When Sisters Play Classical Music, Things Sound Harmonious

TODAY CLASSICAL MUSIC is blessed with the talents of many musical sisters—sisters with backgrounds as diverse as their instruments.  But long before ensembles like the Ahn Trio (above) or the Kavafian Sisters took center stage (long before their members were even born), French sisters Nadia and Lili Boulanger changed the Parisian music scene.

Considering the level of musical talent in the Boulanger family (father, Ernest, was a teacher at the Paris Conservatoire and their paternal grandfather, Frederic, had been a recognized cellist), it is no wonder that the Boulanger sisters excelled.  Lili was the first woman to win the coveted Prix de Rome (1913) for her cantata Faust et Helene. Deeply affected by Lili’s death in 1918, Nadia stopped composing music and devoted herself to teaching.  Nadia (above) became one of the most influential teachers in classical music history.

Following in the Boulanger footsteps, the Ahn Trio (top) are proud to be sisters and musicians.  Korean American sisters Angella, Lucia and Maria make up this classical piano ensemble. Born in Seoul and educated at Julliard, the Ahn Trio has achieved international success with their edgy take on traditional chamber music.  They were first publicly recognized in a 1987 Time magazine cover article about “Asian American Whiz Kids,” and have since appeared in Vogue, GQ, and People magazine (named as three of the “50 Most Beautiful People” in 2003).

Amy and Sara Hamann started playing piano when they were around 4 years old.  Charmed by the sound and look of the two sisters playing together, their piano teachers often put Amy and Sara on the same bench.  Twenty-five years later, they are still playing together, now as a classical piano duo.  Although the repertoire for classical duos is quite limited, the Hamann Sisters have been lucky—last year they performed the North American debut of an 18th century piano duet (listen to Studio 360 reportage of this amazing event here).

Violinists Ani and Ida Kavafian hail from a Turkish family full of rich musical talent. Both their mother and father were violinists in the Istanbul State Symphony.  Ida spent six years as the violinist in the Beaux-Arts Trio, and both Ani and Ida still perform in the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. This year the sisters are playing together as the Kavafian Duo.

Young violinists Lindsay and Lauren Deutsch are currently making an impact on stage and off. While Lindsay is touring the country performing with the South Carolina, Brevard, West Virginia, and Norwalk symphonies, Lauren is completing her doctorate in the violin performance program at UCLA.  Last year the Deutsch sisters founded Classics Alive, a youth mentorship program that exposes children to classical music.  Like Lili and Nadia before them, perhaps Lauren and Lindsay will inspire young sisters to become tomorrow’s classical music stars.–Anastasia Smith

No related posts.