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Violinist Laura Frautschi, cellist
Kristina Reiko Cooper and pianist John Novacek, and their group
Intersection, have forged a powerful connection with audiences
worldwide. Formed in 1998 [under the name "Kristina & Laura] , the
group's numerous recordings have been best-sellers in Asia and have
topped the classical and crossover charts. In Japan alone, CD sales
have been well in excess of 100,000. In addition to their best
selling CDs, Intersection has released over half a dozen DVDs, and
have become a familiar presence in the popular media, through
numerous magazine covers, high-profile appearances on television
(including CNN International), and even through their much-loved
cameos on TV commercials. An
essential component of their concert activity has been their guest
appearances, often televised, with major orchestras such as the
Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra, the Osaka Symphony, the Yomiuri
Orchestra, and the Tokyo Philharmonic. Concertante repertoire ranges
from the classic multiple-instrument concerti of Beethoven, Brahms
and Mendelssohn, to new, approachable works written expressly for
the group in conjunction with orchestra, all intermixed with
standard solo concerti. In addition to Asia, the group has toured
Europe and the U.S.
"The quintessential Intersection
event is the trio concert, with a varied program of repertoire from
all parts of the music world"
The quintessential Intersection event
is the trio concert, with a varied program of repertoire from all
parts of the music world. A typical evening with Intersection may
center on a Ravel, Dvorák or Brahms trio, but will veer into
previously unexplored byroads. A Hungarian thread present in the
Brahms may be further spun into a sequence of Gypsy tunes, Dvorak
into slavic dance forms, Ravel into the ethereal world of sensuous
French song. American music, crucial to Intersection's repertoire,
is presented in musical forms spanning the most avant garde of
compositions to lighter fare such as excerpts of film music and
popular theater and song. Various solos and duos add to the aural
variety.
Intersection are reknowned for the
new catalog of trio works that they have directly inspired. These
works, substantial but immediately accessible, figure prominently in
their programs. Energetic young composers such as Patrick Zimmerli,
Kenji Bunch, Dan Coleman, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Novacek himself have
all contributed to the catalog, and one hallmark common to much of
this music is a suggestion of the trio's hometown, New York City, in
its vitality, verve, and diversity.
Kristina,
Laura and John have individually achieved enviable successes as
soloists and chamber musicians in the world of classical music, but
each have effectively ventured beyond circumscribed artistic
borders, exploring new music, world music, jazz and pop. The
uniqueness of the group is in tapping to the full these highly
varied backgrounds, in shows that seamlessly fuse the traditional
and the surprising, the premeditated and the improvisatory, and of
course their easy verbal interplay with each other and with the
audience. An evening with Intersection is a virtual collaboration
between artists and audience.
 Violinist
Laura Frautschi has established a reputation as a versatile musician
with a strong commitment to contemporary as well as classical
repertoire. She regularly performs as soloist and chamber musician
throughout the United States and Asia, and collaborates frequently
with living composers. She has given world premieres of violin
concerti by leading American composers Lee Hyla and Augusta Read
Thomas. Her recent chamber music activities include appearances at
the Caramoor International Festival, Metropolitan Museum of Art,
Wellseley Composer Conference, Moab and St. Bart's Music Festivals.
In addition, she is a concertmaster of the New York City Opera
Orchestra, and has toured internationally as a concertmaster of the
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Ms. Frautschi ’ s extensive discography
ranges from Vivaldi ’ s Four Seasons with the Festival Strings
Lucerne and Lee Hyla ’ s Violin Concerto with the Boston Modern
Orchestra Project, to twentieth-century chamber works by Bernard
Rands, Chen Yi, and Margaret Brouwer. Laura Frautschi studied
applied mathematics at Harvard College, and violin performance with
Robert Mann atThe Juilliard School.
 Hailed
by the New York Times as “sensational in concert”, and as a
"stunning virtuoso" by the Los Angeles Times, cellist Kristina Reiko
Cooper has performed as a soloist, recitalist and chamber musician
throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. Ms. Cooper’s recent and
upcoming concerto appearances include the Prague Chamber Orchestra,
the Osaka Symphony, the Jerusalem Academy Chamber Orchestra, the San
Salvador Symphony and the Toronto Symphony. Other recent noted solo
appearances include a tour with the Shanghai Symphony culminating in
a performance at the World Expo, an NHK televised solo recital and
appearing as the soloist for Tan Dun's Water Passion in LA's Disney
Hall. An enthusiast of contemporary music, Kristina has premiered
many works, including the US premiere of Tigran Mansurian’s Cello
Concerto #2, the European premiere of Mario Davidovsky’s Cello
Concerto, the world premier of Roberto Sierra’s Sonata for Cello and
Piano, the world premiere of Phillip Glass’s The Sound of a Voice.
As first-prize winner of the 1998 Walter M. Naumburg Chamber Music
Award, Kristina is also a much sought after chamber musician. She
has taken part in such groups and festivals as Musicians from
Marlboro, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, The Aspen Music
Festival, La Jolla Summerfest, Mostly Mozart Festival (Lincoln
Center) Spoleto Festival USA, Angel Fire Music Festival, Ravinia and
Chamber Music Northwest. Ms. Cooper has a discography of CD
recordings for Arabesque, CP2, TNC, Helicon Records, Spin Art
Records and a solo recital DVD for Amadeus Press. She has been
featured on CNN, CBC Television, CBS’s and 60 Minutes Kristina
studied with Joel Krosnick at the Juilliard School where she earned
her BM, MM and DMA. She plays on a 1786 William Forster cello.
 Grammy
nominated pianist John Novacek, regularly tours the Americas,
Europe, and Asia as solo recitalist, chamber musician and concerto
soloist. Venues include Kennedy Center, Avery Fisher Hall, Zankel
Hall, Weill Hall, 92nd Street Y, Hollywood Bowl, Dorothy Chandler
Pavilion, Royce Hall, Paris’ Theatre des Champs-Elysees, London’s
Wigmore Hall and Barbican Hall.. In addition he has appeared at
Lucerne Festival, Mostly Mozart Festival (Lincoln Center), Wolf
Trap, SummerFest La Jolla, Seattle Chamber Music Festival, Menuhin
Festival Gstaad (Switzerland), and Ravinia. Novacek took top prizes
at the Leschetizky, Etude Music Club, Carmel Music Society, Mannes
Concerto, and Joanna Hodges International Piano Competition. He's
been a featured performer on many television shows including Tonight
Show and Entertainment Tonight. A much sought-after collaborative
artist, Novacek has played with Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, Emmanuel
Pahud, Truls Mork, Julius Baker, and Leila Josefowicz. He’s given
numerous world premieres and worked closely with composers John
Adams, George Rochberg, John Williams, John Harbison, Sebastian
Currier, and John Zorn. Novacek’s compositions and arrangements have
been performed by the Pacific Symphony, Concertante, Kristina &
Laura, Millennium, the Harrington String Quartet, and the Three
Tenors. He records for Philips, Nonesuch, Arabesque, Warner
Classics, Koch International, Universal Classics, Ambassador, Four
Winds, Arkay, Virtuoso, & EMI Classics. He studied piano with Peter
Serkin, Bruce Sutherland, and Jakob Gimpel. |