberg, while remaining a challenging listen for some, is nonetheless constructed in a truly Classical manner, with the first movement of his concerto adhering to a sonata form that is perfect in its construction. Furthermore, Schoenberg’s treatment of phrase and line is more akin to the music of Brahms than the other two selections here. Alfred Schnittke’s A Paganini for solo violin is a dramatic retelling of the famous 24 Caprices by Niccolò Paganini, recast in a way that treats the violin more as an instrument of spontaneous thought rather than that of an operatic singer. Rounding out the program is a stunning work for violin and piano by Jamaica-born composer Eleanor Alberga, whose music represents to me a synthesis of the previous two works—combining the thoughtful and expressive musical lines of Schoenberg with the dark moodiness and (at times) frantic desperation of the Schnittke, rounded out by exciting moments of folk-like dance that is entirely her own.

Program 2

“Messages Across Time and Place”

PRICE Fantasy No. 1 in G minor for Violin and Piano (2 minutes, 30 seconds)
mm.1–93

CORELLI Violin Sonata in D minor, Op. 5, No. 12, “La Folia” (3 minutes)
mm. 1–128

BARTÓK Sonata No. 1 for Violin and Piano (3 minutes, 30 seconds)
III. Allegro

Notes for Speaking:

While music is truly a universal language, its meaning and potential for expression across the world often varies, sometimes in the subtlest of ways. Through this program, I aim to express my gratitude to be able to experience even a fraction of this international expression, and to show the listener how the sounds from a violin can express these subtleties as well as be an ambassador of the voices who wrote for it.

I couldn’t think of a better opener for such a program than Florence Price’s Fantasy in G minor. Its immediate drama grips the listener and takes them on a whirlwind of raw emotion, from gypsy-like cadenzas to reflective prayer and devilish dance. Price’s musical style explores a contrapuntal chromaticism that is wholly unique; it is a style that is immediately recognizable for its complexity, yet also for its familiarity, as if these were harmonies that were born within us. This familiarity follows through to the next work by Arcangelo Corelli, combining the flair of the Italian Baroque with the harmonic nuance of the French school to create a uniquely powerful and dramatic style. Béla Bartók’s Allegro from his First Violin Sonata brings the program to an exciting and frenzied Hungarian finish.

Program 1

HINDEMITH Sonata for Viola and Piano (2-minute, 40-second excerpt)
I. Breit—Mit Kraft

SCHUBERT Sonata in A Minor, D. 821, “Arpeggione” (3-minute excerpt)
I. Allegro moderato, exposition

JESSIE MONTGOMERY Rhapsody No. 1 (transc. For viola) (3-minute excerpt)

Notes for Speaking:

As a violist, my favorite artistic challenge is adapting different musical characters, or “outfits,” if you will. When I approach any given work, I start by considering the shapes, colors, and moods the composer might have wanted to portray. After some reflection, I get to step into the character, or “outfit” of the piece. If this work of music was a person, how would they be walking down the street? What type of activity are they dressed for? Do they wear velvet, denim, pajamas? Are they wearing any accessories, like jewelry or interesting hats?

Trying on different outfits keeps my musical mind constantly engaged and exploratory. Throughout this program, you’ll hear three very different musical characters. As you listen to each selection, you might enjoy picturing what sort of personal expression the music evokes.

Program 2

PENDERECKI Cadenza for Viola Solo (3-minute, 40-second excerpt)

C. SCHUMANN Three Romances, Op. 22 (3 minutes, 10 seconds)
II. Allegretto

KENJI BUNCH The 3 Gs (2-minute excerpt)

Notes for Speaking:

Kenji Bunch has been one of my favorite composers since I was a kid. He’s a violist, too, so his works always fit really well on the instrument. The 3 Gs explores a groovy, bluesy sound world through scordatura—retuning the pegs of the viola—“chopping,” and pizzicato techniques that sound more percussive than lyrical. It stretches the imagination beyond the sounds and expressions that are often associated with the viola, and makes me feel kind of like a rock star.

Program 1

COLOMBI Chiacona (2 minutes, 30 seconds)

KAIJA SAARIAHO Dreaming Chaconne (3 minutes)
(from the Mystery Variations—a collection of works inspired by Colombi’s Chiacona)

BRITTEN Cello Suite No. 1, Op. 72 (3 minutes, 30 seconds)
VI. Moto perpetuo e Canto quarto: Presto

Notes for Speaking:

As a performer, I love exploring how music creators respond to sounds from the past that have inspired or intrigued them and synthesize these with new ideas to make something unique and personal, often for a specific occasion or collaborator. Today I’ll be sharing three short works that are great examples of this.

Kaija Saariaho’s Dreaming Chaconne from 2010 is a variation on one of the earliest known works for the cello, Giuseppe Colombi’s Chiacona from 1670. It is one of a set of variations written by about 30 composers that were compiled together as a 50th birthday present for Finnish cellist Anssi Karttunen. I’ll start with the Colombi, then the Saariaho. Third, I’ll be sharing the finale of Benjamin Britten’s Suite No. 1: Moto perpetuo e canto quarto. This suite was written for Mstislav Rostropovich. Britten clearly looked to J. S. Bach (and others) as models while also incorporating humor and virtuosity to feature Rostropovich’s personality and skill. In this final movement, we hear a musical battle between the canto, a slow song that is interwoven throughout the suite, and a presto moto perpetuo. Can they join forces somehow?

Personal Note:

My goal with this program would be to feature three very different stylistic languages and highlight my personal interests of historical performance practice and performing works by living composers (including various specialized extended techniques), ending with something more standard and virtuosic. All works played attacca.

Program 2

LIGETI Sonata for Solo Cello (3 minutes, 30 seconds)

MAGNUS LINDBERG Duello (3 minutes)

BRITTEN Cello Sonata in C Major (3 minutes)
II. Scherzo-Pizzicato

Notes for Speaking:

This program is an exploration of musical dialogues. The Ligeti Sonata opens with a slowly unfolding lyrical exchange between voices while Magnus Lindberg’s Duello breaks into a full-blown fight between musical materials drawn from the theme of Giuseppe Colombi’s Chiacona and from a melody representing the name Anssi Karttunen (to whom the work was dedicated). Britten’s Sonata also begins with a movement titled Dialogo, but the second movement scherzo also adds a more whimsical side of the conversation.

Program 1

VANHAL Double Bass Concerto in D Major (2-minute, 30-second excerpt)
I. Exposition and Development

CARTER Figment III (3 minutes)

R. SCHUMANN Fantasiestucke, Op. 73 (3 minutes)
I. Zart und mit Ausdruck

J. S. BACH Suite No. 5 in C Minor (1 minute, 30 seconds)
VI. Gigue (no repeats)

Notes for Speaking:

I would use this program as an opportunity to introduce the Carter and my personal relationship to it. It is a piece that is deeply important to me because of my time working on it with my teacher Don Palma, for whom it was written. As a guided listening, I talk about the two distinct voices in the piece and how they interact, both in conflict and in “harmony” with each other.

Program 2

SCODANIBBIO Joke (2 minutes, 15 seconds)

HINDEMITH Sonata for Double Bass and Piano (1-minute, 45-second excerpt)
III. mm. 1–26

ANDRÉS MARTÍN Bass Concerto (6 minutes)
III.

Notes for Speaking:

I put together this program because I think it shows a good variety of technical and musical expression of both the performer and the strengths of the bass. The way I may introduce these three pieces is by talking about what I love about the bass and its voice. Joke shows off many extended techniques and the range of the instrument, both in register and sonic capability. The Hindemith shows off the gorgeous warmth of the instrument when it sings through long lines. The Martín shows off how good groove feels on the bass as well as what bass players are technically capable of.