by Hannah Schoepe
Whisking the listener away on a diverse journey of sounds, the AHA! Festival will present a piano trio from a fellow local summer series, ChamberFest Cleveland. Pianist Roman Rabinovich, cellist Oliver Herbert, and violinist David Bowlin will come together to play gems of the chamber music repertoire by Brahms, Kodály, and Janáček on Friday, June 8 at 2:00 pm in Drinko Hall at Cleveland State University.
Friday’s program will feature Brahms’ effervescent Piano Trio No. 1 in B, completed in 1854 and revised throughout the composer’s life. One of the most popular trios of all time, it reflects both the vivaciousness of Brahms’ youth and the emotional depth of his maturity. We recently spoke with David Bowlin, who admitted that the work is his favorite on the program. “I love the whole B-major trio,” he said. “Everyone loves the B-major trio!”
The concert also includes a modern twist: the Kodály Duo for Violin and Cello, and Janáček’s Pohádka (“Fairytale”) for piano and cello.
One-third of the Oberlin Trio, Bowlin is no stranger to the constellation of the piano trio. What draws him to that combination? “What I love about the piano trio is that all the instruments are so different — each one is more free to have its own personality,” he said. “For me the genre is very liberating. You can play quite soloistically, although of course you want to match the cello, which is a challenge but also an opportunity.”
Bowlin, Herbert, and Rabinovich have some shared history. The three have attended numerous festivals together. And the violinist and cellist previously performed together as part of the 2016 ChamberFest. About that festival, Bowlin said, “They do such a great job with programming. It’s really a terrific thing they’re doing for Cleveland, and it’s certainly worth attending!”
Embracing a theme of Arts and Humanities, this year’s AHA! Festival, sponsored by CSU, takes place from June 7-9 in venues at CSU and Playhouse Square. The festival hosts an eclectic array of lectures and concerts, spanning topics such as “Creativity From Limits,” “Learning to Dance Like a Star,” and “Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin.” Click here to purchase tickets for Friday’s concert.
Published on ClevelandClassical.com June 4, 2018.
Click here for a printable copy of this article