Duo Concertante
Duo Concertante is a duo ensemble formed by musicians Nancy Dahn on violin and Timothy Steeves on piano. Both are professors at the Memorial University of Newfoundland School of Music; they are also husband and wife. They have made several recordings, and have traveled and performed extensively as a duo, receiving wide acclaim for their work. Though violin and piano duos often consist of a main violin solo with piano accompaniment, the works performed by Duo Concertante incorporate both instruments as being equally important to the music. Duo Concertante takes its name from the inscription over Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata, which was the very first piece the duo played together. The inscription reads "in stile molto concertante," with the implication being that the performers are two equal and dynamic voices, sometimes together and sometimes opposing each other.[1] From the outset, this was the duo's artistic goal. Dahn and Steeves have a significant interest in contemporary music, and have received numerous grants to have present-day professional composers write for Duo Concertante. In addition to their musical life, they are also the parents of two children, Clara and Sasha.[2]
References
- ↑ Paul Rice, Nancy Dahn, Timothy Steeves "An interview with Duo Concertante–Nancy Dahn and Timothy Steeves," Beethoven complete sonatas for violin and piano, Duo Concertante (liner notes for recording released 2013).
- ↑ Duo Concertante in conversation with Keith Horner on YouTube, 2011 Festival of the Sound