Podcasts about spoleto festival usa

Tony Prisk is in his eleventh season playing second trumpet with the Philadelphia Orchestra. Prior to taking the job in Philly, Tony played second trumpet with the Houston Symphony.See a pattern developing? It's not an accident, and it's not because Tony doesn't have what it takes to be "the man".In this episode, we discuss the value of specializing in a niche, such as playing second trumpet in a major symphony, (and why some people feel like they're "settling" for their position in the Philadelphia Orchestra), an exhortation on Charlier's Etude #2, why our ego often gets in the way of finding our purpose as musicians and as human beings, and much more.Here's a bit of what you'll hear in this episode:-Tony describes life in a top 5 orchestra...01:15-Putting the ego aside, and embracing the role you've been given...06:20-Tony's personal trumpet journey...08:15-How you "tell a story" with written music notes on a page...16:30-Is self-expression or "blending" the ideal in an orchestra?...23:50-The value of specializing in a role such as second trumpet in an orchestra...33:45-The advice Tony Prisk would tell his younger self...41:15-Plus whatever your discerning ears deem worthy of your time and interest...About the Guest:Anthony Prisk joined The Philadelphia Orchestra as second trumpet in August 2013. He came from the Houston Symphony, where he was second trumpet for 11 seasons, and the New World Symphony, where he was a trumpet fellow for four seasons. In the past 20 years he has played internationally with several orchestras and music festivals, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Grant Park Festival Orchestra, the Montreal Symphony, the Boston Symphony, the Moscow Philharmonic, and many others. He has participated in several music festivals, including Classical Tahoe, the Cabrillo Music Festival, the Spoleto Festival USA, the Tanglewood Music Center, the Pacific Music Festival, the Music Academy of the West, and the Aspen Music Festival. Mr. Prisk won two international trumpet competitions through the International Trumpet Guild and Second Prize in the National Trumpet Competition. He was a soloist with the New World Symphony, the Temple Wind Symphony, the Texas Medical Center Orchestra, and several youth orchestras. He can be heard on numerous recordings with The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Houston Symphony, the New World Symphony, the Spoleto Festival Orchestra, and the McGill Symphony. Teaching is a passion for Mr. Prisk. He is currently on the faculty at Temple University and the Peabody Institute in Baltimore. He can also be found teaching at summer music festivals including the Philadelphia International Music Festival, the Luzerne Music Center, and the Monteux School and Music Festival. He is also involved with the All City program sponsored by The Philadelphia Orchestra.Mr. Prisk received his bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois, where he studied with Ray Sasaki and Michael Ewald, and his master's degree from McGill University, where he studied with Paul Merkelo. His other main influences were John Hagstrom, Michael Sachs, and David Bilger. Mr. Prisk is originally from Lombard, IL, in the suburbs of Chicago and currently resides in South Philadelphia.

Among the countless projects classical music presenters have had to delay over the past two years, perhaps none has been more eagerly anticipated than that of Omar, a new opera from Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels. Originally slated to premiere in May 2020, Omar finally received its long-awaited opening this summer at the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina. Based on the life and 1831 autobiography of Omar ibn Said, a Muslim scholar stolen from his homeland of Senegal and twice sold into slavery in the Carolinas, Giddens and Abels' new opera probes largely unexplored truths in modern American discussions of slavery. For Abels, Omar's history — one of strength, resistance, and religious conviction — is not only timely, given the U.S.'s continued reckoning with its history of slavery, but it also makes for compelling storytelling on the operatic stage. "This story is great fodder for opera, which tackles social issues, satire, commentary, and irony so well," he says on the latest episode of the Classical Post podcast. "It's really a piece about the power of faith to transcend one's physical circumstances and to provide hope in a situation that's otherwise hopeless. How faith can connect people who otherwise would not even see eye to eye ... Whereas we often think of differences in faith as causing friction, it can actually provide a source of commonality and healing." Abels, who has received incredible accolades for his genre-defying film work — most notably his scores for Jordan Peele's Get Out and Us — brings that same sense of wide musical exploration to Omar, which The New York Times hailed as "an unforced ideal of American sound: expansive and ever-changing." In this conversation, we discuss more about Omar and Abels' collaboration with Giddens, and take a deep dive into his creative process, in which he strives to be "both a channel and a recipient of ideas." Plus, he shares how architecture inspires his composing, the ways a daily bike ride can be good for the soul and the body, and his favorite restaurant in Los Angeles for traditional Italian cuisine. — Classical Post uncovers the creativity behind exceptional music. Dive into meaningful conversations with leading artists in the world today. Based in New York City, Classical Post is a touchpoint for tastemakers. Visit our website for exclusive editorial and subscribe to our monthly newsletter to be notified of new content. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok. Classical Post is an ambassador for NED, a wellness company. Get 15% off their products like CBD oil and many other health-based products by using our code CLASSICALPOST at checkout.

For the last two weeks Charleston has been hosting the annual Spoleto USA performing arts festival. The centerpiece of this year's festival is the world premiere of an opera called “Omar.” "Omar" is Omar ibn Said, a West African scholar who was enslaved, first in Charleston and then in Fayetteville, N.C. Omar was Muslim, he read and wrote Arabic and he wrote his own autobiography. That text is what inspired the opera that is being performed for the very first time here in Charleston. Mena Mark Hanna, the general director of Spoleto Festival USA, explains the significance of this debut.Reporter Adam Parker, who has followed the creation of this opera for years, also shares some behind-the-scenes insight on the production.Find more stories about Omar ibn Said and the opera "Omar," plus photo stories and videos at postandcourier.com/omar.More coverage:Making ‘Omar,' Spoleto Festival's opera about an enslaved Muslim scholar in the CarolinasA quest for the true identity of Omar ibn Said, a Muslim man enslaved in the CarolinasUnderstand SC: How The Post and Courier searched for Omar ibn Said's true identityPhoto essay: Visual parallels in the 2 stories of OmarSpoleto Review: 'Omar' moves forward a crucial American story, and opera, tooUnderstand SC is a weekly podcast from The Post and Courier that draws from the reporting resources and knowledge of our newsroom to help you better understand South Carolina. This episode was hosted and edited by Emily Williams. The music featured in this episode is "In Search of Solitude" by Scott Buckley and"Bleu" by Komiku.

Conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya joins me and speaks about her experience preparing for, conducting, and navigating a career thriving between concert halls and opera pits.Russian-American conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya is a fiercely committed advocate for Russianmasterpieces, operatic rarities, and contemporary works on the leading edge of classical music. She has conducted more than 40 world premieres, including 16 operas, and her strength as a visionary collaborator has guided new perspectives on staged and symphonic repertoire from Carmen and Queen of Spades to Price and Prokofiev. Yankovskaya has recently made major debuts with Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Dallas Symphony, and conducted the symphony orchestras of Omaha, Pasadena, and Fort Worth. As Music Director of Chicago Opera Theater, she has led the Chicago premieres of Jake Heggie's Moby-Dick, Rachmaninov's Aleko, Joby Talbot's Everest, Tchaikovsky's Iolanta, and Adamo's Becoming Santa Claus. Elsewhere, she has recently conducted Carmen at Houston Grand Opera, Don Giovanni at Seattle Opera, Pia de' Tolomei at Spoleto Festival USA, Il barbiere di Siviglia at Wolf Trap Opera, Ellen West at New York's Prototype Festival, and the world premiere of Taking Up Serpents at Washington National Opera.

Russian-American conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya is a fiercely committed advocate for Russian masterpieces, operatic rarities, and contemporary works on the leading edge of classical music. She has conducted more than 40 world premieres, including 16 operas, and her strength as a visionary collaborator has guided new perspectives on staged and symphonic repertoire from Carmen and Queen of Spades to Price and Prokofiev. As Music Director of Chicago Opera Theater, Ms. Yankovskaya has led the Chicago premieres of Jake Heggie's Moby-Dick, Rachmaninov's Aleko, Joby Talbot's Everest, Tchaikovsky's Iolanta, and the world premiere of Dan Shore's Freedom Ride. Her daring performances before and amid the pandemic earned recognition from the Chicago Tribune, which praised her as “the very model of how to survive adversity, and also how to thrive in it,” while naming her 2020 Chicagoan of the Year. In the 2021/22 season, Ms. Yankovskaya makes a trio of Texan debuts, leading performances of Carmen at Houston Grand Opera, a tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg at Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and concerts featuring works by Gershwin and Dawson at Fort Worth Symphony. Elsewhere, she debuts with Chicago Symphony Orchestra in Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, leads a program of Brahms and Wagner at Elgin Symphony, conducts Boulanger, Debussy, and Ravel at Omaha Symphony, and makes her Pasadena Symphony debut conducting works by Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Gabriela Lena Frank. At Chicago Opera Theater, she conducts the Chicago premiere of Mark Adamo's Becoming Santa Claus and a concert version of Carmen, starring Jamie Barton opposite Stephanie Blythe. Ms. Yankovskaya has recently conducted Don Giovanni at Seattle Opera, Pia de' Tolomei at Spoleto Festival USA, Il barbiere di Siviglia at Wolf Trap Opera, Ellen West at New York's Prototype Festival, and the world premiere of Taking Up Serpents at Washington National Opera. On the concert stage, she has been recently engaged with Chicago Philharmonic, Rhode Island Philharmonic, and the symphony orchestras of Hawaii and Oviedo, Spain. Ms. Yankovskaya is Founder and Artistic Director of the Refugee Orchestra Project, which proclaims the cultural and societal relevance of refugees through music, and has brought that message to hundreds of thousands of listeners around the world. In addition to a National Sawdust residency in Brooklyn, ROP has performed in London, Boston, Washington, D.C., and the United Nations. She has also served as Artistic Director of the Boston New Music Festival and Juventas New Music Ensemble, which was the recipient of multiple NEA grants and National Opera Association Awards under her leadership. As Music Director of Harvard's Lowell House Opera, Ms. Yankovskaya conducted sold-out performances of repertoire rarely heard in Boston, including Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades, Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream, and the U.S. Russian-language premiere of Rimsky-Korsakov's The Snow Maiden. Her commitment to exploring the breadth of symphonic and operatic repertoire has also been demonstrated in performances of Rachmaninoff's Aleko and the American premieres of Donizetti's Pia de' Tolomei, Rubinshteyn's The Demon, and Rimsky-Korsakov's Kashchej The Immortal and Symphony No. 1. An alumna of the Dallas Opera's Hart Institute for Women Conductors and the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship, Ms. Yankovskaya has also served as assistant conductor to Lorin Maazel, chorus master of Boston Symphony Orchestra, and conductor of Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra. She has been featured in the League of American Orchestras Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview and Cabrillo Festival for Contemporary Music, and assisted Vladimir Jurowski via a London Philharmonic fellowship. Ms. Yankovskaya holds a B.A. in Music and Philosophy from Vassar College, with a focus on piano, voice, and conducting, and earned an M.M. in Conducting from Boston University. Her conducting teachers and mentors have included Lorin Maazel, Marin Alsop, Kenneth Kiesler, and Ann Howard Jones. Ms. Yankovskaya's belief in the importance of mentorship has fueled the establishment of Chicago Opera Theater's Vanguard Initiative, an investment in new opera that includes a two-year residency for emerging opera composers. Committed to developing the next generation of artistic leaders, she also volunteers with Turn The Spotlight, a foundation dedicated to identifying, nurturing, and empowering leaders – and in turn, to illuminating the path to a more equitable future in the arts. Recipient of Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Awards in 2018 and 2021, Ms. Yankovskaya has been a featured speaker at the League of American Orchestras and Opera America conferences, and served as U.S. Representative to the 2018 World Opera Forum in Madrid.

Our sponsor: Houghton Hornswww.houghtonhorns.comThe GOLD Method appwww.ryanbeachtrumpet.com/gold-method-appValerie Sly currently serves as principal horn of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. She previously held positions as principal horn of the West Virginia and Adrian (Michigan) Symphony Orchestras, and in summer 2021, joined the Des Moines Opera Orchestra as third horn. Ms. Sly has also frequently performed with the Virginia, Richmond, Colorado, andMemphis Symphonies, as well as the Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra and ProMusica Chamber Orchestra.Ms. Sly has appeared twice as a featured soloist for the Vermont Mozart Festival, performing concerti with the festival's chamber orchestra in 2017 and 2018. In 2019, her chamber ensemble, Izula Horns, appeared as featured artists in the Boulanger Initiative's inaugural Women Composers festival. Summer orchestra fellowships include Spoleto Festival USA, Lucerne Festival Academy, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, and Colorado College ummer Music Festival. In September 2021 she returned to Lucerne as a member of the festival's alumni ensemble.Ms. Sly is currently completing a DMA degree at the University of Colorado Boulder under the tutelage of Michael Thornton. She also holds a master's degree from the Yale School of Music where she studied with William Purvis, and a bachelor's degree from Oberlin Conservatory where she studied with Roland Pandolfi.Support the show (https://thatsnotspit.com/support/)

This month, Spoleto Festival USA, a major performing arts event that's held annually here in Charleston, announced its 2022 programming lineup.That's always exciting, but it especially is this year, after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. For the first time since 2019, the festival will host international performers. And, after being postponed twice, Spoleto audiences are going to see the world premiere of a highly-anticipated opera.Called "Omar," and it's based on the autobiography of Omar ibn Said, a Muslim scholar who was made to board a ship bound for Charleston where he was enslaved and sold. We told Omar's story on this podcast June 2021, and we thought that now, with the show on the calendar for Spoleto 2022, would be a great time to revisit it. When we first shared this episode last year, photographer Gavin McIntrye and reporter Jennifer Berry Hawes had just published a big project on Omar's life. They did research here in Charleston, traveled to North Carolina where Omar lived out his later years and made a reporting trip to Senegal to try to find the place that Omar called home. In this episode, they shared what that reporting process was like and what their trip revealed about Omar Ibn Said's life. You find more details on "Omar" from Spoleto Festival USA here. Read more:A quest for the true identity of Omar ibn Said, a Muslim man enslaved in the CarolinasSpoleto Festival USA announces innovative 2022 program of 124 performances and eventsThe stage is set for a new chapter of Charleston's Spoleto Festival with 3 operas in 2022

Subscribe to NOW Charleston on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or via RSS.Follow the podcast on Twitter and Instagram.Welcome to NOW Charleston - nowchs.comTwo newest Super Bowl Gamecocks crowned champs with Rams' big win over Bengals - The StateTwo-time national champion at Clemson earns Super Bowl LVI ring - ClemsonClemson Tigers in Super Bowl LVI: Higgins, Reader Look to Lead Bengals Against Rams - SI.comHiggins' second TD - TwitterReferees explain Tee Higgins no-call in Super Bowl 2022: ‘Contested catch' - NY PostSpoleto Festival USA is back to future in 2022  - Charleston City PaperIn his first Spoleto Festival USA, a new general director starts connecting threads - The Post and CourierSpoleto Festival USA announces innovative 2022 program of 124 performances and events - The Post and CourierTo Lure Back Audiences, Spoleto Festival Plans an Ambitious Season  - The New York TimesSC still has millions for rent and utility relief; Charleston and Richland await new funds - The Post and CourierCharleston County Rental Assistance - charlestoncounty.orgCofC basketball schedule - CofCSports.comCofC baseball schedule - CofCSports.comCitadel basketball schedule - Citadelsports.comCitadel baseball schedule - CitadelSports.comCarolina Challenge Cup - charlestonbattery.comRiverDogs schedule - Riverdogs.comOne couple recalls their first encounter, with a few points of disagreement  - Charleston City PaperFOLLOW:twitter.com/nowcharlestoninstagram.com/nowcharlestonWE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK:

Ali Cook is a bassist, singer, and songwriter currently located in Austin, Texas.  She has performed with the National Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Washington Ballet, Tanglewood, Spoleto Festival USA, the Alabama Symphony, and at the Salzburger Festspiele.  Ali is currently teaching in Austin and building her career as an independent singer-songwriter. We talk about her path into music, what it was like being a long-term substitute player in top-level orchestras, creativity and how it works (or doesn't!) in an orchestral setting, taking the plunge and moving to Austin to pursue new directions, and much more. Enjoy, and be sure to check out Ali's website, her singer-songwriter website Ali and the Wild Geese, and you can also help her raise funds for her debut album!   Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!   Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.   Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course and Intermediate to Advanced Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.   Thank you to our sponsors!   Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio - CMU is dedicated to helping each student achieve their goals as a musician. Every week each student receives private lessons and participates in a solo class with Micah Howard. Peter Guild, another member of the PSO, teaches Orchestral Literature and Repertoire weekly. They encourage students to reach out to the great bassists in their area for lessons and direction. Many of the bassists from all of the city's ensembles are more than willing to lend a hand. Every year members of the Symphony, the Opera and the Ballet give classes and offer our students individual attention. Click here to visit Micah's website and to sign up for a free online trial lesson.   Wabass Institute - Wabass Institute, a part of the Honeywell Arts Academy, is a unique full-scholarship performance institute.  Wabass uniquely fosters an inclusive, supportive environment where ideas are freely shared from teacher to student and vice versa.  Check out Wabass behind the scenes here, and be sure to apply by February 15th!   Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion theme music by Eric Hochberg

Margaret Lioi, past Chief Executive Officer of Chamber Music America, joins us to discuss the process of developing and realizing her vision for the small ensemble community and supporting this vision through strategic grantmaking and fundraising initiatives. She chats with us about the intersections between jazz and chamber music and how small ensemble genres and styles share more than they seem. We talk about how a person finds themselves deeply involved in arts administration, and about Lioi's vision for the small ensemble community over the next twenty years. Margaret M. Lioi has been Chamber Music America's Chief Executive Officer since 2000, serving as the longest-tenured executive in CMA's 43-year history. During this time, CMA incorporated jazz into its small ensemble portfolio, increased its grant-making to more than $1.4 million annually, established May as National Chamber Music Month, and ratified the organization's Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity, solidifying its dedication to equitable practices in every area of its operations. After receiving a Masters in Piano Performance from New England Conservatory, Lioi was a collaborative pianist and vocal coach, working with regional opera companies and individual singers and instrumentalists. After 10 years as a performer, she returned to school to pursue an MBA with a concentration in arts management at Binghamton University/SUNY. She interned at the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, SC, was subsequently hired as the Development Associate, and became the Director of Development six months later. Following Spoleto, Lioi was the Executive Director of The Eleanor Naylor Dana Charitable Trust, and the Senior Director of External Affairs at The Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival prior to CMA. She serves on the Advisory Board of The Sphinx Organization, is a member of the Board of The Performing Arts Alliance, and is an adjunct faculty member in the MA in Arts Management and Entrepreneurship Program at The New School. The transcript for this episode can be found here. For more information about Chamber Music America, please visit their website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Our sponsor: Houghton Hornswww.houghtonhorns.comSamuel Rothstein was appointed as the Assistant Principal and Bass Clarinetist of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra beginning at the start of the 2015-16 season. He received his bachelor's degree in music performance from Northwestern University where he studied with J. Lawrie Bloom and Steve Cohen. Prior to joining the ISO, Mr. Rothstein was a member of the Richmond Symphony in Richmond, Virginia, and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. He has performed with the Chicago, Milwaukee, Virginia, New World, and Illinois Symphony Orchestras as well as the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. Additionally, he was the clarinet player for the 25th anniversary national touring company of Les Miserables and has also performed in the orchestra of other various productions for Broadway Chicago. Summer festival appearances include the National Repertory Orchestra, Spoleto Festival USA, and the Tanglewood Music Center. After two summers as a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center, Samuel was invited to return for a third summer as a member of the New Fromm Players, focusing on the study and performance of contemporary music.Support the show (https://thatsnotspit.com/support/)

On this ninth episode of Spoleto Backstage for 2021, we hear chamber music works for nine musicians — selections which may have you feeling like you're on cloud nine! We're also joined by cellist Arlen Hlusko, one of the performers featured in both concerts, to discuss making her Spoleto Festival USA debut this year.

On this edition of Spoleto Backstage, we share a compilation of contemporary works performed as part of this year's Spoleto Chamber Music Series. We speak with Osvaldo Golijov about the world premiere of his piece "Milonga" as well as what Spoleto Festival USA means to him. Then, we chat with composer Paul Wiancko about his work, "American Haiku."

Our guest this episode is renowned otolaryngologist and President of the Performing Arts Medical Association, Lucinda Halstead, MD. She is a pioneer in performing arts medicine, starting one of the first vocal treatment centers in the United States in 1987 and becoming the Medical Director of the MUSC Evelyn Trammell Institute for Voice and Swallowing. We discuss various medical issues related to vocalists, specifically vocal dystonia, a commonly misunderstood problem that can suddenly render a performer unable to sing. We also cover the work of the Performing Arts Medical Association, including work on a COVID aerosol that is helping to get performers back on stage. To attend PAMA's 39th annual virtual conference on June 24-27, go to http://www.artsmed.org/symposium/registration-and-fees. For more information on Athletes and the Arts, go to http//:www.athletesandthearts.com About Dr. Halstead: Lucinda A. Halstead, M.D. received her degree from George Washington University and completed her residency in Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery in the Combined Tufts University – Boston University Residency Program. Currently, she serves as the vice-chairman for Resident Education in the Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery and the Medical Director of the MUSC Evelyn Trammell Institute for Voice and Swallowing. Dr. Halstead founded the MUSC Voice Center in 1987 to support research and advanced care in laryngology, swallowing, voice, pediatric otolaryngology and performing arts medicine. After the Voice Center expanded in 2000, she became the Medical Director of the MUSC Evelyn Trammell Institute for Voice and Swallowing. Dr. Halstead is the laryngologist for the internationally renowned Spoleto Festival USA and President Elect of the Performing Arts Medicine Association. She lectures nationally and internationally on the topics of adult and pediatric voice and swallowing disorders, treatment of professional voice users and vocal performers, performing arts medicine, and laryngopharyngeal reflux disorders. She is a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology, the Voice Foundation, the National Association of Teachers of Singing, the Colligium Medicorum Theatri, and the Performing Arts Medicine Association.

On this episode of Spoleto Backstage, we continue our series spotlighting the First Viennese School composers with three of Ludwig van Beethoven's works, one from each of the stylistic periods in which his works are often categorized. We're also joined by bassoonist Monica Ellis, founding member of the quintet Imani Winds, to chat about performing in one of these pieces as well as Alicia Hall and Jason Moran's "Two Wings: The Music of Black America in Migration" at this year's Spoleto Festival USA.

Enjoy a world premiere performance by oboist James Austin Smith on this episode of Spoleto Backstage. Smith also joins us to share the backstory of the piece by composer Sigfried Thiele, discuss life as a musician during the pandemic, and celebrate his return to Spoleto Festival USA.

On this episode of Spoleto Backstage, we highlight two passionate, exciting Romantic era sonatas for violin and piano, and hear some background about the pieces from the musicians who performed them at this year's Spoleto Chamber Music Series. First, we speak with Geoff Nuttall, violinist and the Charles E. and Andrea L. Volpe Director of Chamber Music for Spoleto Festival USA, about Robert Schumann's Violin Sonatas No. 1 in A minor, op. 105 1st Mvmt. Then, violinist Jennifer Frautschi joins us to discuss performing Camille Saint-Saëns' Violin Sonata No. 1 in D minor, op. 75.

On this first episode of Spoleto Backstage for 2021, host Bradley Fuller is joined by Geoff Nuttall, the Charles E. and Andrea L. Volpe Director of Chamber Music for Spoleto Festival USA, to discuss returning to the chamber music series after the cancellation of last year's festival. Then we hear the first concert from this year's series as the St. Lawrence String Quartet performs Franz Joseph Hayden's String Quartet, op. 76 no. 4 "Sunrise."

Spoleto Backstage returns for a brand new season as the Spoleto Festival USA resumes in-person performances for 2021.

Our nineteenth official episode of Meet Me At Mill Mountain: The Podcast features Scenic Designer Jimmy Ray Ward. Host Ginger Poole, the Producing Artistic Director of Mill Mountain Theatre, talks to Jimmy about his rich career at Mill Mountain Theatre and beyond. With an MFA in Design from UNC-Greensboro and a BS in Theatre from Radford University, Jimmy Ward has been designing scenery, lighting, and costumes professionally for over 20 years. His design and production credits include work at numerous theatre companies along the East coast including Spoleto Festival USA, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Seaside Music Theatre, Flatrock Playhouse, and the Gainesville Theatre Alliance. Within Southwest Virginia, Jimmy frequently designs for Opera Roanoke, Virginia Children's Theatre, and Mill Mountain Theatre, where he worked as Resident Designer for nine seasons. Jimmy's work has also been featured in installation projects for the Taubman Museum of Art, Virginia Museum of Transportation, the History Museum of Western Virginia, and most recently in Virginia Tech's Newman Library where the "Performing History: Women and the Vote" exhibit, co-produced by faculty from Radford and Virginia Tech, can be viewed. Mill Mountain Theatre strives to inspire, entertain, enrich, educate, and challenge audiences of Southwest Virginia through high-quality, professional theatrical productions and experiences. Meet Me At Mill Mountain: The Podcast explores all of the buzz words in Mill Mountain Theatre’s mission statement.

Podcast sponsorwww.houghtonshorns.comSteven Woomert joined the Toronto Symphony Orchestra as Associate Principal Trumpet in 2014. He has appeared as the Acting Principal Trumpet of the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra and has performed with the Barbados Classical Pops All Star Orchestra, New World Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago.Born in Toronto, Steven began his musical studies at age five on violin and added trumpet studies at age 11. He completed his Bachelor of Music degree at Northwestern University, where he studied with Barbara Butler, Charles Geyer, and Christopher Martin. While he was at Northwestern, he was a member of the school’s entry that won First Prize in the Ensemble Division at the 2012 National Trumpet Competition. Steven continued his studies at The Glenn Gould School at The Royal Conservatory in Toronto where he studied with Andrew McCandless. In 2013, he was the winner of the International Trumpet Guild Orchestral Excerpts Competition. Steven has participated in many summer festivals, including the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, National Academy Orchestra, Banff Festival Orchestra, National Orchestral Institute, National Repertory Orchestra, and Spoleto Festival USA.Steven and his father Barton have commissioned and recorded a CD of brand new music for two trumpets and piano, entitled Tandem. Besides performing, Steven enjoys joining some of his TSO colleagues on their volleyball team (The Gustav Bahlers).Support the show (https://thatsnotspit.com/support/)

Ian Hallas has had quite a journey on the road to his position as Principal Bass of the Lyric Opera Orchestra.  We first spoke for the podcast in early 2016 after winning a section bass position, and he won three additional auditions for Lyric for title chairs.   We talk about what it’s like auditioning for another job in your same orchestra, how his audition process has evolved since our conversation four years ago, what he learned along the journey, and much more!    Ian teaches bass privately and also for Northwestern University, so don’t hesitate to send him an email if you’d like to study with this incredible teacher!   About Ian: Ian Hallas began his tenure as Principal Bass of the Lyric Opera Orchestra in 2019 after joining the section in 2016. He holds a bachelor’s degree with Distinction in Research and Creativity from Rice University where he studied with Paul Ellison as well as a master’s degree from the University of Southern California under David Moore. He has also been heavily influenced by Chris Hanulik and Todd Seeber and has worked extensively with master luthier Mike Shank. In addition to the Lyric Opera, Ian has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Detroit, Atlanta and Milwaukee Symphonies and the Grant Park Orchestra. Ian was an award-winning fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center. He was also an invited guest chamber musician at Spoleto Festival USA where he performed with the St. Lawrence quartet and members of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Additionally, he has attended the Aspen Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, and Domaine Forget Summer Music Academy. He serves on faculty at Northwestern's Bienen School of Music and maintains a private studio on the north shore of Chicago. He also teaches at the National Music Festival and was a teaching assistant at the Double Bass Workshop at BUTI. In his spare time, Ian enjoys running, laughing and spending time with his wife, playing with his two Siberian Forest cats and expanding his bourbon collection.   Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!   Thank you to our sponsors!   Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It’s durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!   Practizma - The Practizma practice journal is packed with research based strategies to turn your ho-hum practice into extraordinary practice.  Develop your curiosity, discipline, creativity, daring, tenacity and zen.  Take a journey with four elements each week: goal setting, reflection prompt, action challenge, and journal pages to track your practice.  Curious? Download the introductory chapter of the journal for free - this gives you an idea of what it's all about. Modacity - Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get Modacity – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress.  Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool.  Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time.  Modacity has a special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners that includes lifetime access to the app.   Contrabass Conversations production team: Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer Trevor Jones, publication and promotion Krista Kopper, archival and cataloging theme music by Eric Hochberg

Our ninth official episode of Meet Me At Mill Mountain: The Podcast features SETC Executive Director, Susie Prueter. Host Ginger Poole (MMT Producing Artistic Director) hears about her career and involvement as President of the Alliance for Full Acceptance, an LGBT social justice organization in Charleston.Prior to SETC, Susie worked for Work Light Productions as an Associate Production Manager, supporting such tours as Rent, Motown, and Something Rotten. Prior to Work Light, Susie was with the prestigious Spoleto Festival USA, an international performing arts festival in Charleston, SC, where she supported more than 20 festivals as its Production Office Manager. On behalf of Spoleto, Susie also managed the renovation and first years of operation of historic Memminger Auditorium, a performing arts and special events venue in downtown Charleston.Susie earned a BA in Speech/Theatre from Louisiana Tech University and an MFA in Arts Administration from the University of Alabama/Alabama Shakespeare Festival. She is a member of the Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers (ATPAM) and IATSE Local #333.Mill Mountain Theatre strives to inspire, entertain, enrich, educate, and challenge audiences of Southwest Virginia through high-quality, professional theatrical productions and experiences. Meet Me At Mill Mountain: The Podcast explores all of the buzz words in Mill Mountain Theatre's mission statement.

In this episode of Spoleto Backstage , Geoff Nuttall introduces Bradley Fuller to another of the most memorable Spoleto Festival USA chamber music programs from the past decade. This 2016 concert includes moving arias by Handel (with countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo performing), an expressive keyboard sonata by CPE Bach, and César Franck’s intensely passionate Piano Quintet in F minor. Following the performance, Bradley speaks with violist, educator, and intended composer-in-residence for the 2020 chamber music series Jessica Meyer. A recording of Meyer’s Seasons of Basho—a work slated for performance in the chamber series—comes after their conversation.

Palmer Weiss is a San Francisco-based interior designer. Raised in Charleston, South Carolina, Weiss credits her Southern roots as a major influence on her design aesthetic. She admires the way Southerners embrace their family heritage, formality and tradition in their homes but are also not afraid to express a few of their eccentricities as well. Over twenty-five years of living in Northern California has allowed her to develop a unique style that both respects tradition and embraces new ideas. A mother of two girls and one yellow lab, Weiss also understands the need for a home to be as functional as it is beautiful. Never one to give into trends, Weiss is known for creating timeless, modern and livable interiors with her signature bursts of color and a little bit of that Southern eccentricity thrown in for fun. Interiors and architecture are in Weiss’ blood. With an accomplished interior designer for a mother and a father in real estate development, Weiss spent much of her childhood touring construction and job sites. Though she was always toiling away in her mom’s sample closets and dissecting design trade magazines for inspiration, Weiss didn’t formalize her design career until 2002. Instead she held jobs in investment banking and retail merchandising. She believes her experience in the business world has helped her immensely in managing client budgets and meeting key project deadlines. She feels these attributes are as important to a successful client relationship as making inspired creative choices. Weiss attended Choate Rosemary Hall boarding school, Brown University with a BA in History of Art, and received her MBA at J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. As an avid supporter of the arts, Palmer serves on the board of Spoleto Festival USA which is one of America’s premier performing arts festivals and held in her hometown of Charleston, SC. She resides in San Francisco with her husband, a cardiologist, and their two daughters.

Karel Butz is the Head Orchestra Director at Beckendorff Junior High School in Katy, Texas. He previously taught orchestra in the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (Houston, Texas) and Carmel Clay Schools (Carmel, Indiana) in addition to serving as adjunct violin faculty at Purdue University. His orchestras have performed at the Midwest Clinic and are consistent UIL Sweepstakes Winners, Texas Honor Orchestra State Finalists, and National Honor Orchestra Winners in the Foundation for Music Education Mark of Excellence Competition. Under his direction, the Beckendorff Honor Orchestra was named the 2019 Texas State Honor Orchestra and 2019 Houston Cup Winner. He is a frequent guest conductor, lecturer, and clinician around the country. His music is published by Musica Propria, Inc. and has been performed worldwide at several venues such as the Midwest Clinic, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival, Indiana University String Academy, the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Conference, and several all-state and region honor orchestras. His book Achieving Musical Success in the String Classroom (2019) is published by Oxford University Press. Mr. Butz has performed in several orchestras, including the National Repertory Orchestra, National Orchestral Institute, and Spoleto Festival USA. He served as an Associate Instructor for string techniques and music theory at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. In addition, he taught violin for the Indiana University String Academy, Music for All Summer Symposium Orchestra Division, and the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute. He is a freelance violinist in Houston. Mr. Butz is a member of the Texas Music Adjudicators Association (TMAA), Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA), and American String Teachers Association (ASTA). Mr. Butz received both his Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music in Violin Performance with high distinction from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where his principal violin instructors were Nelli Shkolnikova and Mimi Zweig. He completed doctoral coursework in music education at Indiana University. Links: Karel's Website Textbook: Achieving Musical Success in the String Classroom Amazon Link --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/orchestrateacher/support

Cheryl Mintz is in her 29th season as the Resident Production Stage Manager at the Tony Award winning McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton NJ, with 35 productions with Artistic Director and Resident Playwright, Emily Mann. Cheryl has enjoyed 13 collaborations with Maestro Gian Carlo Menotti and the Spoleto Festival USA and Italy, and has stage managed 40 operas and musicals, three tours, and three PBS telecasts for New York City Opera at Lincoln Center. She has been a member of Stage Managers' Association of the United States since 1986 and is currently the chair of the Del Hughes Awards which is the only annual Stage Management Awards in the country. For more information about the Stage Managers Association, visit https://www.stagemanagers.org/ For more information about McCarter Theatre Center, visit https://www.mccarter.org/ Attribution: ----more---- Logo: Ritzy Remix font by Nick Curtis - www.nicksfonts.com Music and Soundcello_tuning by flcellogrl / Licence: CC BY 3.0freesound.org/people/flcellogrl/sounds/195138/ Flute Play C - 08 by cms4f / Licence: CC0 1.0freesound.org/people/cms4f/sounds/159123/ "Danse Macabre - Violin Hook" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) / Licence: CC BY 3.0 LicensesCC BY 3.0 - creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/CC0 1.0 - http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/  

They are sure signs of Spoleto in downtown Charleston; instrument toting musicians and scorching heat. Among the jostling violin cases, is Shannon Fitzhenry. She’s back for her second year with the annual Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra, one of 92 musicians chosen to play. “The goal is to get up in time to warm up before rehearsal,” she laughs. The Charleston native grew up with Spoleto, but admits she didn't fully appreciate it until she moved away to study music at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland. “I started hearing more about Spoleto from non-Charlestonians and realized I really needed to go back and experience the festival.” So, like hundreds of other musicians, she auditioned with Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra director and conductor John Kennedy. He’s been hand picking its members for nine years. “Our festival is the only one where the music director travels around and personally selects who will play in the orchestra,” says Kennedy. His quest for the very best

Originally from Maine, Tony Award winning lighting designer Tyler Micoleau has lived in Brooklyn for the last 24 years. He has designed extensively throughout New York as well as regionally and internationally, for world premiere plays, musicals and operas as well as outdoor spaces and touring pieces.His work can currently be seen on Broadway in The Band’s Visit at the Barrymore Theater and Be More Chill at the Lyceum Theater.Other New York designs for Lincoln Center Theater, the Public Theater, New York Theatre Workshop, Manhattan Theater Club, Atlantic Theater, Signature, Second Stage, Playwrights Horizons, New York Theatre Workshop, Vineyard Theatre, New Georges, Epic Theatre Ensemble, Page 73, Rattlestick, Barrow Street Theater, Foundry Theatre, The Play Company, Soho Rep and many others.Regional designs for the Huntington Theater, Alley Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Dallas Theater Center, the Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, Trinity Repertory Theatre, Arena Stage, Shakespeare Theater, Kansas City Rep, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Wilma Theater, Pig Iron Theatre, the Folger, Long Wharf Theater and many others.Opera designs for palm beach Opera, Dallas Opera, Spoleto Festival USA, PORTopera, Curtis Opera, Manhattan School of Music, and Connecticut Grand Opera.Dance design for Eliot Feld’s Mandance Project at The Joyce Theater, Neil Greenberg and The Chase Brock Experience.Fine art installation projects include 2×4 Tree (PIFA Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts), Åhus Sommaren 1974 (Bellwether Galleries, Chelsea NYC), Beneath the Floorboards (Ohio Theater Gallery, Soho NYC).Tyler has served on the faculty at Sarah Lawrence College and has been a visiting artist at Dartmouth College, Yale University, Bates College and his alma matter, Bowdoin College.

On this edition of Spoleto Backstage , host Adam Parker chats with Rob Taylor, director of Choral Activities at the College of Charleston, artistic director of the Taylor Festival Choir, and director of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra Chorus and Chamber Singers, about his series of choral concerts as part of Piccolo Spoleto Festival 2019. Sonatas and Soundscapes host Bradley Fuller speaks with Joe Miller, director of Choral Acivitives for Spoleto Festival USA and director of the Westminster Choir, about that group's performances at this year's festival. And we hear from directors Patric Caurier and Moshe Leiser about their contemporary production of Richard Strauss' opera "Salome" at Spoleto Festival 2019. You can subscribe to Spoleto Backstage in Apple Podcasts , Google Play , and Stitcher . Follow The Post and Courier's coverage of the festival on their website here . And learn more about Spoleto Festival USA on their website here .

On this episode of Spoleto Backstage , host Adam Parker speaks with mandolinist and singer-songwriter Chris Thile of the progressive bluegrass group Punch Brothers about their history of performing at Spoleto Festival USA. The two also discuss Thile's experiences as host of the public radio program Live From Here . Then, Adam speaks with Brendan O'Hea, touring director with the Shakespeare's Globe theater, about the group's unique productions of The Bard's works at this year's festival. You can subscribe to Spoleto Backstage in Apple Podcasts , Google Play , and Stitcher . Follow The Post and Courier's coverage of the festival on their website here . And learn more about Spoleto Festival USA on their website here .

On this episode of Spoleto Backstage , host Adam Parker interviews singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sarah Jarosz about I'm With Her, a folk trio consisting of Jarosz, Sara Watkins, and Aoife O’Donovan. Sonatas and Soundscapes host Bradley Fuller speaks with Lillian Heley and Paul Barrit of the 1927 Theatre Company about the world premiere of their latest work, "Roots," at Spoleto Festival USA. And Bradley Fuller also chats with Paul Wiankco, composer-in-residence for the Bank of America Chamber Music Series at Dock Street Theater, about this year's series. You can subscribe to Spoleto Backstage in Apple Podcasts , Google Play , and Stitcher . Follow The Post and Courier's coverage of the festival on their website here . And learn more about Spoleto Festival USA on their website here .

The Spoleto Backstage podcast returns for 2019 to introduce you to the artists and people who make things happen at Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston. Join host Adam Parker of the Post and Courier as we speak to key figures and artists about their performances before they go live. On this episode, Adam gets an inside scoop on this year's festival from Spoleto Festival USA General Director Nigel Redden, Sonatas & Soundscapes host Bradley Fuller speaks with Chamber Music series director/host Geoff Nuttall, and we hear from acclaimed Cuban jazz pianist David Virelles.

In this episode, I speak to Nick Plattoff, Associate Principal Trombone of the San Francisco Symphony since 2016.  He and I talk about the audition process and how he went about to prepare for his SFS audition, how audition day was like, and how he prepared to step in to his new life as a professional musician in one of America's top orchestras.  We cover: His path, growing up with parents that fostered a culturally rich environment for their children Why he says music is a form of love How he came to choose the trombone and what was his motivation to keep playing The influence on summer camp in his decision to become a musician How he decided to put his multiple musical interests on hold while working on his trombone skills, and how that paid off What New World Symphony brought him, outside of the practice room and stage How deciding to focus solely on the audition process was crucial His audition plan and how he prepared for the audition     ALL ABOUT NICK PLATOFF:   Nick's website: https://www.platoffmusic.com/ San Francisco Symphony – about Nick: https://www.sfsymphony.org/About-Us/Musicians-Conductors/Members-Of-Orchestra/Trombones#artist-30720 San Francisco Symphony – Profile of Nick Platoff: www.sfsymphony.org/nickplatoff   YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT5z0tsqrLxgMFfyVuwaz8w Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sfsymphony/videos/308411646590076/ Instragram: https://www.instagram.com/nickplatoff/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/nickplatoff   Biography In April 2016, Nicholas Platoff was appointed the Associate Principal Trombone of the San Francisco Symphony by Michael Tilson Thomas. He has been recognized in both national and international competitions, as winner of the Aspen Music Festival and School Brass and Percussion Concerto Competition, National Brass Symposium Trombone Excerpt Competition and United States Coast Guard Band Young Artist Competition. In September 2015, he was the only American to advance to the second round of the ARD competition in Munich. Prior to joining the SFS, Platoff spent two years as a fellow with the New World Symphony in Miami. He earned his Bachelors of Music degree with Brass Department Honors, majoring in Trombone Performance and Music Theory from Northwestern University's Bienen School of Music. He is also a proud alumnus of New Haven's Neighborhood Music School. His teachers include Michael Mulcahy, Per Brevig, Christopher Davis, Peter Ellefson, Terrence Fay, Randall Hawes, Timothy Higgins, and Douglas Wright. Platoff's experience in artistic planning dates back to high school, when he co-produced a day-long music festival in his backyard to benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina. In college, he founded the Players' Operation Chamber Orchestra and served as its conductor and artistic director, presenting concerts that featured student soloists and premiered student compositions. During his time with the New World Symphony, he produced and curated “MIXTAPE,” the first-ever concert of the New Audience Fellow Initiative, which offered a multi-genre program to a standing room audience. He is also a committed educator and works weekly as the low brass section coach for the award-winning SFS Youth Orchestra. He was a co-founder of the Miami Brass Festival, a day-long clinic for young brass players. His trombone students have been accepted to many of the top music programs in the country, including the Manhattan School of Music and San Francisco Conservatory, as well as the Interlochen Arts Academy and Boston University Tanglewood Institute. During the summers, Platoff has performed at the Verbier Festival, Spoleto Festival USA, Britten-Pears Programme, the National Orchestral Institute, and the Aspen Music Festival and School, where he was the Per Brevig Trombone Fellow. In the summer of 2017, he performed at Festival Mozaic, the Lakes Area Music Festival, and Burning Man.   If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes!  I truly appreciate your support! Visit www.mindoverfinger.com for information about past and future podcasts, and for more resources on mindful practice. Join the Mind Over Finger Tribe here!  https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfingertribe/     THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme!  Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Also a HUGE thank you to my fantastic producer, Bella Kelly!   MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/

The Spoleto Festival USA is one of the leading arts festivals in the country, and a highlight of the cultural scene in the Carolinas. Festival director Nigel Redden speaks with WDAV about how the festival makes the city of Charleston “come alive” for seventeen days each year with “an embarrassment of artistic riches.” He also recommends some of the events this season that are of particular interest to classical music lovers. Learn more about this year's Spoleto Festival USA

To kick off Spoleto Festival USA , we interviewed key figures and artists about their performances before they go live. Let us take you backstage to get the inside scoop from Spoleto’s general director, Nigel Redden; the mayor of Charleston, John Tecklenburg; and the director/host of the Chamber Music series, Geoff Nuttall .

Spoleto Backstage is a new short-run podcast taking you behind the curtain to meet the artists and people who make things happen at Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston. In this teaser episode, host Jeanette Guinn introduces you to the show and previews what you can expect during the festival.

As this visit to the festival draws to a close, Frank reflects on how the variety of offerings at the Spoleto Festival USA enhances the experience of attending events. Read the Full Dispatch > Several of the people from the Spoleto Festival USA I’ve interviewed for this series have expressed the same idea: that attending these varied events in close proximity to each other gives you an enhanced appreciation for each event that you might not have otherwise. As the end of my latest visit to the festival draws near, I can heartily confirm that’s true. Some of the concerts I’ve attended have distilled that concept to its most basic. For example, the Dialogues recital given by the brilliant pianist Pedja Muzejevich as part of the Music in Time series. He gave a performance at the Simons Center Recital Hall at the College of Charleston that juxtaposed the familiar language of Haydn piano sonatas with much more unusual works, such as John Cage’s Bacchanal for Prepared Piano, which at times makes the piano sound like a rhythmic machine, and in slower passages like an exotic Asian instrument. Having that type of sound experience gives you fresh perspective on how Haydn sounds now, and how his music might have sounded when it was first heard. Other combinations aren’t as stark in contrast, but just as meaningful. My favorite was the coupling of two works for chorus and orchestra by Ralph Vaughan Williams in one part of a concert, with the Mozart Great Mass in the other. Comparing Mozart’s stately yet profound religious expression with the lush and rapturous writing of Vaughan Williams made the qualities of each composer’s work stand out all the more. Of course, I would have enjoyed that program in any event since it featured one of my all-time favorite pieces. The Serenade to Music by Vaughan Williams featured exquisite solo violin work by the uncredited concertmaster, as well as beautiful vocal solos from soprano Sherezade Panthaki and tenor Jamez McCorkle (who also stood out during this festival for his moving rendition of Lensky’s aria in Tchaikovsky’s opera Eugene Onegin ). The pairing of Mahler’s 4 th Symphony with a contemporary orchestral piece was another concert program which worked wonderfully well. Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s atmospheric Dreaming (with its rumblings, chirps, groans, cracks and other sonic effects) brought to my mind images of great whales swimming in frozen seas, and majestic glaciers drifting in icy flows. Its introspective quality was offset nicely by the exuberant Mahler, which under John Kennedy’s direction was everything music by that composer can be. Imaginative, quirky, mercurial and sublime, the score frequently built to spine-tingling explosions of orchestral color perfectly modulated by the Spoleto Festival USA orchestra. Similarly, the contrast between the three opera productions made each more memorable. After the mannered Baroque approach of Vivaldi’s Farnace, and the austere modernity of Quartett by Luca Francesconi, Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin seemed the pinnacle of lush Romanticism. It was also distinguished by the cinematic staging of director Chen Shi-Zheng, which used projected film of the striking soprano Natalia Pavlova (in close-up as well as silhouette) to take us into the inner life of her character, Tatyana. I also admired the forest of stylized birch trees that formed the main feature of the set (though they did cramp the choreography a bit in the ball scene that features some of Tchaikovsky’s most familiar opera music, the famous waltz and polonaise from the score which have become concert staples). The staging of Lensky’s aria was stunningly beautiful yet simple: the stage stripped bare all the way back to the walls of the backstage area, with both real and projected snowflakes swirling against the black background conveying Lensky’s desolation as he awaits the duel which he may not survive. Despite the embarrassment of artistic riches I’ve enjoyed over the past couple of weeks, there’s so much I didn’t have a chance to catch, so I guess a return visit for a future season is in order. After this experience, I certainly won’t hesitate to come back.

On this episode Frank drops by the Spoleto Festival USA offices in Charleston to visit with John Kennedy, Director of Orchestral Activities. They’ll speak about what makes the festival’s orchestra so versatile, and what John especially appreciates about the support of Charleston.

Frank reviews the Westminster Choir concert and Waiting for Godot from the 2017 Spoleto Festival USA. Read Full Dispatch > There are few settings in Charleston more idyllic for a concert than the Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul. Watching the late afternoon light as it slants through the windows on the west side of the sanctuary, with the stained glass behind the altar providing a dramatic backdrop to the Westminster Choir in their evening attire, you feel like you’re in for a special experience, and indeed, you are. The Westminster Choir has been the Choir in Residence at the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston for many years, since the days when the ensemble was led by the legendary Joseph Flummerfelt. Upon Flummerfelt’s retirement, Joe Miller assumed the role, and he continues the tradition of presenting sublime a cappella concerts in that special hour before a late spring evening gets underway. Miller has distinguished himself by programming especially thoughtful and inventive choral performances, and the concert I attended on Memorial Day is a perfect example of his approach. Contemporary settings of sacred texts in Latin formed the bookends of the first part of the concert. “Lux surgit aurea” – “See the golden sun arise” – by Bernat Vivancos harkens back to medieval chant and Renaissance polyphony at the opening and close, but in the middle enters an ethereal, contemporary realm. On the far side of the concert program, “Laudibus in Sanctis” – “Celebrate the Lord Most High” – by Ugis Praulins had dramatic shifts in mood propelled by driving rhythms reminiscent of Carl Orff. In between there was an Abendstandschen, or Evensong, by Johannes Brahms that featured his characteristically rich choral writing, and a setting by Kile Smith of the words of the Apollo 8 astronauts on Christmas Eve of 1968 which was made otherworldly by the use of hand bells and the resonant droning of high soprano voices. There was also an infectious pair of folk hymns, sung in the distinctive, American 18 th century shape note style of singing. These were sung by a subset of the choir separating from the group and assembling in the crossing between the transepts of the cathedral; and a stirring spiritual, “Yonder Come Day,” with alto soloists Taria Mitchell and Pauline Taumalolo, as well as percussion provided by choir members using a tambourine and a broom handle. Paul Crabtree’s “Death and Resurrection” brought us back to the present day. It concludes with a haunting Shaker text: “Do all your work as though you had a thousand years to live/And as you would if you knew you must die tomorrow.” The second part of the program consisted of the American folk tunes in choral arrangements that have become a signature of the Westminster Choir, including the nostalgic “Shenandoah.” I have never been to concert by this choir at the festival that hasn’t received a standing ovation at the end, and this one was no exception. In exchange, we were rewarded with two encores, one of them an apt and exquisite setting of the standard, “I’ll Be Seeing You.” The choir repeats the program on Saturday, June 3 rd . Playwright Samuel Beckett’s absurdist masterpiece Waiting for Godot has attracted legendary performers, from familiar movie character actors Tom Ewell and Burt Lahr in the first U.S. production, to comic icons Steve Martin and the late Robin Williams, and more recently distinguished knighted thespians Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan. No doubt the attraction for performers is the challenge of keeping an audience engaged over two and a half hours of theater where the meaning can be elusive, though the rewards are plentiful. By turns bawdy and poetic, and frequently hilarious, in one sense the play isn’t all that mystifying when taken at face value as a rumination on existence. The cast of this production from Ireland’s Druid Theater is more than up to the challenge. In their tattered costumes, and with their distinct physical types, they have some of the pathos of silent film comedians, but with their broad physical humor, exaggerated stances, heightened gestures and manic expressions, they seem like Warner Brothers cartoon characters come to life. The team of director Garry Hynes and designer Francis O’Connnor, who worked such magic with the Festival production of the Vivaldi opera Farnace, deliver another visually rich experience with this play. To borrow a recurring bit of dialogue between Vladimir and Estragon: “Is this a good thing?” “It will pass the time.” To which I would add, “It will pass it very well.” Waiting for Godot has numerous performances through the end of the festival at the Dock Street Theatre. Check the schedule at spoletousa.org for show dates and times.

Frank Dominguez sits down with Joe Miller, Director of Choral Activities for the Spoleto Festival USA to talk about the Westminster Choir’s history with the festival. Joe also talks about his love for the flora and fauna of Charleston.

Frank reviews two productions from the 2017 Spoleto Festival USA: the U.S. premiere of Vivaldi’s most popular opera, and the return to Charleston of an internationally acclaimed flamenco dance company. Read Full Dispatch > This WDAV Dispatch from Spoleto reviews two productions from the 2017 festival: the US premiere of a once-celebrated, now obscure opera; and the return to Charleston of an internationally acclaimed flamenco dance company. Antonio Vivaldi is one of my favorite composers, but like most classical music lovers, I know him primarily because of his instrumental concertos, with the set known as The Four Seasons his most familiar and ubiquitous. Yet during his career, Vivaldi enjoyed far more success as an opera composer, and of his more than forty operas, Farnace enjoyed the greatest popularity. So I really looked forward to seeing and hearing my first Vivaldi opera, and the Spoleto Festival USA production running at the Dock Street Theater did not disappoint, with a staging and performance that matched Vivaldi’s music in energy, invention and sheer beauty. The libretto is the opera’s weakest point. The title character is the defeated King of Pontus, who orders his wife to kill their son and then herself rather than subject to humiliation and slavery at the hands of the Roman conquerors. So it’s hard to warm up to this character, to say the least. And his captured sister, the beautiful Selinda, seduces two enemy suitors in order to turn them against their leaders and win her freedom, as well as restore her brother to the throne. By the time all the conflict is resolved happily in the final act, the abruptness of the resolution drew laughter from the festival audience that I’m certain wasn’t the intent of librettist Antonio Lucchini. But Vivaldi’s music helps you overlook the problems with the story. As in his concertos, the composer finds seemingly infinite variety within the strict formulas of Baroque opera, and his writing, for both voices and orchestra, conveys drama and atmosphere magnificently. The exuberance of military victory; the heartbreak of a father’s grief when he believes his child is dead; and the exquisite longing of an unfulfilled lover; all of these situations and many more are vividly realized in the score. Every element of this production serves the opera beautifully, beginning with the exceptional cast. The audience is treated to the rare spectacle (in modern times, at any rate) of two counter-tenor roles: Anthony Roth Costanzo as Farnace, and Nicholas Tamagna as the Roman general Pompeo. Both sing with startling brilliance, and Costanzo manages the near impossible by making us care about Farnace in the heart-rending aria that closes the first act. As the warrior queen Berenice, contralto Kiera Duffy has a stage presence to match her commanding voice, and she masterfully utilizes the flowing headdress given her by costumer Terese Wadden. And soprano Augusta Caso is sensuous and touching in the role of Berenice’s captain Gilade (a role originally written for a male castrato singer, but in this staging turned unambiguously into a female character). All of the singers act as well as they vocalize, and often do it while sitting, on their knees, and at one point in Farnace’s case, lying face down in grief. Stage director Garry Hynes arranges stunning tableau, and the set design by Francis O’Connor uses spare, simple elements to great effect. A lamp flown down from the above the stage creates Selinda’s prison cell in its shaft of light; a suspended portrait of Farnace draped in black evokes his monument; and the backdrop of an ocean receding into the horizon that’s visible throughout the performance captures as many shades and colors as Vivaldi’s music. The Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra handles the particular demands of the Baroque score deftly under the direction of David Peter Bates, who conducts from the harpsichord. They fill the Dock Street Theater with sound when necessary, but never overpower the singers, and at other times quiet to a thrilling hush that lets the voices shine with subtler emotions. Farnace has four more performance during the festival on June 2 nd , 5 th 7 th and 9 th . Details are at spoletousa.org . Regrettably, the presentation by the Maria Pagés Company performed on only two consecutive days early in the festival. But if you ever come across this ensemble again, it will be well worth your while to catch it. Their program Yo, Carmen – “I, Carmen” – is an ode to womanhood in the fiery language of the flamenco music and dance of the Spanish gypsies. The character from Bizet’s opera (and some of the more familiar parts of its score) serve as reference points for a series of dance vignettes that also employ poetry, song and even a quasi-rap, “Todas las mujeres” – “All the Women.” The production is at once authentic and sophisticated, with the traditional aspects of flamenco blended with elements of modern dance and performance art. The meticulously designed and executed choreography is viscerally stimulating and visually stunning. It’s a shame it couldn’t have a longer run at the festival.

In this episode Frank visits the office of Nigel Redden, General Director of the Spoleto Festival USA, and asks him for tips that newcomers to the festival might find useful. They also discuss the history of the festival, and why Charleston is the best city in the U.S. to host it.

Frank speaks with Perry Tannenbaum of Charlotte’s Creative Loafing about what keeps him coming back to Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston after more than twenty years.

Frank Dominguez reflects on WDAV's past and present coverage of the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, SC. Read Full Dispatch > As WDAV embarks on another season visiting the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, it’s inevitable to look back and reminisce. As the writer and producer of our blog posts and podcasts this year, I can’t help but remember my first visit to Spoleto in 2009. I had heard about the festival for years before that. My mother-in-law – a violinist and music teacher – made an annual pilgrimage to the Dock Street Theater for the chamber music series. But I had no idea about the breadth and scope of the festival until I began covering it for WDAV. In those days we had an entire team of hosts, producers, audio engineers and support staff gathering interviews, recording performances, and otherwise exploring the varied offerings of the festival. As you might imagine, the enterprise was expensive and proved impossible to sustain, and the festival staff struggled to accommodate our requests to record. So over time we scaled back our residency, and last year we didn’t visit at all, but continued to bring the festival to WDAV listeners through the excellent Spoleto Chamber Music Series produced by our colleagues at South Carolina Public Radio, and heard on WDAV Saturdays at 11 a.m. April through June. This year, however, we’re back, and with a slightly different approach: a series of previews, reviews and interviews focused on the current festival season, and available through our blog Of Note, and also through our WDAV Dispatch from Spoleto podcasts. I’m looking forward to sharing the sights and sounds with you, and we’ll still bring you past Spoleto performances through highlights played during our weekday programming, as well as the Saturday radio series. Let us know what you think about the new Spoleto Festival USA coverage on WDAV. Click on About the Station in the lower left corner of the home page, and then select Contact Us.

Dr. Amanda Quist takes us through a typical warm-up for the Westminster Choir College freshman choir. You’ll learn how, in just 5-7 minutes, she addresses the building blocks of great sound. Plus, you’ll take some fun detours into topics like cell phone policy and how to classify voices. Listen: Highlight to Tweet: “You need to have 3 ways to solve any problem” - Amanda Quist Show Notes: Amanda directs the (compulsory) freshman choir at WCC, so she is first director students meet. Her goal is to take a group of unfamiliar singers with widely-varying levels of experience and make a unison sound. Day 1: sing and build community (students see how they are connected); talk about music they love, their major, who they are; start with voice building - 5-7 minute warm up; next do something physical Low energy? Have them move...step-touches, or something fast-paced like a call and response. Buy in is tougher for the students without choir experience. Knowing the reason behind the exercises helps them buy in. No cell phone use in rehearsal, no tolerance. Breath - long exhalations on different sounds; must warm up breath, it’s connected to mindfulness Tone - balance between light and dark (chiaroscuro) Intonation - clear and resonant, with clear overtones; begin building triads; build their ears with solfege scales, scales in different modes Sight-reading is the most crucial skill for incoming freshmen to have. 3 Key Takeaways: Go into rehearsal with a plan, but be willing to change it when you assess the energy level of the students. The fundamentals are crucial and should be practiced every rehearsal: voice-building, breath, tone, intonation. The most valuable skill a high school director can give their students is the ability to sight-read. Resources/links Mentioned: Episode 7: Your Students are Worth the Investment, with Dr. Amanda Quist Bio: Dr. Amanda Quist is Associate Professor of Conducting at Westminster Choir College, where she conducts the Chapel Choir, Westminster Kantorei, and teaches graduate and undergraduate conducting. Kantorei was selected to perform at the Eastern Division ACDA Conference in February 2014 for her “Building Sound” workshop, was invited to sing at the American Handel Festival the previous year, and was selected as a National Finalist for the American Prize. During her work with the Westminster Symphonic Choir she collaborated with the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Dresden Staatskapelle, and composers Ola Gjeilo and Tarik O’Regan. Dr. Quist recently served as Chorus Master for the North American premiere of Toshio Hosokawa’s Matsukaze for Spoleto Festival USA and the Lincoln Center Festival. The New York Times and Charleston Post and Courier reviews described the chorus’ performance as “beautifully prepared,” “gripping,” with a “gossamer web of voices,” and “bridging the vocal and instrumental textures with perfect intonation.” Dr. Quist is Director of the Westminster Vocal Institute, and she was previously Director of Choral Activities at San José State University. She was selected to be the 2014 recipient of Westminster of Rider University’s Distinguished Teaching Award, and other honors include the prestigious James Mulholland National Choral Fellowship and the Audrey Davidson Early Music Award. Her research focus is voice science and pedagogy in the choral setting, and she recently presented an Interest Session for the National ACDA Conference in Salt Lake City. An active adjudicator and clinician, recent and upcoming appearances include the California All-State, Texas All-State, Delaware All-State, Tennessee All-State, and Vermont All-State honor choirs. She has also conducted honor choirs and served as an adjudicator in Arizona, Michigan, New York, Arkansas, Georgia, and New Jersey. She recently served as the Pennsylvania ACDA Summer Conference headliner, and as summer conducting faculty for Connecticut State University. An active mezzo-soprano, recent solo engagements include performances with the Monmouth Civic Chorus and Orchestra, Symphony Silicon Valley, Fuma Sacra, Princeton Pro Musica, and Princeton University. Dr. Quist serves as the National ACDA R&S Chair for Youth and Student Activities and ACDA Mentorship Co-Chair. Sponsored by: Sight Reading Factory (Use promo code “NINJA” at checkout for 10 free student accounts!) My Music Folders (Use promo code “NINJA” at checkout for best pricing - usually reserved for bulk purchases only!)

This video accompanies the exhibition entitled, Rebound: Dissections and Excavations in Book Art. Curated by Karen Ann Myers, Assistant Director of the Halsey Institute, Rebound brings together the work of five mixed-media artists from around the world who, using books as a point of departure, sculpt, scrape, bend, and carve to create astonishing compositions. Doug Beube, Long-Bin Chen, Brian Dettmer, Guy Laramée, and Francesca Pastine transform various types of literature and/or printed books through sculptural intervention. The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art commissioned Rebound artist, Long-Bin Chen, to create a site-specific sculptural work that is on view in the Rotunda of the Marlene and Nathan Addlestone from May 23 -- October 12, 2013. Chen created the work during a residency (May 1 - 23, 2013), using books from the Charleston community. College of Charleston students Tommy Fox and Jordan Fowler, and sculpture studio technician Michael Morrison were Chen's studio assistants during the residency. The Friends of the Library at the College of Charleston are sponsors of Long-Bin Chen's residency and installation.

"Arts and the Media at Spoleto" was taught by Jeanette Guinn, host of Arts Daily on ETV Radio (the S.C. NPR affiliate) and offered real world experience working on the pre-production for the daily hour-long radio coverage of Spoleto Festival USA and Piccolo Spoleto. Artist research, scheduling, question development, interviewing, app development, broadcast programming, social media, marketing and media relations, script writing, voice over, and remote and studio video and audio recording/editing were covered in the course.