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BabaYaga
The keenly anticipated visit of BabaYaga was a new combination for most - was an immediate hit with the audience. The interaction between the players of such differing instruments was compelling listening and watching, and Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition was a delight.
Baba Yaga, the hideous witch of Russian mythology, but nothing could be further from the truth as these two enchanting young women cast their spell over our audience.
Duo - Instrumental
Instrumentation
- Karen Dufour - Saxophone
- Gwen Sinclair - Harp
Repertoire
Taking advantage of the varied sound colours from the unusual combination of harp and saxophone, BabaYaga explore original compositions and transcriptions of well known works. They have also extensively performed their transcription of Mussorgsky's masterwork Pictures at An Exhibition in a new and unique way.
BabaYaga present programmes of classical works by composers including Bumcke, Bruch, Bach and Debussy and are committed to exploring contemporary classical repertoire. Eddie McGuire has recently revised his emotive composition Cowal Colours especially for BabaYaga. The duo gave the UK premieres of Patrick O'Malley's Thaumaturgy and Natalie Moller's Starshine & Moonfall.
Biography
"It was the second half that [was the] highlight of the evening, their own arrangement of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. The skill and imagination to present such a varied work on sax and harp produced something special." Inverness, 2019.
Baba Yaga are the unusual combination of saxophone and harp. Karen and Gwen met whilst studying at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and have forged this musical partnership out of a passion for promoting their instruments. Taking advantage of the varied sound colours of harp and saxophone, they explore transcriptions, original compositions and most recently have toured their own arrangement of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.
Gwen has performed with the Orchestra of the Scottish Opera, Royal Scottish National Orchestra & Scottish Chamber Orchestra. As a passionate player of traditional music, and classical, she has performed at the Edinburgh International Harp Festival, Festival Interceltique de Lorient, Hay Festival, the National Eisteddfod of Wales and the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. In 2019 she launched her first solo album, Mentro, which was long-listed for the Scots Trad Album of the Year award and in 2021 Gwen released an album of Christmas music from the Basque Country: Douze Noëls. Her playing can also be heard on the albums of Gwilym Bowen Rhys (O Groth y Ddaear, 2016. Arenig, 2019) & 10 Mewn Bws (2013). A tutor for the Welsh Youth Folk Ensemble, Avanc, she has published three books for clàrsach through Alaw Publishing. Some of her arrangements are included in the graded exam syllabuses for Trinity College College, RCS & for Royal National Mòd.
A varied career of chamber and orchestral music, Karen has performed with the Orchestra of Scottish Opera, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. She has worked on projects with Turner Prize Winner Charlotte Prodger and visual and sound artist Siôn Parkinson. Karen is soprano saxophonist in the award winning saxophone quartet Sax Ecosse and has performed in Europe and the UK including The Edinburgh International Festival, returning artists at The Emerging Artist Series-The Usher Hall, Celtic Connections, the World Saxophone Congress, Norway's St Olav's Festival, Maltings Theatre and live on BBC Radio Scotland's Classics Unwrapped.
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