CAMP SPRINGS, MD – Cellist Syneva Colle joins the Davies Concert Series to present the rhapsodic “Cello Concerto” of Errollyn Wallen, along with works by Imogen Holst and William Sweeney, on Sunday, April 3 at 5pm. Equally at home composing, arranging, and performing as a cellist and pianist, Colle is a founding member of Arco, a string orchestra based in Washington, DC, and a founding member of the Corwin Trio, a professional ensemble based in Nashville, TN. In keeping with the Series’ emphasis on accessibility, all tickets are Pay What You Can. They can be reserved on EventBrite in advance HERE, or obtained onsite beginning 30 minutes prior to performance. Masking and proof of vaccination are required for admittance. All Davies Concert Series events take place at the Davies Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 7400 Temple Hill Road, Camp Springs, MD 20748.
Concert Series Music Director Natalie Groom commented, “It’s a bittersweet moment as we reach the end of our 50th Anniversary Season, but I’m glad we’re ending with cellist Syneva Colle and her string ensemble companions. The works by Holst, Sweeney, and Wallen are in the “pastoral” style, offering a peaceful and optimistic message as we transition into a world returning to live events and look forward to what the 2022-23 season will hold.”
Errolyn Wallen’s “Cello Concerto” is arranged for solo cello and string quintet, combining technical showmanship with soaring, heartfelt melodies. A British composer, Wallen is the first Black woman to have her music performed at the BBC Proms and has been called a “renaissance woman of contemporary music.” Her compositions range from popular-style songwriting to operas and symphonies premiered by Britain’s leading ensembles. In her cello concerto, Wallen evokes the English “pastoral” tradition of depicting natural landscapes through intense lyricism and impressionistic harmonies. Colle will be joined by Abby Wuehler, violin; Anna Luebke, violin; Seth Goodman, viola; Katie McCarthy, cello; and Omar Martinez-Sandoval, bass.
Completing the program will be two works which also celebrate the beauties of nature. Holst’s “The Fall of the Leaf,” for solo cello, presents three lively variations on an Elizabethan melody. Sweeney’s “The Tree O’Licht” is inspired both by the sounds of birdsong and ancient Gaelic psalmody. Written for two cellos, the work incorporates elements of improvisation into a richly interwoven texture.
Syneva Colle is passionate about promoting community well-being through music. From 2020 to 2021 she served as Artist-in-Residence at the Collington Life Plan Community. One of her proudest accomplishments is the eight years she spent volunteering with the W.O. Smith Music School, a non-profit center for music education. She has served on the faculty of the W.O. Smith Resident Camp as well as the Tennessee Valley Music Festival.
As a composer, Colle has a growing catalogue of published music for voice, piano, and strings. In 2016, she composed the original film score for the documentary “Huan Dao.” Most recently, her full-length musical “Land Girls’ (co-written with Stefni Colle) was one of four works produced at the 2019 Atlanta Music Theatre Festival. After twelve years of working as a freelance musician in Nashville, Colle relocated to Washington, DC in 2019 to pursue a Doctor of Musical Arts in Cello Performance from the University of Maryland. She is studying cello with Dr. Eric Kutz.
For further information on the Davies Concert Series and regular updates, visit https://www.daviesconcertseries.com. Davies Concert Series, a tax-exempt 501(c) (3) charitable trust, is committed to presenting classical music concerts, offering educational opportunities for young audiences and performers, and providing a venue for new music. The Series is supported in part by grants from the Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council (PGAHC) and the Cynipid Fund.