The Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra’s upcoming “Friends, Violists, Countrymen” program, featuring a viola concerto played by the 2024 Stulberg bronze medalist and Ralph Vaughan Williams’ London Symphony, is set for 3 pm on Sunday, Feb 9 at Chenery Auditorium.
Music director Andrew Koehler and violist Pearl de la Motte join Cara Lieurance to talk about the music and de la Motte’s experience at the Stulberg Competition in which she played a favorite, if challenging, work by Mikos Rosza. Finding orchestral parts proved difficult, so Andrew Koehler asked the violist to consider learning the Viola Concerto in G minor by Cecil Forsyth, a British composer who “wrote the first fully fledged British viola concerto,” according to Koehler. “And Pearl, who apparently can play anything, said, sure, yeah, no problem. I'll learn that. And so here we are."
De la Motte discusses her experience at the Stullberg competition, saying "One thing that I do remember from the competition was just how much fun it was with my fellow competitors. I felt like I really got along well with them. And I was not expecting it to be as fun as it was.” She also mentions her large family, stating "Yeah, I have 10 siblings. And we all play music. But I am the only violist. So there's not too much competition there." Now a student at Juilliard, she describes her past busking experiences, saying "I think for a while that turned into almost every day. And it was feeling a little bit like a job, but I think that really did help me with my work ethic.”
Koehler explains the inspiration behind Vaughan Williams' "London Symphony," saying "He loved the city, and thought of himself as a true Londoner.” The second of his nine symphonies, it remained one of the composer’s favorite works.
Tickets and more information are at the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra website.
