Sunday, March 6, 2011, 7 pm
Jennifer Koh, violinist
Born: in Chicago, Illinois, to Korean parents
Notable appearances: New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, the National Symphony Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic, BBC London Symphony, Iceland Symphony, the Helsinki Philharmonic, Moscow Radio Symphony, the Brandenburg Ensemble, Singapore Symphony, Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, The Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, Marlboro, Wolf Trap, Spoleto, and The Festival International de Lanaudiere in Canada
Awards: winner of the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, the Concert Artists Guild Competition, and the Avery Fisher Career Grant
Education: studied with Jaime Laredo and Felix Galimir at the Curtis Institute (Philadelphia); received a performance diploma from Oberlin College (Ohio); also received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature; maintains an active interest in literature and writing
Recordings: Rhapsodic Musings (Cedille), Grammy Award®-nominated String Poetic (Cedille), Complete Schumann Violin Sonatas (Cedille), Violin Fantasies (Cedille), Chaconnes by Bach, Barth and Reger (Cedille Records); Violin Concerti by Menotti (Chandos), Nielsen (Kontrapunkt) and Klami (BIS)
Instrument: plays the 1727 ex-Grumiaux ex-General duPont Stradivari violin on loan from an anonymous benefactor
High praise: Jennifer Koh “…supports her mesmerizing flights of fancy with beguilingly silvery tone, fabulous technique and dead center intonation.” --The Strad
Mark Grey, composer
Born: January 1, 1967 in Evanston, IL
Education: BA and MA degrees in Composition and Electro-Acoustic Music from California State University, San Jose
Commissions from: Phoenix Symphony (where he was composer-in-residence for the 2007|8 season), Kronos Quartet, violinist Leila Josefowicz, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Colorado Music Festival, The Paul Dresher Ensemble
Notable compositions: Enemy Slayer: A Navajo Oratorio for baritone, chorus, and orchestra, premiered by the Phoenix Symphony in February, 2008; San Andreas Suite for solo violin, which was performed worldwide by Leila Josefowicz as part of her 2005|6 recital series program
Recordings: Enemy Slayer (Naxos Records), Joan Jeanrenaud's debut CD Metamorphosis (New Albion Records), Kronos Quartet, Visual Music, Bertoia I and II (NPR/Nonesuch Records/Carnegie Hall radio series Creators at Carnegie), Josefowicz, San Andreas Suite (Warner Classics)
As a sound designer: premiered major opera and concert works for John Adams, Philip Glass, Steve Reich, Terry Riley, Kronos Quartet; artistic collaborator, sound designer and soundscape engineer for John Adams’s critically acclaimed On the Transmigration of Souls, which received the 2004 Pulitzer Prize in Music as well as three Grammy Awards® in 2005; designed sound for the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Lyric Opera and the Metropolitan Opera
Mugunghwa: Rose of Sharon
Composer's Note
by Mark Grey
When Jennifer Koh approached me to conceptualize a work for solo violin, chorus and chamber ensemble I welcomed the challenge, partly due to there being very little repertoire written in this unique setting. Jennifer, a Korean-American, and I both decided a story which celebrates the Korean people should be the subject of the work. In Mugunghwa, meaning Rose of Sharon, the symbolic role of the solo violin represents a Korean shaman – traditionally a woman who links the spirit world with human beings. Here, the violin is performing a non-traditional rite connecting one man's spiritual path with the reunification of his family, people, homeland, and deceased father.
The chorus paints a wondrous landscape with Kim Namsoo's beautiful and turbulent poetry. Soaring and vibrant choral passages mix with deeply sonorous and dense textures to weave the touching story of loss and hope. When the solo violin and ensemble perform together they channel the voice of Kim's father. Kim, who fled a North Korean prison at the outbreak of the Korean War, never saw his father again. Though not directly quoting traditional Korean music, Mugunghwa does amalgamate hints of the country's cherished traditional music and song with Western art music to help create a colorful and distinctive sonic world.