about
A diverse program connected by composers early in their professional career
Dvorak was 30 when he decided to commit to composing full-time. For many, this period of life provides some distance from educational training and a sense of originality in artistic style. It is a decade where a semblance of identity takes root and reputations are established. Join us as we look at an early chamber music work of Dvorak, a duo by rising star American composer Paul Wiancko, and two larger works by Finnish composers Aulis Sallinen and Olli Mustonen.
Program
program for this concert with a few facts
Antonin Dvorak
Piano Quartet In D Major, Op. 23 (1875)
Composed at age 34, Dvorak wrote this work in a mere 18 days during a fruitful period of composition, funded in part by a significant scholarship he received from the government that allowed him to focus solely on composition.
Paul Wiancko (b. 1983)
American Haiku (2014)
Born in California, Paul Wiancko began cello and the age of 5 and started composing at the age of 8. He is a highly sought after composer who has performed with a spectrum of musicians from major symphonies to Chick Corea, Etta James, and Stanley Clarke. Last year he was announced as the new cellist of the Kronos Quartet.
Aulis Sallinen B. 1935
Some Aspects of Peltoniemi Hintrik’s Funeral March (1969)
Like many of his countrymen, Aulis Sallinen studied at the Sibelius Academy of Music in Helsinki. His early works were serial twelve-tone. However, the work on this evening’s program from 1969 was a pivotal departure, finding inspiration in a traditional Finnish folk tune called “Peltoniemi Hintrik’s Funeral March”. He has since gone on to composer 8 symphonies, 7 operas, and a ballet based on the Lord of the Rings.
Olli Mustonen (b. 1967)
NOnetto NO. 2 (2000)
CVCM audiences may remember this name from last season where we performed his Toccata for Piano and Strings. Mustonen has gained an international reputation as a virtuoso pianist. He has released numerous albums with his recordings of Shostakovich and Bach being of particular note. In addition, he is a highly sought-after conductor and continues to compose under the Schott label.