January 2019 – MODERN FOLK

Month: January 2019

January 31, 2019January 31, 2019 Julia Tom

Folkmusic Plus kickoff

I’ve started playing with two incredible musicians, the Dutch mezzo-soprano, Karin Strobos, and the Belarussian pianist, Hanna Shybayeva. We had already decided to work together when we discovered by chance that each of us had recently created programs of pieces inspired by folk songs. So we joined forces and created a kaleidoscope program of solo, […]

January 14, 2019January 15, 2019 Julia Tom

Backstage at the recording sessions

Last year wrapped up with the completion of recording sessions for my CD, “Folk Tunes, Translated”. I won the Prix de Salon from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in 2016 to record this CD – and since then, it’s been a phenomenal excuse for delving into these different folk music traditions. The fun still continues after […]

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chinese-Californian by upbringing, I grew up singing “Rainbow Connection” in hippy Berkeley, crossed the continent to study English literature at Harvard, then took this degree to its clearest practical end: namely 20 years and counting of life in Germany and The Netherlands as a classical cellist. I’ve been a member of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra since 2010, and having a young child – my son is now 3 – has just intensified my desire to look into roots and traditions to solve that age-old question: “Sinterklaas, Santa Claus, or just call the whole thing off and enjoy more soy-sauce fried chicken?”