Newsletter, March 2014

Karen Gomyo in Barber’s violin concerto with the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra

On March 13 Canadian-Japanese violin virtuoso Karen Gomyo appears with the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra for the third time. The concert will be broadcast live on the Danish Radio and led by Andrew Manze. Karen Gomyo has toured the world since she was 15 years old. She recently made her first appearance at Het Concertgebouw in Amsterdam with Den Haag Residentie Orkest, playing Philip Glass’ violin concerto, which was televised nationally. In the near future exciting appearances await Karen during an extensive Australian tour and in the summer Saint-Saëns’ violin concerto no.3 together with the Cleveland Orchestra.

Question: In December the Japanese documentary “The Mystery of Stradivarius” was broadcast worldwide on NHK WORLD. It is a beautiful film about Antonio Stradivarius’s craftsmanship. In this documentary you appear as violinist, navigator, and narrator. You have played on the “Aurora, ex-Foulis" Stradivarius violin of 1703 for 12 years. In what ways has this instrument affected your career?

Answer:I have always been grateful to play on a such a special instrument, but the awe and humility only intensified after traveling with the film crew for several weeks, exploring the undying question of what could have made Stradivari so exceptional, through the point of view of various scientists, radiologist, current violin makers, and musicians. Simply playing such an instrument does not automatically make one a better musician. But the layer of inspiration and imagination it provides if a player is willing to explore is really beyond what I've personally been able to find in other makers' instruments. If you think about how long this violin has been around, how much it has lived and experienced, it makes sense why such an instrument could keep teaching its player. In addition to this magical quality, my violin has the ability to spin off its sound in a large hall in a way that is quite unique. I've been told that my violin has a clear, bell-like clarity that carries each note through the thick texture of the orchestra, and through the distance to the back of the hall. I realize I am very lucky to call this violin my daily partner. 

Q: In addition to appearances in solo concerts and recitals, you have quite a few projects of your own. Tell us about your Nuevo Tango Astor Piazzolla project!

A:I fell in love with Piazzolla's music when I was a teenager. I had grown up in a hispanic neighborhood in Montreal until I was eleven years old, where I heard a lot of Spanish spoken and Latino music everywhere. When I heard Piazzolla's music, something clicked inside me as if it brought together the memories of my upbringing and my love for classical music. Only later did I find out that indeed Piazzolla had wanted to become a classical composer and had been educated as such. It was when he met Nadia Boulanger in Paris, however, that it became clear what his musical identity truly was. He introduced the sophistication and meticulousness of classical music to the traditional Argentine tango, adding improvisation elements of jazz as well as influences of the Jewish neighborhood he grew up in NY as a child. This became a new genre of music called the Nuevo Tango. My dream project for years has been to put together a program where the Nuevo Tango would be introduced by the classical music that Piazzolla sought his inspiration from the most. I am particularly thrilled to be able to do this with friend and tango legend Pablo Ziegler, who was Piazzolla's regular pianist for over 10 years, during their group's most successful Quintet years. 

Q: In November you will premiere a new violin concerto with Aalborg Symphony Orchestra. How do you prepare for a new violin concerto?

A: There is something very exciting about knowing that a new work is being written right in this moment. The concerto I will premiere in Aalborg is one by Anders Koppel, and at this moment I have no idea what to expect! A few years ago, I experienced the same sensation when Tobias Broström wrote me his violin concerto. He already had a vision for his piece before putting it down on paper, but he also asked if I had any requests before getting started. Knowing that he was a percussionist, I asked him to employ a lot of percussion in the concerto, as I thought the contrast against the more lyrical violin would be interesting. In the process of his writing, we spoke several times and also met up in Italy once, to look over what he'd so far written. We had constant communication about whether something was possible on the violin, or any questions related to musical intent in a certain passage. Even at the first rehearsal with orchestra we were still discussing a couple of minor changes, and I really had the special feeling of responsibility to bring to life the vision of the composer, who in the meantime had also become a friend. I have yet to receive the draft of Anders Koppel's concerto, let alone to meet him (!), but I look forward to being a part of the birth of a brand new work of music, and to bring it together with the orchestra and conductor to its first ever performance!

Karen Gomyo returns to Scandinavia already in June when she appears in a chamber music program at Louisiana Museum in Denmark, as well as her first time appearance at Risør Festival in Norway. In the autumn she opens the new season with Beethoven’s violin concerto with Västerås Sinfonietta led by Andreas Stoehr.

To see the film where Karen Gomyo appears please click HERE

Please visit also Karen Gomyo’s homepage http://karengomyo.com/

Photo by Gabrielle Revere

……………………………………………………………………………………

Malmö Opera

Jacques Offenbach’s comic opera Pierrette & Jacquot opens on 7 March. Nathalie Hernborg sings the title role of Pierrette. In La Bohème, opening on 22 March, Jakob Högström is Marcel, Daniel Hällström Schaunard and Maria Fontosh Musette.

Don Giovanni at the Royal Swedish Opera

Opening on 15 March at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm, Sara Widén sings the part of Zerlina and Anders Lorentzson Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni. The performance will be transmitted live to cinemas throughout Sweden on 22 March!

World premier of recently discovered symphony

On 20 March the Danish National Symphony Orchestra performs the world premier of Paul von Klenau’s 9th Symphony, composed in 1945 and discovered in 2004. Soloists are Susanne Resmark and Michael Weinius. Michael is also the soloist in Das Lied von der Erde in a Royal Swedish Orchestra concert at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm. He then goes on to sing Siegfried in Wagner/Loriot’s miniature version of the Ring at Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Düsseldorf and Duisburg. Performances on March 26, 29 and April 9.

Mika Eichenholz returns to the Salzburger Landestheater

Mika Eichenholz leads the Salzburger Landestheater in Tchaikovsky’s classical ballet Swan Lake. Performances will be held at Haus für Mozart, opening on March 20.

Kristina Hansson

On March 22 Kristina Hansson is the soloist in Mozart’s Requiem and on March 23 in the Great Mass in C-minor - both times together with the Swedish Radio Choir at the Berwald Hall in Stockholm.

Hannah Holgersson

Hannah Holgersson is the soloist in Folkoperan’s scenic version of St. Matthew Passion, opening on March 26.

Josefine Andersson

Josefine Andersson sings the role of Mercedes at the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra’s Carmen by Bizet. The opera has its first performance on March 29, consecutive performances on March 31, April 2, 7 and 10.