Bennardo-Larson Duo

The Bennardo-Larson Duo is a contemporary classical duo committed to the performance of forward thinking works for violin and piano. Comprised of Maya Bennardo (violin) and Karl Larson (piano), the duo was formed in 2016 when they undertook the task of learning and performing Charles Ives’s complete works for violin and piano. Since then, the duo has become known for their annual ‘Ives of March’ concerts, which take place in New York City every March 15. Bennardo and Larson are both fierce advocates of contemporary music, and the bulk of their programming is intended to illuminate new repertoire for their instrumentation along with intrepid works from the past that laid the foundation for our current musical climate.The duo was been featured on the Bowerbird Series in Philadelphia, PA, the Toledo Museum of Art’s Great Performances Series in Toledo, OH, and the Music Mansion in Providence, RI, as well as hometown venues including The Owl Music Parlor, the Areté Venue and Gallery, and Scholes Street Studio in Brooklyn, NY. Their programming features the complete Sonatas for Violin and Piano by Charles Ives, Morton Feldman’s monumental For John Cage, and a wind's whisper, a program featuring works by John Cage, Michael Pisaro, Eva Maria Houben, and two newly commissioned pieces by Adrian Knight and Kristofer Svensson.Beyond the concert stage, Bennardo and Larson are passionate educators, offering workshops in contemporary string and piano technique for performers and composers. They have offered masterclasses and lectures at notable institutions including the University of Toledo and Bowling Green State University.