Carol Ou
歐逸青, Cellist
A
versatile artist, cellist Carol Ou is known for her
“fiery, marvelous” and “meltingly melodic outpourings” (Boston Globe)
and her “wonderfully pure cello tone and incisive technique” (The
Strad).
A founding member of
the Buswell-Ou Duo, Ou often appears in solo, chamber music, and
concerto performances with violinist James Buswell. As the cellist of
the Carpe Diem String Quartet, she frequently tours all over the U.S.,
performing an eclectic mix of classical string quartet repertoire with
many crossover genres of music. Ou has collaborated with celebrated
artists such as Midori, Hillary Hahn, Kim Kashkashian, Timothy Eddy,
Pascal Rogé, András Schiff, Raul Juarena, and Jayme Stone at the
Marlboro Music Festival, Summerfest La Jolla, Australian Festival of
Chamber Music, Austin Chamber Music Center, Nevada Chamber Music
Festival, and other noted music festivals.
At ease with the diverse music styles of
the last five centuries, Ou regularly programs traditional European
masterworks with more eclectic works in concert. She has recorded three
of the most beloved cello concerti by Haydn, Tchaikovsky, and Elgar, and
premiered several new compositions written for her. She gave the first
performance of Hsiao Tyzen's Cello Concerto in Taipei and
collaborated with Hsiao on the premiere of a number of solo and chamber
music works throughout the U.S. and Singapore. American composers such
as Richard Toensing and the late Daniel Pinkham have also dedicated
works to her. Other unusual works that she has performed include Tan
Dun's Ghost Opera for string quartet and pipa, Peter
Sculthorpe's string quartet with didjeridu, and Reza Vali’s
Calligraphy No. 4 for string quartet and Persian santoor.
In the 2012–2013 season, in her new role
as Carpe Diem String Quartet’s cellist, Ou has collaborated with the
Latin Grammy winner and master of the bandoneon Raul Juarena in
Piazzolla’s 4 Seasons of Buenos Aires. With banjo sensation
Jayme Stone, she has performed repertoire as far ranging as Bach’s
Art of the Fugue, West African praise songs, Bulgarian dances, and
bluegrass fiddling music.
Since 2007, Ou has also been chamber music
director of the Heifetz International Summer Music Institute in
Wolfeboro, N.H. and Staunton, Va. In addition to her regular teaching
duties, Carol Ou has traveled extensively to give cello and chamber
music masterclasses in Germany, Spain, Luxembourg, Argentina, Ukraine,
Australia, Taiwan, Canada, and throughout the U.S.
Ou's solo recordings are all issued by the
Chi-Mei Foundation in Taiwan. Her chamber music recordings of the
20th-century repertoire can be found on the Naxos and CRI labels. Her
recording of Walter Piston's Chamber Music, issued by Naxos, won the
2001 Chamber Music America Best Chamber Music CD award.
B.A.,
magna cum laude,Yale
University. M.M., M.M.A., D.M.A., Yale School of Music. Studies with
Ronald Leonard, Janos Starker, Aldo Parisot. Former faculty of Yale,
MIT, Harvard University, Gordon College (director of strings, chamber
music, and orchestral studies).
Links:
New England Conservatory of Music -
www.necmusic.edu
Carpe Diem String Quartet -
www.cdsq.org
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