The phrase “eclectic” is commonly overused as a buzzword in music opinions and descriptions of non-public music tastes, however Serbian pianist Mina Gajić’s wide selection of musical influences can actually solely be described as eclectic. From her efficiency of Mozart’s much-loved Fantasias on the trio recording Sonic Alchemy to her experience in conventional Balkan folks songs alongside Zachary Carrettin on violin of their duo recording Confluence, Mina Gajić has demonstrated her capability to carry out centuries-old music with a colourful historical past. On the similar time, she is equally as comfy taking part in covers of pop and rock songs and integrating influences from extra trendy genres into her sound as an artist. “The music has all the time impressed me, from Beyonce to Willie Nelson, and from Cyndi Lauper to Sigur Rós,” she feedback.
Whereas traditionalists within the classical music neighborhood could also be reluctant to embrace trendy influences, Mina is difficult this dogmatic method to music by displaying the brand new potentialities that come from dissolving the obstacles between musical genres. “Classical audiences are generally hesitant to discover new sound worlds, and modern audiences don’t all the time know in the event that they’ll take pleasure in listening to historic music,” she observes. “Bringing these worlds collectively has been difficult however supremely rewarding, and audiences love the dwell expertise of time journey the world over in sound.”
This method has solely just lately turn out to be well-liked, as Twenty first-century classical composers are more and more extra outlined solely by their time interval and selection of devices than their adherence to style conventions. John Cage is one instance of the avant-garde, experimental nature of Twentieth-century classical composition. Mina has paid tribute to his method by performing his ready piano works with percussive objects resembling nuts, bolts, screws, wooden, and rubber in her piano strings, creating a novel mixture of piano and percussion sounds.
Mina’s mission to move audiences by means of time musically is most evident in her work as inventive director and performer on the Boulder Bach Pageant in Boulder, Colorado. In a single Boulder Bach Pageant recording, she performs a harpsichord concerto from the early 1700s. Alternatively, the Pageant can also be comfy taking part in music from Bach to The Beatles, as its efficiency collection Throughout Time Throughout Cultures demonstrated. Within the dwell present and album Bach UnCaged, Mina Gajić and Zachery Carrettin additionally showcased their number of influences in performances of Indonesian-influenced works alongside 18th-century musical works reimagined on electrical violin.
As an immigrant girl from Yugoslavia, it appears apt that Mina’s musical pursuits are worldwide and exploratory in nature. A few of her earliest childhood reminiscences contain singing Balkan folks songs along with her mom and harmonizing as a musical duo. Music was an escape and a type of household bonding for the younger Mina, who nonetheless carries reminiscences of dwelling by means of three months of bombing in Belgrade, Serbia. Mina turned her early love of music right into a lifelong ardour, turning into a live performance pianist, touring internationally, and finally incomes a doctorate in Musical Arts.
Most just lately, Mina’s ardour for music has led her to file Re/fractions, one other duo recording with Mina Gajić on piano and Zachary Carettin on acoustic violin. The album options compositions from 4 Icelandic composers, together with Maria Huld Markan Sigfusdottir, who has labored as a collaborator and orchestrator for Sigur Rós. It’s scheduled to be launched in October 2024.