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| | | British-American composer David Bruce will write a piece for the Silk Road Ensemble
| © NEIL MATTHEWS
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We recently commissioned several new musical works for the Silk Road Ensemble from composers around the world, many of whom will be collaborating with the Project for the first time. At a workshop at Harvard University in January 2012, the composers will have the rare opportunity of shaping these pieces with members of the Silk Road Ensemble who will perform them. We're announcing the commissions one by one to give these exceptional musicians a chance to tell you about their work and why they took on the challenge of writing for the Silk Road Ensemble.
Born in Stamford, Connecticut, David Bruce grew up in England and has a growing reputation on both sides of the Atlantic, with recent commissions from Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. David's music draws inspiration from folk traditions around the world, and he enjoys collaborating with musicians who have strong connections with both classical and folk or world traditions, which made him a prime candidate for working with the Silk Road Ensemble. SRP: Since your compositions range from pieces for chamber ensembles to opera, is there a type of group for which you feel most comfortable writing?
DB: I love writing for a range of mediums. I have written a lot of chamber music, vocal music and opera. I particularly love exploring instrumental colors, so I suppose I'm most comfortable when writing for groups that have a mixture of instrumental timbres (a particular strength of the Silk Road Ensemble). SRP: What first interested you in writing for the Silk Road Ensemble?
DB: With my wife being a former cellist, Yo-Yo Ma has long been a hero in our household, and I have always admired both the music and the spirit of adventure that lies at the heart of the Silk Road Project. I've also worked a lot in New York in recent years, and several of the ensemble members and I have become aware of each other, although this will be our first opportunity to collaborate. I'm particularly impressed by the passionate and committed artistry of Colin Jacobsen and Eric Jacobsen. SRP: What intrigues you most about exploring diverse traditions?
DB: I'm constantly amazed by how rich the world of folk and world music is, and by the potential it has for fertilizing the classical tradition that I've grown up in. It's wonderful to see a younger generation of performers like the Jacobsens developing a deep knowledge of other cultures, and I'm sure that knowledge informs their playing as much as it does my composing. SRP: Can you share anything yet about what you have in mind for the Ensemble? DB: I haven't started working in earnest on the piece yet, but I have a couple of interesting and conflicting starting points that I'm looking forward to working through. The first is the music of Alim Qasimov and the mugham tradition from Azerbaijan. I find the intensity and passion of this music overwhelming. The second influence came from my meeting in New York with the Syrian clarinettist Kinan Azmeh, who will be performing in my new piece. Kinan plays a standard clarinet but is able to play the quarter tones of Arabic scales, and he has a unique and haunting sound which I am thrilled to be writing for. SRP: Do you anticipate any particular challenges?
DB: I haven't worked out the degree to which I will explore the different tuning systems. That's one of the key decisions I need to take. Along with Kinan we will also have Kayhan Kalhor, the renowned kamancheh player, who also plays in Arabic tuning. But we also have an even-temperament-tuned mandolin and accordion, so working out how the two will work together is one of the main challenges I face, and the workshop will be priceless for that.
SRP: Will the workshop this winter be a significant change from your normal working process?
DB: Having the opportunity to spend a week with the group workshopping the piece is really fantastic. I have had a few such experiences when working on pieces in the past, and I can say they represent a real golden time for a composer. It allows you to be much freer when composing. You can take more risks, knowing you will have the safety of the workshop environment in which to try them out.
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