Hillary Nordwell & Friends: Piano Trios by French & American Women Composers
$20
- Emily Herdeman Kelly, violin
- Megan Titensor, cello
- Hillary Nordwell, piano
Lili Boulanger — D'un matin de printemps ("Of a Spring Morning") (arr. for piano trio)
Jennifer Higdon — Piano Trio "Pale Yellow and Fiery Red"
Amy Beach — Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 150
Florence Price — Night
Louise Farrenc's large scale Piano Trio in E-flat, written in the classical style, will delight and intrigue audience members. The trio was composed by the virtuoso pianist in the years before she was appointed Professor of Piano at the Paris Conservatoire, a prestigious position despite the pay difference between Farrenc and her male counterparts. Eventually Farrencs demand for equal pay was met, and she stayed in this position for 30 years.
Lili Boulanger's D'un matin de printemps ("Of a Spring Morning") was one of the final pieces she completed during her tragically short life. She died of intestinal tuberculosis at 24, while her sister Nadia Boulanger went on to become one of Europe's most celebrated composition teachers and lived until age 92. D'un matin de printemps is an energetic and blustery welcome to spring!
Jennifer Higdon's "Pale Yellow" and "Fiery Red" offer a deep dive into the intersection between music and color. Higdon was influenced at an early age by rock and folk music, and had little exposure to the classical music world until she joined her high school band, playing percussion and flute. She rose quickly in the compositional world through her college and graduate school studies and until recently served on the composition faculty at Curtis Institute of Music. Her Letters for the Future album won a 2023 Grammy Award.
Amy Beach's Piano Trio, Op. 150 is at turns meditative and invigorating, and always imaginative and Romantic. Beach was among the earliest American-educated women to find success as a virtuoso pianist and composer. After her husband's death in 1910, she spent several years in Europe, where she was also greeted with acceptance and appreciation for her music.
Florence Price's art song Night, arranged for piano trio by the Merz Trio, lends a calming farewell to our program. Florence Price, an extremely gifted and hard-working African American composer born in 1887, overcame a great deal of discrimination and adversity to bring her works to the public.
About Emily Herdeman Kelly, violin
Emily Herdeman Kelly enjoys a diverse career as a violinist and music educator. An experienced orchestral musician, Ms. Kelly has performed with the Northwest Sinfonietta, Oregon Symphony, Houston Symphony, Austin Symphony, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Houston Grand Opera, Houston Ballet, River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, San Antonio Symphony, and the New World Symphony. She has participated in professional and fellowship summer festivals including the Britt Festival Orchestra (OR), Colorado Music Festival Orchestra (CO), Tanglewood Music Center (MA), Round Top Festival Institute (TX), and the Beijing International Music Festival in China.
A dedicated teacher, she currently maintains a thriving studio in Redmond. Previously, she has been a Teaching Artist with the Seattle Symphony, an Adjunct Instructor at Carnegie Mellon University and was on faculty at the Rice University Preparatory School. Ms. Kelly has been a Teaching Artist through MusAid for an El Sistema program in El Salvador. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Indiana University, and a Master of Music degree from Rice University.
When not pursuing her musical endeavors, she stays busy chasing her two young children and exploring the beauty of the Pacific Northwest.
https://suzukiassociation.org/people/emily-herdeman-kelly/About Megan Titensor, cello
Megan Titensor is an influential cellist and devoted teacher based in Seattle. Megan performs regularly in chamber music and has also played with the Northwest Symphony Orchestra. She has extensive experience as a recording artist and is also an accomplished pianist. She holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Cello Performance.
As a teacher, Megan maintains a private studio teaching Suzuki cello and early childhood music. She also teaches for GOSuzuki in Olympia. Previously, she taught in a Suzuki-based program in Cusco, Peru in addition to building her own programs in Salt Lake City, UT and Boulder, CO. Megan is sought-after as a clinician and has taught at Suzuki institutes and workshops in Peru, Mexico, CA, MI, NY, OH, TX, UT, and WA. Megan has served in many leadership and administrative roles within the Suzuki community in local chapters and on institute boards.
Megan spends her leisure time skiing, rock climbing, or on mountain trails with her husband, son, and dog. She is a seasoned traveler and regulates her intense wanderlust by reading many books, exploring new trails, and cooking up exotic food.
http://www.megantitensor.comAbout Hillary Nordwell, piano
Hillary Nordwell recently relocated to Bellevue, Washington after spending the past 16 years in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has been featured as a soloist and chamber musician in many Bay Area and Washington State concert venues, as well as in Germany, Italy, Austria, and Sweden. She cultivates a thriving Suzuki Piano studio and is in demand as a collaborative pianist. A certified Suzuki Piano Teacher Trainer, she participates actively on the board of the local Suzuki Association, and is instrumental in providing training opportunities for teachers and students. She also enjoys educating young children and their families through her Comfy Concert series.
Hillary received her masters degree in Chamber Music Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and her bachelors degree in Piano Performance from Lawrence Conservatory in Appleton, Wisconsin, where she was honored for three consecutive years with the Marjory Irvin Prize for "excellence in solo piano and chamber music." In 2001, she spent a semester abroad in Vienna, studying piano and developing a love for opera and the German language.
In her free time, Hillary finds joy in observing her daughter's progress in cello and piano, and in their daily walks to school together through the trees. She is eternally grateful for her husband’s skill in technology, which has saved her countless hours of frustration!
http://www.HillaryNordwell.com