Writing music is how I express myself. After all, “where words fail, music speaks.” — Chelsea Loew, composer
Writing music is how I express myself. After all, “where words fail, music speaks.” — Chelsea Loew, composer
Leading up to Helia & Curium's October 18th and 19th concert, Color Through Music, we'll be posting interviews with our collaborators to offer you a sneak-peak into their lives, their musical process, and their inspiration. Read on to learn more! Meet Curium Trio! On October 18 and 19, 2019, Curium will be giving the world premiere of three brand-new pieces for piano trio. Learn about their background, their ensemble, and fun facts about their lives. Tell us about Curium Trio - how did you meet? When and how was Curium born? We originally met while attending the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. The idea of Curium was born from three female musicians who all really wanted to explore and perform works by women composers. We formed Curium around that mission. Since Carlyn Kessler is the newest member, how did you meet her? Carlyn came highly recommended by our original cellist, Natalie Raney. We especially liked that she had an extensive background in piano trio chamber music. We read with several other cellists as well, but loved playing with her the most. Luckily she loved us too! What do you look for when choosing music? We start by looking for pieces that fit our mission: music by women composers that are also not often performed. Our current fall season is 100% music by women composers. We also try to have one large work in each program, and that can be from the standard piano trio repertoire. We also like to think programmatically by looking for themes and pieces that go together well. For example, last year the theme of the program was “going home.” We performed Shostakovich’s Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, which was all about his home country, Chen Yi’s Tunes From My Home, and Kaija Saariaho’s Light and Matter which she wrote from her apartment in New York, while watching from her window the changing light and colors of Morningside Park. So we try to incorporate these three elements in each program: performing traditional repertoire as well as music by women composers that all tie together with a theme. What do you like to tell collaborators at the beginning of the composition process? Agnieszka: Please don’t write big shifts from the E string to the G string! One jump is great, but jumping back and forth is a little too much. That’s a joke (kind of...) Curium: We like to do something similar to our first workshop with Helia. We talk about personal preferences, recent works we’ve played and so what’s fresh in our minds, as well as what else we’ll be playing soon so what could be contrasting or complementing to those pieces. We also like to discuss what kinds of styles or periods of music we each admire. On the other hand, we try to give freedom to the composers so they can write what they feel. Too much information is not necessarily the best because that can limit the composer. Tell us about the program for 10/18 & 10/19. Any surprises? Everything is a big surprise! You should just come and see what happens. But more seriously, the program is full of really interesting and contrasting repertoire, and each piece has a completely different style and character. We will be premiering three new works, while the other two pieces are rarely performed. Actually, we couldn’t even find a recording for Jennifer Higdon’s Brilliant Blue except for one video on Vimeo. What were your experiences going to the Avaloch Farm Music Institute for a retreat this past summer? Any highlights? Rachel/Curium: Avaloch was such a wonderful experience to have as an ensemble. We were surrounded by so many fabulous musicians from all over the country and got to hear some wild music! Working out of our own private rehearsal studio with beautiful views of the idyllic New Hampshire countryside felt more like a respite rather than “work”, and it was in this environment that we first got to try our commissioned pieces for Helia Collective. What's a fun fact or story about you? Rachel: I have a pet bunny named Toby that’s my baby. I also have basically adopted the pigeons in the Golden Gate Park as my pets. I actually feed them proper food every week. I know a lot about pigeons if you ever want to ask! Agnieszka: I remember this one concert in Warsaw... I was in the third or fourth grade and I was performing in this beautiful concert hall that had a couple hundred seats. It was quite an exciting experience for me to play for such a big audience. I think I was playing Meditation by Massenet by memory and I got so carried away with the music that I completely lost my place in the piece. I was very young and I have never forgotten my music before so I didn’t really know what to do. I stopped playing and I went up to the pianist and nervously asked her, “Where are we?!” She pointed somewhere in her music and then I think I pointed with my bow to show her where I want to start playing again. I was really embarrassed but I looked so calm and confident that the audience congratulated me after the concert, thinking that it was the pianist that made a mistake. They thought I was so mad at her that I stopped the performance to show her where she was supposed to play (haha). It was not funny to me back then, but now, this memory always makes me laugh. Carlyn: In addition to music performing and teaching, I enjoy freelance writing. When I lived In Cleveland, I interviewed and reviewed many inspiring musicians and composers who came through town for ClevelandClassical.com, and now I do some reviewing for San Francisco Classical Voice, while serving as a blogger/copywriter for friends’ businesses and music schools Find out more about Curium by visiting: curiumtrio.com Don't miss Curium's Performance! October 18, 2019, 8:00pm* Holy Names University 3500 Mountain Boulevard (map) Oakland, CA Tickets: $15 suggested donation * sponsored by Holy Names University Preparatory Music October 19, 2019, 7:30pm Seventh Avenue Performances 1329 7th Avenue (map) San Francisco, CA Tickets: $15 General, $10 Student/Senior, Children 12 and under FREE Tickets available at the door, or online here
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