Erik Carlson has performed as a soloist and with many chamber and orchestral ensembles throughout Europe and the United States. A highly active performer of contemporary music, numerous composers have written works for him, including Karlheinz Stockhausen, Charles Wuorinen, Tom Johnson, and Georges Aperghis. Mr. Carlson is an enthusiastic proponent of interdisciplinary collaboration, and performs frequently with poets, dancers, actors, and film. He is the founder of the New York Miniaturist Ensemble and a member of the Momenta Quartet, VisionIntoArt, The Trinity Bach Players and the Talea Ensemble. He has recorded for the Tzadik, Albany, Bridge, and Matador labels. Also a composer and writer, he has had his musical compositions and short plays performed in a wide variety of halls and theaters. He studied violin with Jorja Fleezanis, Ronald Copes, and Robert Mann, and graduated from the Juilliard School with a Masters Degree in violin performance. This is his sixth season with New Chamber Ballet, where his repertory includes solo and chamber works by Bach, Telemann, Corelli, Tartini, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Dvorak, Rachmaninov, Hindemith, Stravinsky, Dallapiccola, Cage, Scelsi, Berio, Stockhausen, Adams, Sciarrino, Lang and Magloire.
INTERVIEW:
Erik Carlson in conversation about being a musician and performing with New Chamber Ballet.
How did you become a violinist?
I grew up in Stillwater, Minnesota, outside St. Paul. I started playing the violin when I was 5 years old. I started because my older brother played the violin (not sure why he started!), and I wanted to do pretty much everything he did. It was a fun activity, but it took me many years before I knew I would like to play for a living.
I took private lessons until moving to New York to attend Juilliard.
Who was your most inspiring teacher?
The best teacher I've had was Jorja Fleezanis, who taught me right before I came to New York. She had the deepest understanding of music, and was able to communicate clearly and vibrantly. Also, meeting her at such a tumultuous time in life (high school), she was a wise and compassionate guide.
What do you love most about being a musician?
Many things. I meet wonderful people. I travel often. (Carlson replied to these questions by e-mail while on tour in Mexico and Peru.) I work with some of history's greatest geniuses every day, through studying and interpreting their music . Also, I often get to sleep in.
And now you are working with dancers...
I like playing for dancers very much. For me, physical movement is an extraordinary tool to understand a piece of music and its gestures, flow, and phrasing. It's a joy to see how other people interpret a piece of music through dance. I enjoy the New Chamber Ballet's dancers especially, because they are such kind and interesting people.
Contemporary music seems to be another passion of yours.
I end up playing a lot of contemporary music. Contemporary music interests me when composers find new and more direct methods of expression. Through new techniques, forms, and philosophies, the best living composers have been able to explore areas of human expression that were untapped 100 years ago.
Do you have a favorite ballet in the company's repertory?
Yes; Dreams (that's the ballet without music) - because I actually get to watch it!