A Match Made in Music: Eight Couples Share the Romantic Side of their Artistry

Most artists would agree that the emotion conjured from performing their music is one of a kind. When they get to share that performance with the person they love however, something truly special is in the works. According to PARMA Artists Richard and Mika Stoltzman, “one person’s groove is another person’s metronome, but being together is from the heart.” With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, we reached out to artists who go hand-in-hand to hear their thoughts on creating music as partners.

Dana Muller and Gary Steigerwalt

Dana Muller and Gary Steigerwalt have been performing piano four hands repertoire together for more than three decades, creating programs that encompass the historical and stylistic range of the genre. Their unique synergy as performers can be experienced on their album IN YOUR HEAD from Navona Records.

What do you admire the most about your partner’s musicianship?
Tenacity in getting to the heart of repertoire, both established chestnuts and newly commissioned works.

If you had a “theme song” as a duo, what would it be?
Poulenc Sonata for 4-hands: it was the first piece we played together; an image of the opening line served as the cover for our wedding invitation; and we played the work at our wedding at the National Arts Club in Gramercy Park NY.

James and Dana Lentini

Composer and classical guitarist James Lentini and soprano Dana Lentini have numerous collaborative recordings together, both as performers on The Four Seasons of Guitar, and with Dana as a featured vocalist on THROUGH TIME AND PLACE on Navona Records. Though they have different tastes in music, the two frequently find a “happy medium” when working together.

Have you learned anything musically from performing with your partner that you wouldn’t otherwise discover?
Yes, indeed. We perform as a duo of classical guitar and voice. A memorable performance was at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome, Italy, when Jim was a Visiting Artist at the American Academy in Rome. We performed Jim’s composition Mother Songs to a large and discerning crowd. Jim discovered that learning how to follow rather than lead tempos with the soprano soloist made for much better dinner conversations post-concert.

What is your favorite/most memorable performance together?
I think the highlight for both of us would be the performance of Jim’s composition Three Sacred Meditations with Dana as the soprano soloist backed by a large orchestra and chorus. The piece appears on the recording THROUGH TIME AND PLACE on Navona Records. The disk was named one of the “Best Classical Recordings: of 2020” by the Chicago Tribune.

If you had “theme song” as a duo, what would it be?
I think we both agree it would be Mother Songs for guitar and voice with poetry by Kathleen Fraser. The piece was written in anticipation of the birth of our first child, and the poetry is stunning. When we played it in Rome, by pure coincidence, we found out that the poet had a residence right around the corner and she attended the concert, hearing the piece for the first time. It was one of those rare and beautiful cases of serendipity.

Kirk O’Riordan and Holly Roadfeldt

Kirk O’Riordan and Holly Roadfeldt

Composer Kirk O’Riordan and pianist Holly Roadfeldt began performing together as a saxophone and piano duo. Their most recent album with Ravello Records, AUTUMN WINDS showcases O’Riordan’s compositions with Roadfeldt’s pianistic prowess throughout.

Who is the designated “DJ” when you’re traveling on the road together? Do you share similar tastes in music?
Holly: I drive a lot (I have 261,000 miles on my car!), so I let Kirk do the driving on a road trip. Because I think it is only fair that the driver chooses the music, Kirk would be the DJ. There are long stretches in the car, though, where we are not listening to music at all. Kirk is “composing” in his head and I am “practicing” in mine. It just happens to work out that way. It is a really wonderful ritual that we have developed. We are not sitting in silence; we are making music side by side.

Popular music tastes: nope, not the same. My tastes are more eclectic and I cannot listen to the same type of music for too long. Kirk is more loyal to his bands of choice (Depeche Mode, in particular).

Kirk: I think this is absolutely true. We talk, or work, or both. To be honest, it is physically taxing to listen to music as intensely as I do, and it isn’t always the best thing for me on long trips. I think I can also add that we both have a lot of music going on in our heads all the time. Sometimes it is nice to have some quiet to balance that out.

Have you learned anything musically from performing with your partner that you wouldn’t otherwise discover?
Holly: When we met, we performed together as a saxophone and piano duo. We have also performed concertos where he was the conductor and I have been the soloist. The musical relationship that suits us best, though, is the composer/performer one. We talk about music quite a bit and we acknowledge how we listen for different aspects during a performance. Yet, our musical values become integrated with each project. What I think I have learned most over the years from Kirk was the power of space — stillness — in music. When many performers focus on playing faster and louder (a mantra for many saxophonists!), I love that it was a saxophonist/composer who taught me the significance of breath and allowing sonorities to linger.

Kirk: I think pretty much everything I know about the piano I have learned from listening to Holly practice. We don’t get to perform together as much as we used to, but I learned a lot about hearing ensemble precision in real time, in the midst of performing. This is something that has helped me be a better conductor. Learning how to be clear on an entrance… giving a collaborative partner what they need to play their part well… these are things Holly and I worked on a lot when I was performing a lot more. Those lessons have stayed with me and have manifested now with my Concert Band.

Erin Helgeson Torres and Michael Rene Torres

Flutist Erin Helgeson Torres and saxophonist Michael Rene Torres have been performing side by side as the Tower Duo at universities, conferences, and festivals across the United States since 2007. The duo specializes in creating engaging musical experiences with a particular interest in performing and premiering contemporary works by emerging composers.

What is your favorite/most memorable performance together?
There have been many memorable performances and tours driving across the country together, many times through rain, snow, and ice. One tour was in the upper Midwest and tracked right with a polar vortex with temperatures of -25°.

Have you learned anything musically from performing with your partner that you wouldn’t otherwise discover?
Erin has learned to play a lot louder and Mike has learned to play a lot softer! Balance was the first challenge we had to work on as a Duo… and as a couple.

Heidi Jacob and Charles Abramovic

A pianist and composer/performer duo, Heidi Jacob and Charles Abramovic share the same stylistic instincts, a musical bond that makes for smooth sailing. Charles’s spot on interpretations of Heidi’s writing can be heard on BENEATH WINTER LIGHT from Navona Records.

What was the first thing you noticed about your partner’s musicianship?
How easy it was to play together; we have the same natural instinct towards interpretation and style.

What do you admire the most?
Heidi: Charlie is a phenomenal pianist, chamber musician, and collaborator. He absorbs music so easily that he can play anything and learns it so quickly — yet with such amazing insightful musicianship…

Charles: I am so impressed with Heidi’s “triple threat” abilities as an amazing cellist, fantastic conductor, and great composer, just excelling at all three and it is such a rare and unusual talent.

Eleanor Alberga and Thomas Bowes

Eleanor Alberga and Thomas Bowes

Eleanor Alberga and Thomas Bowes toured together in November 2019 as the piano and string duo Double Exposure. As part of the PARMA Recordings China Concert tour, it was their first tour together since the early 2000’s. Bowes was a featured violinist on Alberga’s STRING QUARTETS 1, 2, & 3 from Navona Records.

Do you share any passions outside of music? What do you do together when you’re not performing? 
We share a love of literature from the very serious to the more light-hearted, often reading to each other. We also love watching an eclectic mix of unusual films together. When there is free time we like dining out and walking together.

Have you learned anything musically from performing with your partner that you wouldn’t otherwise discover? 
Eleanor: Yes, Tom gave me ‘permission’ to be much freer with my playing, connecting a deeper human meaning to the notes.

Tom: Eleanor gave me a deeper understanding of the importance of structure in music. Also an unyielding faithfulness to the text.

Emily and Aleksander Sternfeld-Dunn

Emily and Aleksander Sternfeld-Dunn

From formal concerts to low pressure live streams, Emily Sternfeld-Dunn and Aleksander Sternfeld-Dunn have a long history as a duo stretching back to their time as graduate students. Hear Emily perform Aleksander’s compositions as a featured pianist on his 2015 Navona Records album FIREWORKS.

What is your favorite/most memorable performance together?
While we’ve had several opportunities to perform together professionally, my favorite experience was much less formal. A while back Aleks became obsessed with melodicas and bought several, along with a book of arrangements for 2 melodicas. This was the time that Facebook live was popular and relevant. We set up a phone, hit “live” and played through a couple duets for our friends and acquaintances. It was silly and low pressure and, funnily enough, musically interesting as well. Aleks’ favorite memories involve hearing me perform his music; an answer that gives some insight into why we’ve been married for 18 years! He’s always so sweet and supportive.

Have you learned anything musically from performing with your partner that you wouldn’t otherwise discover? 
The biggest thing we’ve learned about collaborating as a couple is communication. That may seem obvious, but it’s the truth. I’m always amazed that we can’t read each other’s minds! Especially when we are creating something entirely new, it’s surprising how many words and different approaches it takes to share a vision and get the other person on the same page. We’ve spent most of our adult lives together, so this is always a good reminder not to take our history for granted and be clear in our wants and intentions.

Jeff LaQuatra and Michelle Stanley

The Quatra Duo’s guitarist Jeff LaQuatra and flutist Michelle Stanley are both professors of their respective instruments at Colorado State University. Performing together since 1988, the duo made their Navona Records debut in 2020 with PAINTED MUSIC.

What was the first thing you noticed about your partner’s musicianship? What do you admire the most?
Jeff: We met, of all things, playing at a wedding together in the late 1990’s. It was immediately obvious how comfortable and intuitive we were with one another’s playing. It was natural to extend that many years later into an official duo.

Michelle: Jeff has a deeply natural sense of expression and musicality to his playing and it informs everything he does as a musician. It’s always inspiring.

What is your favorite/most memorable performance together?
We really love playing house concerts and we’ve had some memorable ones in 2021. We performed in California and one of the guests let us drive their ‘57 Thunderbird following the concert around the neighborhood – what a thrill!

Our China tour for Parma was particularly memorable as well. We loved the fans in the lobby afterwards who had us sign anything they had in hand.