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Violinist Christopher Whitley announces an album of improvisation, follow his acclaimed "Describe Yourself" Praised for his“quicksilver brilliance”(Chicago Tribune) and described as “…a sound magician with a deep understanding of composers’ intentions” (The Whole Note), Canadian violinist Christopher Whitley is an engaging and versatile performer, committed to exploring and performing music of all styles. Last summer, following violin/ electronics releases for Patient Sounds and Fluid Audio, Whitley released Describe Yourself, his very first recording as an interpreter. The album's repertoire was both sonically diverse and eclectic in its personnel, featuring works by beloved concert music composers Nicole Lizée, Jeffrey Ryan, Fjóla Evans, alongside Kara-Lis Coverdale, Evan J. Cartwright, and Leslie Ting, each of whom has cultivated their own adventurous artistic practices in other realms. In addition to the record receiving accolades from publications like Which Sinfonia, Sonograma, Bandcamp Daily, its performance of Nicole Lizée's Don't Throw Your Head In Your Hands won the 2024 JUNO award for Best Classical Composition. Almost As Soft As Silence was recorded at the very same sessions as its predecessor and presents yet another facet of Whitley's curious-minded artistry. Captured in a single, unedited take, the album unfolds a series of varied solo violin improvisations—the culmination of Whitley exploring this approach for twenty plus years. As with Describe Yourself, he is heard playing on a 300+ year-old violin built by the legendary luthier Antonio Stradivari at the peak of his powers, generously on loan from the Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank. These vignettes range in duration from a mere 18 seconds to just over four minutes, each spontaneously probing its own distinct miniaturized sonic landscape. "I wanted to explore a wide range of definitions of free improvisation, " notes Whitley of the underlying thinking, "from pieces that feel more structured and "composed" to pieces that are entirely gestural." Indeed, the fifteen sections of the album span considerable stylistic reach while also maintaining strong cohesion. The prevailing feeling of overarching unity can partly be attributed to the sharp focus of each fragment. In a sense, it feels as though Whitley is inventing a set of études on the spot—the works all carry the discipline and elegant specificity that "étude" connotes, yet steer clear of the dry, merely technical pitfalls of that idiom. They're meditative studies in his own intuitive musicality rather than exercises to ameliorate one's dexterity. Every piece feels as though it is the perfect length given the parameters it sets into motion. Whether unfurling filigrees of rapid, slurred melody or patiently modulating the timbre of drawn-out tones, Whitley is always concise, preferring distilled, clear statements over ambitious multi-part structures. Yet the circumscribed scope of each work is what upholds the foundational momentum of the larger whole. Though Whitley often emphasizes delicate sonorities and space, one miniature always propels the listener toward the next one. At roughly thirty minutes' duration, Almost As Soft As Silence provides a concentrated portrait of Whitley's lucid improvisation. It's also brief enough that audiences are left curious to hear more of his spontaneous playing. Now a resident of Toronto, Christopher Whitley has performed recitals across North America, Europe, and China, and has appeared at venues such as Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Massey Hall. He was a founding member of the Thalea Quartet, who has shared the stage with members of the Emerson, Brentano, Kronos, and St Lawrence String Quartets, as well as performing alongside celebrated artists including Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw, violist Lawrence Power, acclaimed Canadian band BADBADNOTGOOD, and lauded purveyor of ethereal R&B, Charlotte Day Wilson. An avid proponent of contemporary music, Whitley actively performs and commissions music from emerging and established composers alike. He has also toured and collaborated with Grammy-winning new music ensembles Eighth Blackbird and Roomful of Teeth. As a composer, Whitley has explored various methods and forms over a body of work that incorporates acoustic improvisation, electronic processing, and multimedia collaboration. He has performed his own music across North America and has been invited to create new works in residencies at the Banff Centre and the Britten Pears Young Artist Program in Aldeburgh, UK. His debut album hecca autre was released in 2018 by the Belgian label Audio. Visuals. Atmosphere with subsequent releases appearing on the Patient Sounds, Vaagner, and Fluid Audio imprints. He writes and records songs as Body Surfer. Whitley's keen interest in early music has led to him performing on period instruments at the Boston Early Music Festival, Domaine Forget, the Valley of the Moon Music Festival, and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, where he played alongside members of the London Haydn Quartet. During his time in the Bay Area, he was a regular guest of San Francisco jazz group Le Jazz Hot, performing music inspired by Stephane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt. Whitley received his Bachelor’s of Music at McGill University studying with Mark Fewer, and received a Master's Degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, studying with Ian Swensen. He later completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Maryland, under the tutelage of David Salness. Other principal mentors of his include Kelly Parkins-Lindstrom, Daniel Ching, and William Fedkenheuer. Whitley can currently be found performing on a 1900 Stefano Scarampella violin, another loan from the Canada Council for the Arts' Musical Instrument Bank. "On Solos, Canadian violinist Christopher Whitley takes what is traditionally thought of as a solitary instrument and turns it into a veritable builder of worlds [...] remarkable and captivating." — stationary travels "Describe Yourself is an ambitious project that reaches into many genres and styles of performing. From period performance to premiering new works, and incorporating technologic practices – Whitley does it all, and it’s evident from the magnitude of this record." — yaz lancaster, which sinfonia "Canadian violinist Christopher Whitley possesses a wide-open aesthetic and abiding curiosity for all sorts of music, even though he’s rooted in classical tradition. On Describe Yourself—his first album as an interpreter—he reveals a wide range and willingness to be challenged, tackling six disparate works, most of them commissions." —peter margasak, bandcamp daily TRACK LISTING & CREDITS i soliloquy [i] ii a quiet that’s almost as soft as silence iii patience iv for the most part v lake train vi six vii seven viii a5 b5 g5 ix song x rhapsody xi rhapsody [redux] xii twelve xiii echo pasture xiv like a morning bell ringing xv soliloquy [ii] all works composed by christopher whitley and recorded by matt carr at st. stephen’s church in belvedere, california. all works performed using the 1700 “taft” stradivari, generously on loan from the canada council for the arts musical instrument bank. album artwork by jay stern. “chunk sculpture [league]” found wood, rubber, oil paint, 2020. “chunk sculpture [waterdance]” found wood, house paint, oil paint, rocks, shell, 2020. photography by evan dorsky. album design by marion beaupère. |
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