Reviews
Classically folk - Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra hosts a homecoming for Vicki Powell
"This was a triumphant return... She proved how she has blossomed, displaying rich tone and superlative technique."
-John W. Barker
Isthmus
Read More
For Marlboro Musicians, at Home or on Tour, Performance Is in the Details
“Vicki Powell spun out the mournful solo viola introduction with probing introspection...”
-Vivian Schweitzer
The New York Times
Read More
Chamber program evokes nostalgia
“I was captivated... when violist Vicki Powell, in demonstrating a chromatic scale, revealed a voluptuous tone and, unlikely as it may seem, a sequence of such shape and purpose it told a story. She's clearly a star.”
-Peter Dobrin
Philadelphia Inquirer
Read More
Family concert occasion for introduction
“Vicki Powell... is a student of Roberto Diaz at the Curtis Institute of Music, and she shares with her teacher many of the sensibilities he brought to the orchestra before stepping down as principal violist.
On this morning, in the Stamitz Viola Concerto in D Major, Powell was a fully formed artist. She has a sound that is refined, but that has no trouble projecting. She has none of the tension in her playing that many young string players bring while simply trying to get the notes down. She has them down, and she spins them out with a coolness (not to mention poise) that is remarkable at any age.”
-Peter Dobrin
Philadelphia Inquirer
Read More
Curtis Symphony and Golden Age Revisited
“A violist who can take one’s breath away, Vicki Powell is so understanding of tone.”
Notes from Philly
Read More
Classical music: The Middleton Community Orchestra opens its season with polished viola playing from Vicki Powell
"The young but highly gifted, Madison-born violist, Vicki Powell... offered a superbly warm, rich, clearly projected tone, presented in a thoroughly professional manner— reminding us, too, how underappreciated the viola is as a solo instrument... a handsome dialogue between soloist and orchestra, realized with particularly gorgeous tone by Powell. She is a musician to watch for."
John W. Barker
The Well-Tempered Ear
Read More
Interviews
Interview with Jacob Stockinger from the Well-Tempered Ear:
Could you briefly introduce yourself to readers a bit about yourself including when you started music lessons, your early preparation and your life in Madison as well as your personal interests (hobbies, etc.) and professional career plans?
Greetings from New York City, the city that never sleeps, and which is certainly never lacking in cultural events. I am a native Wisconsinite, raised in Madison, but for the past eight years I have been living on the east coast. After earning my Bachelors of Music at the Curtis Institute (where I studied with Roberto Diaz and Misha Amory), I moved to New York to pursue my Masters at the Juilliard School, and have lived in the city ever since. My life consists of a potpourri of musical activities, from performing with the Jupiter Chamber Players, to playing with the New York Philharmonic, to collaborating with ballet companies alongside my new music group Ensemble39. I've traveled across the globe and collaborated with many incredible musicians, but my most fond memories are from my time back home, the formative years of my musical being.
I began taking violin lessons with Maria Rosa Germain at the age of four after hearing my brother, Derek, play the violin. I have such a vivid memory of the moment I decided that I wanted to play the violin: It was dusk, and I was curled up on the green shag carpet of our basement floor, the last bits of daylight leaking in through the windows above. Derek was practicing the Brahms Waltz from Suzuki Book Two a few feet away. I was exhausted after an afternoon of monkeying around on the jungle gym, and the waltz was the most soothing lullaby to my ears, transporting me to that surreal state of half sleep where time seems to stand still. I felt so peaceful, so warm, so content, the effects combining to make the moment so magical that the only logical thing to me upon waking was that I would some day be able to recapture that sensation and make music as beautiful.
My main violin studies were with Eugene Purdue, of the famed Buddy Conservatory of Music, with whom I studied for nine years. Mr. Purdue also introduced me to the wonderful world of chamber music, taking on the role of devoted coach to my string quartet, the Élève Arte (wannabes of the Pro Arte String Quartet). The challenge to my string quartet was that there were three of us violinists, and no violist to speak of, so we took it upon ourselves to switch around our roles in order for us each to have a turn at playing the viola. As the years rolled on, it became clear to us that in order to compete at competitions, it was not practical for us to be lugging so many instruments onstage (there exists some comical video footage of this phenomenon).
At this point, I decided that my role in life was not that of diva (ahem, First Violin) and though I find the role of Second Violin extremely vital to the ensemble, challenging, thrilling, and full of guts, I was drawn to the uniquely dark tone of the Viola. To me the viola represented the real meat and soul of the string quartet, and the tone of the viola was the perfect vehicle for expressing all of the rage, pain and suffering that I felt (Bartok's works were the perfect outlet for those emotions).
Most violists also play the violin. What attracted you to the viola? What would you like the public to know about the viola, which seems less well known and more mysterious than, say, the violin or cello?
Having now overcome my teenage angst, I still adore the viola and its role in music – to be entrusted with the core of harmony, the real color within every texture, gives me such a sense of quiet power with which I can subtly control the direction of a phrase and the shape of an entire work. Mr. Purdue once shared a piece of wisdom relating to his wife, Sally Chisholm, who was my first formal viola teacher and the person responsible for expanding my creative horizon beyond the physical realm of music-making. Those words of wisdom: People feel at ease when playing with Sally, and they easily credit themselves for sounding so magnificent. However, it is Sally who, through her playing, acts as such a strong guiding force that the flow of musical intention is undeniable. A powerful statement which has stayed with me to this day, and which I strive to achieve every single day.
Was there an Aha! Moment – an individual piece or composer or performance or recording, when you knew you wanted to pursue music as a career and be a violist?
I can't imagine pursuing a life in anything unrelated to music and the arts, but it was not always that way. As a teenager, I refused even dream of becoming a musician – I'm a very realistic person, and the idea of fighting my way through a world that is so competitive and which is not quite so financially lucrative was not one that appealed to my sensibilities. During my early high school years, I focused my attentions on maths and sciences, preparing myself for a life as a dentist or pathologist. Then my “Aha!” moment came with my 16th birthday on which I gave my debut as a solo violist on the nationally-syndicated radio show From the Top. It was the first time I had ever played for an audience to which I had no connection (the show was taped in Dallas, Texas), and I suppose the whirlwind story behind my debut as a violist sans string quartet helped to convince me that a life in music would never be boring. I had such a blast meeting new people, and the thrill that came with being onstage was unforgettable that from that point forward I was hooked.
How do you think classical music can attract more young people?
We so often hear that classical music is dying, a sentiment with which I strongly disagree. Times have changed, and the world has turned to an era of short attention spans and an addiction to social media. I myself am victim to a few of these [shortcomings], but because of them, I am also aware of the enormous amount of interest in the classical world.
I believe that in order to attract more young (and old) fans of classical music, we must be conscious of providing inviting points of entry. I am very fortunate to be privy to several hip events around New York City which target young people looking to be cultured and have a great time doing so. A few examples: Groupmuse, Wine by the Glass, NYC House Concerts, events at Poisson Rouge... all introduce music in a social setting where it's cool to explore, and where you don't feel constrained by rules of concert-watching etiquette.
What can you tell us about Hummel’s Fantasy for Viola and Orchestra?
Hummel was a contemporary of Mozart and Haydn, both of whom played the role of mentor for their younger counterpart. Hummel is most well-known for his fantasies, which are said to be, “the peak and keystone of virtuosic performance”. The Fantasy for Viola and Orchestra takes on different operatic themes, three of which appear in the version which I will be performing with the Middleton Community Orchestra.
What can you tell us about the Bruch Romance for Viola and Orchestra?
Bruch's Romance holds a very special place in my heart, as it was the very last work I performed (with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra) before departing Madison to begin my studies at the Curtis Institute of Music eight years ago! The lush, tonal soundscape will draw in any sucker for romantic music.
Is there something else you would like to say or add?
I'm very much looking forward to performing at home again, with people that are like family to me. Mindy Taranto, cofounder of the Middleton Community Orchestra, has been such a great friend and supporter to me throughout the years, and I am thrilled to finally have the opportunity to collaborate with her and the orchestra!
Classically folk - Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra hosts a homecoming for Vicki Powell
"This was a triumphant return... She proved how she has blossomed, displaying rich tone and superlative technique."
-John W. Barker
Isthmus
Read More
For Marlboro Musicians, at Home or on Tour, Performance Is in the Details
“Vicki Powell spun out the mournful solo viola introduction with probing introspection...”
-Vivian Schweitzer
The New York Times
Read More
Chamber program evokes nostalgia
“I was captivated... when violist Vicki Powell, in demonstrating a chromatic scale, revealed a voluptuous tone and, unlikely as it may seem, a sequence of such shape and purpose it told a story. She's clearly a star.”
-Peter Dobrin
Philadelphia Inquirer
Read More
Family concert occasion for introduction
“Vicki Powell... is a student of Roberto Diaz at the Curtis Institute of Music, and she shares with her teacher many of the sensibilities he brought to the orchestra before stepping down as principal violist.
On this morning, in the Stamitz Viola Concerto in D Major, Powell was a fully formed artist. She has a sound that is refined, but that has no trouble projecting. She has none of the tension in her playing that many young string players bring while simply trying to get the notes down. She has them down, and she spins them out with a coolness (not to mention poise) that is remarkable at any age.”
-Peter Dobrin
Philadelphia Inquirer
Read More
Curtis Symphony and Golden Age Revisited
“A violist who can take one’s breath away, Vicki Powell is so understanding of tone.”
Notes from Philly
Read More
Classical music: The Middleton Community Orchestra opens its season with polished viola playing from Vicki Powell
"The young but highly gifted, Madison-born violist, Vicki Powell... offered a superbly warm, rich, clearly projected tone, presented in a thoroughly professional manner— reminding us, too, how underappreciated the viola is as a solo instrument... a handsome dialogue between soloist and orchestra, realized with particularly gorgeous tone by Powell. She is a musician to watch for."
John W. Barker
The Well-Tempered Ear
Read More
Interviews
Interview with Jacob Stockinger from the Well-Tempered Ear:
Could you briefly introduce yourself to readers a bit about yourself including when you started music lessons, your early preparation and your life in Madison as well as your personal interests (hobbies, etc.) and professional career plans?
Greetings from New York City, the city that never sleeps, and which is certainly never lacking in cultural events. I am a native Wisconsinite, raised in Madison, but for the past eight years I have been living on the east coast. After earning my Bachelors of Music at the Curtis Institute (where I studied with Roberto Diaz and Misha Amory), I moved to New York to pursue my Masters at the Juilliard School, and have lived in the city ever since. My life consists of a potpourri of musical activities, from performing with the Jupiter Chamber Players, to playing with the New York Philharmonic, to collaborating with ballet companies alongside my new music group Ensemble39. I've traveled across the globe and collaborated with many incredible musicians, but my most fond memories are from my time back home, the formative years of my musical being.
I began taking violin lessons with Maria Rosa Germain at the age of four after hearing my brother, Derek, play the violin. I have such a vivid memory of the moment I decided that I wanted to play the violin: It was dusk, and I was curled up on the green shag carpet of our basement floor, the last bits of daylight leaking in through the windows above. Derek was practicing the Brahms Waltz from Suzuki Book Two a few feet away. I was exhausted after an afternoon of monkeying around on the jungle gym, and the waltz was the most soothing lullaby to my ears, transporting me to that surreal state of half sleep where time seems to stand still. I felt so peaceful, so warm, so content, the effects combining to make the moment so magical that the only logical thing to me upon waking was that I would some day be able to recapture that sensation and make music as beautiful.
My main violin studies were with Eugene Purdue, of the famed Buddy Conservatory of Music, with whom I studied for nine years. Mr. Purdue also introduced me to the wonderful world of chamber music, taking on the role of devoted coach to my string quartet, the Élève Arte (wannabes of the Pro Arte String Quartet). The challenge to my string quartet was that there were three of us violinists, and no violist to speak of, so we took it upon ourselves to switch around our roles in order for us each to have a turn at playing the viola. As the years rolled on, it became clear to us that in order to compete at competitions, it was not practical for us to be lugging so many instruments onstage (there exists some comical video footage of this phenomenon).
At this point, I decided that my role in life was not that of diva (ahem, First Violin) and though I find the role of Second Violin extremely vital to the ensemble, challenging, thrilling, and full of guts, I was drawn to the uniquely dark tone of the Viola. To me the viola represented the real meat and soul of the string quartet, and the tone of the viola was the perfect vehicle for expressing all of the rage, pain and suffering that I felt (Bartok's works were the perfect outlet for those emotions).
Most violists also play the violin. What attracted you to the viola? What would you like the public to know about the viola, which seems less well known and more mysterious than, say, the violin or cello?
Having now overcome my teenage angst, I still adore the viola and its role in music – to be entrusted with the core of harmony, the real color within every texture, gives me such a sense of quiet power with which I can subtly control the direction of a phrase and the shape of an entire work. Mr. Purdue once shared a piece of wisdom relating to his wife, Sally Chisholm, who was my first formal viola teacher and the person responsible for expanding my creative horizon beyond the physical realm of music-making. Those words of wisdom: People feel at ease when playing with Sally, and they easily credit themselves for sounding so magnificent. However, it is Sally who, through her playing, acts as such a strong guiding force that the flow of musical intention is undeniable. A powerful statement which has stayed with me to this day, and which I strive to achieve every single day.
Was there an Aha! Moment – an individual piece or composer or performance or recording, when you knew you wanted to pursue music as a career and be a violist?
I can't imagine pursuing a life in anything unrelated to music and the arts, but it was not always that way. As a teenager, I refused even dream of becoming a musician – I'm a very realistic person, and the idea of fighting my way through a world that is so competitive and which is not quite so financially lucrative was not one that appealed to my sensibilities. During my early high school years, I focused my attentions on maths and sciences, preparing myself for a life as a dentist or pathologist. Then my “Aha!” moment came with my 16th birthday on which I gave my debut as a solo violist on the nationally-syndicated radio show From the Top. It was the first time I had ever played for an audience to which I had no connection (the show was taped in Dallas, Texas), and I suppose the whirlwind story behind my debut as a violist sans string quartet helped to convince me that a life in music would never be boring. I had such a blast meeting new people, and the thrill that came with being onstage was unforgettable that from that point forward I was hooked.
How do you think classical music can attract more young people?
We so often hear that classical music is dying, a sentiment with which I strongly disagree. Times have changed, and the world has turned to an era of short attention spans and an addiction to social media. I myself am victim to a few of these [shortcomings], but because of them, I am also aware of the enormous amount of interest in the classical world.
I believe that in order to attract more young (and old) fans of classical music, we must be conscious of providing inviting points of entry. I am very fortunate to be privy to several hip events around New York City which target young people looking to be cultured and have a great time doing so. A few examples: Groupmuse, Wine by the Glass, NYC House Concerts, events at Poisson Rouge... all introduce music in a social setting where it's cool to explore, and where you don't feel constrained by rules of concert-watching etiquette.
What can you tell us about Hummel’s Fantasy for Viola and Orchestra?
Hummel was a contemporary of Mozart and Haydn, both of whom played the role of mentor for their younger counterpart. Hummel is most well-known for his fantasies, which are said to be, “the peak and keystone of virtuosic performance”. The Fantasy for Viola and Orchestra takes on different operatic themes, three of which appear in the version which I will be performing with the Middleton Community Orchestra.
What can you tell us about the Bruch Romance for Viola and Orchestra?
Bruch's Romance holds a very special place in my heart, as it was the very last work I performed (with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra) before departing Madison to begin my studies at the Curtis Institute of Music eight years ago! The lush, tonal soundscape will draw in any sucker for romantic music.
Is there something else you would like to say or add?
I'm very much looking forward to performing at home again, with people that are like family to me. Mindy Taranto, cofounder of the Middleton Community Orchestra, has been such a great friend and supporter to me throughout the years, and I am thrilled to finally have the opportunity to collaborate with her and the orchestra!