The ArcoStrum Experience, it’s safe to say, is like no other chamber music combo ever presented by Chesapeake Music.
The ArcoStrum duo, who describe themselves as best friends and creative partners, expand the definition of a classical music ensemble to include violin and guitar with Chinese and electric variations.
Strauss Shi was named by his parents, both Chinese professional musicians, after Johann Strauss II as a symbolic bridge between Eastern and Western musical traditions. (Among the famous Strauss family names, Johann II was known as “The Waltz King” whose greatest hit was “The Blue Danube.”)
TY Zhang is the first and only Chinese classical performer to win Guitar Foundation of America’s International Concert Artist Competition. (Sharing their sense of humor with Chesapeake Music’s filled-to-capacity Interlude audience, Shi made it up, we presume, as he quipped, “TY stands for Thank You.”)
Speaking of names, ArcoStrum combines the Italian word “arco” for the violin bow, while “strum” is the sweeping stroke of fingers across the guitar strings. After a brief overture of their own composition, the pair dove into the seasonal part of their concert, starting with a scorching “Summer” presto from Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” and the allegro from his “Winter,” with the guitar acting as the cello or bass grounding counterpoint to the soaring violin.
Three Chinese pieces, all arranged by ArcoStrum, led into an introduction of Far East instruments. Shi switched to the elongated two-string fiddle, the erhu, which emits a voice-like hum emanated through a hollow sound-box resonator. He also played a flute dizi made of bamboo as well as a piccolo dizi for higher registers on 20th and 21st century Chinese pieces, “Dance of the Yi Tribe” and “Ink Orchard Pavilion” before galloping to the Act I finish line of “Horse Racing” at a pace worthy of the Marx Brothers’ “A Day at the Races.”
Taking its world tour of music to Latin America, Act II opened with a torrid portion of a Brazilian composer’s suite, followed by a sudden change of pace to John Williams’ theme from “Schindler’s List,” its weeping melody anchored by a thumping guitar heartbeat until it fades.
Making up for the seasons left out of Vivaldi’s four, ArcoStrum turned to their arrangements of Piazzolla’s “Buenos Aires Spring” and Hungarian composer Joseph Kosma’s “Autumn Leaves” sandwiched around Bill Withers and Grover Washington Jr.’s “Just the Two of Us” in a nod to the great contribution of African-Americans to our musical heritage. Jazz was also recognized for its distinctly American contribution to the world of music with “Mood Swing,” a French interpretation by Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli.
For the finale, Zhang, switching to electric guitar, and Shi chose their 2024 arrangement of “Michael Jackson Meets Scarlatti,” a mash-up of genres originated by the identical Katona Twins guitar duo, performed here by best friends as a crossover pop/sonata “Thriller.”
As if that were not enough, the indefatigable pair tossed in an encore they pretended to improvise on the spot. “We haven’t rehearsed this,” Shi said as he reached for a violin which he strummed with his fingers, much like his best friend TY on guitar.
Don’t be surprised if these guys show up for a guest appearance on one of their mentor’s Interlude concerts coming up in 2027 – “Catherine Cho & Friends.” The co-artistic director of Chesapeake Music was their teacher at Juilliard and their mentor. Here’s hoping ArcoStrum’s touring calendar allows for a delightful surprise.
THE ARCOSTRUM EXPERIENCE
Chesapeake Music’s season-opening Interlude concert at Ebenezer Theater in Easton on Saturday, Sept. 26. Next Interlude concert, Synchrony Quartet, Nov. 21. chesapeakemusic.org
