European American Music Distributors Company is a member of the Schott Music Group

European Premiere of Katherine Balch's whisper concerto in Darmstadt

May. 30, 2023

On May 7, the Staatsorchester Darmstadt, led by Karsten Januschke and cellist Maximilian Hornung performed the European premiere of Katherine Balch'swhisper concerto for violoncello and orchestra. 

whisper concerto, a 25-minute piece, requires careful preparation of the instruments. In the score, the composer has specified in detail which instrument needs additional equipment, how to attach it, and what the resulting sound should be. These additions range from glass bottles and bubble wrap for the percussion instruments, to letter clips for the double bass. The piano requires the most elaborate preparation as it calls for various tools such as a one-cent coin, adhesive tape, expanding dowels, and crocodile clips.    

In addition to the extensions of the instruments, there are special characters in the notes that refer to the way they are played. Balch explores the possibility of making several notes sound simultaneously in one instrument using so-called multiphonics, as well as volume changes of individual instruments in the orchestral tutti, to form a sound image that condenses and dissolves again throughout the work. She notes:

"For me, my workspace isn’t just a place for composing or practising my instruments. It’s also a place for play and discovery, and I try to keep a lot of noise making devices at my disposal to facilitate that playful mental and physical space I try to cultivate when I write."

World premiere performances of Katherine Balch's whisper concerto took place with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra last month featuring Zlatomir Fung as soloist. The work was co-commissioned by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Staatsorchester Darmstadt, and BBC Radio 3, with future performances planned in London with Zlatomir Fung and the BBC Philharmonic in the 2023-24 season. The concerto is written for and dedicated to Zlatomir Fung, with gratitude to Maximilian Hornung. 


(whisper concerto interview / preview with Katherine Balch and Zlatomir Fung)

To learn more about Katherine Balch, visit schott-music.com

Katherine Balch
whisper concerto (2022)
for solo cello and orchestra
2(2.pic).2.2(2.bcl).2(2.cbsn)-4.2.1.btbn.0-timp.2perc(I: mar, tub bells, glsp, lg and sm tri, guiro, slapstick [or whip], md sus cym, lg sheet of bubble wrap; II: vib, crot, tam-t, lg and md sus cym, s.d, 2 sm glass bottles, capiz shell or glass wind chimes)-pno(with preparations)-str(min 12.10.8.8.6)
25'

News