UChicago Presents staff member Sophia Janevic in conversation with violinist Harumi Rhodes of Takács Quartet.
Your January 17 concert features Julien Labro on bandoneon, which is an unusual instrument to combine with a classical string quartet. How did this collaboration come to fruition?
We’re loving the amazing amount of colors and textures that string quartet plus bandoneon can create – and the opportunity to expand the repertoire for this combination is super exciting! This project was the brainchild of Marna Selzer, Director of Princeton University Concerts, and Michael Kondziolka, former Vice President of Programming and Production at UMS in Ann Arbor, both of whom have worked with the Takács over several decades. We were thrilled when they asked us if we would like to work with Julien Labro and collaborate on a Music Accord commission. Music Accord works closely with several music presenters to create new chamber music – we are very grateful to work closely with Julien both a composer and a virtuoso bandoneon player!
This program with Labro, featuring commissions by composers such as Bryce Dessner and Clarice Assad, was born during the peak of the COVID pandemic. How did the pandemic shape this project?
As a second violinist “inside” the ensemble, I imagine these works by Bryce and Clarice as being two contrasting internal or psychological responses to trauma. Bryce’s “Circles” seems to embrace a feeling of unity – exploring all the concrete and textural ways we can find common ground. Clarice’s “CLASH” actively dramatizes the many ways conflict can create a web of behavioral patterns – patterns that are fiery and dissonant but also come hand in hand with the possibility of resolution and peace.
Your program also features Ravel's String Quartet in F Major. What inspired you to choose that particular work to pair with the contemporary selections on the program?
Ravel’s String Quartet is an interesting animal: on one hand, it flows with the elegance of a “perfectly” balanced composition – on the other hand, it feels like a gateway to new sounds and extended techniques that fly through the air with total abandon and spontaneity! In my second violin chair, I have moments when I change roles so unexpectedly – from tambourine player to harp player to wind machine… and then the next moment, I join the group in a balanced blend. It’s a miracle of a piece, and we love it on this program full of unexpected textures and colors. And, as a sidenote, I learned recently that Ravel is Clarice’s favorite composer!
Takács Quartet will perform with bandoneonist Julien Labro on January 17, 7:30 PM at Mandel Hall. Learn more.