@ Subtitles generated with Happy Scribe 00:00:26:29 00:00:27:64 The following program is produced 00:00:27:64 00:00:31:34 by Community Video Services of Durham Technical Institute. 00:00:33:18 00:01:11:76 [♪Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major. "Allegro."♪] 00:01:13:60 00:01:14:68 Good evening. 00:01:14:88 00:01:16:32 I'm Cynthia Watts. 00:01:16:52 00:01:18:47 Welcome to the Arts in Durham. 00:01:18:47 00:01:21:34 This evening the Arts in Durham is on location 00:01:21:34 00:01:24:57 on Duke's west campus in the Gross chem building 00:01:24:57 00:01:27:68 where the North Carolina Chamber Players are presently rehearsing 00:01:27:68 00:01:30:47 for a festival of arts to be 00:01:30:48 00:01:33:32 performed in Durham within the next coming weeks. 00:01:33:52 00:01:35:56 I have as my guest this evening 00:01:35:76 00:01:37:00 Don Martin, 00:01:37:01 00:01:40:00 the Director of the North Carolina Chamber Players. 00:01:41:40 00:01:43:80 - [Cynthia] Don, I want to welcome you to the Arts in Durham. 00:01:43:80 00:01:45:79 I want to say that I am 00:01:45:80 00:01:48:60 impressed with the information on the chamber players. 00:01:48:60 00:01:51:44 I read the brochure that your organization put out and 00:01:51:44 00:01:54:32 I find that The Sun and The Herald 00:01:54:33 00:01:56:43 along with the Four Seasons magazines-- 00:01:56:44 00:01:59:43 all their critics have made very, very good responses 00:01:59:44 00:02:00:95 about your concerts previously, 00:02:00:95 00:02:03:12 and I wish you success on this one. 00:02:03:32 00:02:07:16 My first question is, how did the chamber players originate? 00:02:07:36 00:02:10:72 - [Don] Well, we originated in 1973 00:02:10:72 00:02:12:76 as members of the North Carolina Symphony. 00:02:12:76 00:02:17:12 We were on the bus one day, and we were on a long tour. 00:02:17:32 00:02:20:84 We decided, wouldn't it be nice to get together and play chamber music? 00:02:21:40 00:02:24:60 And we found we had some very enthusiastic people, 00:02:24:60 00:02:27:36 and six years later, we've grown to have a summer festival. 00:02:27:56 00:02:30:40 We're full time musicians in the summertime. 00:02:30:40 00:02:31:76 We have a concert series during the year, 00:02:31:76 00:02:36:00 and we're really excited about the opera festival as well as 00:02:36:00 00:02:38:40 the Chamber Music Festival that's coming up this summer. 00:02:38:60 00:02:41:80 - [Cynthia] And how long has the organization been in existence? 00:02:41:12 00:02:42:80 - [Don] We were founded in 1973. 00:02:42:80 00:02:44:20 We've been in existence six years. 00:02:44:20 00:02:46:40 - [Cynthia] And how many members are there in the organization? 00:02:46:51 00:02:48:97 - [Don] Well, we started out with about seven members, 00:02:48:97 00:02:51:16 and now we have 35, core of a chamber orchestra. 00:02:51:36 00:02:52:20 - [Cynthia] Fantastic. 00:02:52:40 00:02:55:80 Are most of the chamber players members of the North Carolina Symphony? 00:02:56:00 00:02:58:28 - [Don] Yes, 95% of the people 00:02:58:28 00:03:01:40 in the North Carolina Chamber Players are members of the Symphony as well. 00:03:01:24 00:03:02:60 - [Cynthia] And the other 25%, 00:03:02:64 00:03:04:84 what type of walks of life are they involved in? 00:03:05:40 00:03:10:16 - [Don] Well, we have freelance musicians; they're from housewives and... 00:03:10:36 00:03:14:24 to businessmen, people who are on university faculties. 00:03:14:24 00:03:16:72 And one thing that they all have in common 00:03:16:72 00:03:19:52 is that they're all outstanding professional musicians as well. 00:03:19:61 00:03:22:50 - [Cynthia] What are some of the goals of your organization? 00:03:22:50 00:03:26:44 - [Don] Well my chief goal in the organization is to make chamber music more accessible 00:03:26:44 00:03:30:80 to the people. That always has a bad taste put in people's mouth about chamber music; 00:03:31:00 00:03:33:28 my goal is to change that and make chamber 00:03:33:28 00:03:36:88 music something that's easier to swallow and much more fun for people to do. 00:03:37:80 00:03:40:64 It's--again, has an identity crisis, 00:03:40:84 00:03:44:32 and my goal is to make it something that is enjoyable to everyone. 00:03:44:52 00:03:47:91 - [Cynthia] That's why I want to talk about the identity of chamber music. 00:03:47:92 00:03:51:80 Explain to the audience exactly what chamber music is. 00:03:51:28 00:03:53:59 - [Don] I use it as an all-encompassing term. 00:03:53:60 00:03:55:40 Chamber music to me is 00:03:55:60 00:04:00:28 a catchall term for a type of music that can be played in a small, 00:04:00:48 00:04:04:92 intimate setting, and by a small, intimate setting, it can mean many things. 00:04:04:96 00:04:08:56 We play from chamber orchestra on down to solo performance by individual 00:04:08:76 00:04:13:68 musicians, and we play from all the way from 1,000 people down to 40 or 50. 00:04:13:88 00:04:16:11 - [Cynthia] How is your organization funded? 00:04:16:12 00:04:17:84 - [Don] We receive grants. 00:04:18:40 00:04:20:24 We receive dues from our members. 00:04:20:44 00:04:23:68 We receive ticket sale contributions. 00:04:23:68 00:04:26:00 We receive contributions from people in the community. 00:04:26:20 00:04:29:72 And we have all the same problems that 00:04:29:92 00:04:33:80 any other arts organization has as far as fundraising, publicity and 00:04:34:00 00:04:36:83 making sure people know what we do and when we do it and why. 00:04:36:84 00:04:41:63 - [Cynthia] When I was reading the research for the series, I read where you offer 00:04:41:64 00:04:45:52 a variety of music, not only chamber music, but other music. 00:04:45:72 00:04:48:48 Let's talk about some of that variety. 00:04:48:68 00:04:50:96 - [Don] We do chamber orchestra concerts, for example. 00:04:51:16 00:04:54:80 We're planning a special concert after 00:04:54:80 00:04:57:36 the national opera production, which we are also involved in, as the orchestra. 00:04:57:56 00:05:03:64 We're planning an evening of Strauss waltzes, where the community can come out and just really enjoy a free 00:05:03:64 00:05:07:56 concert of Strauss waltzes and where they can dance and just have a great old time. 00:05:07:76 00:05:11:80 It's not the traditional stereotype one gets of chamber music. 00:05:11:28 00:05:16:36 - [Cynthia] If someone in the community was interested in hiring the chamber players 00:05:16:56 00:05:20:64 for weddings, receptions, are you available for these type of events? 00:05:20:70 00:05:23:56 - [Don] Yes, we do things like that all the time. 00:05:23:56 00:05:25:24 For example, we just played for the opening 00:05:25:24 00:05:28:28 of the Faberge collection at the North Carolina Museum of Art, 00:05:28:48 00:05:32:32 and we've played clinics in the Goldsboro public schools. 00:05:32:52 00:05:34:12 We've done a number of things. 00:05:34:20 00:05:36:40 We played for parties, we played restaurants. 00:05:36:60 00:05:40:64 And besides our normal series, we do about 30 concerts a year. 00:05:40:84 00:05:43:36 - [Cynthia] I see. With 75 percent of your 00:05:43:44 00:05:46:40 members being members of the North Carolina Symphony, 00:05:46:24 00:05:50:32 also members of the North Carolina Chamber Players participating in the operas, 00:05:50:52 00:05:52:88 how does all this get scheduled? 00:05:53:80 00:05:55:67 - [Don] Well, it's many times a logistical problem. 00:05:55:68 00:06:00:80 We have some very enthusiastic and dedicated people, and we work rather 00:06:00:25 00:06:03:20 well with the North Carolina Symphony and the Opera Company. 00:06:03:40 00:06:05:80 And we sort of pride ourselves in 00:06:05:80 00:06:07:84 being able to sort of have our cake and eat it, too, 00:06:08:40 00:06:10:68 as far as scheduling is concerned. 00:06:10:88 00:06:15:32 - [Cynthia] When you are having a festival such as the one that you're currently involved in 00:06:15:52 00:06:20:60 and starting to rehearse as of this evening for, how is that music selected? 00:06:20:80 00:06:22:20 Who selects the music? 00:06:22:40 00:06:27:80 - [Don] We have a special selection process where each member of the group submits a piece 00:06:27:93 00:06:31:28 of repertoire that he would like to--he or she--would like to perform. 00:06:31:48 00:06:35:32 And we have an executive committee that is elected by the ensemble 00:06:35:52 00:06:40:32 that reviews the music and schedules it with each other in juxtaposition so that 00:06:40:52 00:06:43:72 it is cohesive artistically, and as 00:06:43:92 00:06:46:80 a result, we're able to schedule concerts that the people 00:06:47:00 00:06:52:40 in the organization want to play, and while at the same time maintaining our 00:06:52:24 00:06:56:60 artistic integrity by programing things that fit with each other. 00:06:56:80 00:07:00:79 - [Cynthia] What does the Chamber Players do during the winter? I know you have a summer festival, 00:07:00:80 00:07:02:76 but what are you involved in during the winter months? 00:07:02:80 00:07:03:72 - [Don] Well, 00:07:03:92 00:07:07:96 we're members of the Durham Arts Council, and we sponsor a Durham series and we 00:07:08:16 00:07:11:76 sponsor a Raleigh series that is sponsored by the Raleigh Chamber Music Guild. 00:07:11:96 00:07:15:11 - [Cynthia] I want to thank you for joining me this evening, Don, 00:07:15:11 00:07:17:79 and I want to wish you and the Chamber Players much success. 00:07:17:80 00:07:19:28 - [Don] Thank you, Cynthia. 00:07:22:58 00:07:24:20 - [Cynthia] I would like to let you know 00:07:24:20 00:07:27:16 that Don Martin is director of the North Carolina Chamber players. 00:07:27:36 00:07:32:00 He will also be conducting its first concert, and he is a clarinetist. 00:07:32:20 00:07:34:88 I now have with me Judy Benedict, 00:07:35:80 00:07:38:15 who is concertmaster for the North Carolina Chamber Players. 00:07:38:16 00:07:39:72 Judy, welcome. 00:07:39:92 00:07:41:28 - [Judy] Thank you very much. 00:07:41:48 00:07:44:39 - [Cynthia] Judy, my first question are the duties of the concertmaster. 00:07:44:40 00:07:47:72 What do you actually do as concertmaster for the Chamber Players? 00:07:47:92 00:07:49:79 - [Judy] Well, for instance, if we're getting ready 00:07:49:80 00:07:54:00 to perform our work, which involves other string players, such as myself, 00:07:54:20 00:07:57:28 other violinists playing, for instance, in a chamber orchestra 00:07:57:48 00:08:01:60 situation, as we're having tonight, I'm usually given the music ahead of time, 00:08:01:80 00:08:05:88 and I look it over and decide if there are any appropriate markings to be put 00:08:06:80 00:08:09:92 in the music, such as bowings, freezing marks, and so on. 00:08:10:12 00:08:14:92 And I kind of keep things in line as far as style, if there are any questions, 00:08:15:12 00:08:18:52 whether we're to do it up bow, down bow, simple things like that. 00:08:18:72 00:08:21:68 But then I kind of bring it all together. Originally, 00:08:21:88 00:08:26:56 I don't know if you know the history or the derivation of the word "concertmaster;" 00:08:26:76 00:08:30:00 long ago, in the era of the Baroque music, 00:08:30:20 00:08:31:92 they didn't really have conductors as such. 00:08:32:12 00:08:35:00 The concertmaster was really the master of the concert. 00:08:35:20 00:08:38:16 In other words, he or she 00:08:38:36 00:08:41:80 played and conducted from the chair 00:08:42:00 00:08:44:80 without an actual conductor up there. 00:08:45:00 00:08:48:52 So, that duty was really more encompassing at that time. 00:08:48:72 00:08:50:51 - [Cynthia] I see your violin there. 00:08:50:52 00:08:52:28 How long have you been playing it? 00:08:52:48 00:08:54:40 - [Judy] As long as I can remember. 00:08:54:24 00:08:55:44 It's so much a part of my life. 00:08:55:44 00:08:57:16 I started when I was about seven and a half. 00:08:57:36 00:08:59:59 - [Cynthia] Are you also a member of the North Carolina Symphony? 00:08:59:60 00:09:02:16 - [Judy] I can say I'm kind of a "retired member"--in quotes-- 00:09:02:36 00:09:07:96 I played for--I was assistant concertmaster for two years, and the traveling was quite 00:09:07:96 00:09:10:53 a problem because my husband's a bassoonist in the orchestra, and we have 00:09:10:54 00:09:12:84 children at home, and it got to be quite a problem. 00:09:13:40 00:09:18:12 So I decided to be a mother and housewife and keep my playing up by participating 00:09:18:17 00:09:21:92 actively in chamber music and solo playing whenever there is the opportunity. 00:09:22:12 00:09:26:40 - [Cynthia] Do you practice daily? Weekly? - [Judy] When my little girl lets me. 00:09:26:60 00:09:30:84 But this is such a good motivation for me to have this summer festival. 00:09:31:40 00:09:35:11 - [Cynthia] That's what I want to talk next about, the Summer Festival and Arts Fair, 00:09:35:12 00:09:38:80 which the Chamber Players has labeled as its Festival of Arts. 00:09:39:00 00:09:40:80 And you're going to have four concerts, 00:09:41:00 00:09:46:24 and the music for those concerts will feature strings, winds and piano. 00:09:46:44 00:09:50:84 What overtures, cantatas and concertos will be featured during this festival? 00:09:51:40 00:09:52:52 - [Judy] Well, as you say, it is a variety. 00:09:52:61 00:09:56:76 For instance, tonight's rehearsal will be the opening concert of our chamber series. 00:09:56:96 00:10:01:12 We're going to be doing-- let's see now--mostly baroque music. 00:10:01:32 00:10:05:32 The first piece is actually an overture from an opera by Purcell, which frankly, 00:10:05:52 00:10:09:80 I don't even know, but it features trumpet with strings and harpsichord. 00:10:09:28 00:10:11:36 And then I'm also playing 00:10:11:56 00:10:14:28 one of the "Seasons," which is a concerto by Vivaldi. 00:10:14:28 00:10:18:28 And it's the winter. Not very appropriate now, but.. 00:10:18:48 00:10:23:40 So that actually will be featuring me with strings and a harpsichord accompaniment. 00:10:23:60 00:10:25:92 And let me try to think of what else we're doing. 00:10:25:92 00:10:27:16 I can't think right offhand. 00:10:27:36 00:10:32:48 We're doing a Handel Concerto Grosso, which features the concertante and tutti-- 00:10:32:68 00:10:37:40 what that is is a group of soloists-- several violins or two violins, a viola 00:10:37:60 00:10:42:20 and cello--kind of competing against the full orchestra back and forth. 00:10:42:40 00:10:45:21 - [Cynthia] The time of these concerts and the place? 00:10:45:22 00:10:47:40 - [Judy] We're right now, we're in the Gross 00:10:47:60 00:10:50:92 chemistry building, and it will be in the auditorium, and it will be on 00:10:51:12 00:10:54:44 Monday nights, beginning June 11th, I believe, at 8:15 in Durham. 00:10:54:64 00:10:56:00 I might also point out, I don't know, 00:10:56:00 00:10:59:88 just for the record, that we're also doing concerts, three of these four concerts, 00:11:00:80 00:11:02:52 the first three, will be 00:11:02:72 00:11:03:84 performed in Raleigh, 00:11:04:40 00:11:09:24 at N.C. State in the ballroom on the following night, Tuesday nights. 00:11:09:44 00:11:11:40 So if anyone misses them in Durham-- 00:11:11:41 00:11:14:40 - [Cynthia] What about season tickets, the availability of the season tickets, 00:11:14:40 00:11:16:48 the cost for the season tickets for the Chamber Players? 00:11:16:68 00:11:21:48 - [Judy] I believe, for the four, I think it's $4 a ticket. 00:11:21:68 00:11:25:40 And I think there's a reduction for the season. 00:11:25:40 00:11:28:28 I believe it's $12. And they can be obtained from Paige 00:11:28:48 00:11:32:12 box office or from individual members of the Chamber Guild. 00:11:32:12 00:11:35:95 - [Cynthia] I want to talk about some other things that the Chamber Players are involved in, 00:11:35:96 00:11:40:40 such as the opera--what you're doing with the opera and your involvement in that. 00:11:40:24 00:11:42:52 - [Judy] That's a very exciting thing that's happened. 00:11:42:58 00:11:45:68 It began last summer, and we're looking forward to it very much. 00:11:45:88 00:11:49:84 We do four operas on succeeding Sundays in the month of June. 00:11:49:95 00:11:52:00 I think it goes maybe to the first of July. 00:11:52:20 00:11:57:12 And they're held in the Carolina Theater, the old movie theater in downtown Durham. 00:11:57:32 00:11:58:88 - [Cynthia] On Roney Street. - [Judy] Yes. 00:11:58:88 00:12:02:68 And they're in the afternoon, I believe, at 3:00 on Sunday afternoon. 00:12:02:88 00:12:07:28 The first one will be quite a popular one, La Boheme. 00:12:07:48 00:12:11:72 And then we're going to end with another masterpiece, Don Giovanni by Mozart. 00:12:11:92 00:12:15:72 In the middle, we'll be doing a Verdi opera, King for a Day, 00:12:15:72 00:12:18:40 which frankly, I'm not familiar with that one. 00:12:18:40 00:12:20:59 and then I believe the third opera is going to be 00:12:20:60 00:12:26:80 one that does not involve strings, which is a rare fact that we have a day off. 00:12:26:28 00:12:27:52 It's by Sousa. 00:12:27:72 00:12:29:48 So it's an American opera. 00:12:29:68 00:12:33:64 But we've had a lot of fun combining forces with the National Opera Company. 00:12:33:84 00:12:37:56 - [Cynthia] Yes, I'm looking forward to the concert on the 17th with [?] 00:12:37:76 00:12:41:24 That is opening house for the Arts Council, which has been sponsored 00:12:41:24 00:12:44:24 by the Arts Assembly, which your organization is a member of. 00:12:44:40 00:12:46:40 So I'll get a chance to hear that one 00:12:46:40 00:12:48:92 and also a chance to hear the Chamber Players perform. 00:12:49:12 00:12:52:40 I would like to know about auditions for the chamber players. 00:12:52:24 00:12:54:36 When do you audition and who needs to be 00:12:54:39 00:12:58:44 contacted in case someone is interested in becoming a member of your organization? 00:12:58:64 00:13:02:72 - [Judy] Well, this is kind of a hard question to answer because we really have not had 00:13:02:92 00:13:07:76 real strict auditions as such because we all have known each other so well from our 00:13:07:76 00:13:09:60 association with the North Carolina Symphony. 00:13:09:80 00:13:12:20 And as Don had mentioned to you, that's how we all began. 00:13:12:40 00:13:16:28 And so it's kind of evolved more than a strict audition. 00:13:16:48 00:13:18:36 I suppose the best person to contact would 00:13:18:36 00:13:22:40 be Don Martin, and we would figure out what we're going to do from there. 00:13:22:80 00:13:26:32 - [Cynthia] Were you on the bus the night the decision was made for the Chamber Players to originate? 00:13:26:48 00:13:28:12 - [Judy] I must have been because I was involved 00:13:28:32 00:13:32:76 in the very first concert, which we did at the old Durham Arts Council. - [Cynthia] On Parker Street? 00:13:32:88 00:13:34:12 - [Judy] Yes. 00:13:34:32 00:13:37:40 - [Cynthia] The community response to your organization--talking with Don, 00:13:37:59 00:13:41:64 I mentioned the fact that I've read where the critics with The Herald, The Sun, 00:13:41:84 00:13:45:60 the Four Seasons have had overwhelming remarks about your concerts, 00:13:45:80 00:13:50:60 your performances, your abilities as artists, as musicians. 00:13:50:80 00:13:52:28 What is the community response? 00:13:52:48 00:13:56:24 How does community respond to chamber music? 00:13:56:44 00:13:59:60 - [Judy] Well, I've noticed--and most of us noticed last 00:13:59:60 00:14:01:96 summer--it was actually called the Loblolly Festival 00:14:02:16 00:14:06:64 last summer--we had our series of chamber music concerts in Baldwin Auditorium. 00:14:06:64 00:14:07:80 And in spite of the fact that it was 00:14:07:80 00:14:10:32 probably about a 100 degrees in Baldwin with no air conditioning, 00:14:10:52 00:14:14:12 we found that audiences got bigger and bigger, and they were very enthusiastic. 00:14:14:32 00:14:15:76 We've actually had better luck during 00:14:15:76 00:14:17:60 the summer months, so we're looking forward to this. 00:14:17:60 00:14:21:80 It may be because there aren't so many things going on in the summer, 00:14:21:25 00:14:24:20 although there are now at Duke with this big dance festival. 00:14:24:20 00:14:25:56 And so 00:14:26:24 00:14:28:28 the response of the operas was very good too. 00:14:28:28 00:14:30:60 And people came up to us personally and thanked us. 00:14:30:67 00:14:32:32 And they--I remember, in particular, 00:14:32:32 00:14:35:00 there was a Duke professor, and he said he'd been here for 20 years, 00:14:35:00 00:14:37:24 and nothing ever had happened until last summer. 00:14:37:24 00:14:38:36 And he was very excited. 00:14:38:56 00:14:42:00 So hopefully we'll have repeated audience reaction. 00:14:42:17 00:14:45:43 - [Cynthia] I hope so, too. And I want to thank you for joining me on the Arts in Durham. 00:14:45:44 00:14:47:28 - [Judy] Thank you very much. 00:14:49:54 00:14:57:72 [orchestra warming up] 00:15:20:12 00:15:50:57 [♪upbeat march♪] 00:17:49:58 00:17:55:52 [applause] 00:17:58:54 00:18:11:82 [♪upbeat music♪] 00:20:48:14 00:20:53:77 [applause] 00:20:56:43 00:21:08:80 [♪ spring music♪] 00:28:32:45 00:28:35:15 [applause] 00:28:37:54 00:28:49:44 [♪opera music♪] 00:29:36:61 00:29:37:91 I ask you to support 00:29:37:92 00:29:42:72 the North Carolina Chamber players as they prepare for their summer Festival of Arts. 00:29:42:92 00:29:45:20 Thank you for watching, and join me next week. 00:29:45:40 00:29:47:20 Have a good night. 00:29:47:88 00:29:54:57 [♪Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major. "Allegro."♪] 00:30:29:24 00:30:31:16 The preceding program has been produced 00:30:31:36 00:30:34:32 by Community Video Services of Durham Technical Institute.