A classical
link
to music.
SUZANNE CHESSLER
SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
,
11
....
he distance be-
tween a music
capital and the motor
capital soon will be
traveled by four in-
strumentalists
who are bringing works asso-
ciated with Vienna to Detroit.
The Bridge Ensemble,
named because it links Russ-
ian-born and American-born
performers, will present clas-
sic and contemporary pieces at
Temple Beth El, Sunday, Dec.
3, at 3:30 p.m.
Cellist David Tonkonogui,
violinist Mikhail Schmidt, vi-
olist Susan Gulkis and pianist
Karen Sigers will feature clas-
sic compositions by Mahler,
Brahms and Schnittke in a
concert sponsored by the Lyric
Chamber Ensemble.
Except for Sigers, all are
members of the Seattle Sym-
phony Orchestra and are Jew-
ish.
"When we plan a program,
we're usually trying to find a
hidden meaning," said
Tonkonogui, who has experi-
enced the Viennese culture by
going on concert tours there.
"Vienna is a center of musical
life, and I think the whole tra-
dition of classical music could
not exist without the Viennese
spirit."
All three composers had
deep roots in Vienna. Mahler,
who was Jewish, lived and be-
came famous in Vienna. The
Brahms piece to be played at
the concert was written in Vi-
enna. Russian contemporary
composer Alfred Schnittke,
who was born to a Jewish
mother, spent his childhood in
Vienna where his parents
were translators working for
the Soviet government.
Before moving to the Unit-
ed States and joining the Seat-
tle Symphony Orchestra in the
early '90s, Bridge
The Bridge Ensemble:
tures and back-
Ensemble members (from left) Mikhail Schmidt, grounds. We don't
Susan Gulkis,
Tonkonogui and
want to be too con-
David Tonkonogui and
Schmidt worked
Karen Sigers.
servative or too
with Schnittke,
modern. We always
once considered a dissident like to challenge ourselves and
and now celebrated as one of our audiences by bringing un-
Russia's top composers.
usual ideas to the program."
Through the Seattle Sym-
While all four have been
phony, the men met Gulkis soloists with the Seattle Sym-
and later joined her for cham- phony, they have pursued in-
ber music recitals. During per- dividual careers apart from
formances with many chamber The Bridge Ensemble, per-
music groups, the three met forming in concert with other
Sigers, who studied piano at groups.
Michigan State University.
Tonkonogui and Schmidt,
"When the four of us got to- who were in rival chamber
gether, we felt that the music music groups in Russia, have
just clicked and had a sparkle," recorded for Melodia. While
said Tonkonogui, who finds it Gulkis was principal violist of
unusual to be part of a cham- the San Francisco Opera,
ber music group that features Sigers has performed with the
a pianist.
Northwest Chamber Orches-
"When we play, it's fasci- tra.
nating how close we can be, es-
"The musical experience in
pecially when we're from America has been very similar
totally different schools, cul- to what I had in Russia. Any