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The Counterpoint Club

The Counterpoint Club

Chamber Music Madness

Join The Counterpoint Club with the Skyros Quartet as we explore chamber music history, rehearsal ideas, performance techniques, and conversations with special guests - all with a dash of frivolity! The Counterpoint Club is a program of the nonprofit organization Chamber Music Madness located in Seattle, Washington.
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Top 10 The Counterpoint Club Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Counterpoint Club episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Counterpoint Club for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Counterpoint Club episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

The Counterpoint Club - Opus 1: Episode 5 - May the Paycheck Be With You
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08/18/20 • 66 min

The final episode of The Counterpoint Club’s first series, Opus 1, explores the wide variety of careers in the music industry. Justin first looks at the history of professional chamber music ensembles in America. Willie interviews Alyssa Saint, violinist and Associate Director of Admission at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, about her advice to high school students on the application process and what to look for in a university music degree program. Special guest, internationally renowned violin soloist Augustin Hadelich, talks with Sarah and Justin about becoming a successful performer, what inspires him, social media, and much more.

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The Counterpoint Club - Opus 1: Episode 1 - Once Upon A Time
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07/15/20 • 54 min

Episode 1 of The Counterpoint Club is titled Once Upon a Time. In this episode, we discuss creating characters in our music as we rehearse and constructing a narrative arc across each movement of music. Willie takes a deep dive into the second movement of Beethoven’s String Quartet in F major, Op. 18, No. 1, which is thought to be based on the story of Romeo and Juliet.

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The Counterpoint Club - Opus 5: Episode 3: Activism Through Music
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12/12/23 • 54 min

Brandon and Sarah have a fascinating interview with the renowned violin soloist and composer, Curtis Stewart. Curtis talks about his multifaceted career as composer, Artistic Director of the American Composers Orchestra, professor at The Juilliard School, and member of award-winning ensembles PUBLIQuartet. He shares the ways in which he realizes a vision to find personal and powerful connections between styles, cultures and musical traditions, while “turning people’s heads” towards important social issues through art. He also talks about his personal journey with loss and grief, with his new all-original recording, “Of Love,” which is dedicated to his mother, Elektra Kurtis, a Greek/Jazz violinist who passed away from brain cancer.

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A new Opus of The Counterpoint Club begins with an exploration of the life and music of Maddalena Lombardini, an 18th-century violinist, operatic singer, composer, and businessperson and her integral role in contributing to the development of the string quartet.

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The Counterpoint Club - Opus 4: Episode 5 - The Neverending Story
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12/21/21 • 58 min

In the final episode of Opus 4, the Skyros Quartet explores the ways in which we know we are done. For many musicians, creating a sense of completion in our practice and preparation is not always easy. In the history segment, Brandon and Willie discuss composers who both did and did not struggle with this. Next, Justin’s technique lesson examines healthy methods to recognize achievements by setting specific goals within an artistic endeavor. Our special guest is Greta Gothard of the Gothard Sisters, who joined Sarah and Willie for a discussion on preparation for composition, live performance, and recording. In the Skyros chat, the quartet members open up about their own personal experiences with and reactions to perfectionism.

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In I Know What You Did Last Summer, the Skyros Quartet talks about summer music festivals and the powerful impact they can have during a musician’s formative years. In the History segment, Justin covers the history and legacy of the Marlboro Festival, one of the most prestigious chamber music festivals in the world. Next, Sarah offers some practical tips and organizational tools to use when applying to music festivals and schools. In our guest interview, Justin and Brandon have a delightful conversation with renowned violinist Rebecca Fischer about Greenwood Music Camp (she is currently associate director), what it’s like to grow up as a 3rd generation musician (her children are also serious about music), and her new book, The Sound of Memory: Themes from a Violinist’s Life. To finish the podcast, the members of Skyros share some of their favorite memories from summer chamber music festivals they’ve attended.

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The Counterpoint Club - Opus 3: Encore Interview - Greg Beaver
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05/18/21 • 39 min

In this unabridged interview, Sarah Pizzichemi and Willie Braun speak with cellist Greg Beaver. Greg is an incredible musician and as a member of the Chiara Quartet, was a very influential mentor for the Skyros Quartet during graduate school. In this conversation, Greg reflects on how music shapes his life, his recent creative pursuits, and offers some fantastic book recommendations.

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The Counterpoint Club - Opus 3: Encore Interview - Dennis Bourret
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05/10/21 • 26 min

In this unabridged interview, Justin Kurys and Willie Braun speak with violinist, violist, and conductor Mr. Dennis Bourret. Mr. Bourret directs a string youth orchestra program called Tucson Junior Strings that trains all students in all six levels to perform without a conductor. In this conversation, Mr. Bourret shares his insights into this pedagogical approach and the intersection of chamber music and large ensemble playing.

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The Counterpoint Club - Opus 3: Episode 5 - “Play It Like Chamber Music!”
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04/20/21 • 44 min

In the fifth episode of Opus 3 “Play It Like Chamber Music” the Skyros Quartet looks at how the chamber music and orchestra genres are intertwined. Brandon examines the historical links of the two traditions, starting with composers such as Lully. Next, Sarah explains how chamber music techniques are also effective orchestral techniques, including leading from every seat and purposeful listening to other sections. Our interview for this episode features Mr. Dennis Bourret, a wonderful and experienced educator, violinist and violist from Tucson Arizona. Our Skyros Chat to wrap up Opus 3 is between Sarah and Brandon.

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The Counterpoint Club - Opus 5: Episode 2: Classical Wellness
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12/05/23 • 47 min

Sarah and Willie sit down with cellist and entrepreneur Jalayne Mitchell for a wide-ranging interview. Jalayne shares her musical journey, from a young child who became fascinated with the cello to a professional musician. Along the way, she started a business, Classical Wellness, that strives to create spaces for mental wellbeing and mindful practice for classical musicians (and creatives of all types.)

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FAQ

How many episodes does The Counterpoint Club have?

The Counterpoint Club currently has 43 episodes available.

What topics does The Counterpoint Club cover?

The podcast is about Music Education, Music, Music History, Podcasts, Music Interviews and Music Commentary.

What is the most popular episode on The Counterpoint Club?

The episode title 'Opus 5: Episode 4: Creative Pathways' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on The Counterpoint Club?

The average episode length on The Counterpoint Club is 45 minutes.

How often are episodes of The Counterpoint Club released?

Episodes of The Counterpoint Club are typically released every 7 days.

When was the first episode of The Counterpoint Club?

The first episode of The Counterpoint Club was released on Jul 2, 2020.

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