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Acclaimed violinist Tim Fain earned international exposure when he was seen and heard in the movie "Black Swan." But Fain, 36, had his first film-music experience at a much younger age.
He was a member of the boy choir heard in the 1987 film "Empire of the Sun" and has vivid memories of film score composer John Williams conducting a huge orchestra and choir in a Los Angeles sound studio as director Steven Spielberg looked on.
Growing up in Southern California gave Fain a wide array of musical experiences, and his current career reflects that breadth of influence. Fain is a rising star but doesn't confine himself to music of the old masters. Music of living composers such as Philip Glass, film music, and influences from jazz and popular music are all important to him.
Fain will bring his dedication to musical rigor, and attention to pop culture, to the University of Utah's Chamber Music Workshop, where he will coach student ensembles. He will present a public concert on Tuesday at the U.'s Libby Gardner Concert Hall.
"What really gets me going is exploring not only the music I grew up with from the classical composers, but also the music of our time, connecting the past with the present — particularly with American music," Fain said.
Fain grew up in Santa Monica and looks as if he would be as comfortable on a surfboard as on a concert stage. While growing up, he adopted his parents' love for classical music, but also listened to Michael Jackson and jazz.
Degrees from Philadelphia's Curtis Institute and New York's Juilliard School of Music preceded a growing career that includes solo performances with top orchestras, appearances at chamber festivals and adventuresome musical projects.
He appears frequently in concerts and lectures with Glass, who wrote his Partita for Solo Violin for Fain. The Partita is the centerpiece of "Portals," a multimedia concert Fain performs as an exploration of the human longing for connection in the digital age.
"I always had a real love for all different kinds of music, and that is something that has stayed with me," Fain said. The varied repertoire he will perform in Utah includes touchstones of his musical aesthetic.
Schumann, Vivaldi and Mendelssohn are represented. He will also play the Chaconne from Glass' Partita; "Graceful Ghost Rag," by living composer William Bolcom; and his own arrangement of music from Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake" ballet, which is what he performed on-camera and for the film score of "Black Swan."
Fain performs on a 1717 violin made by Italian master Fancesco Gobetti, on long-term loan to him from the Chicago Stradivari Society.
"I think Tim is one of the most exciting young artists working today," said chamber workshop organizer Hasse Borup, who heads string and chamber-music studies at the U.'s School of Music. "There is an old-school charm in his playing, and he's a cutting-edge player, too. I'm really excited about getting him out here."
Borup began the Summer Chamber Music Workshop two years ago, patterning it after California's acclaimed Music@Menlo program, where he was an administrator for several years. Now in its third season, the U. workshop includes 50 musicians, organized into 10 chamber ensembles. They will participate in an intensive program of coaching, enrichment programs and performance.
"Previous students say that they learned as much in the five days as in a full semester of work," Borup said.
In addition to daily coaching at rehearsal sessions, students will work with a vocalist on issues of breathing — essential for good phrasing, even though string players don't create their sound with the breath, as vocalists and wind instrumentalists do.
It's a point Fain expects to emphasize in his master classes, although he won't know the exact direction the classes will take until he hears the ensembles.
"I often find myself reminding players to remember to breathe, to relax and really try to listen in different ways," Fain said. "I myself have to be very open to listening to what they need and where they want to go. That's one of the biggest challenges as a performer and as a coach — to keep listening."
Fain has performed often in Utah, especially at the Moab Music Festival, which has given him the opportunity to jet-boat down the Colorado for concerts in a redrock amphitheater. He hopes for some outdoor time during his visit to the Wasatch Front.
"I really feel very much at home in this part of the country," he said. "Salt Lake City is built around nature in such a wonderful way. I hope to enjoy the mountains while I'm there."
'Swan Lake,' Tim Fain style
P Violinist Tim Fain is in residency at the University of Utah's third annual Summer Chamber Music Workshop today through Thursday. Students were auditioned for the workshop last spring. Ten ensembles will work on chamber music with coaching from Fain.
Master class • Open to the public, Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. in Dumke Recital Hall at Gardner Hall, 1375 E. Presidents Circle, U. campus, Salt Lake City; free
Student ensembles • Will perform Thursday at 4 p.m., also in Dumke Recital Hall; free
Guest artist recital • Fain will perform with pianist Heather Conner, of the U. music faculty, at Gardner Hall, on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets • $15; at 801-581-7100 or http://www.kingtix.org