7/3/2023 0 Comments Deaf composer![]() Whether writing for an orchestra, a chamber group, a string quartet, a solo violinist or a choir, she infuses her work with a winning combination of daring and reverence. Simultaneously sophisticated and earthy, vibrant and urbane, her music is soulful and inviting even in its most challenging moments. In spite - and because - of her partial hearing and vision condition, Frank has thrived as a composer. They are all former students of the nonprofit Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music, which opened in 2017. 15 and 17 “Takeover The Jai” performances, including Anjna Swaminathan, Iman Habibi and Christine Hedden. The work of seven rising composers, all chosen by Frank, will also be featured at the Aug. Her four featured compositions here will include Milagros, which will be performed by the Calder Quartet, and the Frida Kahlo- and Diego Rivera-inspired El Mundo, a duet for mezzo-soprano Guadalupe Paz and pianist Chelsea de Souza. 17 “Takeover The JAI” concerts, with a live discussion of her work scheduled for Aug. If I do come to La Jolla, it will definitely be by car.”Įither way, she is curating the Aug. So, we’re taking it day by day, and I’ve been talking to my doctor. “But with the variants out there, I am being cautious. ![]() “I’m vaccinated, of course, and that gives me real peace of mind,” Frank said. Because of her autoimmune condition and the again surging COVID-19 pandemic, she is still deciding whether her participation next month at SummerFest will be in-person or virtual from her home, two hours north of San Francisco. But when we are provided the opportunity be more collaborative, spend time together, break bread and talk during our off hours, the music will benefit greatly and there will be more risks taken.”Īlso an accomplished pianist, Frank has performed around the world. “That’s a pretty classic kind of work environment we’re all professional and can do our jobs. I show up five days before the piece is premiered, we work together, the whole thing is done and I may or may not have met any of the musicians ahead of time. “In those cases, I am commissioned and write from a distance. ![]() But some of these relationships are more transactional. “I’m a big believer in collaborative relationships with performers,” Frank said. Others who have showcased her works range from the Kronos Quartet and the Yo-Yo Ma-led Silk Road Ensemble, which features San Diego-based pipa master Wu Man, to leading Cuban classical guitarist Manuel Barrueco and Mexico’s Cuarteto Latinoamericano. It takes a great deal of skill to elevate its authenticity, and that was the goal Bartók set up for himself.”įrank’s multifarious compositions have been performed by orchestras across the nation, including the Boston Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic and San Diego Symphony. “It’s like a call to arms, this goal of using simple means to convey something that is authentic from the people. “I love most things ‘Bartók-ian.’ I love that quote and am very familiar with it,” Frank said. She chuckled appreciatively when reminded of Bartók’s observation: “Folk melodies are the embodiment of an artistic perfection of the highest order in fact, they are models of the way in which a musical idea can be expressed with utmost perfection in terms of brevity of form and simplicity of means.” Like Hungary’s Bartók before him, Ginastera was inspired by the traditional music of his homeland and deftly incorporated it into his own writing.įrank has used such a template in her compositions since her teen years. Her richly textured compositions are steeped in tradition, be it Beethoven, Bartók, Andean folk music and the work of Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |