I’m about to do a monster day of writing and recording today so hopefully Thursday/Friday sees new YouTube and podcast stuff. In the meantime, I’d like to share a young cellist who caught my eye at last year’s Sphinx competition. I got to know Sphinx through Sheena, one of the first faculty members at Tamarack. It’s an incredible org that Aaron Dworkin founded about 30 years ago to foster and promote young Black and Latino classical musicians. The amount of skill and talent funneled into—and coming out of— Sphinx is breathtaking, and if you’re looking for a place to donate to, I think of a better one.
I’d love to hear what you see and hear in Sonya’s playing. Her technique is astonishing and efficient, very deliberate, even during quick passages. But of course, it’s my jazz heart that comes alive when I listen to her- there’s a sense of freedom and experimentation even in this hundreds of years old music, and her improvised asides and cadenza encapsulate everything I love about music. She plays with a sense of joy and possibility, and as a younger person, I would have burned with envy. Now, all I see is greatness shared; a gift.
Sending you love, peace, and tempered leading tones. ❤️