Podcasts about Symphony Center

Vladimir Jurowski marks his return to Symphony Center with Shostakovich's Symphony No. 8. In this immense wartime symphony, Shostakovich searches for hope and renewal beyond the anguish of violence and honors the ordinary people who contributed — and suffered — away from the frontlines. Celebrated pianist Martin Helmchen brings his “powerful yet refined approach” (The New York Times) to Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 25. This late Mozart masterwork navigates a fascinating series of twists and turns — from its expansive first movement and tranquil second to its triumphant finale. Learn more: cso.org/performances/22-23/cso-classical/jurowski-helmchen-shostakovich-8

Violinist Esme Arias-Kim and cellist Jan Vargas Nedvetsky perform with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago at Symphony Center, plus a look back at Esme & Jan's past solo radio recitals. The post 2023 Crain-Maling Foundation CSO Young Artists Competition appeared first on WFMT.

Dancers from Chicago's world-renowned Joffrey Ballet invigorate the Symphony Center stage with two newly commissioned choreographies set to Siegfried Idyll, Wagner's glowing birthday gift to his wife, and Rameau's vivid ballet, composed for a royal wedding at the Palace of Versailles. Ravel evokes Baroque dance in Le tombeau de Couperin, with each movement becoming a touching tribute to friends who died in World War I. The program opens with the beguiling elegance of Mozart's Symphony No. 34. Ticket holders are invited to a free preconcert conversation featuring Stephen Alltop in Orchestra Hall 75 minutes before the performance. The conversation will last approximately 30 minutes. No additional tickets required. Learn more: cso.org/performances/22-23/cso-classical/cso-and-the-joffrey-ballet

obituary courtesy of the International Society of Bassists: The ISB is sad to learn of the passing yesterday of bassist, composer, educator and recording artist Kelly Sill. He was 70 years old. Kelly was a beloved mainstay of the Chicago jazz scene for more than 35 years. Born in Fargo, North Dakota, he grew up in the Chicago area. After receiving his bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he returned to Chicago to perform and record with jazz artists such as Art Blakey, Joe Henderson, Art Farmer, Clark Terry, Cedar Walton, Herb Ellis, Woody Shaw, Hank Jones, Freddie Hubbard, Kenny Burrell, Barney Kessel, Chris Potter, Ernie Watts, Bob Mintzer, Mel Torme, Anita O'Day, Jackie McLean, Joey DeFrancesco, Donald Byrd, Eddie Harris, Scott Hamilton, Victor Lewis, Clifford Jordan and Bucky Pizzarelli. He performed at the Chicago Jazz Festival, the Elkhart Jazz Festival, the Red Sea Jazz Festival, Thessaloniki Concert Hall in Greece and Symphony Center in Chicago. Kelly's discography includes more than fifty recordings as a sideman and leader.   Kelly served on the faculties of Northeastern Illinois University, Lake Forest College, DePaul University and Northern Illinois University. He also taught at the Interlochen Arts Camp, Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshop, Janice Borla Vocal Jazz Camp, University of Wisconsin/Stevens Point Jazz Camp, Clark Terry Great Plains Jazz Camp and the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) Summer Music Program.   Saxophonist Gregory Dudzienski recalls his friend: "Kelly was one of the warmest, most welcoming, supportive, and funniest people I've ever had the fortune to spend time with. He had that way of interacting with you, that way of giving you his full attention and self that made it feel like you were the most important person in the world to him. That way of interacting carried into his playing as well."   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.   Upton Bass String Instrument Company - Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players.   Dorico - Unlock Dorico for iPad – For Life! Want to enjoy all of Dorico for iPad's subscription-only features – including support for unlimited players, freehand annotations in Read mode with Apple Pencil, support for third-party Audio Unit plug-ins, and much more – but don't want to pay a monthly or annual fee? Dorico for iPad now provides a lifetime unlock option, so you can access all current and future subscription-only features for a single, one-off in-app purchase. Visit the App Store today and unlock Dorico for iPad for life!   theme music by Eric Hochberg

Guitarist Steve Roberts is an interesting ‘cat’. AND a dog person. He plays a multitude of stringed instruments. From acoustic guitar to mandolin to banjo to electric guitars with 52 foot pedals. He’s carved out a career across a wide swath of musical genres. Starting out in garage bands (no, not ‘Garage Band’!) as a kid in Oak Park, Illinois, Steve turned his love of the Beatles and Pink Floyd into a distinctive and distinguished career. (I know!!! You almost never see ‘distinguished’ in a sentence about guitar players!). His range is impressive: from bar bands to recording jingles; from contemporary music ensembles to the pits of Broadway musicals; from playing banjo at Symphony Center to playing mandolin at Ravinia with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; from touring with ‘Mary Poppins’ to appearing with the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Steve has done it all. And he’s still doing it. He’s at the top of his game. Steve also has a passion for large dogs, road trips, and lamp making. . . maybe the last part isn’t true?? Guess you’ll have to listen in and see.

Riccardo Muti presents two groundbreaking pieces by the first African American composers to have symphonic works performed by major orchestras. William Grant Still's Mother and Child is a gentle, lilting work inspired by a painting by Sargent Johnson. Florence Price's expressive Third Symphony gives a powerful voice to the African American experience. The first half includes Beethoven's Fourth Symphony, a work of grace, subtlety and drive, whose smallest gestures have large implications. Florence Price was a pioneer in the world of classical music: the first African-American woman to be recognized as a symphonic composer and the first to have her work played by a major orchestra. In honor of these special performances of Price's Symphony No. 3, arrive early to learn more about this fascinating composer. The complete experience will include a free preconcert panel discussion in Orchestra Hall 90 minutes before each performance. The event is moderated by Dr. Toni-Marie Montgomery, Dean of the Henry and Leigh Bienen School of Music, Northwestern University, and featuring Florence Price scholars Dr. Tammy L. Kernodle, Distinguished Professor of Music, Miami University, and Dr. Douglas W. Shadle, Associate Professor of Musicology, Blair School of Music, Vanderbilt University, as well as special guest Jessie Montgomery, CSO Mead Composer-in-Residence. No additional tickets required. Following the discussion, enjoy chamber music performances by Civic Orchestra of Chicago and Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative String Quartets performing works by Price and Montgomery in the Grainger Ballroom and Rotunda at Symphony Center. Thursday, May 5 6:00-6:45p Panel Discussion 6:45-7:15p Preconcert Chamber Performances Friday, May 6 12:00-12:45p Panel Discussion 12:45-1:15p Preconcert Chamber Performances Saturday, May 7 6:30-7:15p Panel Discussion 7:15-7:45p Preconcert Chamber Performances Learn more: cso.org/performances/21-22/cso-classical/muti-conducts-beethoven-still-price

Among her many accomplishments, Dianne Reeves is a recipient of the “Jazz Masters” award from the National Endowment for the Arts, which is considered the highest honor in jazz, and she is the first woman to receive the Monterey Jazz Festival's “Jazz Legends” award. Reset talks with the jazz dynamo ahead of her performance at the Symphony Center.

The award-winning musician and social justice activist will be part of a special immersive concert at the Symphony Center on Saturday. Reset learns more about the immersive concert.

A special immersive concert at the Symphony Center this weekend will pay tribute to important moments and figures in Black history. Saturday's Freedom, Justice and Hope performance will feature award-winning jazz musician Wynton Marsalis with the Jazz at Lincoln Center and Equal Justice Initiative founder Bryan Stevenson as a special guest. Reset learns more about the event and how the arts have shaped justice movements in America.

The CYSO Symphony Orchestra returned to Symphony Center for the first time in two years. Last week we heard from their Concerto Competition winners, and this week we hear the centerpiece work of the Fall 2021 concert: Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4. The interview guests are Principal Oboe Zachary Allen and Principal Bassoon Taki Salameh. Playlist Peter Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4, ... The post Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras Fall 2021 Concert – Symphony appeared first on WFMT.

This week on Backstage Chicago, we visit the Chicago Puppet Studio inside the historic fine arts building. We talk to some of the artists who use creativity and storytelling through puppetry. We'll also get a sneak peak of the upcoming Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival. https://chicagopuppetfest.org/ Tune in next week when we visit the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Center.

Branford Marsalis, Grammy-winning Saxophonist and revered jazz musician, joins Bruce St. James and Andrea Darlas to talk about his upcoming concert with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra at the Symphony Center. Marsalis talks about the fusion of classical and jazz, as well as the future generation of music. The show is Saturday, January 22 at 8:00 pm. For more, visit cso.org.

The flagship groups of Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras returned to Symphony Center for the first time in two years, and they had a lot of catching up to do. On the program were features for two years' worth of Concerto Competition winners: violinist Bianca Ciubancan and clarinettist Louis Auxenfans won in 2020 and 2021 respectively. (Louis Auxenfans appeared on Introductions ... The post Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras Fall 2021 Concert – Concertos appeared first on WFMT.

Riccardo Muti is music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and one of the world's great conductors. He's a fierce advocate for culture (as opposed to entertainment) and a passionate artist who knows what he wants. Sitting in his Symphony Center quarters, he was eloquent and good-humored while discussing the pandemic's impact on culture, why he won't listen to his old recordings, whether he's ever nervous to meet anyone, which audience behavior annoys him the most, why he keeps donkeys at home and what he plans to do after his CSO contract ends in 2023.

Ross Perot built two powerhouse companies and changed the way politicians communicate with their constituents. Perot was an Eagle Scout who went on to join the US Naval Academy in 1949, and served in the Navy until the late 1950s. He then joined the IBM sales organization and one year ended up meeting his quota in the second week of the year. He had all kinds of ideas for new things to do and sell, but no one was interested. So he left and formed a new company called Electronic Data Systems, or EDS, in 1962. You see, these IBM mainframes weren't being used for time sharing so most of the time they were just sitting idle. So he could sell the unused time from one company to another. Perot learned from the best. As with IBM he maintained a strict dress code. Suits, no facial hair, and a high and tight crew cut as you'd find him still sporting years after his Navy days. And over time they figured out many of these companies didn't have anyone capable of running these machines in the first place, so they could also step in and become a technology outsourcer, doing maintenance and servicing machines. Not only that, but they were perfectly situated to help process all the data from the new Medicare and Medicaid programs that were just starting up. States had a lot of new paperwork to process and that meant computers. He hired Morton Meyerson out at Bell Helicopter in 1966, who would become the president and effectively created the outsourcing concept in computing. Meyerson would become the president of EDS before leaving to take a series of executive roles at other organizations, including the CTO at General Motors in the 1980s before retiring. EDS went public in 1968. He'd taken $1,000 in seed money from his wife Margot to start the company, and his stake was now worth $350 million, which would rise sharply in the ensuing years as the company grew. By the 1970s they were practically printing cash. They were the biggest insurance data provider and added credit unions then financial markets and were perfectly positioned to help build the data networks that ATMs and point of sale systems would use. By the start of 1980 they were sitting on a quarter billion dollars in revenues and 8,000 employees. They continued to expand into new industries with more transactional needs, adding airlines and travel. He sold in 1984 to General Motors for $2.5 billion and Perot got $700 million personally. Meyerson stayed on to run the company and by 1990 their revenues topped $5 billion and neared 50,000 employees. Perot just couldn't be done in business. He was good at it. So in 1988 he started another firm, Perot Systems. The company grew quickly. Perot knew how to sell, how to build sales teams, and how to listen to customers and build services products they wanted. Perot again looked for an effective leader and tapped Meyerson yet again, who became the CEO of Perot Systems from 1992 to 1998. Perot's son Ross Jr took over the company. In 2008, EDS and their 170,000 employees was sold to Hewlett-Packard for $13.9 billion and in 2009 Perot Systems was sold to Dell for $3.9 billion. Keep in mind that Morton Meyerson was a mentor to Michael Dell. When they were sold, Perot Systems had 23,000 employees and $2.8 billion in revenues. That's roughly a 1.4x multiple of revenues, which isn't as good as the roughly 2x multiple Perot got off EDS - but none too shabby given that by then multiples were down for outsourcers. Based on his work and that of others, they'd built two companies worth nearly $20 billion - before 2010, employing nearly 200,000 people. Along the way, Perot had some interesting impacts other than just building so many jobs for so many humans. He passed on an opportunity to invest in this little company called Microsoft. So when Steve Jobs left Apple and looked for investors he jumped on board, pumping $20 million into NeXT Computer, and getting a nice exit when the company went to Apple for nearly half a billion. Perot was philanthropic. He helped a lot of people coming home from various armed services in his lifetime. He was good to those he loved. He gave $10 million to have his friend Morton Meyerson's name put on the Dallas Symphony Orchestra's Symphony Center. And he was interested in no BS politics. Yet politics had been increasingly polarized since Nixon. So Perot also ran for president of the US in 1992, against George Bush and Bill Clinton. He didn't win but he flooded the airwaves with common sense arguments about government inefficiency and a declining market for doing business. He showed computer graphics with all the charts and graphs you can imagine. And while he didn't get even one vote in the electoral college did manage to get 19 percent of the vote. His message was one of populism. Take the country back, stop deficit spending just like he ran his companies, and that persists with various wings of especially the Republican Party to this day. Especially in Perot's home state of Texas. He didn't win, but he effectively helped define the Contract with America that that Newt Gingrich and the 90s era of oversized suit jacket Republicans used to as a strategy. He argued for things to help the common people - not politicians. Ironically, those that took much of his content actually did just the opposite, slowed down the political machine by polarizing the public. And allowed deficit spending to increase on their watch. He ran again in 1996 but this time got far less votes and didn't end up running for office again. He had a similar impact on IBM. Around 30 years after leaving the company, his success in services was one of the many inspirations for IBM pivoting into services as well. By then the services industry was big enough for plenty of companies to thrive and while sales could be competitive they all did well as personal computing put devices on desks across the world and those devices needed support. Perot died in 2019, one of the couple hundred richest people in the US. Navy Lieutenant. Founder. Philanthropist. Texan. Father. Husband. His impact on the technology industry was primarily around seeing waste. Wasted computing time. Wasted staffing where more efficient outsourcing paradigms were possible. He inspired massive shifts in the industry that persist to this day.

Italian pianist Beatrice Rana made her Chicago debut at Symphony Center on February 24, 2019.  The next day, the 2013 Cliburn Competition silver medalist performed on Impromptu. The post Beatrice Rana, Piano appeared first on WFMT.

Fareed Haque is a modern guitar virtuoso. Steeped in classical and jazz traditions, his unique command of the guitar and different musical styles inspire his musical ventures with tradition and fearless innovation.Since 2011, Haque has returned to his first loves, jazz guitar and classical guitar. He has been busy performing and recording with his trio featuring legendary B3 virtuoso Tony Monaco, his own trio and jazz quartet, as well as his larger world music group the Flat Earth Ensemble.Recent releases include the critically acclaimed Out of Nowhere featuring drummer Billy Hart and bassist George Mraz, The Flat Earth Ensemble's latest release Trance Hypothesis, and The Tony Monaco/Fareed Haque release Furry Slippers that reached the top 10 in Jazz Radio Airplay.IN addition, Fareed has performed at the Chicago, Detroit, and Java Jazz festivals and was featured as part of the Made in Chicago Series performing with his numerous groups at Millenium Park's Pritzker Pavillion in Chicago. He also performed and arranged numerous classical programs as 2013 artist-in-residence for The Chicago Latin Music Festival, was featured on WBEZ, as well as WFMT's Fiesta! radio programs, and has recorded his arrangement of Piazzolla's 5 Tango Sensations, El Alevin by Eduardo Angulo Leo Brouwer's Quintet for Guitar and String Quartet with the critically acclaimed Kaia String Quartet. Haque continues to tour and record extensively along with documenting his unique teaching methods in a series of best selling interactive video courses through TrueFire.IN 2016, Haque was invited to perform at the Indianapolis Jazz Festival Tribute to Wes Montgomery along with Peter Bernstein, Bobby Broom, Henry Johnson, Will Mathews, Russell Malone, Pat Martino, and Dave Stryker. He was also a visiting scholar at Western Michigan University. Recent projects include artistic directorship of numerous jazz festivals, performances with Tony Monaco, Paquito D'Rivera, Vijay Iyer, pundit Vikku Vinacrayam, long-anticipated reunion concerts with Garaj Mahal, concerts in India, a return to Java Jazz, and concerts and teaching in China. In 2017, Mr. Haque released The Bridge with virtuoso Chilean bassist Christian Galvez and renowned Indian percussionist Selva Ganesh. Haque has also rekindled his duo with Goran Ivanovic. Performances include Canadian Guitar Festival, Winters Jazz Fest NYC, Lotus Music Fest, and many others. Upcoming tours in China and Europe are slated for 2018. Haque has joined drum legend Billy Cobham as a member of his Crosswinds Ensemble featuring Haque on guitars, Randy Brecker on Trumpet, and Paul Hansen on sax and bassoon. Extensive touring and recording are slated for 2019. Haque's most recent release NEW LATIN AMERICAN MUSIC FOR GUITAR AND STRING QUARTET was picked by Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune as one of the top releases of 2018. In addition, the release was chosen as Downbeat Magazine Editor's Pick in 2018. 2019 portends to be a busy year, as Haque has retired from 30 years at Northern Illinois University to accommodate extended tours with Cobham, Goran Ivanovic, and his own groups. Highlights to include The Montreux Jazz Festival with Cobham, and appearances with his own groups at The Bluenote Beijing, Louisville, and Minneapolis Guitar Festivals among others. New recordings with his own group and with Goran Ivanovic are scheduled for 2019, under the legendary Delmark Label.Born in 1963 to a Pakistani father and Chilean mother, Fareed's extensive travels and especially long stays in Spain, France, Iran, Pakistan, and Chile exposed Haque to different kinds of music from a very early age. While this natural eclecticism has become a hallmark of Haque's music, it was repeated visits to Von Freeman's Chicago jam sessions that gave Haque a grounding in the Chicago blues and jazz traditions. The 1981 recipient of North Texas State University's Jazz Guitar Scholarship, Haque spent a year studying with renowned jazz guitarist and pedagogue Jack Peterson. Fareed's growing interest in the classical guitar led him to transfer to Northwestern University, where he completed his studies in classical guitar under David Buch, John Holmquist, and Anne Waller.Soon after his transfer to NU, Haque came to the attention of multi-instrumentalist Howard Levy and joined his latin-fusion group Chevere. Thru Levy, Haque was introduced to Paquito D'Rivera and began a long and fruitful relationship with the Cuban NEA Jazz Master. Numerous world tours and recordings including Manhattan Burn, Celebration, Havana Cafe, Tico Tico, Live at the MCG were to follow. Especially notable is the classic and award winning Reunion featuring Haque along with Arturo Sandoval, Danilo Perez, Giovanni Hidalgo, Mark Walker, and David Fink.Thru D'Rivera, Haque was brought to the attention of Sting, who had just begun his record label Pangaea. Sting invited Haque to join the label and he released 2 critically acclaimed recordings, Voices Rising and Manresa. Haque toured briefly with Sting, including notable appearances at The Montreux Jazz Festival, as well as NBC's Michelob Presents Sunday Night with David Sanborn, but his own career demands led Haque in other directions.Haque has been featured on WTTW's ArtBeat and Chicago Tonight, Ben Sidran's New Visions, Michelob Presents Sunday Night with David Sanborn on NBC, his own Lonesome Pines special for PBS, and on BET cable jazz channel. Fareed has twice been selected as Talent Deserving Wider Recognition in Downbeat Magazine. In 1989, Haque also joined the faculty at Northern Illinois University as professor of jazz and classical guitar. He continues to teach at NIU to this day.After a short stint at Warner Bros. recording Majestad (unreleased and featuring John Patitucci, Michael Landau, Russel Ferrante, Grazinha, Lenny Castro, and Carlos Vega!), Bruce Lundvall signed Haque to the legendary Bluenote Records. While at Bluenote, Haque recorded three albums as a leader: Sacred Addiction, Opaque, and Déjà vu. Haque toured and recorded extensively with other artists, including tours and 3 CDs with Javon Jackson: A Look within, For One Who Knows, and Good People. In addition, sideman credits include tours and recordings with Joe Henderson, Herbie Mann, Bob James, Richie Cole, Joey Calderazzo, Kahil El Zabar and the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, and numerous Bluenote recordings for producer/arranger Bob Belden alongside Cassandra Wilson, Dianne Reeves, Joe Lovano, Paul Motian, and many others. Numerous classical recitals, as well as appearances with the Vermeer Quartet and many symphonies across the US and abroad, added to an incredible diversity of performances during this period.Thru Belden, Haque was invited to join forces with Joe Zawinul as part of his Zawinul Syndicate. The group proved to be one of Joe's best and most eclectic. Included were percussionist and vocalist Arto Tuncboyacian, drummer Paco Sery, bassist Mathew Garrison, along with Haque on Guitar and Electric Guitar. A year of extensive touring brought Haque closer to his Jazz/Rock roots.In 2001, Haque's interest in jam bands and the jam scene led him to co-found the jam super-group Garaj Mahal featuring Kai Eckhardt, Eric Levy, and Alan Hertz. This began 10 years of extensive touring across the US, performing in excess of 200 shows per year. Haque also joined George Brooks' group Summit, featuring Zakir Hussain and Steve Smith. Haque was voted ‘Most Valuable Player' at the 2002 High Sierra Music Festival. Haque and Garaj Mahal released 3 Live CDs as well as 5 studio CDs: Mondo Garaj, Blueberry Cave, w00t, More Mr. Nice Guy, and Discovery, which featured Haque's debut of the Moog Guitar.In 2004, Fareed premiered his Lahara Double Concerto for Sitar/Guitar and Tabla with The Chicago Sinfonietta at Symphony Center in Chicago, under the baton of maestro Paul Freeman, featuring tabla virtuoso Ustad Zakir Hussain, to whom the work is dedicated.In 2006, Fareed was commissioned to compose a classical guitar concerto for the Fulcrum Point Ensemble. His Gamelan Concertowas premiered in May of '06 at The Harris theatre in Millenium Park.In 2007, Garaj Mahal won an Independent Music Award.In 2009 Haque was voted ‘Best World Guitarist' by Guitar Player Magazine's Readers' poll. His acclaimed 2009 release Flat Planetwas twice #1 on the World Jazz Radio charts.After 10 years of over 2000 dates with Garaj Mahal, Haque's interest in electronic music and the Moog Guitar spurred him to leave Garaj Mahal and form Fareed Haque's MathGames, featuring bassist Alex Austin and drummer Greg Fundis.Notable events during this time include Haque performing and assistant directing the first Jazz Festival en la Patagonia in Frutillar, Chile under his mentor and friend Paquito D'Rivera, and appearances with his own groups at Java Jazz, The Chicago Jazz Festival, The Twents Guitar Festival, The Indy Jazz Fest, Coleman Hawkins Jazz Fest, Jazz in June, The Lafayette and South Bend Jazz Festivals, Sophia Jazz Fest, Bulgaria and many others around the world. Haque also performed at both the Aranjuez and Villa-Lobos guitar concertos (in one concert!) with The Chicago Philharmonic, under the baton of Lucia Matos at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall.★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Penderecki in Memoriam Podcast is produced and hosted by Max Horowitz, Crossover Media. Created by Anna Perzanowska and Klaudia Ofwona Draber, and presented by Polish Cultural Institute New York. Penderecki in Memoriam Podcast unveils a multifaceted portrait of Krzysztof Penderecki, with commentary from musicians, colleagues, radio programmers, and writers who lend insight and memories of Poland's greatest modern composer. This podcast is part of Penderecki in Memoriam Worldwide project, honoring the life and legacy of the great composer. Thank you to project partners DUX, NAXOS, Ludwig van Beethoven Association, and Schott EAM for sharing Krzysztof Penderecki's music with the world. Osmo Vänskä, the Minnesota Orchestra's tenth music director, is renowned internationally for his compelling interpretations of the standard, contemporary and Nordic repertoires. He has led the Orchestra on five major European tours, as well as an August 2018 visit to London's BBC Proms, and on historic tours to Cuba in 2015 and South Africa in 2018. The Cuba tour was the first by an American orchestra since the thaw in Cuban-American diplomatic relations, while the five-city South Africa tour—the culmination of a Music for Mandela celebration of Nelson Mandela's centennial—was the first-ever visit to the country by a professional U.S. orchestra. He has also led the Orchestra in appearances at New York's Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, Chicago's Symphony Center and community venues across Minnesota.  Track Credits: 1. Viola Concerto Vivace 2. Chaconne in memoria Giovanni Paolo II 3. Concerto Doppio Buffalo Philharmonic.

March of 2020 — that was the last time the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performed for a live audience. Cultural institutions have been some of the hardest hit by the pandemic. Reset learns how they’re tuning up for their first live show at Symphony Center on May 27.

The April 26 issue of BizTimes Milwaukee features two stories on the conversion of the Warner Grand Theatre into the Bradley Symphony Center. Associate editor Lauren Anderson wrote the cover story focusing on how the MSO pulled together funding for the $139 project, how plans to open the facility evolved because of COVID-19 and the impact of the project on the western side of Milwaukee's downtown. Reporter Alex Zank dove into the details of the construction project, from complicated land assembly to moving a wall to restoring historical details.Laurena and Alex joined associate editor Arthur Thomas to talk about the experience of reporting the stories, including touring the building before and after in Lauren's case. The stories are also supported by incredible photography from Jake Hill, highlighting the grand scale and attention to detail of the project. BizTimes Insiders can read the full stories here:- Milwaukee's new Bradley Symphony Center- Inside the herculean task to build the MSO's new home

We hear from filmmaker Yoruba Richen about her documentary The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts ‘The Tonight Show. Then, we meet the hosts of NPR’s history podcast Throughline, who recently made the jump to radio. We learn about Milwaukee’s new Edessa School of Fashion.

On this edition of The Arts Section, host Gary Zidek catches up with award-winning vocalist Kurt Elling. The Chicago native is back in his hometown and is performing concerts virtually from his favorite local club. The Dueling Critics, Kerry Reid and Jonathan Abarbanel, stop by to review a new streaming play titled BLACK MAGIC. Later, Gary talks to CNN's international correspondent Clarissa Ward about her new book ON ALL FRONTS: THE EDUCATION OF A JOURNALIST. And then, we'll check in with what's happening at Symphony Center as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra amplifies its virtual offerings.

"You don't 100% the video game of a Music career by getting a college teaching job." Andy Hudson is currently Assistant Professor of Clarinet at the University of North Carolina Greensboro and the NC State Chair for the International Clarinet Association. He has appeared in Carnegie Hall’s ‘Weill Recital Hall,’ Chicago’s ‘Symphony Center,’ and has performed at the World Congress of the International Alliance for Women in Music, College Music Society conferences in the US and Canada, the New Music Gathering, and International Clarinet Association Festivals in the US and Europe. Andy has commissioned or premiered dozens fo works to date, and has performed as guest principal clarinet of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, the North Carolina Opera, and the Carolina Ballet. He has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on their MusicNOW series and was appointed 3rd/Bass Clarinetist of the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra in 2020. Andy currently performs with Latitude 49, F-PLUS, earspace, and The Zafa Collective. Let’s connect on Twitter: @TheAndyHudsonwww.theandyhudson.comwww.ledahfinck.com

Nicole Sasser is a truly versatile performer. Trumpeter, singer, quasi comedian. I got the chance to pick her brain on life as a cruise ship performer while she's quarantined thanks to COVID-19 and had a terrific time in doing so. Here's what you'll hear in today's show:-How Nicole first got started on trumpet...4:47-The cruise ships were a callin'...Nicole answered...15:46-How to not suck as a performer...20:45-Differences in pleasing the audience vs. the event promoters...27:30About the guest:Nicole began playing trumpet at age 9, and has been singing all her life. Growing up in the Chicago area afforded her incredible opportunities for music, including performing at Carnegie Hall and Symphony Center with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, and at Lincoln Center as a member of the Youth Jazz Ensemble of DuPage. She graduated from the prestigious Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, then moved to Florida to develop as a freelance artist and produce her own shows for cruise ships. While in Florida, Nicole has performed with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra and Brevard Symphony Orchestra. She got her Disney start in California, where she was in the All-American College Band. For ten years she has been making people smile at the happiest place on earth, Disney World, performing in the Main Street Philharmonic and Epcot's Candlelight Processional in the Walt Disney Orchestra and as a Fanfare Trumpeter. In 2008, she produced her first solo album with a live band, which launched her career as a headliner, and in 2012 had her first international series of concerts in Sicily, Italy. Nicole's latest project was co-writing all originals with multi-platinum producer Veit Renn, for a pop electronic dance album that she released in 2015.

Tel Aviv-born, New York-based Anat Cohen is a multiple Grammy-nominated clarinetist, composer, and bandleader whose Anat Cohen Tentet ranges from chamber-funk to large and sensuous orchestral jazz, from Brazilian music to African grooves, vintage swing to tango, boogaloo to ballads. Their latest album, Triple Helix, has been nominated for a Grammy and is built around a three part clarinet concerto, co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall and Chicago’s Symphony Center,and written by Anat’s longtime music director Oded Lev-Ari. The title seems to refer to the three different musical elements – jazz, classical, and world music – that go into the piece. Hear the Anat Cohen Tentet play the three-movement concerto, “Triple Helix,” in-studio.  Triple Helix by Anat Cohen Tentet

Chicago Symphony cellist Brant Taylor may have been our very first special guest here at the Stand Partners, but so far we've been missing the perspective of his partner Roderick Branch. Roderick is a musician, though his day job (and sometimes into the night job) is as a partner at a giant law firm. Roderick is what you'd call an extremely savvy listener, otherwise known as a superfan. So today Akiko, Brant, and I talk with Roderick, to remember just who it is we're playing for. Roderick elaborates on the dynamics between orchestra and audience in the context of different halls around the world. We speak about the room for error in a magical rendition, the performer as an audience member, and how the level of familiarity with an orchestra affects our experience of it. We also get into the pros and cons of designs, histories, and acoustics of different halls. Next, we share many stories about what made a particular concert life-changing, and then weigh up the various traits of our favorite conductors. Finally, our pet peeves about off-putting audience or performer behavior take center stage. Key Points From This Episode Performers and audience members might feel differently about the quality of a symphony. The distance of a performer or observer from the orchestra changes how it sounds. Minor mistakes are less meaningful when there is great spirit in a performance. The mood of an audience member might change their experience of a performance. Live symphonies sound different to recorded and mastered ones. The way a musician reacts to something unexpected is an indicator of how prepared they are. Experiencing different hall acoustics is neither good or bad but special. Sometimes one has to try to be less critical to have a good time. Knowing the orchestra might change the experience of watching them for better or worse. Knowing who is playing could change whether Roderick goes to a concert or not. Disney Hall's modernity compared to the sense of history of Symphony Center. The acoustics of Disney hall are like a soft focus lens, while Chicago Hall is less forgiving. Less forgiving acoustics can be liberating because it allows for powerful playing. Hearing the same orchestra playing in different halls is a good way of seeing their difference. Great conductors bring out aspects in a symphony not heard before. The respect the orchestra has for a good conductor is palpable in their body language. It is difficult to be fully present as a musician in every performance. Several stories of the most life-changing performances the group have ever seen. Barenboim, Boulez, Haitink and Muti compared by Roderick. Off-putting performer behavior: not looking engaged and talking during the applause. Off-putting audience behavior: humming, cellphones, leaving too early, coughing. Links Brant Taylor Roderick Branch Chicago Symphony Orchestra Bartok Concerto For Orchestra LA Philharmonic Disney Concert Hall Symphony Center Orchestra Hall Daniel Burnham  The Burnham Plan of Chicago Barbara Walter Milli-Vanilli Musikverein Carnegie Hall Concertgebouw Severance Hall Riccardo Muti Krassimira Stoyanova Pierre Boulez  Ben Molar Daniel Barenboim Ma Vlast The Moldau Bernard Haitink Shakespeare Beethoven 9 Verdi: Requiem The Hollywood Bowl Jumbotron Anne-Sophie Mutter “If you're performing a string quartet or a solo piece, the way you react to things that don't go totally as planned is the biggest indicator of how well prepared something is.” — @ Akiko Tarumoto [0:12:07] “If you listen to the concert with your music critic hat on, that detracts from the enjoyment of the experience.” — @ Roderick Branch [0:18:10] “It's actually an interesting hobby to hear an orchestra you know well, play in different halls. It's the best way to figure out exactly how much d...

Chicago Symphony cellist Brant Taylor may have been our very first special guest here at the Stand Partners, but so far we've been missing the perspective of his partner Roderick Branch. Roderick is a musician, though his day job (and sometimes into the night job) is as a partner at a giant law firm. Roderick is what you'd call an extremely savvy listener, otherwise known as a superfan. So today Akiko, Brant, and I talk with Roderick, to remember just who it is we're playing for. Roderick elaborates on the dynamics between orchestra and audience in the context of different halls around the world. We speak about the room for error in a magical rendition, the performer as an audience member, and how the level of familiarity with an orchestra affects our experience of it. We also get into the pros and cons of designs, histories, and acoustics of different halls. Next, we share many stories about what made a particular concert life-changing, and then weigh up the various traits of our favorite conductors. Finally, our pet peeves about off-putting audience or performer behavior take center stage. Key Points From This Episode Performers and audience members might feel differently about the quality of a symphony. The distance of a performer or observer from the orchestra changes how it sounds. Minor mistakes are less meaningful when there is great spirit in a performance. The mood of an audience member might change their experience of a performance. Live symphonies sound different to recorded and mastered ones. The way a musician reacts to something unexpected is an indicator of how prepared they are. Experiencing different hall acoustics is neither good or bad but special. Sometimes one has to try to be less critical to have a good time. Knowing the orchestra might change the experience of watching them for better or worse. Knowing who is playing could change whether Roderick goes to a concert or not. Disney Hall’s modernity compared to the sense of history of Symphony Center. The acoustics of Disney hall are like a soft focus lens, while Chicago Hall is less forgiving. Less forgiving acoustics can be liberating because it allows for powerful playing. Hearing the same orchestra playing in different halls is a good way of seeing their difference. Great conductors bring out aspects in a symphony not heard before. The respect the orchestra has for a good conductor is palpable in their body language. It is difficult to be fully present as a musician in every performance. Several stories of the most life-changing performances the group have ever seen. Barenboim, Boulez, Haitink and Muti compared by Roderick. Off-putting performer behavior: not looking engaged and talking during the applause. Off-putting audience behavior: humming, cellphones, leaving too early, coughing. Links Brant TaylorRoderick BranchChicago Symphony OrchestraBartok Concerto For OrchestraLA PhilharmonicDisney Concert HallSymphony CenterOrchestra HallDaniel Burnham The Burnham Plan of ChicagoBarbara WalterMilli-VanilliMusikvereinCarnegie HallConcertgebouwSeverance HallRiccardo MutiKrassimira StoyanovaPierre Boulez Ben MolarDaniel BarenboimMa VlastThe MoldauBernard HaitinkShakespeareBeethoven 9Verdi: RequiemThe Hollywood BowlJumbotronAnne-Sophie Mutter “If you’re performing a string quartet or a solo piece, the way you react to things that don’t go totally as planned is the biggest indicator of how well prepared something is.” — @ Akiko Tarumoto [0:12:07] “If you listen to the concert with your music critic hat on, that detracts from the enjoyment of the experience.” — @ Roderick Branch [0:18:10] “It’s actually an interesting hobby to hear an orchestra you know well, play in different halls. It’s the best way to figure out exactly how much difference the hall can make for, better or worse, in the way that something sounds.” — @ Brant Taylor [0:24:54] “I think I was probably looking down at the stage just taking in and basking in the g...

Chicago Symphony cellist Brant Taylor may have been our very first special guest here at the Stand Partners, but so far we've been missing the perspective of his partner Roderick Branch. Roderick is a musician, though his day job (and sometimes into the night job) is as a partner at a giant law firm. Roderick is what you'd call an extremely savvy listener, otherwise known as a superfan. So today Akiko, Brant, and I talk with Roderick, to remember just who it is we're playing for. Roderick elaborates on the dynamics between orchestra and audience in the context of different halls around the world. We speak about the room for error in a magical rendition, the performer as an audience member, and how the level of familiarity with an orchestra affects our experience of it. We also get into the pros and cons of designs, histories, and acoustics of different halls. Next, we share many stories about what made a particular concert life-changing, and then weigh up the various traits of our favorite conductors. Finally, our pet peeves about off-putting audience or performer behavior take center stage. Key Points From This Episode Performers and audience members might feel differently about the quality of a symphony. The distance of a performer or observer from the orchestra changes how it sounds. Minor mistakes are less meaningful when there is great spirit in a performance. The mood of an audience member might change their experience of a performance. Live symphonies sound different to recorded and mastered ones. The way a musician reacts to something unexpected is an indicator of how prepared they are. Experiencing different hall acoustics is neither good or bad but special. Sometimes one has to try to be less critical to have a good time. Knowing the orchestra might change the experience of watching them for better or worse. Knowing who is playing could change whether Roderick goes to a concert or not. Disney Hall’s modernity compared to the sense of history of Symphony Center. The acoustics of Disney hall are like a soft focus lens, while Chicago Hall is less forgiving. Less forgiving acoustics can be liberating because it allows for powerful playing. Hearing the same orchestra playing in different halls is a good way of seeing their difference. Great conductors bring out aspects in a symphony not heard before. The respect the orchestra has for a good conductor is palpable in their body language. It is difficult to be fully present as a musician in every performance. Several stories of the most life-changing performances the group have ever seen. Barenboim, Boulez, Haitink and Muti compared by Roderick. Off-putting performer behavior: not looking engaged and talking during the applause. Off-putting audience behavior: humming, cellphones, leaving too early, coughing. Links Brant TaylorRoderick BranchChicago Symphony OrchestraBartok Concerto For OrchestraLA PhilharmonicDisney Concert HallSymphony CenterOrchestra HallDaniel Burnham The Burnham Plan of ChicagoBarbara WalterMilli-VanilliMusikvereinCarnegie HallConcertgebouwSeverance HallRiccardo MutiKrassimira StoyanovaPierre Boulez Ben MolarDaniel BarenboimMa VlastThe MoldauBernard HaitinkShakespeareBeethoven 9Verdi: RequiemThe Hollywood BowlJumbotronAnne-Sophie Mutter “If you’re performing a string quartet or a solo piece, the way you react to things that don’t go totally as planned is the biggest indicator of how well prepared something is.” — @ Akiko Tarumoto [0:12:07] “If you listen to the concert with your music critic hat on, that detracts from the enjoyment of the experience.” — @ Roderick Branch [0:18:10] “It’s actually an interesting hobby to hear an orchestra you know well, play in different halls. It’s the best way to figure out exactly how much difference the hall can make for, better or worse, in the way that something sounds.” — @ Brant Taylor [0:24:54] “I think I was probably looking down at the stage just taking in and basking in the g...

On this edition of The Arts Section, host Gary Zidek previews the 55th Chicago International Film Festival. He sits down with Festival artistic director Mimi Plauche and senior programmer Anthony Kaufman. A little later in the show, a story about the work of Tetsuya Ishida, the late Japanese artist is the focus of a new exhibit in Chicago. The Dueling Critics, Kerry Reid and Jonathan Abarbanel, will join Gary to review a new play that offers a different take on the Joan of Arc story. The director of a suburban organization stops by to talk about its mission to build awareness of the arts in DuPage County. And Gary checks in with Grammy Award winning vocalist Kurt Elling to talk about a special one night-only program at Symphony Center.

Thaddeus Tukes ’16 came to Northwestern knowing that there wasn’t a program for what he wanted to do but he had the faith he could work with Northwestern to create one. Although it wasn’t always easy, Tukes worked with leaders at the Bienen School of Music to create a major that worked for him, just as he is now working with community leaders in Chicago to create a lifestyle that works for him. He has accomplished a lot in his two year career path, like performing the vibraphone and being showcased at Carnegie Hall and the Symphony Center in Chicago, among many other jazz festivals, but he is most proud of his work teaching young people to enjoy and love art. You won’t want to miss this conversation around transforming your perspective from finding a career path to creating a lifestyle.

What you'll hear: - How and why Amir ultimately chose jazz over classical after studying both through college - What he did after college to seek out a specific sound he was craving... and it didn't even exist yet - The unique learning style that has been lost over generations, the human connection it creates and how this style greatly impacted his trumpet playing - What he realized about combining musical styles and what that actually means for the preservation and evolution of a musical tradition ... and much more. More about Amir: http://www.amirelsaffar.com/music/projects/rivers-of-sound/ https://newamsterdamrecords.bandcamp.com/album/not-two Purchase on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/not-two/1236925789  Upcoming Concerts: Iowa City, Chicago and New York   Thursday, February 8th at 7:30 pm in Iowa City, IA at the Hancher Auditorium: https://hancher.uiowa.edu/2017-18/AmirElSaffar  Friday, February 9th at 8:00 pm in Chicago at Symphony Center https://cso.org/ticketsandevents/production-details-2017-18/scp-jazz/mike-reed-amir-elsaffar/ Saturday, February 10th at 7:30 pm at NYU Skirball http://as.nyu.edu/neareaststudies/events/spring-2018/rivers-of-sound-with-amir-elsaffar.html   Check out the new revolutionary tuner app DRONE TUNER on iOS. Available NOW for iPhone and iPad. Tune to REAL recorded instrument tones instead of machine-like sounds to work on intonation, sound concept and blend. The visual component of this tuner is also incredible, with a super-fast reaction time, it allows you to tune while playing a musical passage or using vibrato. It even allows you to tune chords! Get yours today: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/drone-tuner/id1326016622?ls=1&mt=8    I want to thank Ficks Music for sponsoring Crushing Classical. When you’re looking for high quality sheet music, look no further than  https://www.ficksmusic.com/discount/CRUSH Use the link above to get 10% off your order!

In a program from August of 2008, Andrew Patner is joined by composer/arranger/conductor/ musician Nico Muhly for conversation with music, in an interview recorded in an eerie, concrete room in Chicago's Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center [...]

We're featuring an interview with bassist Larry Gray on this week's episode.  Larry's multi-instrumental path has taken him through performance on guitar, flute, cello, and piano in addition to bass.  Larry is in high demand as a jazz bassist in Chicago, performing regularly for decades at Joe Segal's Jazz Showcase, and he teaches at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  Enjoy! About Larry Born on Chicago’s south side, Larry Gray is considered by many to be one of jazz music’s finest double bassists. His impressive versatility and uncommon musical curiosity keep him in demand as both a leader and sideman. Larry began his musical studies at the age of five when his father brought home an accordion and introduced him to his first teacher. Invigorated by this study, Larry added the guitar to his arsenal and studied piano seriously for many years thereafter. It was not until he was in his twenties that he decided to switch to the double bass. Larry went on to study classical music extensively, eventually adding the cello to his long list of loved instruments. His principal teachers were Joseph Guastafeste, longtime principal bassist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and cellist Karl Fruh, a highly regarded soloist and teacher. Under Mr. Fruh's guidance, he received bachelors and masters degrees in cello performance from the Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University. Throughout his long and varied career, Larry has worked with numerous exceptional artists and jazz legends, including McCoy Tyner, Jack DeJohnette, Danilo Perez, Branford Marsalis, Benny Green, Freddy Cole, Benny Golson, Steve Turre, George Coleman, Lee Konitz, Bobby Hutcherson, Sonny Fortune, Ira Sullivan, Junior Mance, David "Fathead" Newman, Willie Pickens, Ann Hampton Callaway, Charles McPherson, Antonio Hart, Jackie McLean, Sonny Stitt, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Al Cohn, Randy Brecker, Nicholas Payton, Kurt Elling, Eric Alexander, Phil Woods, Jon Faddis, Roscoe Mitchell, Von Freeman, Wilbur Campbell, Eddie Harris, and Les McCann. In addition, he has collaborated with guitarists Kenny Burrell, Joe Pass, and Tal Farlow, as well trumpeters Donald Byrd, Harry "Sweets" Edison, and Tom Harrell, among others. Larry continues to tour extensively, performing at jazz festivals and clubs around the globe, including the Umbria Jazz Festival, the Havana Jazz Festival, Rio Sao Paulo Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, the Montreal International Jazz Festival, ECM Festival in Bielsko-Biala, Poland, the Poznan Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, the Montreaux Detroit Festival, the Chicago Jazz Festival, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Hollywood Bowl, Village Vanguard, Blue Note (New York and Tokyo), Kennedy Center, and the Ravinia Festival, with such jazz luminaries as Marian McPartland, Clark Terry, Nancy Wilson, Frank Morgan, James Moody, Larry Coryell, Louis Bellson, Barry Harris, Dorothy Donegan, Monty Alexander, Frank Wess, Joe Williams, Doc Severinsen and the Tonight Show Band, Kenny Drew Jr., and most recently, Ramsey Lewis. As a classical musician, Larry played several seasons with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, including a year as principal bass. He worked on many occasions with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under master conductors Erich Leinsdorf, Rafeal Kubelik, Carlo Maria Guilini, and Sir George Solti. He also was the featured double bassist with Lyric Opera for the world premiere of the opera Amistad. Larry is an arranger and composer whose work has been widely recognized as uniquely melodic and exceptionally refined. His discography includes 1,2, 3,..., on Chicago Sessions, the solo bass record, Gravity, One Look, and Solo + Quartet, all on Graywater Records, as well as the Ramsey Lewis and Nancy Wilson collaborations Meant to Be and Simple Pleasures. He can also be heard on the Ramsey Lewis recordings Appassionata, Time Flies, and With One Voice, and the latest release, Songs From the Heart. Larry also arranged and produced the critically acclaimed CD, Django by Ferro. Furthermore, Larry has recorded with Chet Baker, Curtis Fuller, Ira Sullivan, Lin Halliday, Willie Pickens, Nicholas Payton, Randy Brecker, Bunky Green, Bob Moses, Irish flute-whistle virtuoso Laurence Nugent, pop sensations Linda Eder, Dennis DeYoung, and Peter Cetera, and songwriter Michael Smith, among others. In addition, Larry is a first-call studio musician, and his playing can be heard on many commercial radio and television jingles and studio projects as well as the PBS television series, Legends of Jazz, where he can be seen performing alongside Jim Hall, Benny Golson, Chris Potter, Phil Woods, David Sanborn, Chris Botti, Clark Terry, and Roy Hargrove. In addition, Larry's original composition for double bass and guitar, Five Movements, was commissioned and performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chamber Ensemble at Symphony Center in Chicago. Most recently, Larry has composed two commissioned works for the Jazz Institute of Chicago. Tribute to the Bass Masters Suite was premiered at the Poznan Festival in Poland in 2008 to much acclaim. A second work, String Thing, was first presented in Chicago in October 2010 as part of the Jazz Institute of Chicago Jazz in Chicago series. Larry also completed a collaborative project with bassists Rufus Reid and Joseph Guastafeste that was premiered in March of 2011 in Chicago. Larry Gray is also a dedicated teacher and is Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He also served for many years on the faculties at DePaul University and Northern Illinois University. Active as a clinician at high school and colleges and festivals thought North America, he also coaches various instrumentalists in jazz techniques as well as music theory, sight-singing, and composition. Subscribe to the podcast – follow on Twitter – Like on Facebook

This past March 18th family, friends, and colleagues gathered in Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center to celebrate the life of critic, author, and radio presenter, Andrew Patner. Listen to a podcast* of the Celebration which includes remarks, sound collages, performances, and more. PROGRAM Rabbi Andy Bachman Andrew in China (Part I) Josh Patner Kenny Blum Live more [...]

The life of Andrew Patner, WFMT critic-at-large and Sun-Times contributing classical music critic, will be celebrated Wednesdsay, March 18 at 7:00pm in Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center, 220 South Michigan Avenue.  The event is free and open to the public.   In tribute to our late colleague, we will continue to air his work with Monday night re-broadcasts of Critical [...]

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Music Director Riccardo Muti enjoyed a close friendship with WFMT’s late Critic-at-Large Andrew Patner. WFMT Program Director David Polk recorded a conversation with Maestro Muti about Andrew in anticipation of a public celebration of his life which takes place this Wednesday, March 18, 2015 at 7:00 pm in Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center [...]

DEEP EMOTIONCécile McLorin Salvant was born on August 28, 1989 and raised in Miami, Florida of a French mother and a Haitian father. She started classical piano studies at 5, and began singing in the Miami Choral Society at 8. Early on, she developed an interest in classical voice, began studying with private instructors, and later with Edward Walker, vocal teacher at the University of Miami. In 2007, Cécile moved to Aix-en-Provence, France, to study law as well as classical and baroque voice at the Darius Milhaud Conservatory. It was in Aix-en-Provence, with reedist and teacher Jean-François Bonnel, that she started learning about improvisation, instrumental and vocal repertoire ranging from the 1910s on, and sang with her first band. In 2009, after a series of concerts in Paris, she recorded her first album "Cécile", with Jean-François Bonnel's Paris Quintet. A year later, she won the Thelonious Monk competition in Washington D.C.Cécile performs unique interpretations of unknown and scarcely recorded jazz and blues compositions. She focuses on a theatrical portrayal of the jazz standard and composes music and lyrics which she also sings in French, her native language as well as in Spanish. She enjoys popularity in Europe and in the United States, performing in clubs, concert halls, and festivals accompanied by renowned musicians like Jean-Francois Bonnel, Rodney Whitaker, Aaron Diehl, Dan Nimmer, Sadao Watanabe, Jacky Terrasson (with an a noted collaboration in his "Gouache" Universal CD), Archie Shepp, and Jonathan Batiste.  She sings for the 2nd consecutive year for the Chanel’s « Chance » ad campaign. In August 2012, Cécile recorded at the Avatar Studios a CD to be released early next year for the Mack Avenue Label with Aaron Diehl, Rodney Whitaker, Herlin Riley and James Chirillo.Cécile has performed at numerous festivals such as Jazz à Vienne, Ascona, Whitley Bay, Montauban, Foix, with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in New York’s Lincoln Center and Chicago’s Symphony Center and with her own band at the Kennedy Center, the Spoleto Jazz Festival, Detroit Jazz Festival and other venues.Ben Ratliff writes in The New York Times “she sings clearly, with her full pitch range, from a pronounced low end to full and distinct high notes, used sparingly — like the one I heard a few weeks ago at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola on the last word of “What a Little Moonlight Can Do,” the spire in a magnificent set. Her voice clamps into each song, performing careful variations on pitch, stretching words but generally not scatting; her face conveys meaning, representing sorrow or serenity like a silent-movie actor. She also presents a lot of jazz history, and other things…”To visit the Cecile McLorin Salvant website CLICK HERE

Nashville 4 Africa was established to provide much needed support in impoverished areas of Africa. A Night of Hope at the nashville Symphony Center raised money to help build two new schools and promote other educational efforts there.

This week on Contrabass Conversations we bring you an interview with string teacher and double bassist Peter Tambroni. Peter has written a book titled An Introduction to Double Bass Playing, and he has many valuable ideas regarding double bass pedagogy. Arizona bassist Robert Matheson is also featured on this episode. Enjoy! About Peter Peter began playing the double bass at the age of 16 (after playing the clarinet since elementary school) when the director of his high school jazz ensemble asked if anyone would be interested in playing bass. After playing electric bass it was suggested that he learn the string bass and soon after he began orchestral studies. Within a year, he knew he wanted to go into the field of music, and becoming a music teacher was the perfect choice for him. He received his Bachelor's of Music in Music Education from the Crane School of Music in 1996. After that he taught strings in the public schools for grades 4 - 12 in Northern New York and was adjunct faculty for 'cello and double bass at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh. In 2000 he graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign with a Master's in Double Bass Performance, studying with Michael Cameron. He is currently a string teacher in suburban Chicago where he teaches string lessons in grades 3 - 8 and conducts the middle school concert and chamber orchestras. He also leads an Irish ensemble and a bass quartet. He performs around the greater Chicago area with many orchestra and rock bands around the city. In 2000, he appeared on the Bozo Super Sunday Show to give a presentation and performance on the double bass. In the spring of 2003 he was the guest soloist for District 212 (playing the Vanhal concerto) and in spring of 2004 he performed at Symphony Center's Orchestra Hall with the Polish American Symphony Orchestra of Chicago. He has attended classes with Michael Hovnanian of the Chicago Symphony, John Chiego, Hal Robinson of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Scott Haigh of the Cleveland Symphony, Stewart Arfman, and Erik Harris.  Peter has been published several in American String Teacher as well as websites around the world.