Chamber musicians to take the stage in new collaboration

Feb 24, 2019

A world-traveling violinist and a pianist with an affinity for writing will unite to share their passion for chamber music at an upcoming concert series.

The collaborative concerts between Music from Land’s End Wareham and the South Coast Chamber Music Series will be on March 2 at 7 p.m. at Good Shepherd in Wareham, and March 3 at 4 p.m. at St. Peter's Church in Dartmouth. There is a suggested donation of $25, or $10 for students and seniors.

The concerts will unite three performers. Sebastian Gottschick will play the viola.

On violin is Ariadne Daskalakis. The Boston native and Wareham summer resident now lives in Germany and travels the world performing in venues and with groups internationally. She is the founder of Music from Land’s End Wareham, which she organized to bring her love of music back to her home community.

On piano is Janice Weber. She has been performing with the South Coast Chamber Music Series for several years, and is the group's Artistic Director. In addition to music, Weber is also a published author.

Dartmouth Week talked to Daskalakis and Weber in advance of the concert.

When did your passion for music begin?

Daskalakis: Playing the violin was a suggestion by my mother. I was always very inquisitive and always looking for puzzles. She was trying to keep me occupied.

Weber: I started piano lessons at four and I enjoyed it, so my folks let me continue. I was fascinated by the layout of the keyboard. One day this instrument was in the living room, and I just loved the arrangement of the keys. I immediately picked out a few tunes and it was determined I had an affinity for the instrument.

What do you find special about performing chamber music?

Daskalakis: Through teamwork, sharing with the audience the intricacies of a piece of music, and unlocking the magic of the particular piece. There’s a real sharing of main voices, and the way you highlight a main voice is very important. The accompanying voices are also often not straightforward but they're intricate or might give a special color. Figuring all that out together is a very rewarding and meaningful process.

Weber: You can play melody, harmony, and rhythms. The big thing about piano is there's a fantastic collection of repertoire. You could spend years going through the basic repertoire, and never have any problem finding great pieces to play.

What are you most looking forward to about this collaboration?

Daskalakis: I’m really excited about bringing three aspects together: It’s chamber music with excellent colleagues, it’s amazing repertoire that is a privilege to play, and I’m excited every time I come back to this area.

Weber: I’ve heard [Daskalakis] play at her concerts before. We have a mutual friend who lives in Wareham, and she put us together and said ‘why don’t you two play a concert?’ We got together and said let's do this, it’d be wonderful to do a collaborative concert.

What should an audience who might not be familiar with chamber music know and listen for at the concert?

Daskalakis: It is surprisingly refreshing and relaxing because you get stimulated in a very personal way. You can choose to let your mind wander. You can choose to concentrate very closely on the music and the specific performers. We’re playing music at such a high level, but I think there’s something in it for everyone.

Weber: Let the pieces form an impression on them. Each piece is like a book. It expresses an emotion of some kind, and hopefully the performances will get a reaction. If we’re playing Mozart, Schubert, and Brahms, they are very accessible composers. The audience should just like the sounds of the violin, piano, and viola together. It’s a great classic combination.

Ariadne, how did you end up in Europe, and what is it like balancing that with your love of your hometown?

Music was always a big part of my life. It led me to going to New York to study at Juilliard, which brought me to Germany. Now my career is based in Europe but I still perform in the United States a couple times a year. I started Music From Land’s End in Wareham to keep the connection to the home base and also wanting to share my music with this community.

Janice, is there a connection between your passions of piano and writing?

I’ve published eight novels of fiction. I’ve always been writing since I was a young child. Lots of pianists are composers, so you could say instead of writing music I compose with words. It’s the same lobe of the brain.