duoJalal
Yousif Sheronick
Kathryn Lockwood
Tell us a bit about how and why you started such an unusual group.
The group started very organically. Kathryn was recording a CD of the music of Inessa Zaretsky. She needed one more piece to complete the recording so Inessa offered to write us a duo. The viola/percussion piece was always the hit of the program so we decided to explore more pieces and commission composers to fill out full programs and recordings.
What is it like working together as husband and wife – how do you manage to juggle touring and family life?
We often get that question about working so closely with one's spouse and yet we feel surprised that someone should ask. It's really the easiest collaboration of our collective chamber music experiences. After all, being in a string quartet is like a marriage in a way. One really
gets to know their colleagues
"warts and all" and for us we knew all of that before beginning our duo. It was a natural extension of our relationship and has been a wonderful journey musically and personally. Juggling family life has, so far, been a breeze. Our daughter comes on the road with us and, even though the added demands add intensity, it's really fabulous having so much time together with her. We really grow as a family as well.
You have performed quite a bit in Australia?
duoJalal has traveled to Australia on several occasions. Most recently the duo played at the Australian Festival of Chamber Music in Townsville. Kathryn welcomes all opportunities to visit her family on these trips. Our audiences and reputation have grown in Australia which we hope to foster and build upon.
Tell us about the new CD.
Our new CD “Shadow and Light” is inspired by our Rumi Experience program. For the live program we pair musical works with spoken Rumi poetry. On the CD the poetry is in the liner notes. Rumi’s poetry and teachings have had a big influence on us, hence the use of his first name “Jalal” al-din Rumi as the name of our group. There are two commissioned pieces on the recording by Evan Ziporyn and Ljova, as well as works by Giovanni Sollima, Zhao Jiping, Somei Satoh and Shirish Korde.
What is it that makes the sound of the duo so appealing?
For us it’s the natural combination of the viola and percussion. The viola is close to the range of the human voice, and the combination of voice and percussion has a deep history and can be very entrancing. That coupled with Yousif’s innovative take on world percussion allows us to connect with audiences in a way that may not happen with traditional chamber music.
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