The Counterpoint Club

A new Opus of The Counterpoint Club begins with an exploration of the life and music of Maddalena Lombardini, an 18th-century violinist, operatic singer, composer, and businessperson and her integral role in contributing to the development of the string quartet. Support the show

In the final episode of Opus 4, the Skyros Quartet explores the ways in which we know we are done. For many musicians, creating a sense of completion in our practice and preparation is not always easy. In the history segment, Brandon and Willie discuss composers who both did and did not struggle with this. Next, Justin’s technique lesson examines healthy methods to recognize achievements by setting specific goals within an artistic endeavor. Our special guest is Greta Gothard of the Gothard Sisters, who joined Sarah and Willie for a discussion on preparation for composition, live performance, and recording. In the Skyros chat, the quartet members open up about their own personal experiences with and reactions to perfectionism. Support the show

In I Know What You Did Last Summer, the Skyros Quartet talks about summer music festivals and the powerful impact they can have during a musician’s formative years. In the History segment, Justin covers the history and legacy of the Marlboro Festival, one of the most prestigious chamber music festivals in the world. Next, Sarah offers some practical tips and organizational tools to use when applying to music festivals and schools. In our guest interview, Justin and Brandon have a delightful conversation with renowned violinist Rebecca Fischer about Greenwood Music Camp (she is currently associate director), what it’s like to grow up as a 3rd generation musician (her children are also serious about music), and her new book, The Sound of Memory: Themes from a Violinist’s Life. To finish the podcast, the members of Skyros share some of their favorite memories from summer chamber music festivals they’ve attended. Support the show

In Rock ’n’ Roll Never Dies, the Skyros Quartet examines the relationship between classical music and rock ’n’ roll. In the history segment, Sarah rocks out to Beethoven’s Grosse Fugue and discusses the elements of rock that Beethoven wrote in 1826. Next, Brandon, (who plays violin in Skyros and a band called Keltoi, in addition to being an award-winning Irish fiddler and singer, and a fantastic composer), offers advice on collaborative composition and rehearsal in small group settings like a folk band. In our guest interview, Sarah and Justin are joined by Mic Vredenburgh, a cellist and good friend, who spent several years touring in a rock band. Finally, the members of Skyros share their favorite non-classical musicians and music genres in the Skyros Chat. Support the show

Each member of a chamber ensemble plays a unique and vital role. The Skyros Quartet explores competitive situations with musical colleagues and how to handle these situations with respect and grace. In the history segment, Willie looks at instances when well-known composers could have demonstrated more sportsmanship towards other composers. Next, all four members of Skyros offer reflections and advice on how to demonstrate good sportsmanship to your musical colleagues. Sarah and Willie are joined by our special guest, Naumburg International Piano Competition winner Anthony Molinaro, who shares his thoughts on competition and parallels between athleticism and music. In the chat, Skyros shares personal stories about their experiences in competitive situations with colleagues. Support the show

In this fall-themed episode, the Skyros Quartet explores strange and occult music. In the history lesson, Sarah and Brandon discuss scary music and how composers used innovative techniques to portray these characters. Next, Willie introduces extended techniques, strange methods of playing an instrument to produce sounds that it is not normally intended to make, like creepy noises and otherworldly timbres. Our guest interview features special and sinister guests from the Guild of Supernatural Composers in a roundtable discussion. And finally, Skyros shares a chat about their favorite examples of movie music and its expressive role in visual storytelling. Support the show

In this talk which combines the segments from episodes 2, 3 and 4, the Skyros Quartet takes part in a round table discussion with the Lafayette String Quartet discussing topics from chamber music from how to create a quartet sound to respecting and working well with your colleagues. The members of the Lafayette Quartet share their insights and experiences from a wonderful life-long career of performing and teaching at the highest level. Support the show

In this unabridged interview, Sarah Pizzichemi and Willie Braun speak with cellist Greg Beaver. Greg is an incredible musician and as a member of the Chiara Quartet, was a very influential mentor for the Skyros Quartet during graduate school. In this conversation, Greg reflects on how music shapes his life, his recent creative pursuits, and offers some fantastic book recommendations. Support the show

In this unabridged interview, Justin Kurys and Willie Braun speak with violinist, violist, and conductor Mr. Dennis Bourret. Mr. Bourret directs a string youth orchestra program called Tucson Junior Strings that trains all students in all six levels to perform without a conductor. In this conversation, Mr. Bourret shares his insights into this pedagogical approach and the intersection of chamber music and large ensemble playing. Support the show

In the fifth episode of Opus 3 “Play It Like Chamber Music” the Skyros Quartet looks at how the chamber music and orchestra genres are intertwined. Brandon examines the historical links of the two traditions, starting with composers such as Lully. Next, Sarah explains how chamber music techniques are also effective orchestral techniques, including leading from every seat and purposeful listening to other sections. Our interview for this episode features Mr. Dennis Bourret, a wonderful and experienced educator, violinist and violist from Tucson Arizona. Our Skyros Chat to wrap up Opus 3 is between Sarah and Brandon. Support the show

Finding the right balance between each individual voice in a chamber ensemble isn’t easy. In the history segment, Willie discusses the hierarchy of voices in an ensemble and how these roles changed and evolved across different eras. Justin explores a method to balance voices in rehearsal and performance, using the tasty analogy of a layer cake. Our guest interview features the third and final installment of our roundtable discussion with the Lafayette Quartet. And in the Skyros Chat, Willie and Sarah discuss their favorite books about classical music. Support the show

In the third episode of Opus 3, “Transfigured Night,” the Skyros Quartet dives into the ever-mutable subject of transitions. Sarah and Willie begin with a conversation about the complex emotional transformation depicted in Schoenberg’s famous “Transfigured Night” for string sextet. Next, Justin talks about some of the practical techniques Skyros uses to really iron out those transitions. This episode includes the second installment of our roundtable interview with the Lafayette String Quartet. The New “Skyros Chats” segment features a conversation with Sarah and Justin. Support the show

Have you been wondering what’s with all these Pencil Gnomes? Where do they come from? Why do they need pencils? What tried and tested techniques does Skyros use to keep them away from our pencils? We’ll have answers to these questions and more, as well as a rare and exclusive interview with Nim the Gnome, chief representative of the Gnome Union! Support the show

In the second episode of Opus 3 of the The Counterpoint Club, R-E-S-P-E-C-T, the Skyros Quartet explores how to work with your colleagues in a respectful and constructive manner. Sarah explores how Haydn wrote parts that were more equal in interest across all four voices in his Opus 20 string quartets. In the technique segment, Willie outlines strategies that will allow all members of an ensemble to feel respected and their ideas heard. This episode kicks off a three-part series of interviews with the members of the world-renowned Lafayette String Quartet, who are based in Canada and are in residence at the University of Victoria in British Columbia. Our Skyros Chat in this episode features a conversation between Brandon and Willie. Support the show

The Skyros Quartet begins the third season of The Counterpoint Club with an episode about organization. In the history segment, Justin explores how famous string quartets got started. Next in technique, Brandon discusses a great organizational method called Scrum that creates maximum efficiency in team settings. Our special guest is cellist Gregory Beaver, who joins Sarah and Willie for a fantastic conversation about planning. Finally, we begin a new segment called Skyros Chats, a short discussion between members of the Skyros Quartet. Support the show

In the final ENCORE Interview for Opus 2, Willie and Justin speak with violist James Dunham. This conversation is the unabridged version of that heard in the fourth episode: How to Train Your String Quartet. This episode diverges from our standard TCC format, featuring a series of conversations about chamber music pedagogy, the methods used to teach chamber music. In addition to the interview with Mr. Dunham, the episode also features a conversation with violinist Annie Fullard of the Cavani Quartet and a discussion amongst all four members of the Skyros Quartet about their favorite coaching memories (as both students and coaches). Support the show

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In this ENCORE Interview for Opus 2 Brandon and Justin speak with violinist Annie Fullard. This conversation is the unabridged version of that heard in the fourth episode: How to Train Your String Quartet. This episode diverges from our standard TCC format, featuring a series of conversations about chamber music pedagogy, the methods used to teach chamber music. In addition to the interview with Fullard, the episode also features a conversation with violist James Dunham, former member of the Cleveland Quartet and Sequoia Quartet. It also includes a discussion amongst all four members of the Skyros Quartet about their favorite coaching memories (as both students and coaches). Support the show

In this ENCORE Interview for Opus 2 Sarah and Brandon speak with violinist Rachell Ellen Wong. This conversation is the unabridged version of that heard in the third episode: “Performing From The HIP.” In this episode, Sarah guides us through a history of HIP, which is an acronym for “Historically Informed Performance”. In the technique portion, Brandon explores some of the ins and outs of how Skyros approaches repertoire written in a different era, using a score of a Corelli Trio Sonata as an example. The episode features an exclusive interview with 2020 Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient, violinist Rachell Ellen Wong. Support the show

In this ENCORE Interview for Opus 2 Sarah and Justin speak with violist Molly Gebrian, assistant professor of viola at the University of Arizona. This conversation is the unabridged version of that heard in the second episode: No Time to Practice. In this interview we talk about new approaches to practicing that go against convention, and move our ideas forward into the future based on scientific evidence. Support the show