I write art music that puts rhythms and melodies of today with Classical ideas…I like hip hop and Classical music [and others].
Since 1999 I’ve been composing chamber music which sometimes includes the Australian instrument, the didjeridu. The latest one, “Fragments of Baghdad” is for didjeridu, cello, flute & harpsichord. It is about 10 mins. long, and will be able to be heard live at the Harvest of Song concerts in Berkeley on Oct 10 and 11 ‘08. There’s also a recording at CD Baby.
I studied piano & violin in Napier, New Zealand. At 17 I passed my LTCL [Licentiate of the Trinity College London] in piano performance.
However, while playing Bach and Beethoven, I was listening to my sister’s 45’s – The Troggs, The Rolling Stones and Lovin’ Spoonful,..earlier than that it had been my brother’s “Beatles For Sale” album.
In 1994 I made the drastic decision to play the piano again. I was living in Sydney, Australia, and began lessons with Nikolai Sokolov, a conductor, pianist, composer newly arrived from Russia. He was an inspiration beyond description. Like no one I had ever met.
Within 18 months I left NZ and Australia behind me, and arrived in the East Bay to begin a music degree and continue piano studies – first with Roy Bogas, and then with Barbara Shearer.
While graduating from UC Berkeley in 1999, I wrote my first Classical composition for the didjeridu – “Invisible Souls” for didjeridu, cello & flute.
There’s no explanation for why I keep writing for the didjeridu…I don’t play it. I guess I fell in love with its sound years ago in Australia when I heard Charlie McMahon playing didj with a keyboard player in one of the local pubs in Balmain. It happened that he was one of the best contemporary performers in Australia…and still is.
Since 1999 there have been 8 CDs.
Check these out under the BUY page.
You can listen to samples on the MUSIC page...including extra things like an entire Symphonic Suite, which is waiting for a live orchestra !
...Vicki T.