Tessa Lark A Classical and Bluegrass Virtuoso Takes on Tchaikovsky

Tessa Lark is a true original — a Grammy-nominated classical violinist and a virtuoso
bluegrass fiddler, at once deeply rooted in her native Kentucky and limitless in her artistic reach. A favorite at last year’s Festival Napa Valley, this year she will be honored with the 2022 Khaledi Prize for Innovation and Excellence in Classical Music.

Festival audiences will experience both sides of Lark’s mastery at two special events: a donor exclusive recital featuring an eclectic program at Mont La Salle Chapel and Hess Persson Estates on July 18, and the Tchaikovsky in America concert with Festival Orchestra Napa conducted by Constantine Orbelian on July 20. For the latter performance, Lark will tune up her ca. 1600 Maggini to play Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, one of the world’s most famous violin concertos and the only one the composer wrote. Lark calls it “the classical violinist’s anthem.”

“I can’t imagine our world without the Tchaikovsky Concerto,” she says. “The melodies are gorgeous and timeless. The whole experience is grand for the soloist, orchestra, and audience alike. The piece sounds amazing, but it also feels really good to play. I think it’s the same for the orchestra, too, so it’s just a big ol’ lovefest on the stage. It’s a revelation and a blessing any time I get to play it!”

Lark studied classical violin at the New England Conservatory of Music and Juilliard, and she made her concert debut while still a teenager. But her performing career actually began in childhood with her father’s gospel-bluegrass band, Narrow Road. She says the differences between classical and bluegrass are not nearly as great as they may seem.

“A violin has four strings; a fiddle has four “strangs,” Lark quips, explaining that violins and fiddles are the same instrument, simply set up in different ways. “For example, because fiddlers play two strings at once quite often, a fiddler’s violin may have a flatter bridge to make double-stopping easier on the bow arm. There are plenty of other little details that might differ, but there are also plenty of instruments out there, like the Maggini I play, that play Bach just as well as Bill Monroe.”

“The miracle of music is that it actually transcends language.”

For Lark, the styles are simply two threads in an inclusive musical web. “It’s simply how I grew up with music, and if I love a style of music, I tend to find my way into it,” she says. “If it’s good music, I’m going to grow from playing it and listening to it, and it will inform how I play anything else.” The mutual virtuosities of classical and bluegrass led her to record The Stradgrass Sessions, a 2021 album inspired by her experience playing bluegrass on a Stradivarius violin. She recorded the sessions with a who’s-who of musicians, including Grammy Award-winning jazz pianist and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert bandleader Jon Batiste.

 

 

Bringing together musical genres, artists, and audiences has a greater meaning for Lark, one that dovetails with the ethos of Festival Napa Valley. “The miracle of music is that it actually transcends language,” she says. “When music is real and sincere it cannot be superficial, so for me, if you’re around music, you are connecting deeply with others. There’s no greater thrill than seeing two different worlds flourish when they come together.”