Written by Benjamin Tomkins
December 3, 2024
For nearly a decade, violinist Robyn Julyan has been guiding the growth and professional emergence of the young chamber musicians who have made the journey into the Italian countryside for the String Chamber Intensive program at Orvieto Musica. The three weeks they spend together immersed in rehearsals, performances, and traditional regional culture are the foundation of the transformative artistic work she and her world-class colleagues distill from the unique festival atmosphere.
For aspiring chamber musicians, transitioning from an academic setting to the professional sphere is an all-encompassing challenge both technically and artistically—and one Robyn is exceptionally qualified to oversee. She received her formal training from Martin Beaver at the Peabody Conservatory and David Updegraff at the Cleveland Institute of Music, and has coached on both violin and viola with the Juilliard, Takacs, Cleveland, Cavani, Miami, Tokyo, and Orion Quartets. She performs regularly with the Colorado, Utah, and Atlanta Symphonies and is also a new music specialist as a tenured member of the prestigious Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, a core performer with the Playground Ensemble, and a recording artist for Albany Records.
But for all these experiences, Robyn understands the life-changing impact a single summer at an international festival can have. At 20, starved for inspiration and contemplating a new career path, she took a chance on a summer program in French-speaking Quebec. The opportunity revitalized her artistic inspiration and trajectory, and today, she’s delivering that magic to the performers who gather at Orvieto Musica.
We sat down with Robyn to discuss her thoughts on developing a chamber group’s unique sound, transitioning from academic instruction to professional creation, and what participants can expect at OM this year.
What are the areas of growth that are most beneficial for pre-professional ensembles?
The fact is, a lot of groups play on a very high level today, and that’s a good thing—but how many of them offer something unique that audiences can’t get just anywhere? To do that, a group of talented, individual musicians has to develop a unified sound that is fundamentally driven and created by them. That requires time together in an environment where you can focus intensely on your own ideas, techniques, stage presence, and artistry.
These are the experiences that allow a group to separate itself from the pack, and it’s what we’re striving to offer through Orvieto Musica’s String Chamber Intensive program. And while we admit both individual performers as well as pre-formed ensembles, everyone will have experience performing with new ideas and performance styles over the festival’s three weeks.
How is OM different than other chamber festivals?
The program is designed to give pre-professional and graduate-level quartets an experience that is much more aligned with the professional track. So, for starters, the pace is much quicker. Orvieto Musica delivers five chamber concerts over three weeks plus a combined concert in the Duomo, and participants play on all of them—often on the same program as faculty. Each group also prepares and performs a concert of their own choosing, including interacting with the audience and full support from our promotional content. On the remaining concerts, they perform in both their original and mixed groups as they would in a professional festival setting.
Most participants will spend six to eight hours a day rehearsing, in coachings, and participating in masterclasses with wonderful guest faculty like Alessandro Cervo, a former concertmaster of La Scala. There’s no substitute for that kind of concentrated time together as an ensemble.
You perform a lot of new music with some of the industry’s leading ensembles—what kind of programming can participants expect?
Performing contemporary music is neither a niche nor an option for any musician today, and that’s especially true in the chamber music realm. You’re going to have to learn to play everything convincingly. That’s one of the reasons we keep the String Chamber Intensive registration limited. It’s extremely important to tailor programming for the strengths and needs of each participant so they get a well-rounded experience.
We do everything from the Schumann Piano Quintet to Jessie Montgomery. We even had a quartet of prize winners from the Sydney Eisteddfod who performed a virtuosic arrangement of Waltzing Matilda, and it brought the house down! Orvieto also has brass, vocal, piano, and organ programs that expand the options for collaborative opportunities, and we take advantage of that as much as possible.
Tell us what’s in store for OM ‘25 participants.
Gosh, where to start? Executive Director Kim Walker has really done a brilliant job of expanding the festival, and the String Chamber Intensive program has been a big focal point. We’re working to deliver a premium professional artistic experience that makes the three short weeks in Orvieto as valuable and rewarding as possible for our participants.
That’s part of the reason we are now differentiating between the SCI and our Spotlight program for individual participants. There are many more ways to experience Orvieto Musica as a performer now, and we want everyone to be able to choose their level of intensity and have the opportunity to customize the festival experience they’re looking for. We’re even collaborating with the Duomo to perform the Bach Magnificat, and that’s in addition to the cultural excursions, Italian classes, restaurants, and workshops.
It’s going to be an incredible festival year, and I’m looking forward to sharing all the wonderful gifts our participants bring to Orvieto, as well as the things they discover when they arrive.