Joshua Roman is a cello soloist and composer, hailed for his “effortlessly expressive tone… and playful zest for exploration” (New York Times), as well as his “extraordinary technical and musical gifts" and “blend of precision and almost improvisatory freedom… that goes straight to the heart" (San Francisco Chronicle). His genre-bending programs and wide-ranging collaborations have grown out of an “enthusiasm for musical evolution that is as contagious as his love for the classics" (Seattle Times).
Committed to bringing Classical music to new audiences, Roman opened the acclaimed 2017 TED Conference, and his performance of the complete Bach Solo Cello Suites after the 2016 U.S. Presidential election was the most-viewed event in the history of TED’s social channels, with nearly a million live viewers. Roman has collaborated with world-class artists across genres and disciplines, including Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, DJ Spooky, Tony-winner/MacArthur Genius Bill T. Jones, Grammy Award-winning East African vocalist Somi, and Tony Award-nominated actor Anna Deavere Smith.
Early in his career, Meyer composed the series of three string trios, which he premiered with Daniel Phillips and Carter Brey at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. These pieces set the tone for his next four decades, but only one was partially recorded. Meyer says that upon meeting Tessa and Joshua, he saw an opportunity to partner with them and “document this personal milestone”. At this concert, you will hear two of those string trios, a new one intended to “complete the thought,” and a classic Bach sonata.
Embark on a mesmerizing musical journey with the Edgar Meyer Trio featuring Tessa Lark and Joshua Roman.
This collaboration brings together three singular figures in American concert music—virtuoso instrumentalists with fierce classical chops, deep connections to roots and fiddle music, and wide-open artistic sensibilities. Bass virtuoso and recent Grammy winner Edgar Meyer, genre-crossing Kentucky-born violinist Tessa Lark, and eclectic cellist Joshua Roman take us on an exhilarating romp through selections by Bach, trio music by Edgar Meyer, and a brand-new work composed especially for this trio.
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