This new collaboration of three artistically like-minded artists, each carving out their own niche in American music, tours together for the first time this season in a program including Bach and a new Edgar Meyer work, co-commissioned by the Lied Center. These fresh interpretations of existing and new music will be combined with some fancy fiddling on bass (Meyer), violin (Lark) and cello (Roman).
Early in his career, Meyer composed the series of three string trios, which he premiered with Daniel Phillips and Carter Brey at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. These pieces set the tone for his next four decades, but only one was partially recorded. Meyer says that upon meeting Tessa and Joshua, he saw an opportunity to partner with them and “document this personal milestone”. At this concert, you will hear two of those string trios, a new one intended to “complete the thought,” and a classic Bach sonata.
This collaboration brings together three singular figures in American concert music—virtuoso instrumentalists with fierce classical chops, deep connections to roots and fiddle music, and wide-open artistic sensibilities. Bass virtuoso and recent Grammy winner Edgar Meyer, genre-crossing Kentucky-born violinist Tessa Lark, and eclectic cellist Joshua Roman take us on an exhilarating romp through selections by Bach, trio music by Edgar Meyer, and a brand-new work composed especially for this trio.
Following his unforgettable (and sold-out) Well-Being Concert in December 2023, cellist Joshua Roman returns with another immersive event to encourage self-care, mindfulness, and healing in Carnegie Hall’s Resnick Education Wing.
Following his unforgettable (and sold-out) Well-Being Concert in December 2023, cellist Joshua Roman returns with another immersive event to encourage self-care, mindfulness, and healing in Carnegie Hall’s Resnick Education Wing.
Immunity is an intimate musical exploration of cellist Joshua Roman’s life-altering, inspiring experience of ongoing long COVID, with music ranging from J. S. Bach to George Crumb to Caroline Shaw, as well as Roman’s own compositions. The program combines performance and storytelling into an emotional journey, as the cellist confronts the impact of the illness and the limitations that nearly ended his career, before progressing through a period of doubt, struggle, refocus, and renewal, culminating in a profound acceptance of self and a deeper connection to what's most important in life.
Joining Pacific Symphony for this performance is the remarkable cellist Joshua Roman. Hailed for his “effortlessly expressive tone… and playful zest for exploration” (The New York Times) and praised for his “extraordinary technical and musical gifts” (San Francisco Chronicle), Roman’s genre-bending programs and wide-ranging collaborations have earned him acclaim across the globe.
We open this evening’s performance with a piece inspired by Peruvian folklore by Gabriela Lena Frank, followed by a work by Frederick Delius depicting the lush landscape of turn-of-the-century Florida. The night concludes with Dvořák’s stormy and thematic Cello Concerto, performed by extraordinarily gifted cellist Joshua Roman.
In demand as both a performer and a composer, Edgar Meyer has formed a role in the music world unlike any other. Meyer’s newest collaboration is a trio with violinist Tessa Lark, one of the most captivating artistic voices of our time, and cellist, accomplished composer, and curator Joshua Roman, whose performances embrace musical styles from Bach to Radiohead.
In a commission from BSO Composer in Residence James Lee III, a new Cello Concerto features the talents of Joshua Roman, whose electrifying interpretations of solo repertoire draw from his creative perspective as a composer and improviser. An early overture by England’s Edward Elgar depicts a storied account of battles and royal intrigue from the 1300s.