TEXARKANA, Texas -- Music of Brahms for Violin and Piano was performed by Kiril Laskarov (violin) and Mary Scott Smith (piano) at the Stilwell Humanities Music Hall on Thursday morning.
Smith and Laskarov played Sonata No. 2 in A major and finished with Scherzo (Sonatensatz). The concert was performed for students, faculty and community members.
Scott said this performance was an example of chamber music, as the audience sat very closely to them as they performed.
"They were a wonderful audience today," Smith said. "You couldn't hear a pin drop for a lot of that. I could feel that they were right with us.The whole idea is that we're teaching music so that now our students have a chance to see it."
Laskarov said chamber music makes it possible for performers to feed off of the audience's energy.
"It was amazing," he said. "In an intimate place like this, I feel like I can connect with the audience much better than I do in a big hall, when I don't see faces as clearly. That's what chamber music is about, the musicians and audience connecting. And that's how this was conceived.
"Acoustically, you play the hall more than you play your instruments. Musically, you play for the audience. Everything you put out, you get back from them. And that makes you happy. Sometimes, you feel the energy, you feel the love and joy and it makes you even happier."
The music was composed by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897).
"The music of Brahms to me is like an ocean. The deeper you go, the more you discover," Laskarov said. "And as I get older and get to play new pieces by Brahms and older pieces, I discover deeper layers. And I have more questions than answers now. That's what great music does to you. It challenges you to re-think what you are doing and why you're doing it, because it's a journey. Life's a journey, and music is a journey too."
Smith said it was special to be able to play the music of one of her favorite artists/composers.
"I love the rich sounds -- the really sweet, beautiful melodies -- and I like the rhythmic complexity," she said. "I think he's got a great combination of this really sweet, tender side, with this really robust, vigorous, rhythmic framework on a piece too."
Smith is a professor of music at Texarkana College, and she plays with the Texarkana Symphony as a principal keyboard player. She is in frequent demand as both a soloist and accompanist.
Laskarov plays in the Arkansas Symphony, as well as the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra. He is in his 23rd season as a Concertmaster of ASO, and in his 13th season with TSO.
