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Katherine Balch's whisper concerto Premiered by Cellist Zlatomir Fung and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Apr. 18, 2023

Cellist Zlatomir Fung and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Principal Guest Conductor Gemma New, will give the world premiere performance of Katherine Balch's whisper concerto on April 20 with additional performances on April 21-22. The featured soloist, Zlatomir Fung, is the youngest musician ever to win the First Prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition Cello division.

The 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."

Following performances of the whisper concerto with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the German premiere of the work will take place on May 7 with the Staatsorchester Darmstadt and Maximilian Hornung 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'

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