Caulkins Guitar Duo Premiere Performance of "Dry Falls"

236 Main Avenue East,Soap Lake WA 98851

20 May, 2023

Description

In 2020, the Caulkins Guitar duo was awarded a grant through the Friends of the Grand Coulee to engage composer Martin Kennedy to write a suite for two guitars. Neil and Tamara set out on their tandem along with Martin (also an avid cyclist) on a bicycle trip through the Grand Coulee area. Inspired by the magnificent terrain, Martin wrote Dry Falls – an evocative six movement piece modeled on the set of dance types that would have informed J.S. Bach’s music during the Baroque period (late 17th to mid 18th century). Neil and Tamara Caulkins have been playing guitar together since they met during a guitar ensemble rehearsal at Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington. Together, they earned Masters degrees in music at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. They completed their studies on scholarship for a year with maestro Jose Luis Rodrigo at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Madrid, Spain. During their year in Spain, the duo received scholarships to study at the international Spanish music festival in Santiago de Compostela and the Manuel de Falla International music festival in Granada including a course with composer Luigi Nono. The duo has commissioned numerous new works including Three Cherokee Legends by Sarah Pierce (NC), Kootenai East, Op. 56 by Michael E. Young (ID), Pentamerisms by Michael Daugherty (FL), Water Leaves by Bruce Reiprich (PA), and Sunrise in the Woods by Virginia Yep (Peru/Berlin). Upon their return to the United States, the duo pursued a rigorous concert schedule, including performances in Spain, Canada, and throughout the United States. Their debut recording was declared “altogether exciting!” (Fanfare, New Jersey) and “a striking debut album” (Guitar Review, New York). Guitar International described the duo as “a well-matched team.” Their most recent album, released in 2021, featured the complete duets of early nineteenth-century composer Benigne Henri. Dr. Tamara Caulkins earned a Ph.D. in the history of science for which she examined the interface between written notation systems and the movement of the body in court dance and military drill in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Mr. Caulkins’ scholarly articles have been published in the US, UK, Japan, and Germany. In 2019, he presented his work on improvised preludes at the Altamira International Guitar Festival in Hong Kong. His article on the topic appeared recently in Guitar Foundation of America periodical, Soundboard. Neil and Tamara are Artists-in-Residence at Gallery One in Ellensburg where they curate an annual series, “Guitar in the Gallery.” The duo maintains an occasional blog and schedule of concerts on their website: www.caulkinsguitarduo.com.