The Mount Rushmore of classical music?
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David YangIf I could carve my own personal Mt. Rushmore of music, who would I choose to deface the side of a beautiful mountain?
Composers are a curious lot, interested in everything and anything. Case in point: Patrick Castillo, 2024 NCMF Composer-in-Residence and self-professed “music addict.” I had questions: how does someone become a composer, what is it like writing for the theremin (“like having a small crayon box, not the large one”), what is your favorite piece (“composition is like parenthood. You don’t have a favorite child, although for sure you sometimes have a least favorite.”)
I became interested in Patrick’s music back in 2019 when I first met him performing with the Jasper String Quartet, of which his wife, Karen Kim, is one of the violinists. Two years of covid cancellations pushed his visit all they way to this summer. Looking at the preliminary pages of “Avian Microludes” for string quartet and theremin filtering in, it was clearly worth the wait.
Patrick listens to many different kinds of music - “everything you are exposed to becomes part of your lexicon” - ranging from gamelan music from his childhood, to the Black Keys’ latest album, to VJ Ayer’s multimedia, rhapsodic jazz.
REQUEST FOR HOUSING: for this summer we could use some assistance with housing. We’re looking for hosts for some of the festival artists between July 29th and August 11th. Requirements include a private bedroom and bathroom, and air conditioning. Proximity to downtown is preferred but not required. It is an opportunity to get to know one of the artists up close and support the festival's mission. If you are interested in sponsoring an artist in your home, please contact sherry@chambermusicfestival.com
I’m ridiculously excited about this summer. See you then!
David Yang, Artistic Director
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David YangIf I could carve my own personal Mt. Rushmore of music, who would I choose to deface the side of a beautiful mountain?
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Alessandra YangThis summer, I attended the Taos School of Music, a chamber music program in the mountains of New Mexico.
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David YangThinking about concerts – not ones I’ve played, but ones I have attended. Here are the top five that jumped out at me, in no particular order.
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