Katrin Talbot, a violist in Wisconsin’s Madison Symphony Orchestra, “has spent years writing poetry in quiet moments at symphony rehearsal, conjuring up lines and verses inspired by Chopin or Schubert,” writes Lindsay Christians in Friday’s (11/11) Capitol Times (Madison, WI). “This Sunday, Talbot combines two of her artistic passions…. Talbot organized ‘The Counterpoint Readings,’ [which] will follow the third weekend concert of the Madison Symphony Orchestra…. Talbot said, ‘When art forms are combined or put side by side, something new comes out of that … each art form informs the other.’ ‘The Counterpoint Readings’ is the first in what Talbot hopes will be a series of events combining poetry and classical music. Talbot and eight other poets will premiere poems in response to Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5…. ‘Shostakovich leaped out as just pure poetic material in terms of the struggles that he had writing this,’ Talbot said…. Talbot invited other musician-poets to create work, including bassist August Jirovec and violist Davis Perez, both players with the MSO.” Says Talbot, “My passion is to get poetry out there…. It’s so important in everyday life. What happens when 9/11 happens? People turn to the poets.”
Posted November 14, 2016