The SHHH!! Ensemble — percussionist Zac Pulak and pianist Edana Higham — is among the only a few piano/percussion duos on this planet. They’ve made a reputation for themselves by combining excessive stage efficiency with imaginative repertoire, and a passion for brand new music.
On October 5, they’ll be performing Canadian composer Kelly-Marie Murphy’s double concerto, Machines, Mannequins, and Monsters, with the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra led by Maestra Melanie Leonard.
The piece was commissioned by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in 2022 for SHHH!! Ensemble, and it premiered in 2023 on the Winnipeg New Music Pageant. It’s the primary time the duo has revisited the work since then.
Zac Pulak: The Interview
“Our duo began — we initially began occupied with the concept in 2017,” says of SHHH!! Ensemble.
As he factors out, they grew to become companions in life earlier than they grew to become musical companions. The 2 musicians had been engaged on particular person tasks and residencies.
“Different folks there stored asking us, have you ever ever tried taking part in collectively?”
Ultimately, they did, and a singular profession has been the end result. One of many challenges, although, with such uncommon instrumentation, is the dearth of repertoire within the conventional classical canon. It’s not such an issue, although, if you’re prepared to construct the repertoire from the bottom up.
“Each of us are massive supporters and followers of recent music.”
Composer Kelly-Marie Murphy
“We’ve been working with Kelly for fairly a bit,” Pulak says. Murphy composed a piece for Zac as a soloist in 2017.
“We talked about having a bigger scale piece with our duo.”
The Winnipeg orchestra and new music pageant answered that decision with the fee. “We acquired this large piece, this massive stunning orchestral piece,” he says.
They’ll be working along with her on one other piece within the close to future. A part of the attraction of her music is her versatility as a composer.
“That’s one of many issues I like about Kelly. She’s acquired a particular type, however there’s a lot selection inside that type.”
The duo has discovered that composers are usually captivated with writing for the duo and their instrumentation. “Positively, that’s been the case, I’d say 100% of the time. It’s a unique type of ensemble.”
What they create isn’t at all times really easy to play, as with Murphy’s double concerto.
“Simply from a technical standpoint […] the elements should not straightforward,” he says. However, the problem is at all times value it. “It’s a pleasure to work on it. It’s wonderful to place collectively,” he provides.
When it comes to thematic materials, the title of Murphy’s work comes from a Museum of Trendy Artwork exhibit of the identical title. Every motion within the work is impressed by a selected murals. The third motion, titled Humanly Not possible, is predicated on a photograph by Herbert Behr of 1932, with a person’s head connected to a model.
“It’s barely disturbing, but additionally comical. I believe that sort of captures the persona of the third motion,” he says. “It’s not humanly unimaginable, however it’s fairly tough.”
Revisiting the work is an event the duo appreciates. “It’s been very nice to return and dig into it. It’s been enjoyable […] it’s solely been a few years, however our duo has performed a lot since then.”
They’ve developed as an ensemble, and carried out many works in between.
“[It’s great] to see the way it comes collectively a little bit extra seamlessly than the primary time.”
Live performance Particulars
The remainder of this system will characteristic the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra performing Rossini’s William Inform Overture and Shostakovich Symphony No. 15.
- Discover extra particulars in regards to the October 5 live performance at Ottawa’s Carleton Dominion Chalmers Centre [HERE].
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Anya Wassenberg is the Toronto Metropolis Editor at Ludwig Van. Beforehand, she was a contract author with a specialty in tradition and journey for 3 a long time, and a artistic writing teacher for Ontariolearn.
