Timothy Judd

A native of Upstate New York, Timothy Judd has been a member of the Richmond Symphony violin section since 2001. He is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music where he earned the degrees Bachelor of Music and Master of Music, studying with world renowned Ukrainian-American violinist Oleh Krysa. The son of public school music educators, Timothy Judd began violin lessons at the age of four through Eastman’s Community Education Division. He was a student of Anastasia Jempelis, one of the earliest champions of the Suzuki method in the United States. A passionate teacher, Mr. Judd has maintained a private violin studio in the Richmond area since 2002 and has been active coaching chamber music and numerous youth orchestra sectionals. In his free time, Timothy Judd enjoys working out with Richmond’s popular SEAL Team Physical Training program.

Dvořák’s “Othello” Overture: Love and Tragedy

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Before the epic film score, there was the tone poem of 19th century Romanticism. This music often abandons traditional formal structures. As with cinematic scores to come, it unfolds in a way that is governed by the dramatic sweep of the story. With sudden mood swings, it offers a rollercoaster ride of emotion, and evokes cinematic imagery. Antonín Dvořák’s 1892 concert overture, Othello, Op. 93, falls into this category. It was conceived as …

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Eric Whitacre’s “I Thank You God For Most This Amazing Day”: A Joyous Setting of E. E. Cummings

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“i thank You God for most this amazing day is such a beautiful and joyous poem that the music was at times almost effortless,” writes American composer Eric Whitacre (b. 1970). The shimmering a cappella choral setting of e.e. cummings’ poetic prayer concludes Whitacre’s Three Songs of Faith, composed in 1999. In this work, the vibrant sound of the human voice becomes an expression of ecstasy. Celestial aspiring lines and bright, sensuous …

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Remembering Leon Bates

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American pianist Leon Bates has passed away at the age of 76. Born in Philadelphia, Bates became drawn to the piano at the age of 6 after his kindergarten teacher played for the class. Initially excelling at both violin and piano, he studied at the Settlement Music School, and later at Temple University. Bates went on to appear on the world’s most prestigious stages. Bates was a bodybuilder, a discipline which he …

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Remembering André Geraissati

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The Brazilian guitarist, André Geraissati, passed away on November 19. He was 74. Often wistful and atmospheric in tone, Geraissati’s music blends elements of jazz and Brazilian folk music. He collaborated with such artists as Grupo D’Alma, Egberto Gismonti, Bobby McFerrin, and Wynton Marsalis. From 1979 to 1985, he performed as part of the guitar trio, Grupo D’Alma. Geraissati’s 1988 solo album, DADGAD, explores an alternate tuning, as expressed in the title, in which …

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Barber’s “To Be Sung on the Water”: Conspirare

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Themes of loneliness, isolation, and loss emerge in the late works of Samuel Barber. One of the most poignant examples can be heard in To Be Sung on the Water, Op. 42, an a cappella setting of a poem by Louise Bogan (1897-1970). Composed in December of 1968, the music unfolds over an ostinato which suggests the gentle, hypnotic motion of a rowboat through the night. We become aware of the persistent flow …

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Bach’s Kyrie, Gott heiliger Geist BWV 671: Monumental Treatment of an Ancient Melody

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In 1525, Martin Luther wrote his Kyrie, adapting an ancient Gregorian chant melody set in the Phrygian mode. It consists of three parts, moving from God the Father, to God the Son, and concluding with the Holy Spirit. J.S. Bach composed three organ preludes (Clavier-Übung III) based on the sections of Luther’s Kyrie. Beginning in the treble register, each descends, as if to evoke the religious symbolism of Christ’s descent. In the final …

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Couperin’s Concert Royale No. 4, Forlane: Gottesauer Ensemble

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The Concerts royaux are a set of four chamber music suites, composed in 1714 by François Couperin (1668-1733) for the court of Louis XIV. An exuberant Forlane closes the final suite. Introduced to France in 1697, the Forlane originated as a rapid Italian folk dance in 6/8 time. Maurice Ravel may have had this music in mind when he composed the Forlane for the 1917 suite,  Le Tombeau de Couperin, a dreamy reflection on …

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