Take Note Palo Alto: Sibling Guitar Duo Hitting Big Time On NPR

PALO ALTO, CA --Move over Leo Kottke. Jack, 13, and Elle, 11, Davisson have already struck a chord with the right people in the classical guitar world in the early stages of their careers.

The Davisson Guitar Duo will appear on an upcoming episode "From the Top," the hit National Public Radio program featuring America’s best, young classical musicians and heard weekly on Classical KDFC. The show will air on KDFC on Sunday at 7 p.m. For a sneak peak, it's available by podcast at fromthetop.org. The broadcast features performances and interviews with outstanding young musicians and guest host Orli Shaham. It was taped before a live audience at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine on Oct. 17.

Check it out:

Jack is an eighth-grader at Greene Middle School, and Elle is a sixth-grader at Fletcher Middle School. They are longtime students of Christopher Mallett at the California Conservatory of Music, which has more than 500 students studying guitar, piano, violin, voice and cello. Visit www.thecaliforniaconservatory.com.

Mallett told Patch he couldn't be more proud of his students.

"It's great. They're such professional musicians," he said.

The youngsters are so accomplished that Mallett forgets sometimes in their twice-a-week sessions that they really are children at heart. Then being a brother-sister duo -- other dynamics come into play.

"They get along really well. As brother-sister, they goof around and say silly things, but when it gets down to their time to play, they get down to business," Mallett said.

Perhaps they recognize the competition. About half the students enrolled are studying classical guitar, so that particular music scene is making "a big splash" to younger musicians.

The popularity of classical guitar is refreshing for Mallett in a society that seems more engulfed with fame than art.

One of Mallett's students has just graduated and is headed for Carnegie Hall, the nation’s top concert hall.

"They're part of something that's hundreds of years old," he said.

What's even more special about the Davisson duo is the siblings were sought after. Normally, one has to apply and audition for the chance to make an appearance, Mallett indicated.

They will perform "Jongo" by Paulo Bellinati, a Brazilian composer.

The Barron Park residents have been playing as a dynamic duo since 2017. Winners at the 2017 and 2018 Guitar Foundation of America Small Ensemble Youth Competition, they have opened for such luminaries in the classical guitar world as David Russell, Marc Teicholz, and Kazuhito Yamashita. They were also featured in Classical Guitar Magazine’s Sunday Prodigy series. As solo artists, they have placed in many competitions around the country.

Also featured on the broadcast are:

• 17-year-old bassoonist Aaron Brown from Shapleigh, Maine
• 17-year-old violinist Brandon Aponte from Blue Hill, Maine
• 16-year-old cellist Jiaxun Caroline Yao from Flushing, New York
• 17-year-old pianist Avery Gagliano from Philadelphia, Penn.

"From the Top" is broadcast on more than 220 stations nationwide to an audience of nearly half a million listeners as the most popular weekly one-hour music program on public radio. Young performers share their passion for classical music and speak about their lives outside of music. Many talk about their communities and other interests.

Besides their love for classical guitar, Jack and Elle are passionate about soccer, Tae Kwon Do and reading.

Based in Boston, From the Top is an independent non-profit organization that supports, develops and shares the artistic voices and stories of young classically-trained musicians. Its national platform and leadership programs amplify the hope, passion, and discipline of today’s extraordinary young musicians.

The show provides young musicians with live performance opportunities in premier concert venues across the country; national exposure to over a half million listeners on its weekly NPR show; leadership and community engagement preparation; and nearly $3 million in scholarships since 2005.

Visit www.fromthetop.org for more information.

--Image courtesy of "From the Top"