Next Event:
Our program highlights the beauty and unique attributes of the viola, cello, and combination of these two instruments. We’ve included a wide range of musical styles and wanted an opportunity to highlight both of us individually. Duets for our instruments are seldom heard in live performances, and we are excited to champion this ensemble with a program that reflects our musical tastes.
Limestone & Felt (2012) for Viola and Cello, Caroline Shaw
Sept Papillions (2000) for Solo Cello, Kaija Saariaho
Wooden Dance in Fourteen Time (2013) for Viola and Computer Sound, Matthew Burtner
Bucolics (pub. 1995) for Viola and Cello, Witold Lutoslawski
And Life Like Froth Doth Throb (1997) for Viola and Cello, Eric Moe
Limestone & Felt (2012) for Viola and Cello, Caroline Shaw
We were first introduced to Caroline Shaw’s Limestone & Felt through Attacca Quartet’s album Orange. It’s the only non-quartet work on this album, but it doesn’t feel like an outlier. Shaw shares that “Limestone & Felt presents two kinds of surfaces – essentially hard and soft. These are materials that can suggest place, stature, function, and – for me – sound. [...] Ultimately, felt and limestone may represent two opposing ways we experience history and design our own present.”
Sept Papillions (2000) for Solo Cello, Kaija Saariaho
Sept Papillions for Solo Cello by Kaija Saariaho showcases the cello’s versatility with a wide range of extended techniques and textural sound qualities. Saariaho drastically departs from her earlier compositional style; this piece is, as she states, “a metaphor for the ephemeral: butterfly.”
Wooden Dance in Fourteen Time (2013) for Viola and Computer Sound, Matthew Burtner
Wooden Dance in Fourteen Time was composed by Matthew Burtner, an Alaskan-indigenous IDEA and EMMY award-winning composer, sound artist, and eco-acoustician. Wooden Dance is a solo piece using a wooden block, viola, and computer sound that aims to bring both performer and audience into an interactive relationship with the environment.
Bucolics (pub. 1995) for Viola and Cello, Witold Lutoslawski
Bucolics by Witold Lutoslawski is a five-movement work based on Kurpie folk melodies. Kurpie is a region in Poland with a unique culture and musical tradition. This piece was written in the mid-20th century for solo piano and was arranged, then published in the US much more recently. This piece fits well on the program because of its modern musical language.
And Life Like Froth Doth Throb (1997) for Viola and Cello, Eric Moe
And Life Like Froth Doth Throb by Eric Moe was written for Cynthia Fogg, viola, and Tom Flaherty, cello (also known as Celliola) in 1997. Eric Moe shares that this piece was inspired by “the refrain from a hilariously somber parody-poem by Fogg and her friend Gail Berlin.” It’s an intense, exciting, and lively piece.
Dr. Kim Hankins, violist, and Dr. Yeil Park, cellist, began their musical collaboration at 2017’s Society of Composers Inc. Conference at Arizona State University. Ever since, they have performed in various music settings, including the Erimos Quartet, Saguaro Chamber Players, and multiple orchestras in Arizona. In Spring 2021, Dr. Park became a temporary cellist for the Tetra String Quartet, of which Dr. Hankins was a member. At that time, they deepened their relationship and found a special musical connection. Now, they are beginning to explore a wide range of duet repertoire, and they are excited to make their duo debut at Oh My Ears!
Dr. Hankins is a violist, arranger, amateur composer, and member of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. They have performed as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States, Germany, Luxembourg, and Iceland.
Dr. Park is a professional cellist based in Mesa, AZ. He is a tenured Arizona Opera member and plays with The Phoenix Symphony, AZ Musicfest, and Tucson Symphony Orchestra.
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