The tools of the trade in Sophie Shao’s world haven’t changed much in hundreds of years. She calls the cello old technology, laughing about its horsehair bow and a design featuring pieces of wood glued together that really hasn’t been altered.
Shao’s main cello is from 1855. With it, she hopes to bring something very new to a free Oct. 30 performance at the BronxArtSpace studio on Governors Island.
Foregoing the standard repertoire of Bach, Pachelbel or Boccherini, Shao will play a solo program of living composers, offering listeners a chance to hear rarely played pieces.
“I’ve done my share of playing old music. I think we need to learn that,” said Shao. “But I came upon all these different composers. And I was really excited each time I found one of them.”
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Foregoing the standard repertoire of Bach, Pachelbel or Boccherini, Shao will play a solo program of living composers, offering listeners a chance to hear rarely played pieces.
“I’ve done my share of playing old music. I think we need to learn that,” said Shao. “But I came upon all these different composers. And I was really excited each time I found one of them.”
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Shao put together a program of living composers to align with the BronxArtSpace’s mission to promote underrepresented and emerging artists.
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While working on “Sonata” the first piece in her program, Shao reached out to the celebrated Black composer Adolphus Hailstork through Facebook and then communicated over email. Eventually, she practiced the piece for Hailstork on Zoom, giving him the chance to offer his notes and ideas.
Shao described “Sonata” which incorporates melodies from spirituals and choral traditions, as full of character and joy. It is actually the most traditional of Shao’s choices. Still, Hailstork takes it as a given that his music is played less often than pieces in the canon.
“The repertoire is established. Pieces of new music are fringe repertoire. That’s the way it is and that’s the way it’s always been,” said Hailstork, a professor at Old Dominion University in Virginia. “First they learn the classics. Then some of them have the courage to meet with the wannabes like me.”
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Sophie Shao will perform at 3 p.m. on Oct. 30 at the BronxArtSpace’s Governors Island studio (Colonels Row 404B) surrounded by art produced by five artists in residence. Admission is free.
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