Skip to content
CapRadio

CapRadio

listen live donate
listen live donate
listen live
donate
  • News
    • News

    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Race and Equity
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
    News
    • News

    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Race and Equity
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
  • Music
    • Music

    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Eclectic

    • Daily Playlist
    Music
    • Music

    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Eclectic

    • Daily Playlist
  • Podcasts & Shows
  • Schedules
  • Events
  • Support
    • Support
    • Ways to support
    • Evergreen Donation
    • One-Time Donation
    • Corporate Sponsorship
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Giving
    • Legacy Giving
    • Endowment Support
    • Members
    • Member Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • Member Newsletter

    • Fund drives
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
    Support
    • Support
    • Ways to support
    • Evergreen Donation
    • One-Time Donation
    • Corporate Sponsorship
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Giving
    • Legacy Giving
    • Endowment Support
    • Members
    • Member Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • Member Newsletter

    • Fund drives
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
  • About
  • Close Menu
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
  • Classical
  •  

New Classical Tracks: Violinist Tessa Lark Wears Her Kentucky Roots With Pride On Solo Debut Album

Wednesday, March 11, 2020 | Sacramento, CA
Listen
/
Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin.
Lauren Desberg

Violinist Tessa Lark

Lauren Desberg

Julie Amacher | Classical MPR

"My first instrument was actually the mandolin, when I was around 4 years old. I brought it, I remember, to my kindergarten class for show and tell, and I played 'Boil 'em Cabbage Down.' Then for recess I decided that, instead of playing with my friends, I would just face a corner and continue practicing 'Boil 'em Cabbage Down.' So, my interest in playing and studying instruments started quite early."

At age 6, Tessa Lark switched instruments and started studying classical music.

Now, when people see the fiddle on her back, she's quick to tell them she's a violin soloist. She plays classical music, folk music, and she wears her Southern Kentucky roots with pride. You'll hear all of those elements rolled into her debut recording, Fantasy.

You recently released your debut solo recording. It's a collection of Fantasy pieces, and it's called Fantasy. Tell me a little about this 'fantasy world' that you've created.

"I was given the opportunity to choose a project of my own through the Leonore Annenberg Fellowship Fund for the Arts. I recorded it with one of my great friends and favorite humans in the world, Amy Yang, a wonderful poetic pianist.

"I put together these fantasies: Schubert, Ravel, Kreisler and a few Telemann Fantasias. And, by the recommendation of my friend, Ara Guzelimian, who said, 'Why don't you put a fiddle number in there, since that's so integral to who you are?'

"The morning of my final recording session, I put together a couple of tunes that I knew from over the years and extracted a little bit of Schubert from his Fantasy and created this 'Appalachian Fantasy' that I ended up including on the recording. And actually the Fantasy track that's on the recording is the very first time I ever played that piece, and it's in one single take."

You brought up the 'Appalachian Fantasy' that you wrote, how did you make the decision to honor Schubert as part of that?

"Something that's unique to him and that draws me to his music is this poignancy and melancholy that's in his sound. I actually find that Appalachian music, which is quite different, by the way, from bluegrass music, these qualities I find are also apparent in old time and Appalachian style music."

When it comes to the Schubert Fantasy in C Major, I know that some say that this is one of the hardest piano parts ever written. Can you talk a little bit about that and how you and Amy collaborate on that piece?

"I think this poetic nature of her thinking and going about life and playing is absolutely perfect for music like Schubert. Though I did dabble at Muppet Babies keyboard, I'm not much of a pianist myself, so I can only imagine what the difficulties are of this piece. Even the opening tremolo, I think, is enough to scare away most pianists from wanting to play the piece."

Why did you decide to include Fritz Kreisler's Viennese Rhapsodic Fantasia on this recording?

"It was, I believe, the last piece that he ever composed. It's just an amazing tour de force through Viennese sounds. It just has everything that Kreisler has to offer in one little morsel.

"A lot of these pieces that I included, I just simply love them. And I got lucky that they all had Fantasy or Rhapsody in the title. So, there was a theme there."

To hear the rest of my conversation, download the extended podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

    More about New Classical Tracks

  • New Classical Tracks

    Host Julie Amacher provides an in-depth exploration of a new classical music release each week. Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m.

 New Classical Tracks

Sign up for ReCap and never miss the top stories

Delivered to your inbox every Friday.

 

Check out a sample ReCap newsletter.

Thanks for subscribing!

Thank you for signing up for the ReCap newsletter! We'll send you an email each Friday with the top stories from CapRadio.

Browse all newsletters

Most Viewed

A plumber crawled under a house in Los Angeles to do a job and then went missing

California coronavirus updates: Counties with universities saw population increases after students returned from pandemic closures

State may scale down its new home loan program designed to assist first-time homebuyers

Millions of Californians are at risk of losing Medi-Cal coverage

10 new California laws that go into effect in 2023

We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter

Most Viewed

A plumber crawled under a house in Los Angeles to do a job and then went missing

California coronavirus updates: Counties with universities saw population increases after students returned from pandemic closures

State may scale down its new home loan program designed to assist first-time homebuyers

Millions of Californians are at risk of losing Medi-Cal coverage

10 new California laws that go into effect in 2023

Back to Top

  • CapRadio

    7055 Folsom Boulevard
    Sacramento, CA 95826-2625

    •  
      (916) 278-8900
    •  
      (877) 480-5900
    •  Contact / Feedback
    •  Submit a Tip / Story Idea
  • About

    • Mission / Vision / Core Values
    • Stations & Coverage Map
    • Careers & Internships
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
    • Press
  • Listening Options

    • Mobile Apps
    • Smart Speakers
    • Podcasts & Shows
    • On-Air Schedules
    • Daily Playlist
    • Signal Status
  • Connect

    •  Facebook
    •  Twitter
    •  Instagram
    •  YouTube
  • Donate

  • Listen Live

  • Newsletters

CapRadio stations are licensed to California State University, Sacramento. © 2023, Capital Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Website Feedback FCC Public Files: KXJZ KKTO KUOP KQNC KXPR KXSR KXJS. For assistance accessing our public files, please call 916-278-8900 or email us.