CLASSICALITE: Right off the bat, why did you, Monica Germino, choose music, especially contemporary music, as a profession? You grew up in Virginia, studied at Yale and finished up there on Huntington Avenue at Boston's New England Conservatory. What was it about NEC that most appealed to you?
MONICA GERMINO: I don't remember actually making a choice to become a musician. For me, it was a given. As for where I would study, I craved full immersion at a conservatory, but encountered a lot of resistance from my parents. They were both professors and were adamant that I apply to universities. I remember passionately arguing my case and finally winning them over.
New England Conservatory's faculty was the deciding factor for me: James Buswell, Eugene Lehner, John Heiss, Laurence Lesser and many more. And let's not forget the visiting composers. I worked with John Cage twice at NEC and it was unforgettable, literally a life-changing experience.
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C-LITE: Suffice it to say you'd recommend NEC's approach, then?
MG: Unequivocally! The faculty is amazing, and the level [of playing] is very high.
C-LITE: Influences. Who, or what, are yours?
MG: This changes all the time. There are a few constants. Composers such as Bach; I play Bach every day. And Stravinsky. My past teachers: Vera Beths, James Buswell, Mark Rush. I always find inspiration in my work with living composers. I admire artists who keep learning and trying new things. When I started singing and playing simultaneously, I looked to Carla Kihlstedt and Iva Bittová for inspiration.
C-LITE. OK, let's talk your many, many collaborations. More specifically, can you talk about your experiments in and with collaboration?
MG: To me, experimentation means having an open mind, always being open to learning and trying new things. One of the highest compliments I ever received was from a colleague, who said to me, "You've never stopped studying." For me, that is part of being open: never feeling finished with anything, always experimenting, always growing.
A prime example of experimentation in my collaborative work is my duo with sound designer Frank van der Weij. We create composer-driven programs for violinist and a sound designer. We throw a lot into the mix when creating a new show: violin and electric violin, modified violin, singing and playing, kick drums, electronics, installations, images, the list goes on. Each new piece catapults us into a next round of discoveries. Any additional element has to have a purpose, such as supporting the composer's intentions or allowing us to experiment with transforming sound and exploiting new technologies.
We also look for ways to bring the audience closer to the composer and increase awareness of the thrilling, three-way collaboration of composer-performer-sound designer. We document and share the working process with the audience through pre-recorded audio/video composer introductions preceding each piece. This additional layer unites the past with the present, and brings the composers into the forefront alongside the performers.
Another important collaboration is with my group ELECTRA, an international four-member ensemble that commissions composers from all over the world. The players are simply phenomenal musicians, and we've had wonderful opportunities to explore different paths and experiment with a variety of disciplines. Right now, we're working on a new show, RACHE (REVENGE).
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