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PROTÉGÉ SPOTLIGHT: Bassist Nina Bernat

PROTÉGÉ SPOTLIGHT: Bassist Nina Bernat

2024 CMNW Protégé Artist Nina Bernat is emerging as one of the most exciting double bassists in a generation. Acclaimed for her interpretive maturity, expressive depth, and technical clarity, she steps on to the world stage as a recipient of a 2023 Avery Fisher Career Grant, the Juilliard Double Bass Competition, and the 2019 International Society of Bassists Solo Competition.

PSU, College of the Arts, Lincoln Recital Hall
Premieres Tuesday, 7/9 • 12:00 pm PT

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SINGLE TICKETS

Program

Click on any piece of music below to learn more about it.

CHOPIN Introduction and Polonaise Brillante in C Major for Cello & Piano, Op. 3

CHOPIN Introduction et polonaise brillante, Op. 3

I. Largo
II. Alla polacca

Frédéric Chopin had an incredible talent for beginning a piece of music. In a moment, with only a few notes, he could define a world. With a few measures he could write a complete, coherent piece of music.

Every piece Chopin wrote featured the piano, but he occasionally brought other instruments together with his favorite instrument. One such example, the Cello Sonata, Op. 65, dates to the very end of Chopin’s short life. Chopin found composing for cello very difficult, and the Sonata took nearly three years for him to complete. He wrote “Regarding my sonata with cello, now I’m happy, now I’m not. I toss it into a corner, and then I pick it up again.” He left nearly two-hundred pages of sketches by the time he wrote the final note.

The other work Chopin wrote for cello and piano dates to the beginning of his career, the Introduction et polonaise brillante, Op. 3, of 1829–30. This work shows a much more youthful and energetic side of Chopin. He wrote the polonaise on a visit to the estate of Antoni Radziwiłł, a Prussian nobleman and musician, and added the introduction on the following year.

Chopin intriguingly described the piece in a letter, writing “I wrote an alla polacca with cello . . . Nothing to it but dazzle, for the salon, for the ladies.” Clearly, he considered the piece somewhat lighter than others, but its enjoy-ability does not take away from the brilliance of its flourishes and the expressive opportunities it creates for performers.

The Introduction begins with a series of flashy piano lines, exchanged with seductively romantic cello melodies. Chopin capitalizes on the strengths of each instrument, with the cello primarily sticking to smooth, legato melodies, and the piano playing an accompanimental role and adding virtuosic flourishes. Some editions of the piece distribute the virtuosity more evenly, however, giving the cello its fair share of the fun.

The Polonaise is in the form of a rondo. Compared to some of Chopin’s piano polonaises, this is a vigorous and energetic one, fitting for its intended performance arena of the leisurely salon.

—© Ethan Allred

SOFIA GUBAIDULINA “Pantomime” (1966)

SOFIA GUBAIDULINA Pantomime

In 1959, Sofia Gubaidulina met Dmitri Shostakovich for a lesson, to play for him and to absorb his wisdom. He advised her to continue along her incorrect path, words that would resonate with her for the duration of her career. Gubaidulina’s adoption of microtonality, traditional folk music, and religious mysticism in her work ultimately did antagonize the Soviet government, as Shostakovich predicted, and as a result she was reprimanded and blacklisted for writing “irresponsible” music.

A few years after this fateful meeting, in 1966, Pantomime for double bass and piano was written. Although this piece is nearly twenty years before Gubaidulina first uses the Fibonacci sequence to structure her work, one can see that she is experimenting with form through small phrases with large expression. In the opening section, glissando and tremolo techniques pepper each phrase and a distinctive gesture with the bow ends each musical segment. A new section begins as the piano’s line is taken over by a circular staccato pattern, convincing the bass to join in with agitated Bartók pizzicato and ricochet. In this early work, one can still hear influences of Anton Webern and even hints of her brief mentor, Shostakovich.

—© Sofia Gubaidulina

MENDELSSOHN Lied ohne Worte (Song Without Words), Op. 109

FELIX MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) Lied ohne Worte (Song Without Words), Op. 109

Felix Mendelssohn was the pioneer of a uniquely 19th century genre of music: the Song without Words. Using only music (that is, without any lyrics), he hoped to capture the emotional journey contained within a vocal song. When asked whether his songs were meant to portray a particular story, he responded, “if I happen to have certain words in mind…I would never want to tell them to anyone, because the same words never mean the same things to others. Only the song can say the same thing, can arouse the same feelings in one person as in another.”

Mendelssohn composed 48 Songs without Words for solo piano, but only one that featured any other instrument: the Lied ohne Worte (Song without Words), Op. 109, for cello and piano. In this song, the cellist plays the role of the vocalist, while the pianist sets the scene with its folksy, guitar-like chords. An element of stormy drama emerges in the song’s central section, marked Agitato. Then, Mendelssohn juxtaposes echoes of both the heightened middle section and the introductory calm, before settling on a serene final arpeggio.

The existence of this lone, multi-instrumental Song without Words poses a question: what beautiful songs for other instruments might Mendelssohn have created if he had the chance? Sadly, he passed away only two years after the song’s composition (at age 38), so that question will remain forever unanswered.

—© Ethan Allred

MENDELSSOHN Suleika, Op. 34, No. 4

MENDELSSOHN Suleika, Op. 34, No. 4

When Felix Mendelssohn set Suleika, Op. 34, No. 4, he thought the romantic poem was Goethe’s. In fact, this expression of love and longing was written by a woman, Marianne von Willemer. She and Goethe met in 1814 and corresponded until Goethe’s death. When she sent Goethe her poem, he passed it off as his own.

Mendelssohn used a strophic setting—the same music for each verse—until the final strophe, which shifts from a storm-tossed E Minor to a calm E Major. The melody’s long legato phrases work effectively in this instrumental arrangement for bass and piano.

—© Elizabeth Schwartz

ROSSINI String Sonata No. 3 in C Major

ROSSINI String Sonata No. 3 in C Major

When Italian opera composer Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868) was twelve years old, he spent the summer at the estate of Agostino Triossi, a wealthy businessman and double bassist. Triossi asked Rossini to write some music, so the precocious young composer provided him with six delightful “Sonatas a quattro” for two violins, cello, and double bass.

The String Sonata No. 3 in C Major displays many of the features that eventually made Rossini a successful operatic composer. The opening Allegro exhibits an excellent sense of pacing and balance, while the Andante’s dramatic, soaring melodies foreshadow his later aria style. The sonata closes with a delightful Moderato, spotlighting each musician in turn with a rumbling bass line, suave cello melodies, and rapid-fire violin runs.

—© Ethan Allred

Artists

Nina Bernat Nina Bernat Bass, Protégé

Double bassist Nina Bernat, acclaimed for her interpretive maturity, expressive depth, and technical clarity, emerges onto the world stage with awards and accolades, thrilling audiences everywhere.

In 2023, Nina was honored as a recipient of the Avery Fisher Career Grant and winner of the CAG Elmaleh Competition. Recent 1st prizes include the Barbash J.S. Bach String Competition, the Minnesota Orchestra Young Artist Competition, the Juilliard Double Bass Competition, and the 2019 International Society of Bassists Solo Competition.

Engaged in all aspects of double bass performance, she has been invited to perform as Guest Principal Bass with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and Oslo Philharmonic, serving under the batons of conductors such as András Schiff and Osmo Vänskä.

Nina is in demand as a passionate chamber musician. She began her involvement with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center as a member of the Bowers Program in 2024. Among her notable chamber performances are appearances with the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players, Bridgehampton Chamber Music Series, and Mostly Music.

Nina performs on an instrument passed down from her father, Mark Bernat, attributed to Guadagnini.

Artist's Website


Upcoming Concerts & Events

Gloria Chien Gloria Chien Piano & Artistic Director

Taiwanese-born pianist Gloria Chien has one of the most diverse musical lives as a noted performer, concert presenter, and educator. She made her orchestral debut at the age of sixteen with the Boston Symphony Orchestra with Thomas Dausgaard, and she performed again with the BSO with Keith Lockhart. She was subsequently selected by The Boston Globe as one of its Superior Pianists of the year, “who appears to excel in everything.” In recent seasons, she has performed as a recitalist and chamber musician at Alice Tully Hall, the Library of Congress, the Phillips Collection, the Dresden Chamber Music Festival, and the National Concert Hall in Taiwan. She performs frequently with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

In 2009, she launched String Theory, a chamber music series in Chattanooga, Tennessee that has become one of the region’s premier classical music presenters.  The following year she was appointed Director of the Chamber Music Institute at Music@Menlo. In 2017, she joined her husband, violinist Soovin Kim, as Artistic Director of the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival in Burlington, Vermont. The duo became Artistic Directors at Chamber Music Northwest in Portland, Oregon in 2020. Chien studied extensively at the New England Conservatory of Music with Wha Kyung Byun and Russell Sherman. She, with Kim, were awarded Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s 2021 CMS Award for Extraordinary Service to Chamber Music.

Chien is Artist-in-Residence at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee, and she is a Steinway Artist. Chien received her B.M., M.M., and D.M.A. degrees from the New England Conservatory of Music as a student of Russell Sherman and Wha-Kyung Byun.

Artist's Website


Upcoming Concerts & Events

Julianne Lee Julianne Lee Violin/Viola

Named one of the best string quartets of the last 100 years by BBC Music Magazine, Julianne Lee joined the Dover Quartet as its violist in September 2023. She has forged a remarkable career as both a violinist and violist, frequently appearing as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player. She holds the position of Assistant Principal Second Violinist at the Boston Symphony Orchestra and has been a member of the BSO violin section since 2006, serving as Acting Assistant Concertmaster from 2013 to 2015.

Ms. Lee has toured nationally and internationally with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Marlboro Music Festival, and the Australian Chamber Orchestra, where she held the title of Guest Principal Violist. She also served as the second violinist of the Johannes String Quartet from 2015 to 2018. Throughout her illustrious career, she has performed as a soloist with orchestras in Germany, the United States, and South Korea, and as a chamber musician at numerous music festivals, including the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Chamber Music at the Banff Centre, and the Marlboro Music Festival.

Ms. Lee graduated with a unanimous first prize from the Conservatoire Supérieur de Paris in France. She received her Bachelor’s degree from the Curtis Institute of Music, and a Master’s degree from the New England Conservatory, where she double majored in violin and viola. Ms. Lee holds a strong belief in the importance of teaching and shaping the next generation of musicians. She teaches at the Curtis Institute of Music and frequently gives masterclasses.


Upcoming Concerts & Events

Daniel Thorell Daniel Thorell Cello

Daniel Thorell is a cellist from Stockholm, Sweden. Though only 25-years-old, he has already had great success as a soloist and chamber musician, both nationally and internationally. Praised for his mature and expressive music making, he is currently regarded as one of Scandinavia’s most promising young cellists. He is a first prize winner in no less than nine international competitions, most notably Rovere D’oro (2017), where he was also awarded a gold medal. In May of 2019, he was a major prize winner in the 54th Markneukirchen International Cello Competition. He is also a laureate at the sixth season of La Classe d’Excellence de Violoncell with Professor Gautier Capucon.

Born into a family of musicians, Daniel began playing the cello at the age of five. He made his debut as a soloist at the age of eleven, performing Saint-Saëns’s Cello Concerto in A Minor with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Since then, he has performed regularly as a soloist with orchestras around Sweden, including the Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. The 2018/19 season included performances as a soloist playing Rococo Variations, Schumann’s Cello Concerto, and Saint-Saëns’s Cello Concerto, as well as chamber music in festivals around Scandinavia and Germany.

Daniel is also an experienced chamber musician and since 2019 is a member of the Norwegian-based string quartet, Opus13. In 2022, they were awarded second prize in the Banff international string quartet competition and have performed at festivals such as Kamermuziek festival Utrecht, Risør kammermusikkfest, Valdres sommersymfoni, Midtåsen kulturfestival, and many more. In 2021, they made their debut at the Oslo Quartet Series.

Daniel recently finished his soloist diploma studies at the Norwegian Academy of Music with Professor Torleif Thedéen and is often attending masterclasses around the world with a number of renowned professors, including Jens-Peter Maintz, Danjulo Ishizaka, Maria Kliegel, Claudio Bohorquez, and Antonio Meneses, among others. He is a recipient of numerous scholarships from foundations such as SWEA International Scholarship for the Arts and the Royal Swedish Academy of Music.


Upcoming Concerts & Events

Sonoko Miriam Welde Sonoko Miriam Welde Violin

Norwegian violinist Sonoko Miriam Welde (b. 1996) is winner of the “Virtuos” competition, the Norwegian Soloist Prize 2014, and the Equinor Classical Music Scholarship 2016.

As a soloist she has performed with orchestras such the Oslo Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, Bergen Philharmonic, Norwegian Radio Orchestra, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Bournemouth Symphony, and Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, and conductors including Andrew Litton, James Gaffigan, Han-Na Chang, Marta Gardolinska, Joshua Weilerstein, and Edward Gardner.

An enthusiastic chamber musician, Sonoko has been championed by Leif Ove Andsnes, with whom she performs regularly, and has also worked with Tabea Zimmermann, Clemens Hagen, Sergio Tiempo, Gidon Kremer, Alisa Weilerstein, Jonathan Biss, and Janine Jansen.

She is a founding member of the string quartet, Opus13, who took second prize in the 2022 Banff International String Quartet Competition.

In 2021, she released her debut album of Bruch and Barber violin concertos and The Lark Ascending with the Oslo Philharmonic on LAWO Classics. It was nominated for the Norwegian “Spellemannprisen” in the classical music category and received rave reviews from publications such as Gramophone, BBC Music Magazine, and The Strad.

Sonoko studied with Janine Jansen in Sion, where she also had lessons with Denis Kozhukhin. She has also studied with Stephan Barratt-Due in Oslo and Kolja Blacher in Berlin. In 2018-2020 she was part of the Crescendo Mentoring Program.

Artist's Website


Upcoming Concerts & Events

  • PROTÉGÉ SPOTLIGHT: Bassist Nina Bernat  (currently selected)


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