We sat down with 2017 BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist Misha Mullov-Abbado, ahead of his gig with the Misha Mullov-Abbado Group at Omnibus next Sunday.
OMNIBUS THEATRE: Being related to two of the greatest musicians – Claudio Abbado and Victoria Mullova – how was it growing up in a family of musical geniuses? Did you feel almost pressured to do music?
MISHA MULLOV-ABBADO: Not that I have much to compare it with, but I have certainly been surrounded by music in some form or another since before I was born. Having parents rooted in the classical world meant that I was listening to most of the standard repertoire for the violin and cello from a very young age, and began playing the piano aged 5 and the French horn aged 7. Also my step-father Matthew Barley was already beginning to experiment by bridging gaps between classical music, jazz, improvisation and Indian music and he would often share his projects with me and allow me to see what he was up to, which was a huge inspiration. However it wasn’t until I was 20 that I began playing the double bass, at which point I had long since left home. And I can certainly say there has been no pressure whatsoever in any way!
OT: What in particular inspired you about jazz?
MM-A: Having been a composer and performer for many years I always struggled to find a way to combine the writing, arranging and rehearsing with performing, improvisation and spontaneity, and then since I started the bass it became very clear that through jazz I would be able to do all of those things.
OT: How did you form your group?
MM-A: The band I am bringing is my own group that I write all the music for. The group has existed in various forms for almost 5 years now, with the current 6-piece line-up for just over 2 years. We all met either at university or music college, and all of us were on a London jazz course, and as well as playing in my band all the other members have their own groups that they run (which some of us play in also) and we are all part of a collaborative big band called the Patchwork Jazz Orchestra. I have recorded two albums with my band and right now we still perform most of the music from both, as well as some more recent compositions.
OT: Despite focussing majorly on jazz, are there any classical composers that have influenced your compositions?
MM-A: Actually I wouldn’t even go as far as saying my music focusses majorly on jazz. Most reviews I have received for either of my albums have commented on the broad variety of my music (whether a good or bad thing), and so it is quite hard to describe my music as there are so many different styles and influences there. A set played by my band would contain elements of classical music, swing, eccentric modern Jazz and music inspired by Eastern Europe, the Middle-East and South America – so quite a lot. And so, to answer the question, yes there are lots of classical composers that I am influenced by such as Bach, Brahms, Stravinsky, Bartok and Ravel. In particular I am very interested in how some of those composers have incorporated music from other cultures and traditions into their output.
OT: How do you hope audiences will feel leaving your performance at Omnibus Theatre?
MM-A: The only thing I can guarantee is that if you come to this concert you will walk away having seen the band enjoy themselves a lot, and given that the band’s repertoire is so varied, I am confident that you will have really enjoyed at least some of it.
Catch the Misha Mullov-Abbado Group at Omnibus Theatre on Sunday 25th March – grab your tickets HERE
