The Victoria Bach Festival is pleased to welcome mezzo-soprano Erin Calata and tenor Patrick Kilbride to Victoria as the 2014 New Young Artists. For their program on Tuesday, June 10, these exciting young vocalists perform Bach cantata duets and the intensely dramatic “one-act opera” by Benjamin Britten, Canticle II: Abraham and Isaac.
We asked them a few questions about their concert and their thoughts on performing at the 2014 Victoria Bach Festival.
VBF: What are you looking forward to about the Festival?
Patrick: So many things … I’m most looking forward to new collaborations with artists who are passionate about making and sharing music. There’s nothing more exciting than the collaborative process. I’ve heard great things about the Festival, and I’m excited to share this music with the invested audiences in Victoria. This will also be my first time in Texas!
Erin: I’m looking forward to hearing and working with musicians of such high caliber. This festival is full of great music, and I’m excited to be a part of it. I think that the best way to become a stronger performer is to observe and to be observed, so I know that the New Young Artist program will be a great educational opportunity for me!
As a teacher, I am most looking forward to sharing the music we’ve prepared—both in our formal public performances and especially in our outreach events. I’ve been involved in musical outreach events to nursing homes and retirement facilities, and those performances have been some of the most heartwarming and fulfilling events I can remember. I always feel as if I’m singing to my own family, and so I’m eager to sing at those events in Victoria.
VBF: What should we be listening for in the Bach and Britten duets you’ll be performing?
Erin: One of the elements I’ve come to love in Benjamin Britten’s Canticle II is the numerous shifts in mood during the course of the duet. The musical symbolism and text painting draw me in because they directly reflect the action of the story through harmonies and textures between the piano and voices.
I’ve personally found my role of Isaac to be fascinating because the depiction of his emotional journey is very clear throughout. At the moment Isaac is called into the scene, simple melodic lines symbolize his innocence and unawareness. Then tense and sustained harmonies develop in the dialogue and accompaniment as the action rises and Abraham reveals his motive to kill Isaac. At that moment, an eruption of tumultuous music evokes the fear and distress between the two characters as they come to terms with the will of God.
Patrick: I’m very excited we are doing works by both Bach and Britten on our recital. They are two of my favorite composers, and both write beautifully complex music. With the Bach, I suggest that listeners listen for the fugal counterpoint between the basso continuo and the vocal lines—there is a lot of great interplay between the two voice parts. Also, it’s unique that one of the two Bach duets we are doing comes from one of his secular cantatas. Bach does write differently for secular versus religious music. With the Britten, listen for the way in which he writes for the two voices when they are singing the words of God versus when they are singing the roles of Abraham and Isaac.
VBF: How do you like to spend your time when you’re not singing?
Patrick: When I’m not making music or working toward improving my craft, I love to continue to express myself creatively. I love to compose and have written eight pieces for solo piano and one song. I’m actually beginning work on a song cycle of some of my favorite poems by Billy Collins, and I hope to soon begin on a string quartet. I also love writing poetry, as well as reading poetry. I enjoy spending time with my family and the dog back at home.
Erin: Exploring new places is one of my favorite things to do—whether it’s a restaurant or cuisine I haven’t yet experienced, a local attraction, or a new travel destination, I’m always up for an adventure. When the weather is fair back home, you can usually find me outside gardening, bike riding, taking my dog to the park, or hiking and camping. I love photography, practicing yoga, painting ceramics, and spending time with family and friends.
The New Young Artists perform on Tuesday, June 10, at 7:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 407 N. Bridge Street.