Nick Reeves' Symposium Playlist

Junior Advisory Council Member and Symposium Cellist Nick Reeves’ curated playlist featuring works from the Stay-at-Home Symposium.

1: "Mystery" Milad Yousufi, Gabriel Martins, and Dale Carter

This was one of the first pieces I heard when I was introduced to Musaics of the Bay. Milad Yousufi’s “Mystery” brings out my favorite qualities of the cello. The resonance and depth of the cello are on full display.

2: "Still Life" Gabriel Cabezas, Dan Marschak, Andrew Wyeth

Dan Marschak’s “Still Life”, is a wonderful example of how delicate and pure the cello can be. Gabriel Cabezas’ sensitive playing, compliments this beautifully. The space left in this piece really lets you think about the phrases being played. I particularly love the ends of the notes.

3: "Stillness in Motion" Madeleine Bouïssou, Nadine Rosenthal

In this symposium premiere, Baroque cellist, Madeleine Bouïssou presents a two-piece program based on Nadine Rosenthal’s powerful quilt, “Stillness of Motion”. The program starts with a beautiful sonata for two cellos. The two cellos feel greater than the sum of their parts and invoke the same sense of awe as Nadine Rosenthal’s quilt. The program is completed with a piece for solo cello by contemporary composer, Reena Esmail, titled “Varsha”. It is such a treat to hear contemporary music performed on Baroque cello.

4: "I Cried..." Milad Yousufi, Andrew Janss, Audrey Vardanega

For the last edition of my playlist, I chose Milad Yousufi’s “I Cried…”, performed by cellist, Andrew Janss, and pianist, Audrey Vardanega. The opening’s cimbalom-like hammering of the piano strings paired with the singing lines in the cello part created an intoxicating sound world that I haven’t heard before. It was amazing to hear musicians making music together (which is a real treat these days)! Andrew Janss and Audrey Vardanega’s performance was so cohesive and convincing.