The violin and piano duo—Maya Bennardo (violin) and Karl Larson (piano)—performs music by recent Rome Prize winner (and School of Music alumnus) Anthony Vine, Maya Bennardo, and UW graduate student composers Yonatan Ron and Justin Zeitlinger.
Program
No Abyss is Dead (2025) by Yonatan Ron
Worshipful Company (2024) by Anthony Vine
Pause
dormant gardens ii. (2024) by Maya Bennardo
fizzle / forage (2025) by Justin Zeitlinger
Program Notes
No Abyss is Dead (2025) by Yonatan Ron
In western traditions, the abyss is a concept fundamentally associated with something unfathomable, dark, chaotic, something which relates to the void or the underworld, to an ending, if not hell or death. This narrative is greatly explored in Christianity and Judaism, with its origins traceable as early as the the book of Genesis, where in the second verse, the word 'abyss' (tehóm) appears exactly between “darkness” and “the spirit of god”.
— Yonatan Ron
dormant gardens ii. (2024) by Maya Bennardo
Chorales are elemental. They are formed from a single melody, traditionally taken from a hymn or song, and supported by other voices which all move uniformly together. Due to their simple and rudimentary design, chorales are often used as pedagogical tools for young students to study part writing, harmony, and form. But the chorales written by Bach and other composers of the past were not conceived as exercises, but rather to communicate biblical texts, like psalms, in vernacular settings that were simple enough for large congregations of amateur musicians to sing. Chorales interest me because they are functional yet deeply aesthetic. They have what the potter and writer Alison Britton might call a “double presence.”
I have written a book of chorales called "Worshipful Company." Expressions range from the solemnity of ancient liturgical music to the sentimentality of modern Catholic hymns to the innocence of music theory homework. Like the first chorales written by Martin Luther, they are structurally simple and immediate in expression. But they are without words, and not sung but rather bowed and hammered. Why this music for violin and piano registers as "sung" to me is a reminder that the voice is the substance of so many things. - Anthony Vine
dormant gardens ii is the latest in an ongoing series of works and explorations based on winter walks around my home in Stockholm, Sweden. They are meditations on the waning light, crisp sea air, and the neighboring gardens and forests, dormant but vibrating with soft energy.
—Maya Bennardo
fizzle / forage (2025) by Justin Zeitlinger
Bright at last close of a dark day the sun shines out at last and goes down. Sitting quite still at valley window normally turn head now and see it the sun low in the southwest sinking. Even get up certain moods and go stand by western window quite still watching it sink and then the afterglow. Always quite still some reason some time past this hour at open window facing south in small upright wicker chair with armrests. Eyes stare out unseeing till first movement some time past close though unseeing still while still light. Quite still again then all quite quiet apparently till eyes open again while still light though less. Normally turn head now ninety degrees to watch sun which if already gone then fading afterglow. Even get up certain moods and go stand by western window till quite dark and even some evenings some reason long after. Eyes then open again while still light and close again in what if not quite a single movement almost. Quite still again then at open window facing south over the valley in this wicker chair though actually close inspection not still at all but trembling all over. Close inspection namely detail by detail all over to add up finally to this whole not still at all but trembling all over. But casually in this failing light impression dead still even the hands clearly trembling and the breast faint rise and fall. Legs side by side broken right angles at the knees as in that old statue some old god twanged at sunrise and again at sunset. Trunk likewise dead plumb right up to top of skull seen from behind including nape clear of chairback. Arms likewise broken right angles at the elbows forearms along armrests just right length forearms and rests for hands clenched lightly to rest on ends. So quite still again then all quite quiet apparently eyes closed which to anticipate when they open again if they do in time then dark or some degree of starlight or moonlight or both. Normally watch night fall however long from this narrow chair or standing by western window quite still either case. Quite still namely staring at some one thing alone such as tree or bush a detail alone if near if far the whole if far enough till it goes. Or by eastern window certain moods staring at some point on the hillside such as that beech in whose shade once quite still till it goes. Chair some reason always same place same position facing south as though clamped down whereas in reality no lighter no more movable imaginable. Or anywhere any ope staring out at nothing just failing light quite still till quite dark though of course no such thing just less light still when less did not seem possible. Quite still then all this time eyes open when discovered then closed then open and closed again no other movement any kind though of course not still at all when suddenly or so it looks this movement impossible to follow let alone describe. The right hand slowly opening leaves the armrest taking with it the whole forearm complete with elbow and slowly rises opening further as it goes and turning a little deasil till midway to the head it hesitates and hangs half open trembling in mid air. Hangs there as if half inclined to return that is sink back slowly closing as it goes and turning the other way till as and where it began clenched lightly on end of rest. Here because of what comes now not midway to the head but almost there before it hesitates and hangs there trembling as if half inclined etc. Half no but on the verge when in its turn the head moves from its place forward and down among the ready fingers where no sooner received and held it weighs on down till elbow meeting armrest brings this last movement to an end and all still once more. Here back a little way to that suspense before head to rescue as if hand’s need the greater and on down in what if not quite a single movement almost till elbow against rest. All quite still again then head in hand namely thumb on outer edge of right socket index ditto left and middle on left cheekbone plus as the hours pass lesser contacts each more or less now more now less with the faint stirrings of the various parts as night wears on. As if even in the dark eyes closed not enough and perhaps even more than ever necessary against that no such thing the further shelter of the hand. Leave it all so quite still or try listening to the sounds all quite still head in hand listening for a sound. — Fizzle 7 (Still), Samuel Beckett (1976
— Justin Zeitlinger
Artist Biography
Bennardo Larson Duo
The Bennardo-Larson Duo is an NYC/Stockholm-based contemporary classical duo committed to the performance and promotion of forward- thinking works for violin and piano. Comprised of Maya Bennardo (violin) and Karl Larson (piano), the duo is dedicated to aesthetically diverse programming that illuminates new repertoire for their instrumentation alongside intrepid works from the past. The Bennardo-Larson Duo was formed in 2016 when they undertook the task of learning and performing Charles Ives’s complete works for violin and piano, which they presented on their annual ‘Ives of March’ concerts from 2017-2019. Since then, the duo has steadily built a repertoire of pre-existing and newly-commissioned works for violin and piano.
The Bennardo-Larson duo has been featured on the MATA Festival at the Kitchen in New York, NY, the Bowerbird Series in Philadelphia, PA, the Toledo Museum of Art’s ‘Great Performances Series’ in Toledo, OH, the Music Mansion in Providence, RI, and Khimaira in Stockholm, Sweden. Their programming features the complete Sonatas for Violin and Piano by Charles Ives, Morton Feldman’s monumental ‘For John Cage,’ and ‘a wind's whisper,’ a program featuring works by John Cage, Michael Pisaro, Eva Maria Houben, and two commissions by Adrian Knight and Kristofer Svensson. In April of 2024, the duo will present the world premiere of two substantial new commissions by Anthony Vine and Maya Bennardo on the Bowerbird Series in Philadelphia, PA. These two new works will be the focal point of the upcoming 2024-2025 season and two new albums, which will be released in late-2025