04/12/2017
Meet our performer, cellist Samuel Magill! A musician of superb technique, range of color, and intelligent pacing Sam has had a rich and varied career as soloist and chamber musician. Mr. Magill has appeared as soloist throughout Japan and the U.S. He is currently a member of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in New York, and was formerly the Associate Principal Cello for 7 seasons.
Read our interview with Sam about his upcoming concert at our series- and come hear this fantastic musician on Saturday, April 22, 2017 at 7:00 PM. Tickets $30/$15.
1. What inspired you to organize such a trio? Flute, cello, and piano - this is not such a common combination…
Mr Rinando (* flutist featured on April 22 as well) and I have performed together for 35 years, both piano trios and with our other group, the Elysian Ensemble, a flute, cello, and harp trio. We love the combination of these instruments.
2. How do you chose you repertoire for your trio? What are your preferences in terms of musical eras and style?
There is a small but very interesting repertoire from two periods of music—a fair amount of music written in the late Classical period and early Romantic period by mostly central European composers such as Hummel, Dussek and Ries. Then there was a long gap when almost nothing was written for this kind of trio until the early 20th century when composers such as Pierné and Gaubert began to see that this grouping of instruments could be quite engaging. The extraordinary flowering of French flute playing in this era provided inspiration for many composers in Paris at the turn of the century. There is also now a large number of contemporary works for flute, cello, and piano. My own preference is for the late Romantic period of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
3. You are a member of a very busy, demanding orchestra. Does your knowledge and experience of playing in the orchestra nourish your chamber music playing? Or vise versa?
Yes, playing opera for the past 25 years has influenced me a great deal. It has raised the level of my own musicianship and as a result, I always think of the singing line when interpreting chamber works. That certain freedom of expression which is built in to operatic performance practice has infiltrated my musical consciousness.
4. What kind of a program will you present on April 22?
This program will feature French and Belgian music for flute and piano, with two works for trio by the French flutist Phillipe Gaubert. All of it is from the late Romantic and Impressionistic periods.
