Lunchtime Classical Recital | On the work of Spanish Catalan cellist and composer Gaspar Cassadó

Friday 13th June | 1pm

Performed by; Prof. H. Rosi Song (speaker), Katie Tertell (cello) & Yoshie Kawamura (piano).

Spanish Catalan cellist and composer Gaspar Cassadó (1897-1966) | Image provided by promoter

A recital on the work of Spanish Catalan cellist and composer Gaspar Cassadó (1897-1966). Regarded as one of the top cellists of the 20th century whose work continues to be played worldwide, his name and history remain mostly forgotten in Spain and abroad. An early advocate for the modern cello, he played an active role in trying to expand the repertoire for cellists, composing and collaborating with composers of his time like Luigi Dallapiccola (1904-75) who dedicated a concerto to him. Today, his name remains connected to that of his world-famous teacher, Pablo Casals (1876-1973), and fraught by the complicated legacy of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). Cassadó’s significance in cello performance and composition deserve a new look as his works reflect important musical trends in pre-war Europe regarding the concept of a regional or national sound.

As part of a research project to recover his legacy while examining of what could be identified or understood as a “Spanish sound” in 20th century classical music, the recital presents a combination of lecture and performance, where the audience is invited to learn about the life and work of Cassadó in conversation with the work of other composers.

This free event, part of an international cultural project, is made possible by the Research Impact Fund with Durham University as part of the School of Modern Languages & Cultures. 

Professor H. Rosi Song, Durham University | Image provided by promoter

Professor H. Rosi Song holds a Chair in Hispanic Studies at Durham University. A specialist in 20th and 21st century Spanish culture and literature, she is the author of Lost in Transition: Constructing Memory in Contemporary Spain (Liverpool UP, 2016) and the co-editor of Traces of Contamination: Unearthing Francoist Legacy in Contemporary Spanish Discourse (Bucknell UP, 2005) and Towards a Cultural Archive of la Movida: Back to the Future (Farleigh Dickinson UP, 2013). She is one of the Series Editors for Culinaria, a new book series from the University of Toronto Press on Food Studies and serves on the editorial board for Toronto Iberic Series as well. Her most recent book, co-written with Anna Riera, is A Taste of Barcelona. The History of Catalan Cooking and Eating (Rowman and Littlefield, 2019).

Katie Tertell, Cellist | Image provided by promoter

American cellist Katie Tertell resides in the UK and enjoys a rich and varied experience as a freelance artist in Europe and America. She is Artistic Director and Founder of the Appalachian Chamber Music Festival, headquartered in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. A former member of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, Katie now curates several of her own projects and collaborations alongside performance and recording work with numerous European symphony and chamber orchestras. She enjoys performing internationally at chamber music festivals and series and working with composers on creative projects and commissions. Katie is a recipient of several honours and awards including an “Exceptional Talent” visa awarded by Arts Council England and teaches cello at Durham University (UK).

Katie performs in live and recorded broadcasts for BBC Radio 3 and RTÉ Lyric FM on a regular basis, and enjoys reaching audiences both near and far through various broadcasts and recordings including a number of films and award-winning discs. She has performed live on BBC Radio 3’s “In Tune” program, appeared as principal cello of the Ulster Orchestra at the BBC Proms and guest principal with the English Symphony Orchestra and Welsh National Opera. In addition to symphonic work, she freelances with a variety of internationally acclaimed chamber orchestras, some of which include the Scottish Chamber, Irish Chamber, London Chamber Orchestra, City of London Sinfonia and Royal Northern Sinfonia. She is a member and acting Chair of the ground-breaking female-led chamber music collective Musici Ireland, based in Wexford, Ireland.

Yoshie Kawamura, pianist | Image provided by promoter

Yoshie Kawamura was born in Nagoya Japan and has been a resident in the UK since she was 11. She has given many performances worldwide where her main appearances were; in Germany 200th year of celebration for Chopin at Freiburg Musikhochschule, Switzerland Chamber Music Concert at Luzern Marianischer Saal, Berlin Chamber Music Festival Lunchtime Concert Series at Berliner Philharmoniker, and Netherlands International Stichting Apeldoon Festival. She was also invited to join the Berlin Philharmonic Quartet in performing Schumann’s Piano Quintet on their tour of Japan; subsequently she received an invitation from the Poznan Philharmonia to perform as a soloist in Chopin’s Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise in a series of concerts in Poland.
She received her Master of Music at Guildhall School of Music and Drama and later went to Germany to further her studies with Prof. Mishory at Musikhochschule Freiburg. In 2013 she came back to the UK to receive her second master in Cultural Management at the Northumbria University in Newcastle upon Tyne.

A LIVE Lit & Phil Event | FREE