Meet UND’s dynamic ‘Duo Cantabile’
On sabbatical, UND music professors Simona Barbu and Nariaki Sugiura spent first half of 2025 performing and teaching around the world
Editor’s note: In the UND LEADS Strategic Plan, the Service core value calls on the University to “promote the arts and humanities, which contribute to the cultural vibrancy of the state and help attract and retain talent in our communities.” This story reports on the dream of a pair of UND music professors to, as the story puts it, “spread their scholarship and love of music across the globe.”
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In many cases, a sabbatical entails an extended respite from the everyday responsibilities of one’s job.
For two UND faculty members, however, this past semester spent away from the classroom proved to be anything but a break.
Simona Barbu and Nariaki Sugiura, husband-and-wife professors of Music specializing in cello and piano, respectively, spent their sabbatical on an international concert tour — spreading their scholarship and love of music across the globe.
The whirlwind tour took the pair to eight different countries spanning East Asia, Europe and Latin America. Commencing in February in Sugiura’s native Japan, the tour continued to South Korea and Mexico, before shifting to Europe — France, Hungary, Germany, Italy and Romania — in the spring.
In addition to performances, the tour included many workshops with students of all ages. Barbu and Sugiura were both impressed with the level of musicianship they encountered.
“You have high schoolers playing what would be considered graduate-level repertoire here,” Sugiura said. “The quality of music was very high as well — it was nice to interact with them and teach them.”
A major component of the pair’s sabbatical was promoting their recording “Introspections,” released under the name “Duo Cantabile,” the ensemble the couple formed in 2012. Sugiura added that the tour not only highlighted Duo Cantabile’s music and UND, but also composers throughout the Red River Valley.
One such composer featured on the recording is Jonas Fisher — a UND alumnus and native of Warroad, Minn. Barbu said that Fisher’s mother, an instructor of choir and piano at Warroad Public Schools, was instrumental in fundraising for the Warroad RiverPlace — the city’s new performing arts center.
Barbu and Sugiura performed Fisher’s composition “Four Seasons for Cello and Piano” at the venue’s opening in 2024 and performed it extensively on their concert tour.
“It was one of the most-liked pieces on our CD, so we definitely made full use of it,” Barbu said.
Barbu was surprised that many people were still interested in acquiring physical CDs — particularly in Europe and Asia — given the fact that downloading and later music streaming services largely have rendered the medium obsolete.
Barbu and Sugiura said a key mission of the tour was promoting the music of different nations — essential for bridging cultural differences. Earlier this year in recognition of their work, Sugiura and Barbu were named Joyce and Aqueil Ahmad Endowed Scholars of 2025.
Named in honor of a former UND Sociology professor, the award — conferred by the College of Arts & Sciences — recognizes full-time faculty members who “promote conversations about peace and nonviolence among individuals, groups and communities,” among other criteria.
Music, Barbu added, can be an effective form of diplomacy.
“You learn a lot about a country’s character through their music, and maybe that way, we can also start liking each other in different ways,” she said. “Hopefully, that brings a bit more understanding.”
In addition to being a culturally enriching experience, Barbu and Sugiura said the tour was invaluable for their professional development. The tour opened them to different methods of pedagogy, and styles of music, they said.
“We listened to so many students, probably over 150,” Sugiura said. “I was exposed to different repertoire and different challenges the students are facing. When I return in the fall, I can use these ideas with my students.”
“It was a breath of fresh air — you feel energized to go and do more,” Barbu added.
Barbu said she at first felt apprehensive about the reception Duo Cantabile’s performances would receive, as many of the compositions they performed are considered less traditional from a classical music standpoint. However, she said they overwhelmingly received positive feedback — capped with a warm welcome back in her hometown of Timișoara, Romania.
“I wasn’t sure how this kind of concert was going to be received, because Europe is more traditional in many ways,” Barbu said. “It was interesting to have the public come to us and say, ‘This is fantastic — you guys should do this more.’”
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