Pictures on Silence,the harp and saxophone chamber duo of Jacqueline Pollauf and Noah Getz, explores the diverse musical possibilities of their instrumental combination through compelling programming and a dedication to excellence in performance. The duo recently released their debut CD, Voyage, featuring many works written for them. Pictures on Silence has performed at the World Harp Congress in Vancouver, Canada; King’s Chapel in Boston, Massachusetts; the Mansion at Strathmore in Washington D.C.; An die Musik in Baltimore, Maryland; and the Stella Adler School in New York, New York and has been awarded an American Composer’s Forum Encore Grant and a Sparkplug Foundation Grant. The ensemble also works to further the perception and abilities of their instruments through educational initiatives, including recent masterclasses at the Peabody Conservatory and the Catholic University of America.
Pictures on Silence has an ever-expanding repertoire driven by the commissioning of new works, the exploration of repertoire written throughout the twentieth century, and the adaptation of existing music. The duo's diverse repertoire includes several thematic concert concepts. Centering around works that integrate music and other art forms, including film, poetry, and storytelling, Intersections is presented through harp, saxophone and mixed-media. This program features works by Catholic University of America composer Stephen Gorbos and Australian composer Mark Oliveiro. World Dance celebrates the rich tradition of music that has grown out of dance forms, from the tangos of Argentina to the Cuban rumba. A program designed to appeal to school-age children, Jack is a contemporary version of the fairytale Jack and the Beanstalk. Written by duo member Noah Getz, this fun-filled version features a variety of styles of music and both duo members as actors as well a musicians.
During the 2012-2013 season, the duo will perform a concert of works for chamber music and film at the National Gallery of Art and premiere Orpheus and the Secret Road, a forty-five minute theatrical multimedia piece that retells the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice through live performance, text, poetry, chant, movement, video and electronic sound, by Andrew Earle Simpson. Upcoming commissions include works by Ken Ueno, David Smooke and Alexandra Gardner. The name of the duo is taken from a quote by Leopold Stokowski: “Musicians paint their pictures on silence.”