Emi Ferguson: Hello. I am Emi Ferguson and tonight we're continuing our feature of live performances from the 2024 La Jolla SummerFest here on the Young Artists Showcase. Now in its 47th year, the Young Artists Showcase is generously underwritten by the Harold W. McGraw Jr. Family Foundation. Tonight we're in our second week of performances live from the 2024 La Jolla SummerFest. The chamber music festival is hosted by the La Jolla Music Society and curated by award-winning pianist and festival music director Inon Barnathan. An integral part of the festival is the Fellowship Artist program which offers a one-of-a-kind experience to emerging classical musicians. Tonight we'll be hearing performances from four fellowship artists who came together at the La Jolla SummerFest to form the Cohda Quartet. Let's hear from three of those artists right now in a piano trio. Here are the La Jolla SummerFest fellowship artists, Anna Han on piano, SooBeen Lee on violin, and Leland Ko on the cello performing the first movement from Robert Schumann's Piano Trio in F Major.

[MUSIC - Robert Schumann: Piano Trio in F Major]

[applause]

Emi Ferguson: That was the first movement from Robert Schumann's Piano Trio in F major performed by Anna Han, SooBeen Lee, and Leland Ko who came together alongside violist Brian Isaacs to form the Cohda Quartet this summer, all as fellowship artists at the La Jolla SummerFest. Fellowship artists participate in coaching workshops with festival artists, masterclasses with local music students, Summerfest concerts, performances, and free community concerts and musical preludes, all while sharing the stage with some of the best artists in the world. I was lucky to be a featured artist at the festival this summer where I got to meet and interview Anna, Leland, and SooBeen Lee. I asked Anna how the group got its name.

Anna Han: We're called the Cohda Trio/Quartet and to be honest, we had a very difficult time. I think it's so far the hardest thing that we've had to do is to come up with a name. Cohda is spelled C-O-H-D A and on all of the emails before we had a name, we were called the Ad Hoc Trio/Quartet and Cohda is ad hoc backwards.

Emi Ferguson: Who doesn't love a good musical pun? Here's Anna, SooBeen, Leland, and Brian performing Arnold Bax's Piano Quartet in one movement live from the La Jolla SummerFest.

[MUSIC - Arnold Bax: Piano Quartet in One Movement]

[applause]

Emi Ferguson: The Cohda Quartet Fellowship artists in residence at the La Jolla SummerFest performing Arnold Bax's Piano Quartet in One Movement. You can hear members of the Cohda Quartet around the world live this year. When we return from a quick break, we'll hear more from their residency as fellowship artists at the La Jolla SummerFest here on the McGraw Family's Young Artists Showcase. Welcome back. I'm Emi Ferguson and you're listening to the Young Artists Showcase. Tonight, we're listening to live performances from acclaimed chamber music festival the La Jolla SummerFest. Led by musical director and pianist Inon Barnatan, the festival features emerging classical musicians as part of their fellowship artist program.

Tonight we're hearing performances from fellowship artists Anna Han on the piano, SooBeen Lee on violin, Brian Isaacs on viola, and Leland Ko on the cello, live from La Jolla, California. I asked Leland, what are you looking forward to playing the most this summer?

Leland Ko: I've been staring down for a requiem with VOCES8 later in the summer, which is both my desert island piece and also VOCES8 is one of my favorite ensembles to see, experience, and I haven't done so live, and so I'm ready to just close my eyes and pass out while all of that's happening.

Emi Ferguson: To get us into that mood, here's Leland, Anna, SooBeen, and Brian, also known as the Cohda Quartet, performing Gabriel Faure's Piano Quartet Number 2 in G Minor.

[MUSIC - Gabriel Faure: Piano Quartet Number 2 in G Minor]

[applause]

Emi Ferguson: Anna Han, SooBeen Lee, Brian Isaacs, and Leland Ko, who came together to form the Cohda Quartet this summer as fellowship artists at the La Jolla SummerFest performing Gabriel Faure's Piano Quartet Number 2 in G Minor. If you're interested in applying to be a fellowship artist at next year's festival, applications are now open for pianists, violinists, violists, and cellists ages 21 to 31, as individuals or as established ensembles. To apply, visit www.TheConrad.org/education. We'll have that link on our website where you can also find videos of all of the performances you heard tonight.

It's been so much fun to explore these incredible performances from the La Jolla SummerFest over the past two weeks. Here on the Young Artists Showcase, we are generously underwritten on WQXR by The Harold W. McGraw Jr. Family Foundation. Here's Terry McGraw with more.

Terry McGraw: There's nothing more satisfying than seeing some of the wonderful young musicians we introduced on Young Artists Showcase go on to become part of our musical mainstream, and it happens all the time on this program. It shows we're not only on the right track, but leading the way towards a great American future in the arts. I hope you'll all join us again next week.

Emi Ferguson: Thank you, Terry. Many thanks to our WQXR producer, Laura Boyman, and to Alison Bowles and Ben Moss at the La Jolla Chamber Music Society. Our generous program underwriter is the Harold W. McGraw Jr. Family Foundation. I'm Emi Ferguson. Good night.

 

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