This is one of my favorite holidays and times of year! The leaves have turned, the air is crisp and everyone is enjoying the last warm days of the season. I for one, am kind of looking forward to the first snow fall. But, before I break out the Christmas lights, I’ll be checking out this year’s Hallow’s Eve parade in the Village! (By the way, for those of you who don’t know, the Village is the coolest part of NYC — a mon avis– and I plan to reside there…. if only in my dreams.)

New York is amazing and so full of life! There is always something happening be it a concert, a party or just a walk Central Park. I am constantly finding new nooks, crannies, cafe’s and just plain beautiful snapshots of life. Needless to say, my sensory system is still on overload and most likely will be until this time next year.

At the moment, I am preparing a few new works for performance, namely Derrick Wang’s cello sonata which will be performed at Ars Nova this November 16 with Wei-Jen Yuan, pianist extraordinaire (please see the Schedule Page for details on all upcoming concerts). Following that I will be working on a few recording projects and making a few guest appearances here and there—-stay tuned for an update of my concert with the Bang on a Can All Stars!

I’ll have more for you in the coming weeks, including some new audio/video clips and who knows, maybe some wacky Halloween pics to boot!

Enjoy the day, enjoy the weather and the people around you!

Be well,

Ashley

Well, I hope you all had a wonderful summer because I sure did! China and Korea were amazing! The concerts were well received and took place in some of the finest halls that Seoul, Beijing and Shanghai had to offer. We even got to play in the  Forbidden City Concert Hall (in Beijing). The sights were unbelievable and more importantly, the time spent with friends was unforgettable. Having friends from the area didn’t hurt either seeing as we had no idea what to eat or where to go out for a good time. I can honestly say that both Korean and Chinese food are #1. FABULOUS for very different reasons and #2. nothing like they are in the states. Whenever you order Chinese takeout from now on, understand that this is NOT real Chinese food. Now, I like me some General Tso’s every once and a while but somehow I cannot enjoy it as much after tasting the finer cuisine that both Beijing and Shanghai had to offer. ( I even ate Brains, yes, little piggy brains and they were delicious!) We also climbed the Great Wall which was probably my favorite attraction visited in China. Granted I almost killed myself climbing to the top but it was well worth the struggle. (I will post some pictures in the gallery)

Korea was very different from China in almost every way; food, culture, architecture, entertainment. What was nice is that we have five days to really explore on our own and experience the life there. There was not nearly as much freedom when we visited China due to concert/rehearsal scheduling, flights, etc. If you ever do have the chance to go, I recommend at least a week in each city. The one thing both places had in common…. Karaoke! I have never sang so well and so badly at the same time, in so many different Karaoke (or Noreban as they say in Korea) bars. They have actual buildings dedicated solely to Karaoke. Folks, its name be-eth Party World and we need-eth it HERE!
When I returned to New Haven there was obviously a bit of a let down, especially since I was saying goodbye to a lot of friends who had graduated in May and were moving away as I have done. It is difficult to accept that the people with whom you spent so many days or even years, are now oceans away. I can only hope that we will have the opportunity be together again some day.

So, here I am in the middle of Manhattan, in my little 5th floor walk-up, and it is really a dream come true. I recall visiting the city on several occasions as a kid and wishing I could just stay. Well, now I can and it turns out that this city is a lot bigger than one can imagine. The next few weeks will be all about exploration. New places, new faces, new everything.

I will keep you updated as always, but please check out my new Schedule page for a detailed list of my upcoming performances. Look forward to seeing you soon!

Luv,

Ashley

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer! For me it has been a wonderful time with family and friends. Lots of beach, great food and good times.

In less than two weeks I will be heading to China and Korea with the Yale Philharmonia to give a few concerts in Seoul, Beijing and Shanghai. When I return, there will be a performance at the Bard Summerscape/New Albion Festival, featuring works by John Adams and Somei Satoh. I will be reuniting with many Yale colleagues to give this performance which promises to be an exciting one!

Stay tuned for a slate of fall events! I am looking forward to seeing you and meeting new faces!

Happy Fourth of July! -Ashley

Well, we are fast approaching the end of what has been a fantastic school year and I for one am looking forward to this summer’s slate of events.

This coming Saturday, May 3rd, I will be playing a trio arrangement of Piazzolla’s Four Seasons of Buenos Aires with my good friends Dawn Wohn(violin) and Brian Hsu(piano). If you recall I gave a quick mention of this piece in my last blog.

The following day, the Yale Philharmonia will make its annual appearance in Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall for an all Prokofiev program featuring his Classical Symphony, selections from the Romeo and Juliet Suites and the Fourth Piano Concerto (Left Hand) with soloist Boris Berman, chair of the piano faculty at Yale. This year the school has celebrated Mr. Berman’s 60th birthday along with his many contributions to the music world both literary and artistic.

Later this summer I will join the Yale Philharmonia for concerts in Beijing, Shanghai and Seoul, July 15-27. The performances, tagged as the “march for peace” in Beijing will be in alliance with the city’s Cultural Olympiad during the build up toward the Summer Games which begin August 8th. The YSM and the Central Conservatory of Music will join together to form a huge orchestra for Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony. Of course this a very important year for the US and China in terms of improving relations and I am proud to be part of a school that will contribute to a hopeful detente between our nations.

Upon returning, I will be visiting my alma mater, Bard College, for a performance of John Adam’s Shaker Loops and Somei Satoh’s “Toward the Night” in the New Albion Festival running August 1-10. I hope to see some of you upstate New Yorkers there!

Then folks, it’s adios New Haven, hello NYC! I have pretty much waited an entire young life to live in this city and now it’s finally gonna happen. Wish me luck and I will keep you posted of any and all developments!

Much love. -Ashley

I hope you are enjoying the sound/video clips I have posted from my January concert!

The Carnegie recital was a blast! I must say it was extremely exciting to be in front of such a warm and friendly audience. But with that behind us, I am gladly having the chance to work on new repertoire for spring performances.

In about a week I will be heading to the beaches of San Juan, Puerto Rico for some much needed R&R. On March 13, 9m, some friends of mine will join together for a chamber concert at The Gallery Inn, located atop the north wall of San Juan, overlooking the sea. The hotel is owned and run by Ms. Jan D’Esopo, a Connecticut-raised artist who relocated to Puerto Rico in 1961 to continue her work (check out www.thegalleryinn.com). Needless to say I am looking forward to my flight out of this frigid berg.
When we return from paradise, Noelia and I, along with fellow violinist Nicholas DiEugenio will be hosting “Concerto Night” on March 29th in Sprague Hall, Yale University. I have decided to play Saint-Saens Concerto No.1 in A minor(1872). The remainder of the program will feature Schnittke’s Viola Concerto(1985) and Alban Berg’s Violin Concerto(1935).

Saint-Saens wrote his first cello concerto at age 37 for cellist/luthier August Tolbeque. Compositionally flattering for the cello, there is hardly ever instance of imbalance between soloist and orchestra. Furthermore, Saint-Saens managed to fit the standard three-movements into one seamless work full of dialogue between the two. To me it is one of the more straight forward concerti, no orchestral introduction needed, clearly stated, simply put.

Alban Berg’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra was commissioned by violinist Louis Krasner and was composed during the time Berg was writing his opera Lulu, which he did not finish. In fact, the concerto was Berg’s last work before his death in December 1935. Divided into two movements: Andante-Allegretto and Allegro-Adagio (the first two sections meant to represent life and the latter, death and transfiguration), it seems to me almost too perfect in terms of symmetry. Berg uses a fascinating combination of serialism and tonality which develops atop a rhythmic motif throughout the piece. Just when you think it’s getting a little too serious, he throws you into a dance between violin and orchestra in which you can only be swept up. It is the juxtaposition of character which makes this piece so beautiful and gripping. Having heard a recent performance at Carnegie Hall of Christian Tetzlaff and the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, I was honestly blown away. Never had I heard a concerto begun so softly and eerily, nor executed with such confidence than on this night.

Schnittke’s Viola Concerto is one of the most musically and technically challenging pieces written for the instrument. Composed for Russian violist Yuri Bashmet, the piece’s driving melody throughout the work is actually a German/French mixture notating Bashmet’s name: B-A-Es-C-H-Mi or in english: Bflat-A-Eflat-C-Bnatural-Enatural. (Schnittke often encoded his friends names in musical letters within his scores.) Nearly a forty minute concerto, the piece demands much from both performer and audience in terms of endurance. This is by no means “ear-friendly” music and requires a strong character to execute the ideas and spirit that Schnittke had in mind. Having suffered a severe stroke after finishing the work he had this to say of his music:

“In a certain respect the piece has the character of a - temporary - farewell. For ten days after finishing work on it, I was placed in a situation from which there was hardly any way out. I could only slowly enter a second phase of life, a phase through which I am still passing. Like a premonition of what was to come, the music took on the character of a restless chase through life (in the second movement) and that of a slow and sad overview of life on the threshold of death (in the third movement).”

Switching gears, later in the semester there will be a series of student recitals not to miss! On April 2nd, I will be part of a premiere piece on the New Music New Haven series at Yale written by Bryan Senti, a student composer of the school and on May 3rd, I will join violinist Dawn Wohn in her very sexy rendition of Piazzolla’s Four Seasons of Buenos Aires for violin and strings. This is an extraordinary tango-inspired work which incorporates elements of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons , a piece with which we are all familiar. Originally for his folk ensemble nuevo tango the work was not intended for virtuoso violin. About a decade ago, a man named Leonid Desyatnikov arranged it for strings and solo violin, weaving in allusions to Vivaldi’s work and showing us by way of quotation that the seasons in Argentina, Piazzolla’s homeland, are opposite to those in Italy, Vivaldi’s homeland. Very interesting and fun piece to say the least.

If you get a chance, stop by Sprague Hall next Thursday (March 6th) to catch faculty composer Aaron J. Kernis’ Ballad for cello and piano on the New Music New Haven concert at 8pm. I will be joined by pianist Jeannette Fong.

Until next time,

Ashley

I want to give you a few updates regarding my performances this year; the January 26th concert at Yale was a lot of fun and I was extremely happy that so many people were able to attend. I will be posting some audio/video clips from that night very soon.

Coming up next is Carnegie-Weill Hall on February 9th, 8:30pm. To promote the concert there will be a radio segment featuring yours truly on WQXR FM radio NY, Young Artists Showcase, hosted by Robert Sherman on Wednesday, Feb 6th 9-10pm. If you get chance, tune in!

In March we will be preparing for Concerto Night! on the 29th at 4:30pm in Sudler Hall. (Incidentally, this is the building next to Sprague on the corner of Wall and College St. in New Haven). I know this will be fantastic! Nick is going to play the Berg Violin Concerto and Noelia will play Schnittke’s Concerto for Viola. I am leaning towards something a bit more romantic, as always, perhaps Lalo or Saint-Sans.

In the meantime, Yale School of Music is heavy into the spring semester. There will be a production of Die Fledermaus from Feb 9-16th at the Schubert Theatre. After that, Helmuth Rilling, world-renowned conductor, teacher and Bach scholar will conduct the orchestra, Glee Club and Yale Camerata in Mendelssohns’s Elijah on April 11th.

As always, there will be several chamber music performances throughout the semester, free to the public, about which I will keep you posted. Our trio (David Kaplan,piano- David Southorn,violin) will be rocking out Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio in A minor one of those dates, for sure!

Also, don’t miss the Yale Cellos on April 21,8pm in Sprague. This is always an entertaining night with my teacher and director of the ensemble, Aldo Parisot. He fills the stage with a colorful array of his own paintings whilst we play arrangements of music for an orchestra of 20 cellos! This year we will play Bachianas Brasileiras Nos. 1 and 5 by Villa-Lobos, among other things.

That’s all for now, but I will have more for you in the coming weeks I’m certain.

All the best,

Ashley

Currently, I am a student of Aldo Parisot at the Yale University School of Music. This is my third and final year at Yale and I must say it has been one of the greatest experiences on all levels. It’s not every day that one has the opportunity to work with so many talented and eager musicians of the same age, as well as some of the most distinguished professors in the biz. I will carry their contributions with me always.

On January 26th, I will be giving my final degree recital at the University in Sprague Memorial Hall. The program will include works by Brahms, Beethoven, Debussy and Martino. Hope you can be there with all my friends to celebrate a wonderful time spent at Yale!

Subsequently, I will be giving my debut recital at Carnegie Hall on February 9th in Weill Hall. As you can imagine I am extremely excited about this opportunity to play on such a prestigious stage. It will be a solo recital with pianist Todd Crow, who is AMAZING, by the way! I met him during my Bard College years and we gave a few concerts together at Vassar, where he is a music professor.

In between recitals I am keeping busy with the hustle and bustle of school, chamber music, Philharmonia, and an introduction to composition with Ezra Laderman, which is allowing me to indulge my inner pop star. I will also be working with two trios this semester playing Tchaikovsky’s a minor and Mendelssohn’s c minor piano trios, both of which I am eager to start. In addition, my friends and I will be giving a “Concerto Night” at Yale University’s Sudler (William Harkness) Hall on the 29th of March.

Not sure of the program but it will include everything romantic as well as contemporary for your liking. Noelia, one of my best friends and favorite violists will be gracing the stage with her Spanish flare whilst the Italian Stallion, Nick DiEugenio sears our hearts with his magnificent violin playing. T’will be a night to remember, indeed!

Don’t forget to check out my recent audio/video clips. The majority are from my Master’s Recital last February with pianists Wei-Jen Yuan and Hye-Yeon Park. And the rest are blasts from the past, so to speak, which I hope you will enjoy as well!

Well I think that about covers it for now so until next time, be well, stay warm and enjoy everything that the New Year will bring!

Much Love,
Ashley