Bach's Goldberg Variations on strings
Concert details
- Date: Friday, 13 December 2024
- Time: 5:30 p.m.
- Location: 1300 FRIB Laboratory
Program
J.S. Bach (arr. Annette Bartholdy) – Aria with 30 Variations (Goldberg Variations), BWV 988
Hayne Kim, violin
Sophie Choate, viola
Cody Byrum, cello
From the performers:
“A hallmark of the High Baroque era, Bach’s iconic keyboard masterwork presents 30 variations on the bass line of an elegantly elaborated Aria, meandering through a mesmerizing mosaic of musical material while exploring a diverse array of styles from all corners of the Baroque aesthetic universe. In this stunning translation for string trio, each part in the three-voice texture finds an avatar in a string instrument, inviting the collaboration of three individuals to create a harmonious whole. Beginning and ending with the same Aria upon which each variation is based, the piece represents a perfect synchronism of vibrant multiplicity and steadfast, unchanging unity.”
Performer bios
Hayne Kim, violin
Korean-American violinist Hayne Kim leads a distinctive musical career as a performer and educator that has brought her around the world. She made her solo Carnegie Hall debut at the age of 16, and has performed as a soloist with the Lansing Symphony Orchestra (Michigan) and Tuscia Operafestival Orchestra (Viterbo, Italy). An active chamber musician, Hayne has collaborated with reputed artists such as Alexander Markov and Clive Greensmith, and performed for diverse occasions ranging from ensemble performances at New York City’s Lincoln Center to intimate gatherings at the home of Thailand's Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.
Taking a special interest in contemporary music, she is the violinist and co-founder of Círculo Trio, an ensemble dedicated to exploring and presenting new and/or underperformed works alongside standard repertoire. Projects that the trio has commissioned include The Triumph of Time, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s play The Winter’s Tale for actor and trio with original music, and a collaboration with Bangkok City Ballet for Thea Musgrave’s theatrical chamber work, Pierrot.
Hayne holds degrees from the Manhattan School of Music and Michigan State University. Her past mentors include Lyman Bodman, Grigory Kalinovsky, and Dmitri Berlinsky. Dedicated to sharing her experiences with up-and-coming generations of musicians, she served as a faculty member of Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music in Bangkok, Thailand from 2017-2022. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in music at Indiana University under Kyung Sun Lee.
Sophie Choate, viola
Sophie Choate is a violist from Provo, Utah, currently pursuing her master’s degree in viola performance at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music with Atar Arad. Sophie has appeared at the Sarasota Music Festival, Madeline Island Chamber Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, and on tours of Europe, Asia, and Latin America with the National Youth Orchestra of the USA. She currently serves as Assistant Principal of the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra, IU Chamber Orchestra, and IU Conductor’s Orchestra. She has also performed as Principal Viola of the IU New Music Ensemble, Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra, Harvard College Opera Orchestra, and Harvard New Music Ensemble. Sophie received first prize in the American Viola Society Festival Solo Competition and was also recognized by the National YoungArts Foundation.
Sophie’s passion for exploratory artistic practices and the music of today have led to collaborations with the likes of Claire Chase, Mike Block, Tyshawn Sorey, Mari Kimura, inti figgis-vizueta, Sō Percussion, Don Freund, Jessie Montgomery, David Dzubay, and Susie Ibarra. She has also studied and performed early music with IU Concentus, Emmanuel Music, the Harvard University Choir and Baroque Orchestra, Harvard’s viol consort, and the Boston Camerata, among others. Also an accomplished soprano, Sophie has sung numerous principal opera roles and in early and new music contexts. She currently holds positions with IU Conductor’s Chorus and as Soprano Section Leader of First United Church in Bloomington. Sophie holds a bachelor's degree in music and government (double major) from Harvard University.
Cody Byrum, cello
Native Oklahoman and cellist Cody Byrum has performed throughout the United States as well as internationally, including performances in Nice, France and Loja, Ecuador.
Cody currently serves as the principal cellist of the Billings Symphony, and he has additionally performed in orchestras such as the Evansville Philharmonic, Owensboro Symphony, Richmond Symphony, and the Ft. Smith Symphony. Cody has performed as a soloist with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Oklahoma Youth Orchestra, and the Billings Symphony. An avid chamber musician, Cody was a guest chamber artist with the Billings Symphony, and most recently the BrightMusic Chamber Ensemble in Oklahoma City.
Cody is also an active educator. He is the adjunct instructor of cello at Rocky Mountain College, and he also teaches at the Stafford Music Academy. Cody was previously a teaching assistant at the Fresno Summer Opera Orchestra Academy, as well as cello faculty at the Sinfín Armonía music festival in Ecuador.
Cody received his Bachelor of Music with distinction from the University of Oklahoma, and his Master of Music from Indiana University. He is currently finishing his Doctor of Music degree at Indiana University, researching the chamber music of Ernö Dohnányi. His primary teachers include Emilio Colón and Jonathan Ruck.