(upbeat music) - Nova Chamber Music series is Utah's longest running chamber music series, presenting thoughtful and innovative programs.

Here to tell us more about an upcoming concert is artistic director designate Kimi Kawashima.

Hi Kimi.

- Hey, Laura, good to see you.

- I know you've been with Nova a long time and now you're stepping into the artistic director role and you're gonna be doing more of these things.

So tell the audience if they've never heard of Nova, what sets Nova Chamber Music Series apart from other music organizations?

- Yeah, it's, I think the focus on local musicians and featuring really innovative programming is at the heart of what makes Nova unique.

And it's a really fun opportunity for musicians to get together and play music.

And I think the audience senses that sense of friendship on stage.

- Yeah, and I wanna ask about that because I think a lot of people might be more familiar with symphonic orchestras going to concerts like that, but if someone's never been to a chamber music concert, what, what's the vibe there, how is that different?

- Yeah, I think it's different because we don't have a conductor.

So all of our rehearsals, all of our music decisions are made with each other, and I think part of that creative process lends itself to a really intimate kind of more just an interesting kind of way of performing.

- Yeah, I love that it's like that for the performers and the audience as well.

And this, you have a concert coming up and featuring Beethoven, Prokofiev and three living composers.

- Yes.

- Tell us a little bit about the music.

- Sure, the work, the concert features the Fry Street String Quartet, which are Nova's artistic directors and the resident String quartet at Utah State.

And they'll be playing Beethoven's very last complete work, his 16th string quartet.

The first work on the program also features a Sergei Prokofiev's five melodies for violin and piano, originally written for soprano and piano.

It's got soaring melodies and beautiful harmonies.

The three works by living composers are by one of Utah's composers.

He's from Moldova, Igor Yakimchuk and it's for a very interesting instrumentation.

I don't think any other work has been written for soprano, oboe, violin, and tuba.

- Oh, that's quite eclectic.

Well have fun.

- Yeah.

- Thank you so much for coming here to tell us about it.

- Thanks for having me.

- If you'd like to learn more about Nova Chamber Music series and the concert they have coming up, it's January 21st at 3:00 PM featuring the Fry Street Quartet and more at Libby Gardner Concert Hall.

You can get tickets and learn more@novaslc.org.

That's novaslc.org.

I'm Laura Durham.

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