Rising star of classical cello, soloist Jakob Koranyi is bringing Bach off the stage and into the bar for the next couple of months.
Despite countless attempts by artists and venues to coax in new audiences, classical music is still unquestionably, associated with notions of exclusivity and formality. But in a bold experiment, Koranyi is instead bringing the music to where the audience already is, although his exact motivations for doing so might surprise you.
During his studies, Koranyi won first place in every major classical music competition in Sweden, which in turn has led to a highly successful career as a freelance cello soloist with his performances and sheer talent being acclaimed all over the world. Yet despite this, he admits to not being the kind of person who naturally feels comfortable on stage. His mastery of the cello is beyond question but it has taken him many years of “trying to get the instrument to do what you want it to” to begin to feel at ease in front of an audience. This, says Koranyi, is the main reason behind this experiment at Barbro.
After a chance conversation with a manager, he saw an opportunity to step very far out of his comfort zone and play in a setting “without the disconnection between the audience and the musicians.”
The first performance was very well-received and executed in the manner of “a heist” says Koranyi. “My name was on the bill with the DJs though there was no mention that I was a classical cellist. They turned off the music, turned down the lights and I sneaked in and started to play – much to everyone’s surprise.”
It is with the hope of continuing to reach out to people who, for whatever reason, find conventional classical performances off-putting that Koranyi is performing several more dates on Sundays in March, April, and May. At each he will be performing a different one of Bach’s six suites for the solo cello and, of course, Barbro’s excellent Asian-fusion menu will be available as normal.
Jakob Koranyi will be playing in Barbro’s Salong 4 on May 4 and May 11. Admission is free.
