The 26th International Festival “Kyiv Music Fest” has ended. Its events that are worth of attention included the performance of Canadian ensemble Gryphon Trio. Its lineup includes violinist Annalee Patipatanakoon, cellist Roman Borys, and pianist Jamie Parker. It is beyond doubt that the professional level of this ensemble is extremely high. However, for our audience two facts might be especially important. The first one is the permanent interest of the Canadian performers to modern Ukrainian composers. The second one is their human qualities which enabled the trio to give concerts non-stop, record tens of programs, and wisely develop their own repertoire policy for more than 20 years, with the same lineup.
The performance of the Gryphon Trio in Kyiv took place as part of the festival program “Music dialogs: Ukraine – Canada” and with support of the Taras Shevchenko Foundation in Canada. The program was launched with Ukrainian premieres of the plays These Begin to Catch Fire by 43-year-old Canadian Brian Current and Like Doves with Grey Wings Embracing. At the end of the first act, the ensemble performed the world premiere of Myroslav Skoryk’s trio, which has just been completed, and after the second act – the piano trio Archduke by Ludwig Van Beethoven.
The Day asked one of the participants of the famous trio, Ukrainian by origin Roman BORYS on peculiarities of tours, favorite composers, and the most interesting projects that should be expected from Gryphon Trio in the near future.
“COMBINATION OF DIFFERENT RHYTHMIC FORMULAS IN DIFFERENT INSTRUMENTS MAKES A SURPRISING IMPRESSION”
“We thought it would be important to start with Canadian works,” says Borys, “In Brian Current’s play These Begin to Catch Fire there is one big part, they say, many notes. Rhythmically the work is extremely complicated, but very interesting. The combination of various rhythmic formulas in different instruments makes a surprising impression. Current was inspired by the lakes that are numerous in our region, Ontario. On one evening the composer was standing on a bank of a lake and noted how wonderfully the light was sliding on the water. Actually, this is how the play begins: the violin and the cello keep a long note, and the pianist conveys the impression of the light reflection.”
Is Brian Current a close friend of your ensemble who writes for Gryphon Trio?
“This is the second work he has composed for us. On the whole we have ordered over 80 works to composers and found the funding for this – through governmental organizations in Toronto and in our province. Current has been working as a composer for a long time, his career is quite successful. Recently he has won a big prize at a competition of composers in Montreal, about 50,000 dollars.
“Composer Anna Pidhorna was born in Ukraine, left to Canada with her family. Her family stayed in Vancouver, whereas she is studying at the Princeton University in the US. Our cooperation began two years ago in Toronto, where we performed her little sketch. We saw that this author had many interesting ideas – and ordered her work. We will perform it for the second time at Kyiv Music Fest. The play Like Doves with Grey Wings Embracing is based on a sad Ukrainian song ‘On very yellow sand.’ You can feel the folklore influence here. Anna Pidhorna uses tone colors, unconventional ways to play the instrument.”
Have you performed Myroslav Skoryk’s trio in Canada?
“No, this will be a world premiere. Several years ago we ordered this work, and finally it is completed. Skoryk’s trio has a traditional structure, which consists of three parts. You can feel different influences in the music, there are echoes of Shostakovich and Prokofiev. Probably, Stravinsky is hiding somewhere too.”
Why did you perform Beethoven at the end of an absolutely modern program?
“We have many times performed Beethoven’s Trio, but every new performance is always somewhat different. Yes, the program starts in a quite extreme way. Current’s work is the least harmonious, although it is wonderful and quite delicate.”
“OUR CASE IS RARE, BECAUSE FOR ALL THESE YEARS OUR LINEUP HAS REMAINED UNCHANGED”
Do you often visit Ukraine?
“I came to Ukraine for the first time in 2006. I met Valentyn Sylvestrov and Yevhen Stankovych here and asked them to compose for the Gryphon Trio. The process was launched, and already in 2007 I came to Kyiv and Lviv with the ensemble. We have performed the compositions Sylvestrov and Stankovych wrote for us many times in Europe, Canada, and the US. I must say we visit Western Europe much more often than Ukraine.”
How is current political situation in Ukraine perceived in Canada? Is your arrival connected with a desire to see what has changed in Ukraine?
“All Canadians were very worried during the Maidan events: we were following the events on the Internet and TV. Our government supports Ukraine, and the prime minister has visited Kyiv several times. The incumbent government of Canada takes a permanent interest in Ukraine and Ukrainian community, and the community supports this government. It is a pity that Canada’s government is too conservative and is unwillingly supporting the artists. This is a problem for me. I was born in Toronto to a Ukrainian family. My father was from Przemysl, I have many relatives in Lviv.”
In 2013 the Gryphon Trio celebrated its 20th anniversary. Over this period how many times the lineup has changed?
“Our case is rare, because for all these years our lineup has remained unchanged. Besides, violinist Annalee Patipatanakoon is my wife. Her mother is a German, her father is from Thailand. Pianist Jamie Parker’s mother is Japanese and his father is an Englishman.”
Is performing in the trio the main job for all of the participants?
“My colleagues are teaching at a Toronto University. I also teach performance in a chamber ensemble, but have far less hours. Besides, as an art director I head a big Festival of Chamber Music in Ottawa. In a two weeks’ time about 100 concerts with participation of 400 performers take place in its framework.”
How tight is Gryphon Trio’s schedule?
“It can be different, usually about 60 concerts a year. As a rule, we release one CD every year, now we have 18 of them.”
Is Ukrainian music present on these discs?
“Yes, Moments of Mozart by Valentyn Sylvestrov, which he created at our order. We have many ready recordings that should be released. They include the works by Yevhen Stankovych and Myroslav Skoryk. Sylvestrov has several wonderful chamber works, which I asked him to adjust for a piano trio and chamber choir. The Kyiv Choir with Mykola Hobdych has many times performed Sylvestrov’s works in Canada. Sylvestrov is well known all over the world, he stands out of the general context. But he is not alone.”
It is not the first time you are taking part in Ukrainian music festivals. Share your impressions.
“As an organizer of my own festival I take interest in absolutely everything. I am happy that in spite of the events in the east of Ukraine, festivals still take place here, composers create music, and musicians perform. Hopefully our performance has granted to the Ukrainian audience some new artistic experience, opened new prospects. Besides, I would like to get to know better the new generation of Ukrainian musicians, in order to invite them to my festival to Canada.”
