This story was originally published by ArtsATL.
Stories of exceptional classical musicians tend to revolve around the timeline of their education. Early forging of musical passion at the hands of grade school teachers gives way to profound relationships with mentors in the collegiate years, only to have the player in question return to the academic world years later and train the next upcoming crop of virtuosos.
In that regard, the story of violist Ettore Causa — who performs Saturday with the Vega Quartet at the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts — is a familiar one: A viola virtuoso from Europe studies abroad and goes on to the professional touring and teaching cycle, bolstered all the while with praise from colleagues, students and critics worldwide. But throughout that career, Causa has seen the world through a different lens.
Since the early 2000s, he has emerged as a professional photographer. “It’s part of my daily life, just like the viola is part of my daily life,” he said.
Photo by Ettore Causa
Photo by Ettore Causa
What began as a way to capture memories evolved into a professional pursuit as colleagues began requesting headshots. Though the pastime would eventually come to stand alongside his musicianship in terms of profession, the learning process was, unlike the viola, self-taught.
“I tried with film photography and it was very hard,” Causa said. “Also very expensive when you don’t know what you’re doing. Going digital was key for me to learn.”
Being able to see quick results via digital photography allowed Causa to better understand how elements such as aperture and shutter speed affected the final outcome. Thus exempted from the usual learning process of slaving away in darkrooms, Causa realized he had discovered a new passion.
It becomes clear listening to Causa tell his life’s story that he has always observed the world in terms of vibrant visual imagery. He speaks of his homeland of Naples, Italy, with the kind of dreamy enthusiasm normally heard only from tourists. “It’s a very rich city, historically, and it’s a very intense city,” he said. “You’ve really got everything there — the full spectrum of human beings.”
Photo by Ettore Causa
Photo by Ettore Causa
His early appreciation for music was born out of the regional folk music that surrounded him with its often melancholic, minor key. For all its culture and beauty, Naples is also known for its poverty and political strife, both factors that contribute to the ominous tone of its music.
Though initially a violin student, Causa migrated to the viola at the urging of his instructor and found a deeper connection to the instrument.
At age 20, Causa moved to Switzerland to study at the prestigious International Menuhin Music Academy. The culture shock was profound: Causa, long accustomed to the loud, gregarious Naples lifestyle, where people shouted in the streets and parties lasted long into the night, was struck by the quiet, introverted atmosphere of a city that shut down at 8 o’clock sharp.
Despite being out of his element, Causa came to love Switzerland and the rigorous musical challenges that came from Menuhin. It was an experience that would prime him for studying in the multicultural hub of New York City at the Manhattan School of Music, where he trained under famed virtuoso Michael Tree.
Photo by Ettore Causa
Photo by Ettore Causa
Professional success soon followed with the relentless touring and performing schedule befitting a young virtuoso. Through it all, Causa was never without his camera, and, as he documented his travels, a deeper appreciation for the visual medium began to emerge.
Though he shies away from thinking of himself as an accomplished or professional photographer, galleries began showing his work. While his initial foray into serious photography began in capturing his fellow musicians, his portfolio also includes nature shots and modernist takes on city life and architectural patterns.
Causa’s fascination with digital photography evolved into videography with the 2023 release of “A Lifelong Journey with Bach,” his meditative short documentary on cellist Pablo de Naveran’s personal journey recording Bach’s six suites for solo cello. Like his photography, Causa’s filmmaking strikes a natural balance between subject and scenery. In this case, de Naveran comments on his fascination with Bach’s compositions as he performs, surrounded by the grandeur of a gothic cathedral.
Causa joined the music faculty at Yale in 2009 and soon realized that his most valuable teaching asset was an ability to instill passion in his students. One such student was the Vega Quartet’s newest member, violist Joseph Skerik. He speaks fondly of Causa and will perform with him at the upcoming concert. “Every lesson brimmed with inspiration,” Skerik recalled. “I always left feeling deeply motivated to better my musicianship.”
With student and teacher performing together again, the concert promises to be another memorable snapshot in Causa’s career.
CONCERT PREVIEW
Ettore Causa and the Vega Quartet
8 p.m. Saturday. Presented by Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta. Free. Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, 1700 N. Decatur Road N.E., Atlanta. 404-727-5050, schwartz.emory.edu
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Jordan Owen began writing about music professionally at age 16 in Oxford, Mississippi. A 2006 graduate of the Berklee College of Music, he is a professional guitarist, bandleader and composer. He is currently the lead guitarist for the jazz group Other Strangers, the power metal band Axis of Empires and the melodic death/thrash metal band Century Spawn.
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