Sonatas and Chamber Music For Oboe and Oboe d’amore Mary Lynch VanderKolk

• Christopher Tyler Nickel: Sonata for Oboe:
• 1Nickel: Sonata for Oboe: I. Andante cantabile05:08
• 2Nickel: Sonata for Oboe: II. Andante Lacrimoso06:45
• 3Nickel: Sonata for Oboe: III. Allegro agitato03:31
• Sonata for Oboe d’amore:
• 4Nickel: Sonata for Oboe d’amore: I. Andante04:35
• 5Nickel: Sonata for Oboe d’amore: II. Andante cantabile05:06
• 6Nickel: Sonata for Oboe d’amore: III. Allegro con fuoco05:47
• Suite for Unaccompanied Oboe:
• 7Nickel: Suite for Unaccompanied Oboe: I. Giocoso01:49
• 8Nickel: Suite for Unaccompanied Oboe: II. Largo con dolore02:47
• 9Nickel: Suite for Unaccompanied Oboe: III. Con fuoco01:22
• 10Nickel: Suite for Unaccompanied Oboe: IV. Cantabile con rubato03:04
• Quintet for Oboe d’amore:
• 11Nickel: Quintet for Oboe d’amore: I. Moderato04:47
• 12Nickel: Quintet for Oboe d’amore: II. Reflectively04:40
• 13Nickel: Quintet for Oboe d’amore: III. Andante05:50
• 14Nickel: Quintet for Oboe d’amore: IV. Con fuoco04:43
• Total Runtime59:54

Info for Sonatas and Chamber Music For Oboe and Oboe d’amore

The soulful sounds of the oboe and oboe d’amore infuse the expressive, lyrical new album of solo and chamber works by award-winning Canadian composer Christopher Tyler Nickel. The star of the show is Seattle Symphony principal Mary Lynch VanderKolk, whose artistry plays a vital role in Chris’ compositional process. He explains, “I find ways to incorporate her strengths and personality into expressing the music’s emotions.” The Oboe Sonata, dedicated to Mary, is by turns haunting and pastoral, navigating the full three-octave range of the instrument. The Sonata for Oboe d’amore demonstrates the large timbral and emotional range of the oboe’s lower-pitched cousin, from darkness to light. Undaunted by the historic canon of iconic solo instrumental works already in existence, Chris – an oboist himself – created a tour de force with his Suite for Unaccompanied Oboe, a work Mary describes as “more cinematic” than his other concert works, not surprising perhaps given his countless award-winning TV, film, and theatrical scores. The album concludes with what is surely the only Oboe d’amore Quintet ever composed. The instrument’s plaintive tone takes centre stage against the backdrop of string quartet, as the work moves from serenity, melancholy, and nostalgia, before ending with an invigorating finale that brings the inspiring album to a close.

Mary Lynch Vanderkolk, oboe & oboe d'Amore
Eduardo Rios, violin
Andy Liang, violin
Olivia Chew, viola
Efe Baltacigil, cello
Paige Roberts Molloy, piano

Mary Lynch VanderKolk
Hailed as ‘the star of the evening’ by The Philadelphia Inquirer and praised for her ‘wistful and evocative’ playing by The Seattle Times, Mary Lynch VanderKolk has been principal oboe of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra since 2014. She began her career as second oboe with The Cleveland Orchestra and has performed as guest principal with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Norwegian Radio Orchestra. Since the start of her tenure in Seattle, she has performed frequently as soloist with the Seattle Symphony, including a collaboration with Itzhak Perlman in Bach’s Concerto for violin and oboe BWV 1060R. Deeply passionate about performing music of our time and expanding the repertoire for her instrument, she recently premiered Reena Esmail’s RE|member for solo oboe and orchestra. Her growing list of solo recordings include the premiere recordings of three concertos: the Oboe Concerto by Marc-André Dalbavie (Seattle Symphony Media) and the Oboe and Oboe d’amore Concertos by Christopher Tyler Nickel (Avie Records).

An avid chamber musician, Ms. Lynch VanderKolk has spent many summers at the Marlboro Music Festival, has toured with Musicians from Marlboro, and performs regularly with the Newport Music Festival (Rhode Island) and the Seattle and Philadelphia Chamber Music Societies. One of her great musical joys is performing Bach cantatas every year with the Gamut Bach Ensemble in Philadelphia. Additional summer festival appearances include the Oregon Bach Festival, Weimar Bach Academy, and the La Jolla SummerFest. Her chamber music performances have been enthusiastically reviewed and broadcast on radio stations around the world, including on American Public Media’s Performance Today. She can also be heard on the Seattle Symphony label performing Dutilleux’s Les Citations for oboe, harpsichord, bass, and percussion.

Ms. Lynch VanderKolk earned her BM and MM degrees at New England Conservatory and The Juilliard School respectively, studying with John Ferrillo, Elaine Douvas, and Nathan Hughes. Upon graduating from Juilliard, she was awarded the prestigious William Schuman Prize for outstanding achievement and leadership in music. She is also a graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy, where she studied with Daniel Stolper. Now a devoted teacher herself, she serves on the University of Washington faculty and has presented masterclasses at The Juilliard School, San Francisco Conservatory, University of Maryland’s National Orchestral Institute, Interlochen Arts Camp, and the University of British Columbia, among many other institutions.

Booklet for Sonatas and Chamber Music For Oboe and Oboe d’amore