Program Notes
Around the World String Quartet

Musicians

Sol Im and Brandon Vance, violins; Sue Jane Bryant, viola; Paige Stockley, cello

Recorded at Soos Creek Botanical Garden, September 2020

Program

Shine You No More - Composed by Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen for the Danish String Quartet
“Full-Rigged Ship” Fantasia on Shetland Tunes - by Traditional, arranged Brandon S. Vance 
WORLD PREMIERE and Auburn Symphony Orchestra Commission
Gael Storm - Composed by Brandon S. Vance
Gloomy Sunday - Composed by Reszo Seress, arranged by Osvaldo Golijov
Canção Verdes Anos - Composed by Carlos Paredes, arranged by Osvaldo Golijov
Pannonia Boundless - Composed by Aleksandra Vrebalov, arranged by Osvaldo Golijov

Program Notes

Shine You No More

“Violinist Rune Tonsgaard Sorenson's Shine You No More was inspired by the 16th century composer John Dowland, but plays out more like an Irish reel. The music erases borders between folk and classical, suggesting you can either kick up your heels, or kick back and simply enjoy.” -Tom Huizenga on NPR’s “All Things Considered”

“Da Rigget Ships” Shetland Fantasia

“When Paige and I first met to discuss repertoire for this series, she showed me a piece by The Danish String Quartet called “Shine You No More.”I hadn’t yet picked an inspiration for my piece, but after hearing the beautiful Scandinavian folk influences in that piece, I decided to draw from the deep well of traditional Shetland Fiddling, which I have played since I was a child.  

This fantasia is based on two Shetland melodies, which happen to have similar titles: “Da Full Rigget Ship” and “Da New Rigget Ship,” respectively.  I have always imagined that the first tune evokes an image and sound of a large ship in a calm harbor, rocking gently on the tide, shrouded in mist.  The second tune is much livelier, and evokes a ship at full-tilt, the crew’s rough hands taut against the rigging, bow plowing the sea, raking up snow-white sea-foam into the clear, cold air.” - Brandon S. Vance

Gael Storm

“I originally wrote Gael Storm for solo fiddle and orchestra, and had the honor of premiering it with the Cleveland Pops Orchestra in Severance Hall.  The piece is a medley of traditional and original tunes, starting with an old Shetland tune called “Sister Jean.”  The second tune is an original of mine called “The Enigma,” which can be found on my album “The Way Forward” with Northwest multi-instrumentalist, Mark Minkler.   Finally, I end the “set” with a tune called “Tam the Bam” by fantastic Scottish fiddler, and Neil Gow expert, Pete Clark.” -Brandon S. Vance

Gloomy Sunday 

“This is a transcription of the recording of this song made by a gypsy band in the early 1930s, probably in Paris. The tune and its lyrics capture perfectly well and freeze forever the abysmal gloom that Sundays brought during the depression years.” -Osvaldo Golijov

Canção Verdes Anos

“The virtuosity of Paredes is charged with meaning: there is street wisdom in his playing, a strange, crooked lyricism, and above all, impeccable taste. My hope in these transcriptions is to sublimate those qualities so that they appear reincarnated in Kronos' bows.” -Osvaldo Golijov

Pannonia Boundless

“The piece is about freedom, continuous journey, friction between an individual and society, love and passion for life. It is a musical journal on faces, landscapes, and sounds of the region where Gypsy caravans and traveling musicians are still a part of everyday life. If you ache for freedom, if you’d rather go than stay, if you live your dreams and your fears, if your home is where your soul is, then, you will understand. Journey is what matters, with no goal, no plans, no rest.” -Aleksandra Vrebalov

Musician Biographies

Brandon Vance

Internationally acclaimed Scottish fiddler and violinist, Brandon Vance, is the recipient of Scotland's 2017 Royal National Mòd "Sutherland Cup" in Scottish Fiddle, as well as being the youngest to win the U.S. National Open Scottish Fiddling Championship in both 1999 and 2001.

Brandon is the second violinist of the Skyros Quartet, and fiddler for folk ensemble Keltoi, as well as being a founding member of Celtic ensemble Dréos, and world music group, Alchymeia.  He is a member of the Chamber Orchestra Northwest Sinfonietta and baroque ensemble Pacific Musicworks, as well as having a vibrant career as a recording artist and composer.

Sol Im

Sol Im began her violin studies at age 5 and made her solo debut at Benaroya Hall with Cascade Youth Symphony at age 16. She performed as a soloist with the University of Washington Symphony where she received a degree in Violin Performance. She has served as Concertmaster of UW Symphony and Thalia Symphony and played on King FM radio.

Her professional works include those with Seattle Symphony, Seattle Opera, and is a current member of the first violin section in the Pacific Northwest Ballet orchestra. She is soon to start a teaching studio in Edmonds where she lives with her husband and their one year old son.

Sue Jane Bryant

Sue Jane Bryant is a former member of both the violin and viola sections of the Edmonton Symphony, and was the Assistant Principal Viola of the Calgary and Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestras.

Presently Sue Jane is a freelance musician in the Seattle area, performing with the Pacific Northwest Ballet, Auburn Symphony, Northwest Sinfonietta, Seattle Symphony and Opera, Oregon and Vancouver Symphony Orchestras. Sue Jane maintains an active private teaching studio on Bainbridge Island, and enjoys coaching the viola students at Garfield and Lincoln High Schools, and also at Washington Middle School.

Paige Stockley

Cellist Paige Stockley is known for championing the music of living composers from the Pacific Northwest. She is the founder of the St. Helens String Quartet, which received two 4Culture grants for commissioning new works and a recording residency at Jack Straw. The quartet released its debut album on the Navona/Parma label in 2017 entitled “American Dreams,” already internationally acclaimed, and performs at Benaroya Recital Hall, Lopez Community Center and Cornish College of the Arts where she was on faculty for 17 years.

Paige’s solo CD, “August Ruins,” a five-movement suite for cello with original music by Peter Vukmirovic Stevens, was submitted for a Grammy nomination in Fall 2014—and is a top seller on Amazon.com.