Just a week or so after my wonderful time at the Chintimini festival, it was time to begin rehearsals for what is truly the highlight of my year, the Willamette Valley Chamber Music Festival. The founders and co-artistic directors – husband and wife team Sasha Callahan (violin) and Leo Eguchi (cellos) – are now dear friends after 8 years of making music together – as is their fellow Bostonian, violinist Megumi Stohs Lewis.
This year celebrated the 10th anniversary of the founding of the festival. So pieces were brought back that were highlights of past seasons, along with new gems. As usual, there was an excellent composer in residence. This year it was Akshaya Tucker, who brought a fusion of Indian Classical and Western Classical techniques and forms. She has been immersed in the world of Indian Classical music for much of her life, as well as a practitioner of Odissi dance. A string quintet was commissioned from her by the festival and was given its premiere in the opening week of the festival, with Akshaya listening to rehearsals and giving feedback on how she wanted things to sound. It was a joy to get to work with her for the first two weeks of the festival (usually we only get one week with the composer) and to get to know her style and personality. We were joined by the awesome violist Bradley Otteson of the Fry Street Quartet (based in Logan, UT) for both Akshaya’s quintet and for Mendelssohn’s joyous and virtuosic Quintet in B-flat major. The Mendelssohn has been getting played a lot around the country this summer, and with good reason. It is well-written and a both a blast to play and for listening enjoyment!
There was a ton of repertoire over the three weeks that I won’t go into here, but the highlights for me were, in week one, Akshaya’s new quintet Oh Whose Head He Danced and the Mendelssohn quintet. In week two they were Schubert’s incredible quartet in D minor “Death and the Maiden”, and Akshaya’s string trio In Whose Mouth the Stars, which though intricate and tricky to perform always delivers big time feels for both the performers and the audience. Week three brought Beethoven’s mighty Op. 59 no. 1 “Razumovsky” quartet, Shelley Washington’s achingly beautiful meditation on nostalgia and family Middleground and Akshaya’s gorgeous quartet (commissioned by the incredible Brooklyn Rider quartet) Hollow Flame.
It was at times an exhausting month, but also exhilarating, challenging, and rewarding. In short, it was just what a chamber music festival ought to be!
Now there’s a bit of actual down time (gasp!), which will contain some traveling, some yard and house work, and a little bit of maintenance practicing before the symphony season starts on September 8th. I’ll be back in just over a week with a look at what I’m looking forward to in the 2025-2026 Oregon Symphony season. See you then!
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