BB: One of the hallmarks of your work is your ability to cross over from classical composed music to improvisation. How were you introduced to these arts and how do you see these modes of music relating to one another?

Meanwhile, I hadn't quite let go of the classical route and was still entering competitions, performing the standard violin concertos, and classical chamber music. Throughout all that, it seemed like the two modes of music were helping each other out. The downtown guys liked that I could read their music and had the technique to improvise really hard, while the many free jazz and improv concerts I was giving and getting out on stage in whatever form was helping me to open up my classical playing, too.

BB: Let's talk about your parents. As you were veering toward downtown improvisation, how did that effect your parents' expectations?

JC: They respected the fact that I was touring worldwide in new and improvised music, but I made sure they also saw me come home and play concertos with orchestras, so that it was a bit half-and-half. They did wonder why I was doing new music and if I liked it. Would it affect my classical playing? My answer was that I didn't really know. Now that they see that I am following my heart and paving new ways in music, they are constantly encouraging me to be more creative. I'm very lucky in that way.

BB: Given that you're committed to extended technique, has it changed your classical playing?

JC:  There are certain sounds in twentieth and twenty-first century music that can be very different from classic and romantic music, and definitely more sounds and noises - including the ugly ones! (I use a 1770 Storioni violin for everything I do.) The nice thing about it is that if you are working alongside composers, they can guide you toward the "right" sounds for a piece, whereas in classical music, you are guessing more to find that particular sound that will fit the music. For a while it was really hard to make that switch but I've become more accustomed to just adding more sounds to my toolbox! I think improvisation can actually help with the classical playing, too. Former ETHEL member, Todd Reynolds and I have discussed this issue actually and we both agree that new music and improvisation can help free up the classical mindset of playing everything perfectly. After all, it's common knowledge that Beethoven and Chopin, for instance, were constantly improvising and for that matter, coming up with new music for their time. In any type of music, classical to experimental, the focus on sound, nuance and intonation has to still be there. I like to think I'm putting my classical training into new music with the difference being that in new music, and for sure in improvised music, the results are more immediate.

BB: There has been a recent movement of young, creative new music organizations. I feel that ETHEL started this back at Joe's Pub in 2002. I remember sold-out rooms with people sitting on the steps listening to this string quartet. In a way, they paved the way. Talk a little about where you think the music is now in relation to the larger culture.

JC: There has been an explosion in the new music scene. It's great! There is more media attention now than ever, and some really hot groups that are so good at new music are out there. People are definitely attending these concerts as promoters are believing in us and in the music. I think it has something to do with the fact that new music being produced today is more relatable for the general audience and also being performed at a very high level. It's less about being complex and atonal - which has its place and reason for existing - but more about music for our time. ETHEL was a pioneer of this music. I saw them perform when they first started out at a concert at Symphony Space and remember thinking, "Wow! They're really cool, amplified, standing, and moving around." ETHEL is doing even more now, so I'm excited to be a part of it.

BB: How did you find out about the opening in ETHEL?

JC: It was a bit of a surprise. I knew Mary, Ralph and Neil. I've known Neil since we were both teenagers. We attended the Aspen Music Festival at the same time. Neil called me out of the blue and asked if I was interested in playing in a string quartet. Since ETHEL is based in New York City, near my home and husband, it was a possibility for me. So, I went in to read and when we sat together it felt amazing and clicked! The music is extremely fun to play and I am familiar with so many of the composers that ETHEL has performed and will be performing, so the decision was mutual.

BB: It's the idea of being in a band again. How do you think this is going to change your solo career now that you're a member of a group?

JC: For the immediate future, a lot of my focus will be devoted to learning ETHEL's vast repertoire. It's the kind of music I would play on my own anyway, and I've always had a love for string quartets and the workings within. I see Neil doing his own solo projects and Mary did great things on the side as well. Ralph has his own show on Broadway, and Dorothy is a professor at Mannes. Perhaps going forward, more or different opportunities for my soloing will come out of playing in ETHEL.

BB: So much of what ETHEL is about is its residency work, specifically the TruckStop® project.  They've been really switching the definition of touring and working with communities. Has that been part of your work in the past?

JC: Residency work has been a large part of what I do. I was a Teaching Artist for the New York Philharmonic's Educational Department for seven years as well as the Brooklyn Philharmonic and 92nd Street Y. I was involved in creating outreach curriculums for thousands of inner city school kids. We performed, introduced and taught classical music in the public school system. So it's going to be a natural transition for me, since ETHEL already has a great outreach aesthetic in place. I think that the educational component of any group is very important as it is a way to get children of all ages as well as adults interested to see and hear live music.

BB: What about the theatrical element? You talked about ETHEL playing while standing. They've done pieces directed by Annie Dorsen. They've performed at the World Financial Center where they really work with staging and presentation in nontraditional places.

JC: ETHEL is planning more collaborations that involve multimedia and guest artists going in line with its innovative programming models, and that could mean some more choreography for us, but that's one aspect I'm hoping to do more of because, if and when it fits with the music, it can be that much more exhilarating for us to play and for the audience's experience as well.

BB: What do you predict will be your biggest challenge now that you are in ETHEL?

JC: It will be a big responsibility to carry on the pioneering qualities as well as its founders have done it. I have a great respect for ETHEL and everything that has been achieved so far. I know it has taken a lot of hard work to get to this point. Carrying the torch, staying innovative and keeping it an excellent group is a big part of what my job will be.

BB: When is your first ETHEL concert?

JC: Our first performances together are set for this Friday, July 15 in New Canaan, Connecticut, and July 16 in Woodstock, New York.