A series of interactive performances exploring the cello’s journey through time and the many ways its history can enhance our hearing of music, past and present.
“Suite Talk” is a pioneering series of lecture recitals that aim to help a wide audience engage with new music for solo cello by relating it to the past. Cellist Zachary Mowitz and composer Nick DiBerardino lead audiences through a program specifically curated to demystify two new works: “Oracle,” by DiBerardino, and “Suite for Solo Cello,” by Ira J. Mowitz. Participants discover how this new music connects to the rich legacy of the cello's past, emerging with a deeper experience of music. During each interactive performance, Zachary plays excerpts by Bach, Gabrielli, Britten, Saariaho, and others that illuminate connections and innovations across many musical eras.
During each interactive performance, Zachary and Nick delve into concepts such as counterpoint, dance forms, and music history. Participants get to explore these ideas through audience participation, Q & A, and performances of excerpts by Bach, Gabrielli, Britten, Saariaho, and others. The goal of these activities is to illuminate connections across many musical eras and understand how every piece of music engages in an artistic exchange within its repertoire.
Expanding the impact of new music, beyond the concert hall.
In 2019 “Suite Talk” was presented in various forms at a diverse range of venues, including shows at Old City Coffee, Dhyana Yoga, and Andrea Clearfield’s Music Salon; a special presentation for Penn Memory Center patients in Curtis’ Field Concert Hall; a segment at Indianapolis’ Chatterbox Jazz Club; and a three-part series at the Free Library of Philadelphia. Our vision is for new audiences to emerge with an understanding of how historically informed listening can deepen their experience of music.
To better extend the project’s reach, Zach and Nick are also producing a multi-part “Suite Talk” podcast, to air next season. The podcast will feature performance demonstrations, historical discussions, and insight from Zach and Nick, as well as interviews with experts from around the world. The podcast will conclude by broadcasting studio recordings of the new works by Nick and Ira. Also look out for a full album to be released later in the season!
