Neave Trio Performs Music by Gabriela Lena Frank, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Rebecca Clarke, & more
Presented by Longy School of Music of Bard College
Performing Music by Gabriela Lena Frank, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Rebecca Clarke, and Arrangements of Afghan Songs by Arson Fahim
The Neave Trio, Alumni Artists, Faculty Ensemble‑in‑Residence at the Longy School of Music of Bard College, presents I/We on Sunday, December 5, 2021 at 7:30pm at Edward M. Pickman Concert Hall (27 Garden Street). The program centers around Shakespeare’s famous quote, “What is the city but the people?” (Coriolanus). That question and how we choose to connect as communities – or not – provide the backdrop for this performance. This program seeks to explore the concept of what makes a community and features works by Gabriela Lena Frank, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, and arrangements of Afghan Songs by Longy student Arson Fahim. The program also includes Rebecca Clarke’s Piano Trio. Tickets (free, with optional donation) and information are available at https://bit.ly/NeaveTrio-Longy-Dec5.
Of her Four Folk Songs, composer Gabriela Lena Frank says the work "loosely draws inspiration from the melodic motifs and rhythms of my mother's homeland, Perú." The four movements are "Canto para La María Angola" ("Song for the María Angola"), "Children's Dance," "Serenata," and "Chavín de Huantar," inspired by the pre-Incan archaeological site of the same name.
Excerpted and arranged from Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's 24 Negro Melodies for piano, these five works are based on African and African-American melodies from several geographical regions. The melodies are "Sometimes I feel like a motherless child," "I was way down a yonder," "Didn't my Lord deliver Daniel?" "They will not lend me a child," and "My Lord delivered Daniel."
Also included on this program are arrangements of Afghan Songs by composer, pianist, and conductor Arson Fahim, a Longy student from Afghanistan whose family and friends are currently experiencing turmoil. Fahim will speak about his perspective on community, both here in the US and afar in Afghanistan. Fahim wrote music for the BBC series A Wish for Afghanistan and was interviewed on the series in October. You can hear the interview here.
One of her most prominent pieces, Rebecca Clarke’s Piano Trio showcases her unique harmonic language, influenced by both the French and British styles of the early 20th century, as well as by folk music. According to Gramophone, the Neave Trio’s 2019 recording on the album Her Voice is “a taut and vivid interpretation” and “sumptuously recorded.”
About the Neave Trio: Since forming in 2010, Neave Trio – violinist Anna Williams, cellist Mikhail Veselov, and pianist Eri Nakamura – has earned enormous praise for its engaging, cutting-edge performances. WQXR explains, “’Neave’ is actually a Gaelic name meaning ‘bright’ and ‘radiant’, both of which certainly apply to this trio’s music making.” The Boston Musical Intelligencer reports, “it is inconceivable that they will not soon be among the busiest chamber ensembles going,” and “their unanimity, communication, variety of touch, and expressive sensibility rate first tier.”
Neave has performed at many esteemed concert series and at festivals worldwide, including Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Smithsonian American Art Museum, 92nd Street Y, Rockport Chamber Music Festival, Norfolk and Norwich Chamber Music Series (United Kingdom), and the Samoylov and Rimsky Korsakow Museums' Chamber Music Series in St. Petersburg (Russia). The Trio has held residency positions at Brown University, University of Virginia, San Diego State University as the first ever Fisch/Axelrod Trio-in-Residence, and the Banff Centre (Canada), among many other institutions. Neave Trio was also in residence at the MIT School of Architecture and Design in collaboration with dancer/choreographer Richard Colton. In the fall of 2017, the Trio joined the faculty of the Longy School of Music of Bard College as Alumni Artists, Faculty Ensemble-in-Residence.
Neave Trio strives to champion new works by living composers and reach wider audiences through innovative concert presentations, regularly collaborating with artists of all mediums. These collaborations include D-Cell: an Exhibition & Durational Performance, conceived and directed by multi-disciplinary visual artist David Michalek; as well as performances with the Blythe Barton Dance Company; with dance collective BodySonnet; with projection designer Ryan Brady; in the interactive concert series “STEIN2.0,” with composer Amanuel Zarzowski; in Klee Musings by acclaimed American composer Augusta Read Thomas, which was premiered by Neave; in the premiere of Eric Nathan’s Missing Words V, sponsored by Coretet; in Leah Read’s Cloud Burst for piano trio and electronics; in Dale Trumbore’s Another Chance; and in a music video by filmmaker Amanda Alvarez Díaz of Astor Piazzolla’s “Otoño Porteño.”
In addition to Her Voice, Neave Trio’s other critically acclaimed recordings include Celebrating Piazzolla (Azica Records, 2018), which features mezzo-soprano Carla Jablonski; French Moments (Chandos Records, 2018); and its debut album, American Moments (Chandos Records, 2016).
During the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, the Neave Trio continued to find meaningful ways to perform safely. The Trio has performed virtual concerts for The Violin Channel's "Living Room Live" series, the “Notes of Hope: Music for the Frontline” series, and for Longy School of Music of Bard College's Virtual Benefit. Other recent and upcoming livestream concerts include performances presented by the Asheville Chamber Music Series and the Auditorium Chamber Music Series at University of Idaho. Recent outdoor, socially distanced concerts include performances at PS21 in Chatham, NY; the Walnut Hill School’s “Summer of Art, Six Feet Apart” festival; and Newport Music Festival.
For more information, visit www.neavetrio.com.
About Longy School of Music of Bard College: Longy School of Music of Bard College prepares musicians to make a difference in their world with a social imperative that is at the core of the School’s curriculum. Breaking down the traditional conservatory constraints, Longy prepares our students to lead meaningful lives in music through project-based learning courses and performances alongside professional partners. Internationally recognized for its efforts to meet a changing musical landscape head-on, Longy gives its graduates the opportunity to perform professionally, teach in a variety of settings, and expand access within classical music.
Longy’s innovative curriculum compels students to explore their artistry, take risks, hone their technique, and become the musician the world needs them to be. Spearheaded by world-class faculty, Longy promotes profound musical understanding and technical mastery and inspires growth of imagination, fostering an attitude of inquiry about the musician's role in the world. For more information, visit www.longy.edu.