Clarinetist Katsuya Yuasa and pianist Mary Au performed several concerts in the region over the weekend for the Piatigorsky Foundation, bringing a diverse program of music from the Romantic era, Argentina, jazz, and contemporary composers to a variety of audiences. The Piatigorsky Foundation’s mission is to bring live classical music to unusual venues and off-the-beaten-track places, and Yuasa and Au have been performing for the Foundation for several years.
In this interview with Intermezzo host Leora Zeitlin, Au and Yuasa talk about their early backgrounds in Hong Kong and Japan, their studies in the US, and their performing careers, as well as about the music they’ll perform. “Overall the program is really a musical journey that we have ventured, and then we wanted to share that,” Yuasa said. “It moves through different time periods, cultures, musical languages, while highlighting the expressive possibilities of our instruments.”
Listen to hear about composers Camille Saint-Saens, Astor Piazzolla, Adrienne Albert, Paquito d’Rivera, Huang Ruo, and others, several of whom are friends with the musicians. The two played concerts for Big Brothers and Big Sisters, at a public school in Anthony, and at Temple Beth El.
Musical clips in the interview:
1.) Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, by Camille Saint-Saens, Richard Stoltzman on clarinet and Irma Vallecillo on piano (RCA #60198);
2.) Fantasia, by Adrienne Albert from her cd “Reflections;
3.) Vals Venezolano, by Paquito d’Rivera, performed by James Houlick on saxophone, Debra Ayers on piano (Aerophon #1).