A Conversation with Karna Mendonca

In anticipation for the “Exploring Lyricism” Residency, Musaics AD Audrey Vardanega asked participating composer Karna Mendonca a few questions about his new piece for cello written especially for cellist Nick Reeves.

How did collaborating with Cellist Nick Reeves inform and guide the process of this new composition?

Nick has a unique skillset for a classical cellist: he’s a very talented improviser with a very distinctive style. I chose to write a solo cello piece specifically for Nick, that features his improvisations.

How did incorporating improvisation in the piece inform your composition style?

It was an interesting challenge to write a piece with form and direction while allowing for free improvisation. Jazz balances these to ideas by giving players a rhythmic and harmonic framework to work from. However, I wanted to try something different by giving Nick complete freedom in his improvisations. The result is a sort of chorale, with interspersed cadenzas for improvisation.

What were some of the main inspirations for this piece?

Nick and I drew inspiration from a wide variety of music, including free jazz, flamenco, and the solo cello works of Bach, Britten and Kodaly.