The Counterpoint Club

May 16 2024 43 ep. 45 mins 1
The Counterpoint Club Podcast artwork

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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Opus 5: Episode 5: Roundtable with Skyros Quartet

May 16 2024 48 mins  
In this special roundtable discussion, Sarah, Brandon, Justin, and Willie, the members of Skyros Quartet, take on the roles of both hosts and guests. Get ready for an insightful conversation as they share their unique perspectives and experiences as both musicians and their own podcast guests. Support the show

Opus 5: Episode 4: Creative Pathways

Jan 24 2024 41 mins  
Brandon and Justin have a fun, engaging interview with composer, producer, and violist Jonah Sirota. Jonah’s varied career has taken him from violist of the renowned Chiara Quartet to composing for major film scores in LA. Some of his recent film scoring credits include the 2021 Oscar-nominated short “If Anything Happens I Love You,” the 2021 Sundance film, Wild Hearts, and m

Opus 5: Episode 3: Activism Through Music

Dec 12 2023 54 mins  
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 powerf

Opus 5: Episode 2: Classical Wellness

Dec 05 2023 47 mins  
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 c

Opus 5: Episode 1: The Missing Link – Maddalena Lombardini’s Six String Quartets

Nov 27 2023 47 mins  
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. Support the show

Opus 4: Episode 5 - The Neverending Story

Dec 21 2021 58 mins  
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 achi

Opus 4: Episode 4 - I Know What You Did Last Summer: Chamber Music Edition

Dec 14 2021 55 mins  
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

Opus 4: Episode 3 - Rock ’n’ Roll Never Dies

Nov 23 2021 54 mins  
In Rock ’n’ Roll Never Dies, the Skyros Quartet examines the relationship between classical music and rock ’n’ roll. In the history segment, Sarah rocks out to Beethoven’s Grosse Fugue and discusses the elements of rock that Beethoven wrote in 1826. Next, Brandon, (who plays violin in Skyros and a band called Keltoi, in addition to being an award-winning Irish fiddler and

Opus 4: Episode 2 - Bend it Like Beethoven

Nov 09 2021 61 mins  
Each member of a chamber ensemble plays a unique and vital role. The Skyros Quartet explores competitive situations with musical colleagues and how to handle these situations with respect and grace. In the history segment, Willie looks at instances when well-known composers could have demonstrated more sportsmanship towards other composers. Next, all four members of Skyros offer re

Opus 4: Episode 1 - The Counterpoint Coven

Oct 27 2021 49 mins  
In this fall-themed episode, the Skyros Quartet explores strange and occult music. In the history lesson, Sarah and Brandon discuss scary music and how composers used innovative techniques to portray these characters. Next, Willie introduces extended techniques, strange methods of playing an instrument to produce sounds that it is not normally intended to make, like creepy noises a