Jennifer Koh

I Care If You Listen
By Forrest Howell
November 11, 2024
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5 Questions to Jennifer Koh and Weston Sprott (Sounds of US Festival)

It is rare to encounter someone as memorable as violinist Jennifer Koh. I met her briefly one summer when she was a competition judge at Music Academy of the West, and I believe her hair was neon pink at the time. Perusing her socials and website leads to even more unforgettable snapshots, such as the Instagram video of her bone-chilling scream back in May 2020 – a scream that would eventually end up in her Grammy-winning album Alone Together.

Koh is irresistibly drawn to gargantuan projects, which she faces with an unflagging musical intensity. But she is also able to tightly grasp a philosophical throughline amid the logistical hurdles of people, technology, and the sonic chaos that often accompany these massive undertakings.

Her latest project is curating Sounds of US, a one-day festival bursting with over 40 premieres across eight concerts, including works by composers Angélica Negrón, Nina C. Young, inti figgis-vizueta, and Carlos Simon. Presented by the Kennedy Center, the performances feature artists from various stages of a musician’s life cycle, from pre-college students to established professionals. The choice to include multiple generations of musicians is purposeful and correlates with the themes of the festival’s four mainstage concerts: To Begin, To Believe, To Become, and To Be.

A key collaborator for Koh on this project is Weston Sprott, dean and director of the Juilliard Preparatory Division. When I met Sprott (the same summer I met Koh), I actually didn’t know about this significant part of his career. His work as an education-focused arts administrator points boldly forward, balancing the high-minded ideals of representation and diversity with the practicality of creating equitable access for young musicians.

Young musicians from both the National Symphony Orchestra Youth Fellowship Program and from the Juilliard Pre-College Division will participate in Sounds of US as performers and composers. They share the roster with professional musicians and composers, including Koh and Sprott. In advance of this ambitious festival program, we asked Koh and Sprott five questions about working with young musicians.

Jennifer, could you tell us about the origin of this festival and its various collaborations?

I created Sounds of US as a space for artists to create works that shape and define our cultural dialogue in the present and future. Through art, American democracy can live up to its ideal to be a true meritocracy. Live music is the action of listening, a place of communal experience, and a time to connect with others in a truth that can only be experienced and expressed through music.

Weston, this seems like such a unique opportunity for young musicians. How have the students responded during this process of collaboration and mentorship?

Indeed, this is a wonderful moment for our young composers and performers. Bringing so many new works to life requires a considerable amount of effort, and everyone has embraced the challenge with enthusiasm. Ira Taxin, who chairs the Pre-College composition department, was thrilled by the thought of having student compositions premiere at the Kennedy Center. When he presented the opportunity to our young composers, they all agreed to participate and proceeded to write a fantastic collection of pieces. The same can be said for the Pre-College faculty members Alyssa Weinberg and Trevor Weston, who have also written for our ensemble.

Fast forward a few months, and our student-faculty quartet was rolling up its sleeves and rehearsing 12 new works–each with its own artistic voice and set of technical challenges. Following time for individual practice and rehearsal, the performers shared feedback with both the student and professional composers—we discussed what worked well, what could benefit from revision, and what we enjoyed about their work. The composers are also invited to rehearsal so that they can hear their pieces being prepared and provide feedback. In all the communications, the sense of joyful collaboration was present, and this process has given many of us the chance to work together in new and exciting ways. Pre-College pianist Anwen Deng recently shared with me that she had never played a work with brass before. And I have gotten to spend some individual time with composition students showing them the various nuances of the trombone. It’s been a good time!

Jennifer, with the sheer number of performers and composers involved in this project, was it important for you to also be extensively involved in shaping each new composition on the program?

I believe that artists dream a new vision and path for the future. Therefore, I found it important to advocate for them and commission new works for them through my non-profit, ARCO Collaborative. Because I believe that every decision we make is a choice that reverberates into the future, I chose to create spaces for mentorship through both the creation and performances of these new works.

I learned the most when I was rehearsing and performing alongside my teachers, and I wanted to recreate that mentorship environment by curating a project where established composers and performers collaborate directly with student musicians. Performing alongside my mentors allowed me to observe how they rehearsed, collaborated, communicated, prepared, and performed. I was given the experience and space to learn how to be a musician, how to live as a musician; and I learned the value and importance of generosity through their generosity. The care and support they offered allowed me to become the musician I am today and to live the life I now lead.

Weston, do you feel that this collaboration aligns with your vision for where Juilliard’s Preparatory Division is headed/could be headed?

Absolutely. The Preparatory Division has a deep commitment to the creation of new music. We have commissioned well over 50 new works in the last few years, and many of those have been the result of collaborations with other organizations like the New York Philharmonic, American Composers Forum, the Sphinx Organization, and Interlochen Arts Academy. Our Music Advancement Program hosts a composer-in-residence each year; this year we are pleased to have Conni Ellisor in that role, and previous artists have included Valerie Coleman, James Lee III, and Marcus Norris. Beyond that, we have the Kayden Music Commissioning Program at Juilliard Pre-College that produces 8-10 new solo, chamber, and orchestral works each year. So, partnering with Jennifer and the Kennedy Center for Sounds of US is directly in alignment with our vision and amplifies our commitment to what we value.

The trajectory of a musician’s career is a subjective and unique thing. In relation to the theme of the festival, have any new thoughts or themes emerged as you have been preparing the programmed works?

WS: The idea of belonging is the first thing that comes to mind. We often think of careers in classical music as being ones that require years–if not decades–of dedicated training to prepare for the concert stage. It’s true that the time and effort required to develop your technique and artistry are significant, and even after that, the refinement and evolution of those skills continues for a lifetime.

However, it is also true that even early in their artistic development, young musicians have artistic perspectives that are worthy of sharing and being presented on the world’s greatest stages.Part of our work in Juilliard’s Preparatory Division is helping students to realize this fact and providing them with opportunities that affirm their sense of artistic belonging. For our Pre-College composers to have the experience of their work being performed at Kennedy Center by their peers and teachers—and alongside the works of professional composers they admire—is a powerful statement to them about their place in the future of our artform.

JK: In the new works created for Sounds of US, I discovered the unique creative voices of each artist involved. Their works encompass countless universes and sound worlds that I had never experienced before, and I realize that this vast range of voices is what makes American art so vital in the world. If we don’t advocate for these artists and their voices, it’s not only our loss and our country’s loss—it’s a loss to the global artistic culture and the movement of our time, which then resonates into the future. This festival is the definition of why advocating for these voices is so essential for all of us.

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