Tessa Lark, violin
Amy Yang, piano

Grammy-nominated violinist Tessa Lark returns after her “vibrant and often captivating” (San Francisco Chronicle) season-opening Cal Performances at Home online debut last fall, with her in-person Berkeley debut.

Fluent in both classical and contemporary concert repertoire, Lark is also an accomplished bluegrass and folk music fiddler. Here she offers a program that speaks to her singular strengths: Beethoven’s virtuosic G major sonata from Op. 30 calls for a sprightly athleticism; Michael Torke’s Spoon Bread, named after a popular treat in Lark’s native Kentucky, was composed specifically for her genre-bending talents; John Corigliano’s STOMP is a solo study modeled on American fiddle music; and Ravel’s dazzling and delicate Violin Sonata in G major is infused with American jazz and blues. Lark rounds out the program with the California premiere of her own composition Jig and Pop and the world premiere of a new arrangement of John Lewis’ popular Django, by Sam Reider.

She is joined by pianist Amy Yang, who also accompanied Lark on her acclaimed 2019 debut recording, Fantasy. “A performer of both grit and tenderness, with a distinctive string tone that combines meatiness and finesse in equal measure” (San Francisco Chronicle).

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