Celebrated composer/cellist Nancy Ives has emerged as a creative force in the Pacific Northwest region, with both significant large-scale orchestral works as well as striking chamber and solo compositions. A longtime member of Fear No Music and Principal Cello of the Oregon Symphony, Dr. Ives writes the following about her work on tonight’s program- which marks the premiere of the string trio version:

“Commissioned for cello trio by Portland Cello Project and premiered on May 26, 2020 by Diane Chaplin, Valdine Mishkin and myself on Facebook Live and YouTube, Together Apart was written as part of an effort to keep artistic fires burning and to find ways to stay connected with audiences during that strange time. Knowing what we know now, it hadn't even been all that long into the pandemic lockdown, but we already keenly missed playing in ensembles and sharing our music with others. With each of us in our own homes, the software Doug Jenkins of PCP was using for the livestream allowed us to hear each other through our headphones, but did not eliminate the inevitable latency (delay) of internet transmission, so I wrote a piece that would work even under those conditions. I will never forget the feeling of playing chamber music with my wonderful friends Diane and Valdine after a couple months of solitary practicing! It was deeply moving and quite exhilarating. For that reason, and because feeling separate from others even when together is a universal human experience, this piece is special to me.”