Music & The Mythical
Friday, Marfch 21st, 7pm • BERKELEY Hills
Join us at the beautiful and historic Villa Maybeck for an intimate evening exploring the correspondences between music and the mythical. The salon will feature movements from Sergei Rachmaninov’s Cello Sonata in G Minor performed by Tanya Tomkins and Audrey Vardanega, followed by a presentation on Greek Mythology by Kaaren Kitchell, paired with spontaneous piano improvisations by Christos Vayenas.
Around the turn of the 20th century, Sergei Rachmaninov experienced a serious crisis of confidence following the disastrous premiere of his First Symphony. The composer was unable to write almost anything, until after intensive sessions of therapy and hypnosis, his renewed creativity burst forth with his Cello Sonata in G minor, which contains all the hope, passion, and relief of that moment.
Such a ‘hero’s journey ‘ –entering into the depths of the psyche in order to re-emerge with renewed spirit and resolve– is chronicled across countless eras and cultures. Kaaren Kitchell will present one of the most ancient depictions of our collective psyche through introducing us to the archetypal meanings behind the 12 gods and goddesses of ancient Greece, and how they can serve as a source of meaning and inspiration for us in the world today.
Pianist Christos Vayenas will add another dimension to the presentation by improvising each figure, translating the themes and mythologies they represent into living musical expressions.
The Program
— Opening Reception —
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Sergei Rachmaninov – Cello Sonata Op. 19
Tankya Tomkins, cello | Audrey Vardanega, piano
I. Lento – Allegro moderato
III. Andante
Living Mythically
Kaaren Kitchell – Presentation on the Twelve Greek Gods & Goddesses
Christos Vayenas – Piano Improvisations
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The ARTISTS
Tanya Tomkins
Artistic Director and Co-Founder of the Valley of the Moon Music Festival, cellist Tanya Tomkins is equally at home on Baroque and modern instruments. She has performed on many chamber music series to critical acclaim, including the Frick Collection, “Great Performances” at Lincoln Center, the 92nd Street Y, San Francisco Performances, and the Concertgebouw Kleine Zaal.
She is renowned in particular for her interpretation of the Bach Cello Suites, having recorded them for the Avie label and performed them many times at venues such as New York’s Le Poisson Rouge, Seattle Early Music Guild, Vancouver Early Music Society, and The Library of Congress.
Audrey vardanega
Praised as a “[musically] eloquent” (San Francisco Classical Voice) player “with the kind of freedom, authority, and strength…that one expects from the world’s finest pianists” and a “bewitching musical presence” (The Piedmont Post), American pianist and arts entrepreneur Audrey Vardanega (b.1995) has performed as a solo and collaborative pianist across Europe, China, and the United States.
In 2019, in response to her passion for bringing artists together for new opportunities for performance, the creation of new work, and interdisciplinary collaboration, Audrey founded Musaics of the Bay.
Kaaren Kitchell
Kaaren Kitchell’s poems have appeared in numerous literary journals (most recently in the Jung Journal Winter-Spring 2023), anthologies, and in a fine art manuscript at the Getty Museum. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University, LA.
She and her late husband, Richard Beban, taught Living Mythically at the C.G. Jung Institute in L.A., at Esalen in Big Sur, and in private workshops, based on her 30-year vision quest. A collection of her essays and his photos can be found at www.parisplay.com. Her most recent book of poems is Ariadne’s Threads, is through Tebot Bach Press.
Christos Vayenas
A pianist/composer, writer and impresario, Christos Vayenas draws inspiration from the Romantic and Symbolist traditions of the past, as well as various cultural traditions of the world.
He is the creator of the NYC-based Autumn Salon, an online journal and invite-only events series that aspires to bring a sense of intimacy and meaning to the way people perform, present and experience the arts.
Through his work he aims to unite the timeless artistic traditions of the past with the living energy of the present.
about Villa Maybeck
Designed by Bernard Maybeck in 1921 to resemble a Palladian villa or palazzo, Villa Maybeck is the home of artist, writer and collector, L. John Harris, and a frequent venue for musical performances, poetry readings, plays and lectures. Musaics is delighted to announce that it will present a number of performances at Villa Maybeck in 2025. For more about the Villa Maybeck event space, see: Ljohnharris.com.