Podcasts about tokyo string quartet

durée : 01:27:45 - En pistes ! du mardi 23 janvier 2024 - par : Emilie Munera, Rodolphe Bruneau Boulmier - Au programme ce matin : Lyuta Kobayashi, le Cleveland Quartet et le Tokyo String Quartet dans l'Octuor de Mendelssohn, l'Orchestre de la Staatskapelle de Dresde incarnant l'œuvre de Borodine, mais aussi l'Orchestre National Auvergne Rhône Alpes dans sa version de la Symphonie n° 49 de Haydn

Synopsis English is a quirky language, take for example the way English labels groups of birds – it can be quite idiosyncratic and even poetic: “A conspiracy of ravens,” “A trembling of finches.”For composers, birdsong has always exerted great fascination and has been a source of inspiration, but on today's date in 2006, bird nomenclature was the inspiration for a new string quartet that received its premiere in Tucson at a concert sponsored by the Arizona Friends of Chamber Music. The new work was by the American composer Jennifer Higdon, who explains: “The first time someone told me that a collection of larks is called an ‘Exaltation', I immediately thought, ‘What a sound an exaltation of larks must make!' This prompted my imagination to run wild – in a composerly-fashion – thinking of thousands of birds flying and singing wildly, with extraordinary energy and intensity. How to capture the beauty of the idea of exalting and singing? A string quartet seemed perfect!“Higdon's new quartet, titled An Exaltation of Larks was given its 2006 premiere by the Tokyo String Quartet, but it was perhaps inevitable that its first recording was made by – who else? – the Lark Quartet. Music Played in Today's Program Jennifer Higdon (b. 1962) – An Exaltation of Larks (Lark Quartet) Bridge 9379

It was an honor to host Dr. Jennifer Higdon earlier this year. Since her episode, she's continued composing, and presenting. In this show she discusses life as a composer, music she finds inspiration from, and what it was like to win one of the biggest awards for musicians.Jennifer Higdon, a Pulitzer Prize and three-time Grammy winner, is one of the most performed living American composers working today. She is the recent recipient of Northwestern University's Nemmers Prize and the UT Austin EM King Award. Previous honors include the Guggenheim, Koussevitzky, and Pew Fellowships, as well as two awards from the American Academy of Arts & Letters. Commissions have come from a wide range of performers: from the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony, to The President's Own Marine Band; from the Tokyo String Quartet to Eighth Blackbird, as well as individual artists such as singer Thomas Hampson, violinist Hilary Hahn and pianist, Yuja Wang.  Her first opera on Charles Frazier's book, “Cold Mountain”, was commissioned by Santa Fe Opera, Opera Philadelphia, NC Opera, and Minnesota Opera, selling out all of its runs and winning the International Opera Award. She makes her living from commissions. Her works are recorded on over 70 CDs. The recording of her “Percussion Concerto” with Colin Currie and the London Philharmonic was recently inducted into The Library of Congress' National Recording Registry. Jennifer holds the Rock Chair in Composition at The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.For more information about Dr. Jennifer Higdon, visit her official website here.Visit Creative Peacemeal Podcast on social media, browse podcast swag, and continue the creative conversations via the blog!Website https://tstakaishi.wixsite.com/musicInstagram @creative_peacemeal_podcastFacebook https://www.facebook.com/creativepeacemealpod/***To make a donation to Dachshund Rescue of Houston click here!As always, THANK YOU for listening and if you have a moment, share an episode with a friend, or leave a review on Apple by clicking here and scrolling to "Ratings and Reviews" Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/creativepeacemeal)

Honored to have Dr. Jennifer Higdon, a Pulitzer Prize and three-time Grammy winning composer on the show today! Tune in to hear the story of her musical beginnings, what it's like to win the Pulitzer, and what she was up to in 2020 (hint A TON OF COMPOSING), inspirations behind one of her most popular pieces, and more.Jennifer Higdon, a Pulizer Prize and three-time Grammy winner, is one of the most performed living American composers working today. She is the recent recipient of Northwestern University’s Nemmers Prize and the UT Austin EM King Award. Previous honors include the Guggenheim, Koussevitzky, and Pew Fellowships, as well as two awards from the American Academy of Arts & Letters. Commissions have come from a wide range of performers: from the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony, to The President’s Own Marine Band; from the Tokyo String Quartet to Eighth Blackbird, as well as individual artists such as singer Thomas Hampson, violinist Hilary Hahn and pianist, Yuja Wang.  Her first opera on Charles Frazier’s book, “Cold Mountain”, was commissioned by Santa Fe Opera, Opera Philadelphia, NC Opera, and Minnesota Opera, selling out all of its runs and winning the International Opera Award. She makes her living from commissions. Her works are recorded on over 70 CDs. The recording of her “Percussion Concerto” with Colin Currie and the London Philharmonic was recently inducted into The Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry. Jennifer holds the Rock Chair in Composition at The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.For more information about Dr. Jennifer Higdon, visit her official website here.To learn more about Dachshund Rescue of Houston, a nonprofit organization close to my heart, click here.Interested in ordering from Instacart but don't know where to start? Click the link below to get a special offer, and to support the show!As always, THANK YOU for listening and if you have a moment, share an episode with a friend, or leave a review on Apple by clicking here and scrolling to "Ratings and Reviews"Instacart - Groceries delivered in as little as 1 hour. Free delivery on your first order over $35.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Escucha y lee sobre la vida y obra de uno de los compositores románticos más conocidos, Franz Schubert, para niños y adultos.   En este episodio escucharás: 00:30 - Symphony No. 2 in B-Flat Major, D. 125_ I. Largo - Allegro vivace por Philharmonia Hungarica & Peter Maag. 01:59 - Moments musicaux, D. 780, (Op. 94): No. 3, Allegro moderato "Air russe" por Peter Frankl. 02:41 - Sonata for Piano No. 4 in D Minor, D. 537: III. Allegro vivace por Walter Klien. 05:11 - String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor, D. 810 "Death and the Maiden": I. Allegro por Tokyo String Quartet. 07:08 - Piano Trio in E-Flat Major, D. 929 (Op. 100): III. Scherzo. Allegro moderato por Trio Concertante. 07:55 - Symphony No. 5 in B-Flat Major, D. 485: I. Allegro por Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra & Zdenek Kosler. 09:53 - 5 German Dances, D. 90: No. 5 in C Major por Berliner Symphoniker & Carl-August Bünte. 10:32 - Symphony No. 8 in B Minor, D. 759 "Unfinished": I. Allegro moderato por Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra & Bystrik Rezucha. 12:06 - Quintet in A Major, D. 667 (Op. 114) "The Trout": III. Scherzo por Eugene List, Carroll Glenn, Francis Tursi, Alan Harris & Oscar Zimmermann. 12:38 - Impromptus, D. 899 (Op. 90): No. 3 in G-Flat Major (Andante) por Alfred Brendel. 13:12 - Military March in D Major, D. 733 No. 1 (Op. 51 No. 1) por Berliner Symphoniker & Gerhard Becker. 13:41 - Ellen's Chants, D. 839: III. Ave Maria por The Budapest Strings & Béla Bánfalvi. En el álbum The 100 Most Essential Pieces of Classical Music. 14:41 - Erlkönig, D. 328 por Matthias Goerne & Andreas Haefliger. En el álbum Schubert: Erlkönig.   Todas las piezas, excepto las dos últimas, son del álbum 111 Schubert Masterpieces de Menuetto Classics.   Síguenos en: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram y Pinterest.    Si te gusta el episodio, califícalo en tu app favorita (Podcasts iTunes, iVoox, Spotify) o puedes dejar tu review. :)    No te pierdas ningún episodio. Súscríbete al newsletter en allegromagico.com/suscribirme.     

This episode is sponsored by CORE. What if you could really analyze all three dimensions of thought?Jim Papoulis has made significant contributions to choral music by revitalizing the choral repertoire with songs whose roots are classical and the world, with voicing that incorporates lead vocalists with choirs, vocal percussion, and world rhythms.His choral work often is sung from the perspective of the singer and is constantly inspired by the work he does through the foundation for small voices. He firmly believes that music can heal, educate, celebrate, and empower the lives of children.Through the Foundation for Small Voices, he has conducted songwriting workshops with choirs from the United States, China, Japan, Tanzania, Mexico, Kenya, Newfoundland, Trinidad, Dominican Republic, Haiti, England, Norway, Canada, Spain, Italy, Kenya, Uganda, Turkey, Brazil, France, Ireland, Bosnia, Jordan, Australia, Holland, Dubai, and Greece.He has worked with choirs and ensembles on all continents and from all walks of life, and has also worked with:Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion, Beyonce, the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, London Boys Choir, London Symphony, Beijing Children's Choir, Faith Hill, Natalie Cole, Snoop Dogg, Imagine Dragons, Tokyo String Quartet, Moscow Philharmonic, Portland Symphony, New World SymphonyHis music has been featured at:2019 Carifesta Port of Spain, TRINIDAD GIVE US HOPE on permanent exhibit at the 911 Museum in New York 9.11 10th Anniversary Concerts throughout the world including New York, Moscow, Tokyo, Beijing, London, Oslo, Paris, Shanghai, Rio, Rome, Salzburg, St. Petersburg, Dubai, Delhi, Oslo, Paris BEIJING OLYMPICS 2008 PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION POPE VISIT televised nationally at YANKEE STADIUM WORLD CUP SOUTH AFRICA 2010Website: http://www.jimpapoulis.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit debcrowe.substack.com

Introducing the American Muse Podcast!Hello! My name is Grant Gilman. I am a conductor, violinist, and author, based in Atlanta, Georgia. I grew up the son of 2 violinists, who both went to Eastman and became professionals. Beyond that, I have a pretty typical musician story. I was bitten by the music bug very young, and despite everyone, including my parents, constantly reminding me there is no money in classical music, I couldn't do anything else.I remember playing in youth orchestra and constantly breaking my bow hair. It is not unusual to break a hair every once in a while, but I did it regularly. I realized that I wanted to play my part AND the winds AND the percussion all at once, that's why I was pressing so hard. I knew, even then, that my place was on the podium. That's where I could be a part of all the sounds at once. Then my high school orchestra director let me conduct both my own composition and Elgar's famous Enigma Variations, both in concert. Well, that was it, no going back. I was going to be a conductor, for better or worse.So, I went to the Peabody Conservatory of Music, studied violin with Martin Beaver, former 1st violin of the Tokyo String Quartet, Misha Rosenker, and Pamela Frank, world renowned soloist and chamber player. It just so happened that one of the best conducting programs in the world is ALSO at Peabody, so I stayed for my Masters degree, and got to study with Gustav Meier (rest in peace, my friend) and Markand Thakar.After playing and conducting in various positions all over the country, I decided to get my doctorate. That took me to the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, or CCM as we call it, and I studied under Mark Gibson.Now, it just so happens I married up! My wife, Kim, is a fantastic horn player. After 10 years playing under JoAnn Falletta in the Virginia Symphony, she won 2nd horn with the Atlanta Symphony, under the baton of Robert Spano. So, after having grown up in south Texas, I now live in another very hot and humid area of the country. But, Atlanta is great!When I was still quite young, I would actually listen to my mother's collection of vinyl records. No, this is not a joke. She had tons of them! One that I found was so striking because I had never heard of the composer, and certainly not the piece, but the music blew me away EVERY time I listened to it. The conductor was Leonard Bernstein, leading the strings of the New York Philharmonic. The piece was Symphony No. 5 by William Schuman. And that is where my journey began.I never lost that sound from my mind, the optimism, boldness, complex, driving rhythmic movement, dense and engaging harmonic support. Until that moment I knew only the most prevailing composers of history. Now I had another world to discover.So I'm starting a podcast! The title is “American Muse”, in honor of William Schuman, which is what he titled his 10th and final symphony. This podcast is for all of those people, like my young self, that have never heard of these American orchestral composers from the 19th and 20th centuries. I want to find and share hidden and lesser-known gems that will brighten your day and bring depth to your world, as only art and music can do.Now of course our team will need help! You can expect to hear a collection of extraordinary guests that are experts in this field. I will be interviewing them, asking them some pointed questions that we think you will find not only entertaining but also very educational. And the first guest will be none other than JoAnn Falletta!Beyond that, we want you to be as involved as possible. We want to know if you have a composer or piece you would like us to feature. We love finding new pieces!Also, we want to know if you have a guest to propose I interview. Like the composers themselves, the experts in this niche can be just quite elusive.Furthermore, If you are an educator and have an idea, something that would tie in with your curriculum that would be of benefit to you, please reach out to us. We plan to dedicate an episode each season toward educating young musicians and students.Thanks for listening to my short introduction, and I hope you are as excited as we are! The show will be available anywhere you get your podcasts already, a video version will be on YouTube, and you can also find links and show notes on my website grantgilman.com/americanmusepodcast. Feel free to contact us with thoughts or ideas at americanmusepodcast@grantgilman.com.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/american-muse-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It's hard to believe it, but we've reached the end of Season 2 of The Mind Over Finger Podcast!!!  To celebrate, I have a great treat for you.  I'm speaking with one of the most acclaimed and frequently performed composers working today: Jennifer Higdon! It was an incredible honor to have the chance to sit with Jennifer and to soak up her wisdom and this wonderful energy that she's got!  Among many other things, you'll get to hear about her unusual path to a career as a composer, how she approaches the compositional process, her view on the classical music world today, and she tells us about the habit that has contributed to her success.   Mindful efficient practice can completely transform the way you perform and feel about-music making! If you think this would change your life…… then this is for YOU! Dr. Renée-Paule Gauthier invites you to join : THE MUSIC MASTERY EXPERIENCE A TRANSFORMATIONAL JOURNEY TO LOVING THE PRACTICE ROOM, ROCKING THE STAGE, WINNING THE JOB, AND TAKING YOUR CAREER TO NEW HEIGHTS A 3-month experience for all musicians, starting June 1st, 2020 BOOK A CALL AND LET'S SEE HOW WE CAN GET YOU RESULTS!   MORE ABOUT JENNIFER HIGDON: Website: http://jenniferhigdon.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jennifer+higdon Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jennifer-Higdon-127096427366514/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BwFJrDGB2sZ/   Pulitzer Prize and three-time Grammy-winner Jennifer Higdon taught herself to play flute at the age of 15 and began formal musical studies at 18, with an even later start in composition at the age of 21. Despite these obstacles, Jennifer has become a major figure in contemporary Classical music. Her works represent a wide range of genres, from orchestral to chamber, to wind ensemble, as well as vocal, choral and opera. Her music has been hailed by Fanfare Magazine as having "the distinction of being at once complex, sophisticated but readily accessible emotionally", with the Times of London citing it as "…traditionally rooted, yet imbued with integrity and freshness." The League of American Orchestras reports that she is one of America's most frequently performed composers. Higdon's list of commissioners is extensive and includes The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Chicago Symphony, The Atlanta Symphony, The Cleveland Orchestra, The Minnesota Orchestra, The Pittsburgh Symphony, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, as well such groups as the Tokyo String Quartet, the Lark Quartet, Eighth Blackbird, and the President's Own Marine Band. She has also written works for such artists as baritone Thomas Hampson, pianists Yuja Wang and Gary Graffman, violinists Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Jennifer Koh and Hilary Hahn. Her first opera, Cold Mountain, won the prestigious International Opera Award for Best World Premiere in 2016; the first American opera to do so in the award's history. Performances of Cold Mountain sold out its premiere run in Santa Fe, North Carolina, and Philadelphia (becoming the third highest selling opera in Opera Philadelphia's history). Upcoming commissions include a chamber opera for Opera Philadelphia, a string quartet for the Apollo Chamber Players, a double percussion concerto for the Houston Symphony, an orchestral suite for the Made In America project, and a flute concerto for the National Flute Associations' 50th anniversary. Higdon received the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in Music for her Violin Concerto, with the committee citing the work as "a deeply engaging piece that combines flowing lyricism with dazzling virtuosity." She has also received awards from the Guggenheim Foundation, the American Academy of Arts & Letters, the Koussevitzky Foundation, the Pew Fellowship in the Arts, The Independence Foundation, the NEA, and ASCAP. As winner of the Van Cliburn Piano Competition's American Composers Invitational, Higdon's Secret & Glass Gardens was performed by the semi-finalists during the competition. Higdon has been a featured composer at many festivals including Aspen, Tanglewood, Vail, Norfolk, Grand Teton, and Cabrillo. She has served as Composer-in-Residence with several orchestras, including the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Fort Worth Symphony. She was honored to serve as the Creative Director of the Boundless Series for the Cincinnati Symphony's 2012-13 season. During the 2016-17 and 2017-18 academic years Higdon served as the prestigious Barr Laureate Scholar at the University of Missouri Kansas City. Most recently, Higdon received the prestigious Nemmers Prize from Northwestern University which is awarded to contemporary classical composers of exceptional achievement who have significantly influenced the field of composition. Beginning in 2018, Higdon will complete two residences at the Bienen School of Music as the Nemmers Prize recipient. Also in the 2018-19 season, Higdon will be in residence at University of Texas, Austin, as part of the Eddie Medora King Award. Higdon enjoys more than 200 performances a year of her works. Her orchestral work, blue cathedral, is one of the most performed contemporary orchestral works in the repertoire, more than 600 performances since its premiere in 2000. Her works have been recorded on over 60 CDs. Higdon has thrice won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Classical Composition: first for her Percussion Concerto in 2010 and in 2018 for her Viola Concerto. Dr. Higdon received a Bachelor's Degree in Music from Bowling Green State University, an Artist Diploma from The Curtis Institute of Music, and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. She has been awarded honorary doctorates from the Hartt School and Bowling Green State University. Dr. Higdon currently holds the Rock Chair in Composition at The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Her music is published exclusively by Lawdon Press.   Visit www.mindoverfinger.com and sign up for my newsletter to get your free guide to a super productive practice using the metronome!  This guide is the perfect entry point to help you bring more mindfulness and efficiency into your practice and it's filled with tips and tricks on how to use that wonderful tool to take your practicing and your playing to new heights! Don't forget to visit the Mind Over Finger Resources' page to check out amazing books recommended by my podcast guests, as well as my favorite websites, cds, the podcasts I like to listen to, and the practice and podcasting tools I use everyday!  Find it here: www.mindoverfinger.com/resources!   And don't forget to join the Mind Over Finger Tribe for additional resources on practice and performing! If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes!  I truly appreciate your support!     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/

Tom Sewell is a multi-media artist, designer, photographer, filmmaker, sculptor, environmental visionary; self-proclaimed "Master of mischief, maker of dreams". Tao Ruspoli is a filmmaker, musician, bohemian visionary, and soul-connector. This is one of my all-time favorite conversations. Tom on Instagram. Tao on Instagram. Find me on Instagram or Twitter. Please consider supporting this podcast. This Amazon affiliate link kicks a few bucks back my way. Music: “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range; “Op 130, Alla danza tedesca; Allegro assai” by Beethoven (performed by the Tokyo String Quartet); “Smoke Alarm,” by Carsie Blanton.

This week we hear from Peter Oundjian, who stepped in on short notice to guest conduct the Seattle Symphony. Oundjian is Conductor Emeritus of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, where he was music director for 14 years. He’s conducting the SSO this week in place of Cristian Macelaru who could not be here due to illness. Oundjian talks about his admiration for the music of Felix Mendelssohn as heard in the composer’s “Scottish” Symphony on the program this week. He tells Dave Beck about how his many years as first violinist in the Tokyo String Quartet inform his interpretation of symphonic music, and speaks on his recent return to the violin after a neurological condition forced him to put down the instrument in the mid-1990s.

Clive Greensmith is the cello and chamber music professor at the Colburn School in Los Angeles, CA.  He was also a member of the Tokyo String Quartet for 14 years.  In this interview you will enjoy stories from his childhood and his journey to the Tokyo String Quartet.  He is currently a champion of the newly recovered Pál Hermann cello concerto, and gives us great insight on special projects like this one.

Steven Epstein, an American producer of classical music received a B.Sc. in Music education from Hofstra University in 1973.Epstein has worked with artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Wynton Marsalis, Plácido Domingo, Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman, Murray Perahia, Emanuel Ax, Bobby McFerrin, and groups such as Juilliard String Quartet, Tokyo String Quartet, Fine Arts Quartet, Punch Brothers. He has worked with the Vienna, Berlin and New York Philharmonic Orchestras, and with the Chicago, Cleveland, London, Concertgebouw, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Los Angeles Symphony Orchestras. Epstein was the Senior Executive Producer of Sony Classical and now produces and engineers independently. He has won 17 Grammys, including 7 for Classical Producer of the Year and 1 for Classical Album of the Year.He is also adjunct professor of Classical Music Recording at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Dec. 18, 2013. The 2013 Stradivari Anniversary Concert featured the Parker String Quartet and violist Kikuei Ikeda performing on the Library's Stradivari instruments. The quartet performed Mendelssohn's String Quartet no. 3 in D major, op. 44, no. 1, and Shostakovich's String Quartet no. 9. They were joined by Kikuei Ikeda for the Dvorak String Quintet in E-flat major, op. 97. Speaker Biography: The Parker String Quartet has appeared at many of the world's leading venues, including Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, Musikverein (Vienna), and Concergebouw in Amsterdam. They won the Concert Artists Guild Competition and the Cleveland Quartet Award from Chamber Music America. They are Blodgett Artists-in-Residence at Harvard University. Speaker Biography: Kikuei Ikeda was a violinist in the former Tokyo String Quartet and an award-winning soloist and chamber musician. Following studies at Juilliard, he has toured extensively. For more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6871

Dec 18, 2013. Jessica Bodner, Kikuei Ikeda, Carol Lynn Ward-Bamford and John Montgomery discuss the Library's two Stradivari violas, the 1690 "Tuscan-Medici" and the 1727 "Cassavetti." Speaker Biography: John Montgomery is a violin maker, instrument dealer and luthier based in North Carolina. He is an expert on the Library's stringed instrument collection. Speaker Biography: Jessica Bodner is the violist for the Parker String Quartet. Speaker Biography: Kikuei Ikeda is the violist for the Tokyo String Quartet. Speaker Biography: Carol Lynn Ward-Bamford is the curator of musical instruments at the Library of Congress. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6811

WPAS speaks with cellist Clive Greensmith of The Tokyo String Quartet about the ensemble’s performance at The Music Center at Strathmore Friday, April 17th at 8pm. Their program includes Haydn’s String Quartet in G, Op. 76, No. 1, Beethoven’s String Quartet in C minor, Op. 18, No. 4, plus they’ll be joined by acclaimed cellist Lynn Harrell to perform Schubert’s String Quintet in C. Tickets at 202-785-WPAS or WPAS.org.

We’re continuing our chat with Cincinnati Symphony principal bassist Owen Lee today on Contrabass Conversations. Check out the first segment of this conversation on episode 55 of the program. Owen played for the New World Symphony and the Houston Symphony prior to his appointment with the Cincinnati Symphony, and it was a real pleasure to do this interview along with Contrabass Conversations regular collaborator John Grillo. John, Owen, and I chat about Owen’s experiences recording his solo CD, key selection for the Bach Suites and his use of solo tuning for the recording, his performances of the less popular but extremely engaging Bottesini Concerto No. 1, performing the Tubin Concerto with orchestra, the Harbison Bass Concerto project (which Owen performed with the Cincinnati Symphony), and his practicing habits and exercises. We also feature the first movement from the Cello Suite No. 5 by Johann Sebastian Bach from Owen’s Boston Records CD, plus listener feedback, bass news, and a link of the week. Find Owen Lee on Twitter here. Enjoy!   About Owen: Described as “a true virtuoso” by legendary pianist Gary Graffman and praised by The New York Times for his “deft and virtuosic solo performance” at his New York debut at Alice Tully Hall, double bassist Owen Lee has earned acclaim as a soloist, chamber musician and since 1996, at the age of 26, as Principal Bass of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Lee is heard regularly as a soloist with orchestras including the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Paavo Järvi and Jesús López-Cobos, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra under John Harbison, and the New World Symphony under Michael Tilson-Thomas in Miami and on tour to New York’s Lincoln Center. During the 2006-07 season, Mr. Lee and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, along with a consortium of other soloists and orchestras, will present the world premiere of John Harbison’s Concerto for Bass Viol and Orchestra. Mr. Lee’s prizes in competitions include First Prize at the 1995 International Society of Bassists Competition and Fourth Prize at the 1992 Irving M. Klein International String Competition in San Francisco. He has been presented in recitals throughout the United States, and in Geneva. For the Boston Records label, he has recorded the Misek Sonata No. 2 and Bach Unaccompanied Suites No. 3 and No. 5. American Record Guide praised this disc for its “tasteful phrasing, polish and verve” while The Strad wrote “Owen Lee is a fine player with strong musical ideas. A dark and austere sound is produced for Suite No. 5 and the architecture of each suite is carefully considered and shaped. I look forward to his next recording.” Mr. Lee’s extensive international chamber music experience includes three summers as the bassist of the Marlboro Festival. While there, he performed extensively with such artists as Richard Stoltzman, Midori, Nobuko Imai, Bruno Canino, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, and members of the Beaux Arts Trio, Guarneri Quartet and Juilliard Quartet. He also collaborated with composers Gyorgy Kurtag, Leon Kirchner and Richard Danielpour preparing performances of those composers’ works. Mr. Lee has also performed with the Tokyo String Quartet on tour to Mexico, John Browning, Anne-Marie McDermott, Jaime Laredo, Ida Kavafian, Steven Tenenbom, Peter Wiley, Eugenia Zukerman, the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival, San Diego’s Mainly Mozart Festival, Ojai California Festival, Chamber Music L.A. Festival, Tanglewood Festival, Texas Music Festival, and on tour throughout China. With the Rossetti String Quartet he performed the world premiere of Melinda Wagner’s Concertino at the 2005 Bravo! Vail Festival. Mr. Lee was born in Berkeley, California in 1969 to Chinese parents. He began playing bass at age 15 after previous study of the piano. A graduate of the University of Southern California, Mr. Lee’s principal teachers were Dennis Trembly, Edwin Barker and Paul Ellison. Prior to his appointment in Cincinnati, Mr. Lee was a member of the Houston Symphony under Christoph Eschenbach. In addition to his position with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Mr. Lee serves as Principal Bass of the Shanghai Festival Orchestra. Owen is married to CiCi Lee. He enjoys bicycling, snowboarding, cigars, auto repair and playing drums and writing songs with his rock band Toe (Eric Bates, CSO 2nd Assistant Concertmaster is Toe’s guitarist and lead singer, and Ted Nelson, CSO cellist is Toe’s bassist).  

We’re speaking with Cincinnati Symphony principal bassist Owen Lee today on Contrabass Conversations. Owen played for the New World Symphony and the Houston Symphony prior to his appointment with the Cincinnati Symphony, and it was a real pleasure to do this interview along with Contrabass Conversations regular collaborator John Grillo. Find Owen Lee on Twitter here. Enjoy!  About Owen: Described as “a true virtuoso” by legendary pianist Gary Graffman and praised by The New York Times for his “deft and virtuosic solo performance” at his New York debut at Alice Tully Hall, double bassist Owen Lee has earned acclaim as a soloist, chamber musician and since 1996, at the age of 26, as Principal Bass of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Lee is heard regularly as a soloist with orchestras including the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Paavo Järvi and Jesús López-Cobos, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra under John Harbison, and the New World Symphony under Michael Tilson-Thomas in Miami and on tour to New York’s Lincoln Center. During the 2006-07 season, Mr. Lee and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, along with a consortium of other soloists and orchestras, will present the world premiere of John Harbison’s Concerto for Bass Viol and Orchestra. Mr. Lee’s prizes in competitions include First Prize at the 1995 International Society of Bassists Competition and Fourth Prize at the 1992 Irving M. Klein International String Competition in San Francisco. He has been presented in recitals throughout the United States, and in Geneva. For the Boston Records label, he has recorded the Misek Sonata No. 2 and Bach Unaccompanied Suites No. 3 and No. 5. American Record Guide praised this disc for its “tasteful phrasing, polish and verve” while The Strad wrote “Owen Lee is a fine player with strong musical ideas. A dark and austere sound is produced for Suite No. 5 and the architecture of each suite is carefully considered and shaped. I look forward to his next recording.” Mr. Lee’s extensive international chamber music experience includes three summers as the bassist of the Marlboro Festival. While there, he performed extensively with such artists as Richard Stoltzman, Midori, Nobuko Imai, Bruno Canino, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, and members of the Beaux Arts Trio, Guarneri Quartet and Juilliard Quartet. He also collaborated with composers Gyorgy Kurtag, Leon Kirchner and Richard Danielpour preparing performances of those composers’ works. Mr. Lee has also performed with the Tokyo String Quartet on tour to Mexico, John Browning, Anne-Marie McDermott, Jaime Laredo, Ida Kavafian, Steven Tenenbom, Peter Wiley, Eugenia Zukerman, the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival, San Diego’s Mainly Mozart Festival, Ojai California Festival, Chamber Music L.A. Festival, Tanglewood Festival, Texas Music Festival, and on tour throughout China. With the Rossetti String Quartet he performed the world premiere of Melinda Wagner’s Concertino at the 2005 Bravo! Vail Festival. Mr. Lee was born in Berkeley, California in 1969 to Chinese parents. He began playing bass at age 15 after previous study of the piano. A graduate of the University of Southern California, Mr. Lee’s principal teachers were Dennis Trembly, Edwin Barker and Paul Ellison. Prior to his appointment in Cincinnati, Mr. Lee was a member of the Houston Symphony under Christoph Eschenbach. In addition to his position with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Mr. Lee serves as Principal Bass of the Shanghai Festival Orchestra. Owen is married to CiCi Lee. He enjoys bicycling, snowboarding, cigars, auto repair and playing drums and writing songs with his rock band Toe (Eric Bates, CSO 2nd Assistant Concertmaster is Toe’s guitarist and lead singer, and Ted Nelson, CSO cellist is Toe’s bassist).