Two clever, judgmental narrators. A landscape of shifting, sliding tones and sounds. The hidden language of emojis. Departure Duo is excited to perform a program of recent commissions showcasing the wide range of sonic possibilities for soprano and double bass.

Emily Koh’s energetic and colorful emojicons humorously probes the wordless nuances of emojis, ranging from the frenetic energy of [in a cold sweat] to the mesmerizing and hypnotic [entranced with swirly eyes]. Mikhail Johnson’s song cycle Evil’s Peak is a Totentanz – a Dance of Death – in Jamaican Patois where Death proclaims judgment upon those she calls to her irresistible dance. Death gleefully summons the corrupt and powerful, but this twisted joy vanishes when she must call the poor and righteous as well. With vivid characters and sly humor, Sarah Gibson’s The Boys Are There musically illuminates Dorothy Parker’s caustic wit as she describes the men she’s not married to. Departure Duo’s spring tour marks the premiere performances of The Boys Are There, a commission made possible by the Chamber Music America Classical Commissioning Program, with generous funding provided by the Andrew T. Mellon Foundation. Concluding the program, Emily Praetorius’ Immensity Of is a gorgeous meditation that brings both ensemble and listeners into close proximity. We warmly invite you to join us in this diverse and growing musical world where there is something for every kind of listener.

Departure Duo

Departure Duo is a soprano and double bass duo comprised of Nina Guo and Edward Kass. Committed to performing repertoire written specifically for soprano and double bass, Departure Duo seeks to show the incredible variety of styles and sounds possible from such a combination. Departure Duo also commissions and performs new works to expand the repertoire for the “high-low” partnership. Recent performance highlights include Spoleto Festival USA (2018), Brandeis University (2020), a Yellow Barn artist residency (2019), Omaha Under the Radar (2017), and a teaching residency at University of Georgia (2018).

Departure Duo’s longterm project, “30 by ‘30”, is aimed at cataloguing 30 hours of soprano+double bass music by 2030. The approach is twofold: commissioning and premiering new works in addition to researching pre-existing ones. Since 2015, Departure Duo has commissioned and premiered over a dozen works by composers including Katherine Balch, John Aylward, Sarah Gibson, Mikhail Johnson, and Emily Koh. The Duo believes that each commission should be a collaboration and therefore works extensively with composers throughout the writing process, holding workshops, sending recordings, and making revisions, even beyond the first performance. For their work in commissioning, Departure Duo has received support and recognition from Chamber Music America’s Classical Commissioning Grant Program and New England Conservatory’s Entrepreneurial Musicianship Department.