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Leah Roseman: Hi. Welcome to my colleague, Carissa Klopoushak. This is episode two of Conversations with Leah, and I'll be releasing these every Thursday, lots of interesting conversations, lots of violinists and other musicians. So Carissa, you're a violinist in my orchestra, the National Arts Center Orchestra, but you do so many things. You are part of an amazing band Tyt i Tam Ukrainian folk, I think more than that, band. You'll have to talk to us about that. And you're newly appointed artistic director of Chamber Fest, which is a huge international chamber music festival based here in Ottawa, and we want to hear all about that too. It's coming up soon. And you've done quite a few other projects, right? And the ongoing as well. You're part of the Ironwood String Quartet. And you co-direct Ritornello festival. And what's the other one called?
Carissa Klopoushak:
Classical Unbound also.
Leah Roseman:
So, I just see you as a connector of people. You're just one of these people, you connect people through music, your incredibly broad skillset. I just really admire all the stuff you do, and I think you're an incredible musician.
Carissa Klopoushak:
Thank you.
Leah Roseman:
I really think of roots and wings with someone like you. It seems like you had such incredibly strong roots in music and your culture growing up, and it just allowed you to spread your wings. Can you talk to us about that?
Carissa Klopoushak:
Sure. Well, first of all, thank you for asking me to do this. It's really, really nice to be able to talk on a beautiful Sunday morning about this kind of thing. And thank and for saying all the kind things. I do feel like that you've captured that really well, I think, and I've never thought of it that way or said it, but I like it. I think that my upbringing is very rooted. I'm a Prairie person and from Saskatoon, and I think that a lot of people from there feel that way in general. But specifically in my family, well, we are a close-knit family, and I think that music is always a part of everyone's life in some way. Not in a professional way for most, but for many, actually it still is.
Carissa Klopoushak:
And it's something that does connect people. My dad, for instance, is a conductor of a couple of choirs and the way that he thinks about life, he's also this diplomat personality that brings people together. My mom and dad both studied piano. My dad studied voice, has a music degree. And my grandparents all sang in the choirs that my.. We just grew up singing on car trips and jamming, air banding. And so eventually, of course, I started violin. I don't remember choosing it. It just appeared, and there it was, and my dad learned alongside Suzuki-style, and my mom accompanied me and my brother also played violin growing up. But we'd have family jams with my great uncle on the farm was a great accordion player.
Carissa Klopoushak:
And we'd just play tunes by ear. And my dad would do that with some friends. And then once his kids were old enough, we'd join him and play, saw along. And so it was, I think what I'm really trying to get at, is that musical expression is just part of the way that we all get along. It's something that we do together. And so it was just ever present, I think. And having that be, not something that you do, but something that you are makes it easier to just do it all the time and in different ways. It's an extension, I think. That's how I see it.
Leah Roseman:
That's beautifully expressed.
Carissa Klopoushak:
Thank you.
Leah Roseman:
A few years ago, I'd invited you to prepare a fusion program at a little chamber music series I run, and I loved what you came up with. And what was really amazing to me was not only the fusion aspect, like you played with your colleague, his last name is Sura
Carissa Klopoushak:
Yeah, Alexandru
Leah Roseman:
Yeah. On the cimbalom?
Carissa Klopoushak:
Yes. The jury's out on that. Timbolone, he calls it tambal in Romanian and tsyambaly in Ukrainian, the big concert version, but it's that instrument from Eastern Europe that's ever present over there. And it comes in different sizes. There's the portable version, and his is the big concert the range of a piano. So, thank you for that opportunity was so great because he and I had collaborated once before in a little smaller version. And so when you approached me about doing that recital, I said, "I know what I want to do." And it was nice to have that freedom to just express these two sides merging and fusing the classical with the folk in a way that made sense to me. Because a lot of the composers that we were playing did the same thing like Ravel with Tzigane and stuff like that.
Leah Roseman:
And on that concert, you actually sang a little bit too. And I think before that, I didn't realize what a beautiful singer you were. Since then I've had an opportunity to hear you several times. Really, really gorgeous singer.
Carissa Klopoushak:
Thank you.
Leah Roseman:
And you grew up singing in your dad's choir and obviously singing with your family. But when you got involved with your band, it's been quite almost 20 years now, right?
Carissa Klopoushak:
Yeah.
Leah Roseman:
So did that really develop your voice as a singer?
Carissa Klopoushak:
That's a good question. I think I've, like you said, I've always sung singing... I grew up going to Ukrainian Orthodox church. And for anyone who's not familiar with services, they're entirely sung from the beginning to the end. So-
Leah Roseman:
I didn't know that, well.
Carissa Klopoushak:
Yeah, it's not very different from a Jewish ceremony actually in that way that there's canter and choir. And so one of my dad's choirs is the church choir and the other is a folk choir, and I was in both forever. So I've always sung parts, and it's like the Mennonites, the tradition just everybody sings, you know? And when Ukrainians gather for any event, it's one of the richest heritages of folk songs. Ukrainians sing more than they play. And so there's just this wealth. So there are ritual songs for weddings, funerals, everything.
Carissa Klopoushak:
And so I just grew up immersed in that and always singing. And my dad is a fantastic singer. There are great singers in my family. So I'm lucky to have been born with a body that works for that kind of thing. And, but also I so singing with him. And then in my university years in Saskatchewan, my ensemble was actually the chamber choir. So I sang quite more seriously academically then. But then the band is a totally different thing. It's this more folk rock turbo. I don't know what we call it. It's a very fast-paced party band, and it's a little bit more rock style to it all. So then I'm kind of belting it out a little differently, but I don't know. Again, I've just always done it, and so I try to do it as much as I can.
Leah Roseman:
I'll have a link to your website and Tyt i Tam's' YouTube and all that in the description of this video so people can easily hear all that stuff. So you play, I know, lots of weddings in the summer normally non- pandemic times. But you've toured with the band as well. Didn't you go to Ukraine once?
Carissa Klopoushak:
We did. That was the last major tour that we've done together. That was in 2016 or so. And we went to Ukraine for a couple of weeks and played at some major festivals there and also in some little corner hole in the wall pubs, and at a castle. Actually that was fun. And just went and made a trip into the Carpathian Mountains and got to visit some of my extended family that lives there still. And so it was very special and really nice to play on some... We played one stage in particular was a really big deal. The Atlas Weekend Festival in the capital, Kyiv, and we were on the stage. Two acts after us was DACA BRACA, they're amazing. They're all over NPR, tiny stage and all of that stuff.
Carissa Klopoushak:
So there, it felt pretty awesome to be the little band from Canada that could. But we've also traveled to Australia together. We played a big convention gathering of Ukrainians there, and all across Canada. We play a lot of weddings, you're right, but also a lot of Ukrainian festivals. And there are many that happen in the summer months. Typically there's one or two a month that you can travel to, bigger ones and play. So we stay on that circuit and do that as much as we can. Of course, not last summer and not this summer, but hopefully soon again.
Leah Roseman:
So while we're talking about this, would you be up for giving us a little music?
Carissa Klopoushak:
Sure, sure. Well, I'll sing something first. So this is, it's a song it's about Black Sea sailor, and I'll just give you a verse or two. And I've heard it described in different ways, but one of the things that is unique about Ukrainian, not well Eastern European folk music is there's a style of voice. I've heard it described in Ukrainian. It's often called bilij holos, which means white voice. It's pure voice or folk voice, I don't know. I've heard it called many things, and I can't remember the one that is most commonly heard these days right now. But it'll come to me later. But it's you keep it in the chest voice rather than switching to head voice. So it gets pretty full. I think the style, if I was to guess, and I'm no ethno musicologist, but I think if you're singing in the fields, if they're working songs, if there are things like that, you create this dynamic, if you can sing like that. So anyway, enough talking. (Singing) And then, the saga continues.
Leah Roseman:
I could listen to that all day. So beautiful.
Carissa Klopoushak:
Thank you.
Leah Roseman:
So what were the lyrics telling us?
Carissa Klopoushak:
It's about a girl meets a boy, Black Sea sailer, and they're trying to meet up, and there's frost on the ground. And so she's walking barefoot on the frost, and they're trying to get together, but I have to remember the rest of the saga before I can sing it for you.
Leah Roseman:
I was just thinking as violinists, sometimes, especially working with students, they don't know how to let the music breathe because we don't have to take a physical breath with violin. But being a experienced singer, do you think that helps your phrasing with violin?
Carissa Klopoushak:
I think so. I don't think I've ever made any conscious connection to that, but I've heard it described. I met another violinist who is a singer, whose parents are singers. And that was a conversation we had once. I was like, you know what? You play like a singer. I'm like sure. But it makes me think actually listening to many of your videos and the way that we interacted recently with the introduction, I don't think quite enough about what I do. Maybe it's best that way, but I don't spend a lot of time consciously thinking about these kinds of things. But I do think that there is a connection, and I think that, having discussed it just now, I'll probably go and practice after this and make that connection and a little more literally, and it'll feel great.
Leah Roseman:
You know, I really admire, like for me, I'm addicted to note reading. I grew up just purely in this classical tradition and it's really, I feel like it's a real handicap. And I just, I'm wondering when you're memorizing all these tunes and playing without music, is there ever a moment of worry or is it just so part of you that it's not an issue?
Carissa Klopoushak:
I have really the opposite experience. I think for me, music reading has always been the challenge. I remember having to be forced by teachers to actually start at paying attention to what's on the page because my capacity for memorization is a good one. And I think it's because of all of this music just jamming where I don't even think of it as consciously memorizing. I don't learn a tune and memorize it. I hear it. I absorb it, I play it. And then I know it. And so, and that's really common, I think, for people who spend their time doing that. And there are people that are so quick at it, and certainly quicker than I am.
Carissa Klopoushak:
But I've always found that I really envy and admire my colleagues for whom you put anything in front of them on the page and they can read it down. I don't read ahead fast enough to do that. So I think we all have our tools in the toolbox that we bring to the table. And I will say that from joining the orchestra, my reading has improved so much. I also never played the piano truly growing up. So I think that makes a difference too. Although piano readers are much faster.
Leah Roseman:
I think people don't realize how much music we often have to process every week. I tell people Profokiev Ballet, 100 pages for sure, first violin part. And maybe that's not the only thing you're doing that week. In the NAC orchestra here, we often have maybe three, sometimes even four programs, depending on it's a weird week where you have a kids show, pop show, we're preparing some new music program. Now your string quartet, the Ironwood String Quartet. You play a lot of new music, brand new music.
Carissa Klopoushak:
Yeah, we do. Not only, but we really like that. I think it has everything to do with our origin story, I would say. Because we first played together as part of an NAC Wolfgang session, which is a new music series at a downtown in the market, the Mercury Lounge. And we were put to together, it was suggested that we play together. And that was the happiest accident ever, I think, because we had a lot of fun, a lot of fun working on some great music. Spent some time, I think the first program included some, Ana Sokolovic, I believe and some Esa-Pekka Solanen, the Homunculous, that was a difficult one. And quite a few other things. We've played so much since then. And I think really, truly, we just had such a great time there. We thought maybe we should, do you want to, let's do this?
Carissa Klopoushak:
And so we've just done that a few more times, quite a few more times. It's been about five years now. And we had the summer of 2019, we did some summer festivals, went to Prince Edward Island and played in Nova Scotia. And we'd played a few times at this classical Unbound Festival, which was founded by NAC colleagues of ours in Prince Edward County wine country. But actually we were approached to take it over. And so we have, and so it's been quiet, again, this last couple years. Last year and this summer, we also won't do anything. It's because that festival in particular, it's like wine, it's about the terroir. You have to be there and in the room. It doesn't translate. The whole point of it would not be encapsulated well in a live stream.
Carissa Klopoushak:
So, no point. So I'm looking forward to being able to do that again. But for now, and actually the last concert I played before the pandemic started, I think maybe barring one NAC thing, but actually maybe not, was Ironwood traveled to Winnipeg to play at the Groundswell series where we played a bunch of new music. Nicole Lizee, Ana Sokolovic, David R. Scott who's the artistic director of that festival or series. And some John Cage living room music, which was fun. We just read and banged and sang. It was fun.
Leah Roseman:
And then after that you had a terrible accident. You broke your hand.
Carissa Klopoushak:
Yes. Yes I did. It was a hell of a year, let's say. But yeah, I fell curling. I went curling with some friends and I threw a beautiful rock, and I don't curl very often, but enough that the first rock of the day I threw in a manner that it was just going right for the button. It was the perfect, and so I got a little excited, and I stood up too quickly, and I fell and I hit my hand on the ice like this. And so I fractured the metatarsal bone metacarpal one, sorry. Right there. It's called a boxer's fracture. It's quite common. And it generally heals well. And thankfully it's a forgiving break because this joint can heal back at any angle. And most people don't notice a violinist or a surgeon would notice a difference.
Carissa Klopoushak:
But mine I'm very lucky that it really worked out well. But I was obviously fairly anxious about it for a while. But I will say sometimes I feel like the universe is good to you. And I fell, I had already booked for our vacation week, a trip to Belize with a friend for a vacation, which I never go on. And I was still able to go. And then as soon as we got back from that trip, it was early March and everything shut down. And so I had suddenly any pressure to get better. And because I suffer from FOMO, the fear of missing out incredibly. And the thought of people getting together and making music without me, I know that that would've, I think I would've pushed myself too hard. And as it was, I actually did. I didn't require a cast.
Carissa Klopoushak:
And the surgeon who I saw, I didn't have surgery either. She just recommended that if I taped my fingers together, I had a soft cast for a while. And she said, you know what? The swelling will injure you more. So let's the cast off. Let's just try to use it minimally. But I did overdo it a little bit. And so it swelled up again. And so I lost a month. But by the time the orchestra came back, October 1, I was playing, and normally I'd say. Not audition shape, but I felt comfortable being at work. And so that was nice. I'm glad that I had the whole summer to do it. And I spent the first for a while, I just started doing some right hand stuff. I learned to chop, or I tried to learn to chop. I haven't done it in a while now, but it was fun to just think about what I could do to keep myself busy. And then I realized, hey, I don't need to be busy for the first time ever.
Carissa Klopoushak:
And then actually, as you mentioned, I was approached about taking on the artistic directorship of Chamber Fest in an interim capacity at first, and at the end of June. And so I had three months of just vegetation, and then I have found myself to be incredibly busy since then, which I'm grateful for, because it's nice to have direction and work in a time like this. And to be entrusted with an organization like that. Well, that's a huge honor, so I'm happy to do it.
Leah Roseman:
So Chamber Fest has a tradition of having a variety of music, not just traditional Western chamber music. There's a little bit of, so what kind of interesting projects are you looking forward to? I know there must be so much that you've programmed.
Carissa Klopoushak:
Well, this summer in particular, it's funny because there are still constraints in place, of course, in terms of presentation, for sure. We're just hearing that reopening plan now and adjusting as necessary. But we made the decision, which was very wise I think in retrospect, to keep it Canadian. And so we're purely celebrating it. It's just Canadian artists this summer. No travel, no quarantine, which I think makes it possible to do this without major cancellation and change. There is so much I'm looking forward to, you're right. I think one of the perks of celebrating Canadian is that, of course, we've invited many Canadian artists that everyone knows. Household names, CBC radio hits, that kind of thing. And also there's this opportunity, and for me as a new AD, to bring people of my generation or groups that are doing really interesting things.
Carissa Klopoushak:
And so the opening night will actually open with Collectif Neuf, the group out of Montreal, the string band. They've got a great show with a lot of Eastern European music and Osvaldo Golijov. And it's a really fantastic, Night of the Flying Horses is the name of it. And it's so energetic and full of life. And the way that they play, they just attack music, and I like that. And it's bold, and it's great and it's so well done. So and then we've got the New Orford Quartet, and they're playing many interesting pieces. Samy Musa and Carolyn Shaw, but also Mendelson. There a lot of people are really taking, well we all know that this year's been pretty eye-opening revelatory when it comes to social justice issues as well. And so I think a lot of musicians I know are taking that to heart, and the programs that they're presenting to me are already varied and more inclusive and more open than they have been traditionally.
Carissa Klopoushak:
And I think that's the way of it now. And that's, I'm pleased about that for sure. But there are so many things I'm interested in too. Actually, the people on our, here I have on our postcard. The four women you see there, that's a group called Infusion Baroque out of Montreal all as well, and they've got a great concert, but they also have a game version of it that they'll be doing. And it's called who killed Lully So it's music from that time, but interwoven with stories and makes it into a murder mystery. So I think these people, there's so many Canadian artists doing such incredible things and creative things, and you just can't stop them. I love that. So the whole festival this summer, of course, it's still nicely in flux all the time, but we do have two weeks full of concerts out of Carleton Dominion Chalmers, which we will be live streaming as well.
Carissa Klopoushak:
And then we're, of course, pursuing outdoor possibilities because we know that we'll be able to do that safely. And we have many venues, maybe five different series. Two of them are announced. We're going to be pushing another couple of series to the website really soon, another press release will come. So, there will be more, and we'll just unroll it that way. As we know more, the performers are set, but it just creates this anticipation. And it's a lot to digest if you just say here are the 100 events we're doing. You can't possibly. So presenting in this way, I think for me, is very exciting to, because it gives everyone a little bit more attention, which is the goal.
Leah Roseman:
Do you think post-pandemic you'll be continuing with some live streams to have a broader audience internationally?
Carissa Klopoushak:
I think so, but I don't think it's only for international. That's been one perk for sure. And I think we've we're all thinking a little bit more about accessibility, and that's one way that we can ensure that. As I'm sure you can guess, live streaming it's an expensive venture to do well. To do out of your home you can invest in some good infrastructure and you're good to go. But to do it with my multiple camera angles and lighting in a big hall, it's a process. And for me, if you're going to do it, do it well. So I think it's going to be something that's here to stay, but I think we all know that there's a magic that's created in the room that is irreplaceable.
Carissa Klopoushak:
And in, I don't know how to say that word inimitable, there we go. And that's always going to be front and center. But creating because chamber music is for the room. So in needs to be there. And I've also been reading this really great book called the Art of Gathering by Priya Parker. And it's about thinking about how and why people are gathering, and what the intention behind it is, and how to facilitate things so that it does what you want it to do. And so reading that book has really prompted me to think about what is the point of putting on a chamber music concert? What am I trying to achieve? Not just the goal is not to present chamber music. That's not enough, that's not a goal. That's a fact.
Carissa Klopoushak:
So what am I trying to do? We're trying to build community. We're trying to give a safe outing at a COVID time. We're trying to introduce people to new artists. We're trying to, there are many goals that are... We're trying to create community really. So I think this summer in particular, we're really forced into that. And I think that those lessons in flexibility and being nimble should stay. And I think that this also has, I'm really pontificating here, but it really has separated the visionaries from none in that way.
Carissa Klopoushak:
And there are so many who are doing it so well, and that's amazing to see. And I think the others will catch up. Sometimes you need to see a model before you can follow suit. And I think the other thing that's worth saying is I feel that Canadian chamber music organizations are really willing to share knowledge and resources. And that's really great. Phoning other artistic directors from all the other festivals nearby and afar and seeing how we can work together is one of the major perks of this them too. Because we know that we need each other and we'll be much more successful if we lean and build together.
Leah Roseman:
So as a violinist and very busy and wearing all these different hats, do you have a technical go-to routine to just keep yourself in shape? Or something you do when you need to warm up that you don't have to show us. I'm just curious if you have.
Carissa Klopoushak:
No, it's something I've been searching for. I shouldn't say that. There have been moments in my life, especially at school and things where I found that I did start the day with... Nah, actually it's still true. I often start the day with some Schradiek or that kind of thing just to get fingers moving in a way. But recently I've been just trying to rediscover the love of play because we're not playing that much. So right now I'm finding I'm most successful leaping straight into repertoire that inspires me. And it doesn't matter if I need to be learning it or not for anything. I'm also the kind of practicer that's very goal oriented. I don't often practice for practicing sake. I have discovered that a little bit this year. I think mostly it's because I've always kept myself busy enough that that wasn't really a possibility.
Carissa Klopoushak:
And the only time that was possible was during school, but that was what I was supposed to be doing. And now, this year was kind of unmooring for a lot of people in that way. But now I've found I've just picked up a Schumann Second Sonata because love it. And I was practicing that this morning and yesterday and feeling really good, and then all of the technical things that I want to address, I can address while doing that. How is the legato, how is the intonation, what are the chord attacks like? And just be thinking about that rather than partitioning it out into exercises. But I think that's just it says a little bit more about where I am right now than any idealized method.
Leah Roseman:
So you have a beautiful vibrato when you play violin. Did you remember someone teaching it to you?
Carissa Klopoushak:
Thank you. First of all.
Leah Roseman:
You'd remember if-
Carissa Klopoushak:
I do vaguely. I had one teacher growing up. Well, no, that's not true. I was started by a wonderful woman named Marian Moody, Lisa Moody. Her daughter lives in Ottawa here. And then fairly quickly I think Marian retired. And then I had Philip Cashup the rest of my, until I was in my twenties. And he now teaches, he runs the Suzuki school in Huntsville. And I do remember a lot of the things that he taught me, but some of it is a blur because it was so much time spent together. But I do remember thinking about, it's from the arm for me and everything else moves in response. That's basically all I remember and that, and then I'm often told to try to vibrate all the time consistently like everyone is. But I don't remember much more than that.
Leah Roseman:
And I hate to put you on the spot, and we've been chatting a while, but would you consider leaving us with more music, either violin or singing or anything?
Carissa Klopoushak:
Sure, sure. I'll play. I'll play something. From that program that we did at, at Mackay there was one piece that it was for solo violin. I think this is the one thing too. I love playing with people. And so it's, I'm often hard pressed to think of things that I can play alone because I'd rather play with people. But this could be with other people, but it could be solo. And this piece is called. Arkan. And it's actually what piece? It it's a melody, but it's a dance really? Akey, it's a fire dance. It looks a lot like the hora actually for anyone who's familiar. It has the cross-step, but then a back kick. It's a men's dance from the Carpathian region, the Hutsul region of Ukraine, and it's danced around a fire. So I'll play that.
Leah Roseman:
All right. So great. Thanks so much for this conversation today. I really enjoyed it.
Carissa Klopoushak:
Thank you, me too. Talk soon.
Leah Roseman:
Yeah.
