Sharon Isbin's Visionary Legacy kl'Colin Davin ll 1c documcnwy Sharon lsbin: 1Youbado,,r. b1'0:l.dc:1sc i>ecenr.. I;· o n ne:Lcly 200 public tck:vision stations throughout the U.S., explores rhc life: and ,vork of the s~lf gui1..1ris,,vho.sc c. u'tt:r f1:1s crossed counilt'.SSbo un daries. The tit le calls co ntind bo Lh her journc}' as an inreraational rr:1vcH11g 1nusici:t11:tn d a:, d1c ~rdi.cic ,'Tou1,r.ur of John Co rigHano's guitar conccrco Ti-011b,1dour:,·,\Vriccen f or her in 1993 . fr 1.,;o uc or over fony ne,v ,,..·orks ,vhicJ1l.sbin has brought inro the rcpcrroirc throu gh courage and vision evel'y bil rile equal of Segovi:'l ;tnd Bream. Thi~ co1nminncnr to nC'\v contposi rioos, in the n1iclstof one of c.hf'mosr succe.s~ful couctr l C:)n.:er.:; of any n1odcr11 dassici.fgu ittlriSt. is remarkable.1\Jong ,vich pcrfonn~lnccs on the \Vorfd's' grandest .!:cages, and in fiJn1 a1uJ tdc:vision .settings, lsl>h1 has cmbracc:clthe pursuic of ncv.r 1nusit ,vit.h lfrvor throt1ghou1 rhc years, never 1-e..c;1ing ou Ih e 1:i.un:lsof populnr success but rnchcr using her C(:cognition as a pulpit fron1,v hich to ch:t.1npion these \\•otks. · A higl1liglu of lsbin1s legacyof nc:\V commi ssions is the ituprcs# sive se-t of concerti ,vriuen for her. ,\~~1j(tr 001npos;:rs \vho had ycr to engage \Vith r.he inscrumcnc bcnr ro .lsbin's pers:is1enc~ and feotured the guitar a.$ solo insrnunenc \1;·irh orchc:srra. \XIJ1ilcmany of r.hcsc partnerships \Vere fonncd ,vich p1·ccrnine1ll A1n~rican con1po...:.cr~· .'l,1ch Abovt!: Sharon lsbln \'lith Christophe r Rouse (left }and Tan Dun fright ) ;;f$ Cliri.stopher Rouse, John Corigliano. and ,\aeon Jay [(crnis, her reach has been inccrnarional. 1\.1ostnot.:lhly. } 'i2: Cuncr.r/J.Jji,r Guiutr & n1cnc.B ur ar-ap any larcr that evening, I ofttrecl ro pfay for hin,. con· Q,r/u:;trn, \vrittcn for her hr pron1inc:nt C hinese co1nposer 'T:ln Dun . "inced i[ \vould c:liange his 1uind . A1nuscd l,y 1ny n:.\iveccnacicy (I '\'<lS is an exciting ,vork ch:u she has pre,nierc<.Iin eighr diff<:renc counrri(·s. onJr scvcnreen). he agreed ro hear 1nei n Ne\v Yori( .~ix rnondtS lalcr. Fron1 tlu; \'Cry beginning. Isbin's:de.s ire ro fosre:r1 le\V n1usic h-:tsb een By rhc follc.nving sun1mc.r I had chc conccno in hand, and perJOrn,# glob:11in vL~ion. f-ler fil's1co n"Unission at age St'\'<:nci:cn \Vas a concerto ~1ncc.s, verc soon arr:1ngcd v.•ich rhe.N1inn cso1:t Orchcslr:.ia nd Jerusalem by the lsrncli con1poscr /\.nti 1\~aaya ni. Sy111phony. J s:I\V ch<.:livl' lsr.1clTel evision broadcast tOrthe:: fi rst I in1c As :, fonncr scudcn[ of Sharon lsbin. r,·esee n firs1.handh o\v la.<itye :lr! she appro~1chcs projects, \Votk~w irh colbb1.1r:1l'ors, and p:isstson her ~x.pctt.isl!in d1csc s:killsas "'t:11as her comprehensive kno,vledgc of che CD: 0 11r·r thr )'t:nr;, J '.f.UJi, c CQJ11111iJJ1oned u1ork11 11solo, rhnnrbt:r. ,,ud lllLL~icalan d tech11ic:1l :1,;p~tsof the guitar. I had the opporruniry ro trrntt!rto Jt.Ui11gJ. Hra tht7't.'been,, 1lijji:,·n1(r in JVJ!lrnpprr,11ch ro 111orking ask her son1c quesdon.'i about h t 1• c:u~er :1ud i11 p{lrtk:ular her 'A'ork rvithtl Cf1'UJJOit'r dependlng on t1JhichfOrc eJtuere u;ed far ,rpir.td /111d lu,,u ,virh co,nposcrs. Fler explanations about the coll:ibor-ative process. d,;)'fl!/ i.le1t:rn1i11r,1 uhr:tbt:r)' OU u,nnt fl ,x111ccr10 ()r IT solofron, son1eo11e? fion1 the conception of au idea ro i-he re;di1.ation of the n,usic on sragc, SJ: l['s a cornbinatlon of chen)is:u·y and intu..hiou.Wh c.".t1 I lte.trd the art t•nlighr~ning. be:1tnif"lly lyric~1I ftuu; concerti Chris .Rouse and Lukas Foss had ,vrirrcn. J yc."arncdfol' 1h:11frnr n e:tch. Chl'i!J prop~1sed!'{ concc.r10 Colin Drudn. (CD): Yourfi".rs;mn111n1sion uJtts ll CfJIICt:rJ() forg ui111r b;, inspired by cl1c Spanh h architect l\ ncon i Gau<li. and I proposed 10 Aini ,vlrtrl)'llni. \'(lhrt1rlrt:10 )'''u u, his 111u.sir,11.nd ho-u , did ;hr;tronnectiou Lukas a ,vol'k ins:pi1·i:d by e;uly An1eric.111fo lk themes.l'a n Dun <·om­ ,·rnne11ho ur? n1andcdsuc h an cxocics onic lanclscipe r.hat cl1ere ,vas no question :~n Sllaroo Isbin: (sn: I heard his harp conccrco during a prc.<ienmrion (lrche.~1r.1 \\'Oul<le nrich chc guitar in 111agica.l\ vays. I le proposed d1a1 he g:1v~ in Mii1neapolis. 1 hi:.t:1 1g.~1ging rhytluns ;Ln<lgo rgeous plucked the conccrro he li,spircd h)' the.:ln cieilt Chinc:sepifJt1 ;"1nd its rc:1.nion­ timbrc:sca Jlc:d out '"gui,ar!" So l a<ikedi ( he \voultl consider \Vril ing a sl.uµ co die Spa.ni$h guitar. con,eno for ,ne. He l:1ughtXI,c.xd ::iin1ing it ,\>:.ls::i. ridiculous insrru· By 1h(! tinH: I .-11~1 John Cori_gBano. he had alrc~tdy\Vr incn 34 Sowulboard Vol. 40 No. 4 g,1jtarfoundation.org ... sever:ll hrilli:inr concerri, so chc.•,vol' d rolled our of nl)' rno11rhnc our ·1h e 1nnin dilterence is ,h:lr in ,he s()lo vct:sion rhc playe1· irnpl'O\•ise.(, sc:cond chance 1.·ncount{·r.,vh ich cook p1acc scandjng in line at a post the number of rc:pecition:. fOr each patt<.·rn.,vhcrc:as in rhe vccsion \.Vi<h office!Eiglu )""1fS passedb~forc he agrc"<:dto t:1J« on tl10pr ojcCl, how­ c>rchcs,r., ,he length for each is spccifi,"I. ever) and I got his anenrion only afie.r sugge.~ting the ro1n:1ntic idea of the thirtccncll ·ct ll CUf}' Frt'nch troub:idours. As '"irb Rousc's Concrrt CD: Miur 110:r.c'o1n1 nis.rio11is, ..,.ronrerio fi ·o,11Chr is l?rul,fck.\ '(!hot hns ,le (i11rul1:I r ecvrdt:d Tn1ub111k,ursand have givl!n ov~ t:ighty per ior­ tl,e e.\Ju:ricn,:e"j. pn:p11ri11gJhiJ 11cu 1 u,ork l,eeu like. a,,,! u1hat ,·r,ll UK n1anccs of the ,vork. expea /Irhis ,1111,sU'? I had a very <iin~rc:nt o.pcricnci: ,vith Ned Rorcln, \X'hcn I r::in SI: For the firs! ci,ne in \vorking v1id1 a c(unposcr, ( \\ ':t!i' invit<..'<.Il<> into hin1 at a concert, he s~lidth at he \Vasjealous l ,vas asking everyone participate in <he accuaJ con1po.sirional process (as opposed to jusc dsc 10 ,vriu: lor ml.!,\Vh y oot him? H:l\'ing ht~rcl1nany ofhj$, n1:1g11i(­ n!finjng chc gui1.1r p:trt} and co ~ugges1r evision:,:, nd n(!.\\'d ireetiOnt, iccnt an songs, I suggesccd son1crhing tOrguiL1r and voice. A couple along. che ,vay. l lovcd chis :lppro~1ch,an d it allo,vcd inc to influence of yearsl atn, I premined his Song;~fSad11,;swid, the Chamber Mw.ic t1H: outcon,c suru.1.."'llniaUy.One very UnpOrtanc clu1ngc: i.J1volvi·cJd u: Sodt:ty of Lincoln Cc:;:11~r. slo\~· rniddlt: sectl(nl>\\'h ich \\ 'a.~ cr::iosfc,,·nH.·Ji n10 a ru1ninalive elegy Guitarists required ao convincing. I invited Joseph Sd1\~'::tnmcr th::ir comn1c1noraces his late fu.chcr Dave Brubeck "1th one of his beau· cu \l rccit":llof 1ninc:, al1er\ vhid1 he:.suggc.stt'<l n concc::rto-,ur ns out, tiful 1ndodk:.... 11,e conct TtOis dyn:unile, and l'n, lookjng fonvard ro he \v:.ua fornlcr guitarist! \Xlhcn he finished I-Y,>111i lfi1r .. II Fantasy prcn1icring it rhis April! Chris describes ir besr: }or G11i1ar& Q,,·l,r;tr11,J clidn'rhave to chang,,a note, tl1ough be did "I run very cxciled about AffiuiJy: Conct:r/ofor Guit(lr and ask Lhac I ,vrice hair 1.he c:a.den1...1. Leo Drouv.•cr'~l!.1 Dec,1uu!1vu1 1\'t'gro ()Jrhe11r1t.,\'hi ch I ha\'e "'riu:en f(1rgu iL:tr virtuoso Sharon Ishin. Like arrived our of the blue one clay in the mail. \Xlc'dnoc discussed :.,nc \V n1osr of my con1posit:ions, this piece has taken on :t personality and \vo,·k. chough I h:utl't oorded l\':O of his earlier con1positio11s. IHCor its C,,)V.'11hut \V:lSJ\U rtu red by d,e id<::tSSh:) rQn :1od ( discussed John Duarte: had been cager co v.•ritc for me. lnspir<:d by hi~ at ,he inception of our collaborarion. 11.ffiniry possc.1,scs an inter .. F.11gli,I,Su it<',I sugges«cl " suite bas<:d on Appalad1ian folk music. 11~ll'ionaJ stylisric Oair ,\•lch sounds d1at ri:A.ec1the (hythnJs :u1d \Xiec:ic h researched source maceri.aJ,aud he 111ade cite seJcctil10s. \'<le harn1onies or SouLh 1\n 1crica, rbe Nliddle Ea.st, Iberian Peninsula. approac hed his Joan BnezS uirei n ;1 sinular v\11}'· \'(Then he 6nishcd lt. nnd ,\1r1cric.:1. The:.spi rh(:d music bursts our oF tl1c starting garc in the J 1n:1dc a special rrip ro London ro coach i1 ,vid, hirn, kno,~·ing rh:1r fil'st ,nc:,sur,\ cvc-nrua1lyevoh·e.~ into :t he:H1rifi11 andante secrion in he v.·asd ying of cancer and this ,voulcl be n1y only opporcunicy; The the middle, and then cakes us on an inr~nsc n1lt.Sic.aJri de from rh1.: t.:xpe.ric11cc \V.tSi nvah.1n.blc in an..s\\'t ri.Jlgqu c..'Stions of lcrnpo.