{"id":65073,"date":"2019-11-28T09:53:43","date_gmt":"2019-11-28T14:53:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=65073"},"modified":"2019-11-28T09:57:09","modified_gmt":"2019-11-28T14:57:09","slug":"primer-yolanda-bruno-and-isabelle-david-take-us-inside-the-creations-of-the-wild-swans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2019\/11\/28\/primer-yolanda-bruno-and-isabelle-david-take-us-inside-the-creations-of-the-wild-swans\/","title":{"rendered":"PRIMER | Yolanda Bruno And Isabelle David Take Us Inside The Creations Of The Wild Swans"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yolanda Bruno and Isabelle David showcase the work of 11 women composers over 876 years of music in their debut album \u2018The Wild Swans\u2019.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Yolanda
Yolanda Bruno and Isabelle David (Photo : Helen Tansey)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It is not a strange thing to talk about gender equity in the twenty-first century, especially in Western classical music. Even today, many popular composer\/performer\/conductor lists consist mostly of men, and it\u2019s still men dominating the high level business\/political\/arts executives\u2019 and directors\u2019 office seats.<\/p>\n

Things are changing, albeit slowly, and we may be approaching at a time where the community is willing to dedicate serious support for women in classical music: as this week, two Canadian women, Yolanda Bruno<\/span><\/a><\/span> and Isabelle David<\/a>,<\/span> launch their debut album The Wild Swans<\/a>,<\/em><\/span> in Ottawa (Nov. 25), Montreal (Nov. 26) and Toronto<\/a><\/span> (Dec 2).<\/p>\n

The recording lists 11 compositions by women across the time \u2014 876 years to be exact \u2014 between the youngest composer (Elena Langer<\/a><\/span>, b. 1974) and the oldest (Hildegard von Bingen<\/a><\/span>, 1098-1179), and it includes a premiere recording for Beyond Time (Alexina Louie<\/a><\/span>) and a fresh commission from Kelly-Marie Murphy<\/a>:<\/span> The Swan Parapraxis<\/em>.<\/p>\n

In addition to the pouring of Bruno and David\u2019s own hearts and funds, The Wild Swans<\/em> project amassed funding of $15,555 from 142 backers through Kickstarter; and when Groupe Canimex<\/a><\/span> saw the kickstarter video, they called Yolanda and Isabelle, offering a generous sponsorship to fill the gap. Also, Yolanda\u2019s current instrument, a Montagnana, is a loan from GC since September 2018. Oh, what it takes, for the swans to take flight!<\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a massive project, and it makes one wonder: what has driven these two?<\/p>\n

\u201cWe met at McGill University, as we were taking a lot of same classes during our first year of undergrad \u2013 2007,\u201d recalls David. \u201cWe decided to start a chamber music group [piano quartet] during our sophomore year in 2008. At the time, second year string players at McGill were expected only to perform in a string quartet. Playing in a chamber group with piano was allowed later in the program. But our enthusiasm convinced the chair of the chamber music department to bend the rules and let us play together right away! Our collaboration has continued ever since.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inseparable since, they have travelled and performed together across Canada for over 10 years. And like good friends do, they couldn\u2019t help but to share things \u2014 especially things that belong to living composers, as well as forgotten ones. And it\u2019s this shared curiosity that often gets them onto a road less travelled.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast year, we toured Eastern Canada playing a fabulous sonata by French composer Louise Farrenc,\u201d Bruno says. \u201cIt was next to impossible to acquire a copy of the score. We both emailed everyone we knew in Canada, the USA ,and Europe hoping to get a copy. Finally, Isabelle [David] purchased the only copy we could find for $300.00 \u2014\u00a0an insane amount to pay for a violin and piano sonata.\u201d<\/p>\n

The time they wrote to Pulitzer winner Caroline Shaw<\/a><\/span>, is another exciting memory. \u201cI mustered up the courage to write her an email asking about music for violin and piano,\u201d explained Bruno. \u201cI couldn\u2019t find anything for violin and piano online, and was sure I would never hear from her. Her website said \u2018response times will be very slow\u2019. My heart skipped a beat when she replied to my email and sent me a PDF of \u201cBroad and Free\u201d.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Yolanda
Yolanda Bruno and Isabelle David (Image courtesy of the artists)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Maturing as duo, they began accumulating a \u2018to-record\u2019 list. \u201cThe first pieces we knew we wanted to record were Alexina Louie\u2019s \u201cBeyond Time\u201d, Kala Ramnath\u2019s \u201cAalap and Tarana\u201d and two works by Lili Boulanger<\/a><\/span>,\u201d said Bruno.<\/p>\n

David also quotes Hilary Hahn-Cory Smythe\u2019s 2015 Grammy winning album, \u2018In 27 Pieces<\/a><\/span>,\u2019 which includes composers Kala Ramnath<\/a><\/span>, Lera Auerbach<\/a><\/span> and Jennifer Higdon<\/a><\/span>, as a major inspiration.<\/p>\n

By the end of the search, they had selected eleven pieces on the final list. Just like the eleven princes that needed to be transformed in The Wild Swans<\/a><\/span><\/em> by Hans Christian Andersen.<\/p>\n

The connection to Toronto runs deep in this album. Bruno recently joined<\/a><\/span> the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and it also includes the premiere recording of Toronto-based composer Alexina Louie\u2019s Beyond Time<\/em>. \u201c\u2026It had everything we were looking for: it is filled with fantasy, overflows with otherworldly sounds.\u201d<\/p>\n

Programming, practice, rehearsal \u2014\u00a0 the duo was well-versed in the musical aspects of the project, but then there was the matter of the Kickstarter campaign to fund it.<\/p>\n

\u201cLaunching the Kickstarter campaign was terrifying. We had never done anything like this before and had no idea whether or not we would be able to raise the full amount,\u201d described Bruno. “In actuality, the CD costs were more than $15,555, but we set this as our goal.”<\/p>\n

With support pouring from friends and family, and from close and afar, as far as Dubai, Korea, Finland, India, The Wild Swans<\/em> met its goal in just 20 days.<\/p>\n

\u201cDaily messages of encouragement, continuous shares of the project and contributions\u2026 It certainly gave us wings to receive so much support,\u201d Bruno says. And this has fueled their decision to have launches in three cities: Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto, the cities from where most of the Kickstarter backers supported them.<\/p>\n

To give these women voices and give them wings. The Tundra swans live in the Canadian Arctic and in Alaska, and they fly an impressive 6,000kms journey of migration, twice a year (all the way to the East in Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, or to the West to the Pacific Slope in California). The flights are not just for fancies, but for survival and nurture.<\/p>\n

The Wild Swans: Toronto Launch, Yolanda Bruno + Isabelle David; December 2, 2019, 7:30pm, Gallery 345. Details\u00a0 here.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

#LUDWIGVAN<\/em><\/h3>\n

Want more updates on classical music and opera news and reviews? Follow us\u00a0on <\/em>Facebook<\/b><\/a><\/em><\/span>, <\/em>Instagram<\/b><\/a><\/em><\/span> <\/b>or <\/em>Twitter<\/b><\/a><\/em><\/span> for all the latest.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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