Quite a Pair: New World Fellow Creates ‘Chocolate and Chamber Music’

New World Symphony Violin Fellow Allison Smith, in photo NWS Fellows in celebrating Venezuelan culture at the New World Center, created “Chocolate and Chamber Music,” a pairing to be performed at New World Center on Monday, April 7. (Photo by Alex Markow, courtesy of New World Symphony)

Allison Smith, one of the Fellows in violin at New World Symphony, had heard about a previous project an alumnus of the program had created for what New World calls BLUE Projects. Part of the NWS Fellows training – Build, Learn, Understand and Experiment –  the projects are meant to, along with the music training, help the musicians in leadership and entrepreneurship.

During the 2019-2020 season, Aaron Ney, Rebecca Olivero, Corbin Castro, Arno Tri Pramudia, and Andrew Abel presented “Beer and Brass,” where the brass quintet had audience members explore the notes of taste and sound with different beers. Another group performed with wine pairings. “I think that was called ‘Heard It Through the Grapevine,” says Smith.

“What foods do I like, and I thought, ‘Well, I love chocolate,” so the violinist decided to combine two of her loves. On Monday, April 7, Smith will present “Chocolate and Chamber Music,” at the New World Center in the Truist Pavilion.

Allison Smith joins NWS alum Victor Huls and mezzo-soprano Amanda Crider for an NWS chamber music concert. (Photo by Alex Markow/courtesy New World Symphony)

Smith found a partner in Miami’s Romanico’s Chocolate, who is provided all of the chocolate at no cost.

She went to see owner and found of Romanico’s, María Alejandra Pérez-Mendoza. “She loves classical music” and was immediately on board.

“We met again, and I brought the music I wanted to use and told her my ideas and she had me taste different chocolates to see which ones might pair with the character of the pieces,” said Smith, adding that she had to taste a variety of chocolates.

“Hard job, right? I picked flavors (all dark chocolate bonbons) that I thought brought out different characteristics of each piece that I want the audience to feel along with the music.”

The compositions, she says, are all pieces that she’s wanted to play but never had the opportunity to put them all together. She’ll be joined by other New World Fellows for each quartet and will perform one solo work. “I tried to get as many fellows on board as possible.” She’ll be joined by fellows Connor Chaikowsky, Hannah Corbett, Hana Cohon, Tyler McKisson, Jessica Hong, Michael Ayala, Srivishnu Ramankutty, Rituparna Mukherjee, Marissa Weston, and Morgan Bennett.

Smith has chosen compositions by all female composers. The first piece she’ll perform as a solo is from 2016 by Rena Esmail, “Take What You Need,” commissioned by Street Symphony for the Urban Voices Project in Los Angeles. Then a piece for chamber by Jessie Montgomery, “Strum” for string quartet,  and Caroline Shaw’s “Entr’acte,” written in 2011 after the composer heard the Bretano Quartet play Haydn’s Op. 77. “That one does have both some non-classical extended techniques as well as some classical form.” Also, Gabriella Smith’s “Carrot Revolution” for string quartet and “Burning” by Nicky Sohn.

Allison Smith, a first year fellow at New World Symphony, began playing violin when she was five years old in her hometown of Dublin, Ohio. (Photo courtesy of New World Symphony)

“The composers draw from folk music, rock and roll, ‘Strum’ like a guitar. They are really fun pieces.”

New World fellowships are awarded on a season-by-season basis for up to three years. Smith, who has been playing the violin since she was five years old growing up in Dublin, Ohio, attended Rice University in Houston, where she received her undergraduate and master’s degrees.

“My mom played violin when I was growing up. She had played for fun in college. But the reason I started playing was I had a neighbor who was around the same age as me who took Suzuki violin lessons and invited me to a group class and I went, and I watched, and I told my mom I wanted to play.”

She is a first-year fellow and while she had hoped to continue on with New World, part of the program’s goals is for Fellows to get professional jobs.

“I recently got a job in the U.S. Army Band, so I’m starting this summer. She’ll be playing violin with the U.S. Army Strings, based out of Washington, D.C.. She’ll have to enlist in the Army as part of her employment and says she’ll start basic training in the summer, too.

Allison Smith, NWS Violin Fellow, and Alex Wu, NWS Cello Fellow, perform at Frost Museum during Tertulia Nights in November 2024 as part of the exhibition “Of What Surrounds Me.” (Photo by Melanie Valle/courtesy Frost Art Museum)

“There was an audition in September, and I was intrigued. I’m excited about it – a little nervous about the training but once I get past that, it will be so great. It’s a lot of chamber music, which I love and performing other genres other than classical.”

The job entails performing mostly with the U.S. Army Strings and sometimes with the U.S. Army Band when they perform orchestral concerts. “We’ll play state dinners, performances around the D.C. Area and abroad as well as public concerts.” It is the premier ensemble of the U.S. Armed Forces with a mission to serve as musical ambassadors for high-level military and government events.

“It’s a great, great job,” she says.

WHAT: “Solo Spotlight: Chocolate and Chamber Music,” Allison Smith, violin

WHERE: The New World Center Truist Pavilion, 500 17th St., Miami Beach

WHEN: 7 p.m., Monday, April 7

COST: Limited tickets available

INFORMATION: 305-673-3330 and www.nws.edu/events-tickets/

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