Music

“ Without music, life would be a mistake.”

Friedrich Nietzsche

“All the good music has already been written by people with wigs and stuff.”

Frank Zappa

“Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence.”

Robert Fripp
Shostakovich cello sonata, IAS, Nov 12, 2021.

Short Musical CV

Selected Chamber Music and Soloist Activity

  • Cello-Piano Duo, with Bernhard Hanke (piano). Performance at the Institute of Advanced Study (IAS).
ProgramDownload
  • Cello-Piano Duo, with Bernhard Hanke (piano). Masterclasses with Guido Schiefen (cello). Performance in the 13th European Music Workshop Altomünster,
    Altomünster, Bavaria, Germany. Repertoire: D. Shostakovich, Sonata for Cello and Piano in D minor, Op. 40. April 23 2019.
  • String Quartet, with Franca Hoffmann (viola), Kin Lam (violin), Malcolm Perry (violin). Concert in Imperial College London, Physics Dept, London, UK. Repertoire: L.v. Beethoven, String Quartet No. 4 in C Minor, Op. 18.; D. Shostakovich, String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 110. May 24 2016.
  • Piano Quintet, with Franca Hoffmann (viola), Kin Lam (violin), Malcolm Perry (violin), Mariana Airaudo (piano). Concerts in Imperial College London, London, UK, and Christ’s College Chapel, Cambridge, UK. Repertoire: J. Brahms, Piano Quintet, Op. 34. Jan 2016.
  • Cello-Piano Duo, with Mariana Airaudo (piano). Concert in Christ’s College Chapel, Cambridge, UK. Repertoire: D. Shostakovich, Sonata for Cello and Piano in D minor, Op. 40. Jan 2016.
  • String Trio, with Kin Lam (violin), Franca Hoffmann (viola). Performance in Imperial College London, London, UK. Repertoire: Beethoven, Mozart, Game of Thrones arrangement (with percursion). May 29 2015.
  • Cello Solo, Piano Trio, with Isabel Jeakings (violin), Christine van den Berghe (piano). Performance in University College London, London, UK. Repertoire: J.S. Bach, suite for cello solo No. 5 in C minor, BMW 1011, 1st Mov.; F. Schubert, Piano Trio No. 1 in B flat major, D. 898, 1st Mov. March 13 2015.
  • String Quartet, with Kin Lam (violin), Franca Hoffmann (viola), Katy Sayer (violin). Concert in Imperial College London, Weeks Hall, London, UK. Repertoire: A. Dvořák, American Quartet in F major, Op. 96. Oct 18 2014.
  • String Chamber Ochestra meets Black Theater, Black theater puppet performance in Teatro Solis, by La Ovidio Titers Band, joined by live performance of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons by a small string ensamble of 8 people. See here for a glimpse of this beautiful form of art. Sept 2-3 2014.
  • Cello-Piano Duo, with J.S. (piano). Performance in Christ’s College May Ball, Cambridge, UK. Repertoire: A. Piazolla, Le Grand Tango; F. Mendelssohn, Song Without Words (Lied ohne Worte), Op.109. 17 June 2014 .
  • Chamber Orchestra, Trinity College Music Society (TCMS) Nachtmusik Series, Concert in Trinity College Chapel, Cambridge, UK. Repertoire: Arnold Schönberg- Verklärte Nacht. Conductor: Joel Sandelson. May 15 2014.
  • Chamber Orchestra, CUMSSO Icarus Project, Project in collaboration with the University of Cambridge Science Festival and the Faculty of Music. Screening of film together with live music. Conductor: Ben Glassberg. Music by Philip Glass. March 17 2014.
  • Piano Trio, with Lay Kodama (violin), J.S. (piano). Concert in Christ’s College Chapel, Cambridge, UK. Repertoire: F. Mendelssohn, Piano Trio No. 1, Op. 49. Jan 2014.
  • Cello-Piano duo, Cello trio with piano, Cello duo, with Ignacio Añon (cello), Lucrecia Basaldúa (cello), Mariana Airaudo (piano). Performance in La Spezia, Montevideo, Uruguay. Repertoire: M. Bruch, Kol Nidrei, Op. 47; J. Brahms, Cello Sonata No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 38; J. Werner, Duo Concertante, Op. 56; L. Boccherini, Sonata for 2 Cellos in C major, G.74; D. Popper, Requiem, Op. 66. Sept 11 2013.
  • Cello-Piano Duo, with Julián Bello (piano). Performance in the Embassy of Germany in Montevideo, Uruguay, as part of Dispotraining, course dictated by Ingrid Zur & Jörg Heyer. Repertoire: J. Brahms, Cello Sonata No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 38, 1st mov. April 23 2012.
  • Cello-Viola Duo, with Bruno González (viola). Performances in Teatro Solis, and Sala Zitarrosa, Montevideo, Uruguay. Repertoire: L.v Beethoven, Duet mit zwei obligaten Augengläsern, WoO 32. 2012.
  • Soloist with orchestra, 1st cello, with Ignacio Añon (cello). Orquesta da Capo, Conductor: Bruno González. Performance in La Spezia, Montevideo, Uruguay. Repertoire: A. Vivaldi, Concerto for 2 Cellos in G minor, RV 531. 2012.
  • Chamber Orchestra, Sembrando Talentos 2012. Performance in Auditorio Nacional del Sodre Dra. Adela Reta. Repertoire: P. Tchaikovsky,
    Serenade for Strings in C major, Op. 48; O. Respighi, Antiche Danze ed Arie Per Liuto. Feb 5 2012. See here and here, for videos.
  • Cello solo. Performance in Ateneo de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay. Repertoire: J.S Bach, Cello suite No. 2; Reynaldo Young, Overnite Obstination (piece for prepared cello, inspired by music by Frank Zappa: see here for a recording by a colleague). 2011.
  • Cello-Piano Duo, with Mariana Airaudo (piano). Several Performances. Most relevant: Performance in Centro Cultural de España, Montevideo, Uruguay. Repertoire: L.v Beethoven, Cello Sonata No. 3, Op. 69; R. Schumann, Fantasiestücke Op. 73; G. Fauré, Elegíe; E. Granados, Danza Andaluza; H. Villalobos, Canto del Cisne Negro; Fabio Landa, Canto Negro. June 29 2010.

Selected Orchestral Activity

Selected Masterclasses, Courses, Workshops.

Some Musical Projects

String Theory

Music ensemble born in Cambridge, UK, made up of a bunch of music enthusiasts from different fields and background, who still find time in their busy schedules to meetup around the globe.

Members:

  • Lay Kodama, violin. Neuroscience. San Francisco, CA, USA.
  • Kin Lam, violin. Management, Finance, Consultancy. San Francisco, CA, USA.
  • Will Berdanier, violin. Physics. Texas, USA.
  • Franca Hoffmann, viola. Mathematics. Köln, Germany.
  • J.S., piano. Finance. Tokyo, Japan.
  • Philip Zupancic, cello. Physics. Zürich, Switzerland.
  • Jozefien Vanherpe, cello. Law. Gent, Flanders, Belgium.
  • Agustin Moreno, cello. Mathematics. Montevideo, Uruguay.

String Theory at Christ’s College Ball, Cambridge,
17 June 2014.
Back, L to R: Lay, Franca, Kin, Agustin, Philip.
Front, L to R: J., Will.
Unfortunately, Jozefien is missing in this pic.

Kokokollektiv

A very interesting Berlin-based musical and creative project I was once involved with. Jazz, swing and folk freely and playfully meet, driven by an unusual and intriguing ensemble of violin, guitar, beautiful voices, tuba, saxophone.

Here is their webpage: http://kokokollektiv.com/

Check out their album!

Mime en Mi Mineur

Augsburg-based Mime and live music company, with which I have occasionally performed. Hugo’s pantomime and visual craft will leave you in trance; and to escape the magic spell of Francesco’s Accordion, you shall have no chance.

Here is their webpage: https://mimeenmimineur.webnode.com

Check out Hugo’s new album: Nu sous une pluie d’Automne

And a few pics borrowed from their site:

Simplektiv

Augsburg-based art Kollektiv. Mime art, live reading of poetry, live music, conceptual art… a feast for the senses.

A flyer for LO[GI]CO, a show by Simplektiv, in Neruda Kulturcafe.

Here you can find a booklet containing the art work:

LO[GI]CO bookletDownload

Vignettes from the past.

Here are a couple of videos of Cambridge University Musical Society Symphony Orchestra (CUMSSO), directed by the ridiculously talented Carlos Izcaray, in which I participated.

Igor Stravinsky, Symphony in Three Movements.
Giuseppe Verdi, La Forza Del Destino, Overture

Here are some old-but-not-forgotten flyers for classical music concerts in which I participated:

Going down Memory Lane: