Last week, I found myself in a charming cafe in the busy Hayes Valley neighborhood in San Francisco. To say, “I don’t get around anymore” would be true, but that evening I was very glad to leave home and meet one of SFFCM’s newest affiliate ensembles— martha & monica, a cello and piano duo. These energetic young women (Monica Scott, cello and Hadley ‘Martha’ McCarroll, piano) absolutely bubbled with their enthusiasm for music making. A newly formed duo, both Hadley and Monica have had many years of collaborative ensemble experience. Monica has performed throughout Europe and the U.S., holding posts as cellist in the Alcantara Quartet (Lisbon) and most recently in the award-winning Del Sol String Quartet (San Francisco). Her partner Hadley has an equally impressive history in both opera (San Francisco Opera, and ten other companies) and chamber music (Mirage Ensemble). “It’s better the second time around”, remarks Hadley referring to playing with Monica after many other chamber collaborations. Both agree that years of chamber music experience have prepared them for the forming of this duo.

Their repertoire list is very eclectic, especially in the range of nationalities represented. “We play music that really interests us”, offers Hadley, and that music seems to be a mixture of the classics (Schubert, Brahms, Rachmaninoff) and less known and contemporary works (Pärt, Weiner, Balada). Each program is crafted to include pieces that relate cleverly to each other, and since Hadley is a self-proclaimed “repertoire nerd” unusual pieces like those from Eastern Europe (Weiner, Godar) are easily available to this ensemble. “We are both passionate about creating programs that blend, have variety, and educate an audience without actually ‘teaching’ anything” mused Monica.

There is no doubt that martha & monica are a great example of what we call nowadays “teaching artists”, as they both perform and teach. I found myself distracted from the interview, as we conversed about music education learning to listen and how to bring a young musician into the world of 18th century music. I found their observations compelling.

martha & monica will launch their debut season on January 29, 2007, kicking off seven concerts in San Francisco, Berkeley, San Rafael, and Point Reyes Station. This Fall they are working feverishly three days a week to prepare five upcoming programs as well as rehearse for a recording. Exuding confidence that can come only from experience, the duo confessed that they like to live dangerously by testing newly prepared repertoire in concert to gauge audience reaction. However, in rehearsal they work differently. Monica is “hyper-interested” in every detail, even at first reading. And, what is Hadley’s reaction to her partner’s micro-level view? “Ask me tomorrow!”

Susan Bates (published in SFFCM's January 2007 newsletter)

N.B. The information contained in this article was correct at time of publication. Please refer to the date the article appeared in our newsletter.