Podcast appearances and mentions of William Bolcom

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William Bolcom

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Best podcasts about William Bolcom

Latest podcast episodes about William Bolcom

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Vandaag staan we stil bij de sterfdag van Piet Ketting. Hij liet niet alleen prachtige muziek na, maar ook een componerende zoon: Otto Ketting. We horen muziek van beiden en gelukkig vieren we ook vast twee verjaardagen: morgen wordt William Bolcom 87 en op 28 mei zou Ligeti 98 zijn geworden! En natuurlijk zijn er ook weer concerttips en zelfs een heuse cursustip: leer liedjes schrijven met Mike Boddé! Gedraaid deze uitzending: Bolcom - Night Meditations No. 4 Bolcom - concerto for saxophone quartet & orchestra Berio - Sequenza VIII Piet Ketting - Sonate voor Cello en Piano Otto Ketting - Intrada Mike Boddé - Bach Bostanci - Tree of Death Ligeti - Der Zauberlehrling Ligeti - Metamorfoses Nocturnes

Critical Mass Radio Show
Critical Mass Business Talk Show: Ric Franzi Interviews John Forsyte, President & CEO of Pacific Symphony (Episode 1565)

Critical Mass Radio Show

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2025 24:23


John Forsyte has led Pacific Symphony since 1998, during which time it has emerged as the largest orchestral institution founded in the U.S. in the past 50 years. Under his leadership, the Symphony has grown in national and international stature. Pacific Symphony made its debut at Carnegie Hall in 2018 as one of two orchestras invited to perform in Philip Glass' 80th birthday celebration. That same year, the Symphony embarked on its first tour of China, performing in five major cities. The 2017-18 season culminated with the Symphony's first nationally televised appearance on PBS's Great Performances. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Forsyte spearheaded innovative community engagement efforts, including hundreds of video productions for schoolchildren and nonprofit partners. The Symphony also launched Symphony on the Go, a mobile stage concert series offering free performances in neighborhoods throughout the region. For its dedication to serving the community during this challenging time, Pacific Symphony was recognized as the Nonprofit of the Year for the Central/South Orange County region. Forsyte's decades-long collaboration with Music Director Carl St.Clair has pioneered new concert formats and audience engagement methods, helping build an audience base that better reflects the demographics of Orange County. These initiatives include semi-staged opera productions, annual children's offerings, the innovative Café Ludwig chamber music series with Orli Shaham and Pacific Symphony principal musicians. A major milestone in Forsyte's tenure was the creation of the American Composers Festival (ACF). The festival has featured thematic and contextual programs, world premieres, commissioned works, and performances of rarely heard pieces, highlighting the Symphony's commitment to innovative and compelling programming. Over the years, the ACF has garnered critical acclaim and featured prominent composers such as John Adams, Philip Glass, and William Bolcom, and has attracted a wide range of audiences, further solidifying Pacific Symphony's reputation as a leader in promoting American music. During Forsyte's tenure, Pacific Symphony became the only orchestra in California to receive a James Irvine Foundation New California Arts Fund Grant. This supported the creation of the Building Communities Concert Series, featuring cultural celebrations such as Lunar New Year, Nowruz, and a free family festival around the Lantern Festival, further expanding the Symphony's engagement with the region's diverse communities. Pacific Symphony has expanded its community engagement programs, creating transformative initiatives like arts-X-press (a middle school arts immersion camp), Heartstrings (a partnership with 47 nonprofit organizations), the free Lantern Festival, Strings for Generations in partnership with the South Coast Chinese Cultural Center, and Santa Ana Strings. Under Forsyte's guidance, the Symphony's award-winning music education offering, the Freida Belinfante Class Act program, has grown from 7 to 30 schools. A strategic priority during Forsyte's tenure has been the expansion of the Pacific Symphony Youth Ensembles program. This initiative now includes four distinct groups: Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra, Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble, Pacific Symphony Santiago Strings, and Pacific Symphony Youth Concert Band. Together, these ensembles serve over three hundred students annually, offering exceptional training and performance opportunities for young musicians across Southern California. The program's transformative impact is demonstrated by the high rate of students accepted into leading music conservatories and universities. Under Forsyte's leadership, Pacific Symphony has maintained a balanced budget for more than two decades while significantly increasing its fundraising efforts. Contributed income has grown fivefold, and the organization has raised an additional $35 million for its endowment during this period. Forsyte's contributions to the arts have been widely recognized. He has been honored with the Helen M. Thompson Award from the American Symphony Orchestra League and the Helena Modjeska Cultural Legacy Award by Arts Orange County. He currently serves on the Chief Executive Roundtable at UC Irvine and the boards of Arts Orange County and Orange County Music and Dance. -- Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at REF Orange County.

Labirinti Musicali
Labirinto Musicale dell'Oltretomba - 31/10/2024

Labirinti Musicali

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2024 59:57


A cura di Carlo Centemeri. Oltretomba come ambientazione letteraria, dal mito di Orfeo allla Divina Commedia fino a Faust, tra fantasmi e ombre: ma come si dipingono questi mondi nella musica? Fracasso infernale, suoni paradisiaci? Con Hector Berlioz, Gabriel Faurè, Arrigo Boito, Camille Saint-Saens, Giovanni Pacini, Claudio Monteverdi, Jacques Offenbach, Goffredo Petrassi, William Bolcom.

Pushing The Envelope
6-22-24 Pushing The Envelope: Music Decidedly Left of Center

Pushing The Envelope

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 29, 2024 118:59


Greetings! This week's program presents a potpourri of musical stylings ranging from William Bolcom's piano rags arranged for string quartet to the new release from New York prog rockers, Izz, to Iron Butterfly's "In A Gadda Da Vida".  Eclectic programming?   Sure.  What else is new? Enjoy! Joel e-mail: pushingtheenvelopewhus@gmail.com Twitter-like x-thing: https://x.com/envpusher1      6-22-24 PTE Playlist   Three Rags: I. Poltergeist / II. Graceful Ghost / III. Incineratorag - Altius Quartet / composer: William Bolcom - Dress Code - Navona Records (2017) https://www.navonarecords.com/catalog/nv6078/    Rhythms for Computer and Percussion: Rhythms / Songs Without Words / Birdbath / Au Revoir - Joel Chabade - Emergence - Intelligent Arts (2024) https://joelchadabe.bandcamp.com/album/emergence    Pulsations - Denman Maroney Quartet - The Air-Conditioned Nightmare - Neuma (2024) https://denmanfmaroney.bandcamp.com/album/the-air-conditioned-nightmare-2    Cer și P​ă​m​â​nt - Somngreu - P​ă​m​â​nt - digital release (2021) https://somngreu.bandcamp.com/album/p-m-nt    cloud forty-nine - karen vogt - diary#5 - Sonic Dialogue (2024) https://sonic-dialogue.bandcamp.com/album/diary-5    Hypersleep - Postmodern Machine - Hypersleep - digital release (2021) https://postmodernmachine.bandcamp.com/album/hypersleep    Shinseki Soundboi - Cathode Ray Tube - Imperfect Vessel - Condition Human (2024) https://conditionhuman.bandcamp.com/album/imperfect-vessel    Afterlife Theme Park - Cymbalic Encounters - Eclipsis -  digital release (2024) https://cymbalicencounters.bandcamp.com/album/eclipsis    Collapse The Wave - IZZ - Collapse The Wave - Izzmusic (2024) https://izzmusic.bandcamp.com/album/collapse-the-wave    Improv 2/ Drum Solo/ In-A-Gadda-Davinci- Scott McGill: guitar / Michael Manring: bass / Vic Stevens: drums - What We Do Too - Free Electric Sound (2006)     In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida - Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida - Rhino (1968/1995)

Front Porch Radio - History's Hook
History's Hook 05-04-2024 RM EP33 Sandra Seaton

Front Porch Radio - History's Hook

Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2024 60:01


Hosts Tom Price and Jo Ann McClellan speak with Ms. Sandra Seaton. Ms. Seaton is an award winning author, playwright, and librettist. Her plays have been performed in cities throughout the country, including New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, and her libretto for the solo opera “From the Diary of Sally Hemings,” set to music by Pulitzer Prize, Grammy Award winning, 2007 composer of the year winner, William Bolcom, has been performed at such venues as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco and the Rialto Performing Arts Center in Atlanta.  She received the Mark Twain Award from the Society for the study of Midwestern Literature in 2012. She taught creative writing and African-American Literature at Central Michigan University for 15 years as a professor of English.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifOF8LTYa_4&pp=ygUNU2FuZHJhIFNlYXRvbg%3D%3D

Judge John Hodgman
Star Witnesser

Judge John Hodgman

Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2024 69:22


Should Dorin have to join her pianist husband at his post-concert meet and greets? He says yes! She says she feels awkward! Who's right? Who's wrong?Here is a video of Hsiang playing "Serpent's Kiss" by William Bolcom.We are on TikTok and YouTube! Follow us on both @judgejohnhodgmanpod! Follow us on Instagram @judgejohnhodgman.Thanks to reddit user u/Bentzsco for naming this week's case! To suggest a title for a future episode, keep an eye on the Maximum Fun subreddit at maximumfun.reddit.com!

Musical Theatre Radio presents
Be Our Guest with Scott Eyerly (Pooch a new comedy musical)

Musical Theatre Radio presents "Be Our Guest"

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 1, 2024 43:28


Composer and librettist Scott Eyerly has won acclaim across a wide range of genres. From The House of the Seven Gables (praised by Opera News for its "maximum drama and melodically memorable set pieces") to Missa Brevis No. 2 (called by Choral Journal "a study in beauty and simplicity"), Eyerly brings to all his works a direct, American lyricism.  Eyerly notes, "I grew up singing hymns, but also show tunes. Then at college, I studied with composers from opposite corners of the ring, William Bolcom and Elliott Carter. In those days, after a lesson with Carter in the morning, I'd rush to rehearse songs for a theater revue that afternoon!  Later I taught musical theater courses at Juilliard, interviewing masters like Sondheim, Harnick, and Burton Lane. My love of musicals has always 'balanced' my love of the longhairs."  An active lecturer, Eyerly is on the faculty of The Juilliard School where he teaches sold-out courses on opera, musical theater and classical music. Since 2007 he has given popular talks at the Mahaiwe Theater in the Berkshires to introduce each Metropolitan Opera HD broadcast, a series which continues to grow and is now available online. Born in a suburb of Chicago, he and his wife live in New York City. POOCH is a zany musical set in present day Manhattan, based on real events. A once-proud classical music label has been taken over by a conglomerate that makes dog food. The head office installs a new C.E.O. who knows nothing about music. He hears that one classical artist is making a fortune – so he orders Samantha, his new Sales Director, to set up dinner with Puccini... who's been dead 100 years. Sam vows to meet the challenge – and expose her sexist boss. To do so, she enlists the help of Clark, a shy colleague so smitten he writes poetry about her. In their quest to prevail over corporate madness, Sam and Clark encounter snooping journalists, unexpected judo, a missing dog, and an oversupply of fake mustaches. All roads lead to the climax in a Village opera café, where Sam & Clark & C.E.O. sit down to… dinner with Puccini!  

Hearing The Pulitzers
Bonus: An Interview with William Bolcom

Hearing The Pulitzers

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2023 24:22


In this special bonus episode, Dave and Andrew talk with 1988 Pulitzer Prize Winner William Bolcom. What is the difference between the Etudes and the New Etudes? What impact did John Cage have on his career? And who is answering the phone? We hope you enjoy hearing from him about these insights and many more!

Hearing The Pulitzers
Episode 46 - 1988: William Bolcom, Twelve New Etudes

Hearing The Pulitzers

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2023 32:26


In this episode, Dave and Andrew discuss the first solo piano work to ever win a Pulitzer Prize. And they try to answer the question–if these are "new" etudes, what are the "old" etudes? They also examine how Bolcom incorporates various styles and techniques into the etudes, and ponder the set's historical place among other etude collections.     If you'd like more information about William Bolcom, we recommend: Henry S. Jones's dissertation "William Bolcom's Twelve New Etudes for Piano" (Louisiana State University, 1994). Ji Sun Lee's dissertation "Revolutionary Etudes: The Expansion of Piano Technique Exploited in the Twelve New Etudes of William Bolcom" (University of Arizona, 2001) William Bolcom's website. And if you'd like to read Dave's interview with Marc-André Hamelin (who premiered the entire set), you can find it here.

Composers Datebook
Bolcom's "Sonata Stramba"

Composers Datebook

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2023 2:00


SynopsisThe Third Sonata for Violin and Piano written by American composer William Bolcom had its premiere on today's date in 1993 at the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado. The work was commissioned to honor the 75th birthday of Dorothy Delay, a legendary violin teacher who taught at Juilliard for many years.Now, the violin is a strange animal for composers to master, especially if they aren't violinists already, and Bolcom subtitled his Third Violin Sonata “Sonata Stramba” –“stramba” being the Italian word for “strange” or “odd.”Bolcom confessed to being fascinated by two musical sounds more than any other: the voice and the violin. “When I was about ten,” Bolcom recalls, “we trundled out my maternal grandfather's imitation Stradivarius, made in Czechoslovakia, and I took a few not-very-successful lessons. When the violin was stolen out of the back seat of my father's Buick that was the end of my studies of the instrument.” Bolcom did become a very talented pianist, however, and befriended a violinist named Gene Nastri, who initiated the young composer into the mysteries of the instrument by performing Mozart and Beethoven Violin Sonatas with him, as well as the fledgling violin works written by the young composer.Music Played in Today's ProgramWilliam Bolcom (b. 1938) Violin Sonata No. 3 (Irina Muresanu, vln; Michael Lewis, p.) Centaur 2910

Composers Datebook
Sir John Tavener

Composers Datebook

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2023 2:00


Synopsis Late in 2013, the musical world was gearing up to celebrate the 70th birthday of British composer John Tavener, but sadly he died, so his 70th birthday, which fell on today's date in 2014, became a memorial tribute instead. Tavener had suffered from ill health throughout his life: a stroke in his thirties, heart surgery and the removal of a tumor in his forties, and two subsequent heart attacks. In his early twenties, Tavener became famous in 1968 with his avant-garde cantata entitled The Whale, based loosely on the Old Testament story of Jonah. That work caught the attention of one of The Beatles, and a recording of it was released on The Beatles' own Apple label. Tavener converted to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1977, and his music became increasingly spiritual. Millions who watched TV coverage of the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997, were deeply moved by his “Song for Athene,” which was performed to telling effect as Diana's casket left Westminster Abbey. Taverner was knighted in 2000, becoming Sir John Tavener In 2003, Tavener's Ikon of Eros, commissioned for the Centennial of the Minnesota Orchestra, and premiered at St. Paul's Cathedral—the one in St. Paul, Minnesota, that is, not the one in London—and Tavener came to Minnesota for the event. Music Played in Today's Program Sir John Tavener (1944-2013) Ikon of Eros Jorja Fleezanis, vn; Minnesota Chorale; Minnesota Orchestra; Paul Goodwin, conductor. Reference Recording 102 On This Day Births 1791 - French opera composer Louis Joseph F. Herold, in Paris; 1898 - Italian-American composer Vittorio Rieti, in Alexandria, Egypt; 1944 - British composer Sir John Tavener, in London; Deaths 1935 - Russian composer Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov, age 75, in Moscow; 1947 - Venezuelan-born French composer Reynaldo Hahn, age 72, in Paris; Premieres 1725 - Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 92 ("Ich hab in Gottes Herz und Sinn") performed on Septuagesimae Sunday after Epiphany as part of Bach's second annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig (1724/25); 1828 - Schubert: Piano Trio in Bb, Op. 99 (D. 898), at a private performance by Ignaz Schuppanzigh (violin), Josef Linke (cello), and Carl Maria von Bocklet (piano); 1830 - Auber: opera "Fra Diavolo" in Paris at the Opéra-Comique; 1876 - Tchaikovsky: "Serenade mélancolique" for violin and orchestra, in Moscow (Julian date: Jan. 18); 1897 - Glazunov: Symphony No. 5, in London; 1915 - Ravel: Piano Trio in a, in Paris, by Gabriel Wilaume (violin), Louis Feuillard (cello), and Alfredo Casella (piano); 1916 - Granados: opera "Goyescas," at the Metropolitan Opera in New York; 1927 - Copland: Piano Concerto, by the Boston Symphony conducted by Serge Koussevitzky, with the composer as soloist; 1941 - Copland: "Quiet City," at Town Hall in New York City by the Little Symphony conducted by Daniel Saidenberg; This music is based on incidental music Copland wrote for Irwin Shaw's play of the same name produced by the Group Theater in New York in 1939; 1944 - Bernstein: Symphony No. 1 ("Jeremiah"), at the Syria Mosque in Pittsburgh by the Pittsburgh Symphony conducted by the composer, with mezzo-soprano Jennie Tourel as vocal soloist; 1972 - Scott Joplin: opera "Treemonisha" (orchestrated by T.J. Anderson), in Atlanta; 1990 - Joan Tower: Flute Concerto, at Carnegie Hall in New York, with soloist Carol Wincenc and the American Composers Orchestra, Hugh Wolff, conducting; 1995 - Elinor Armer: “Island Earth” (to a text by Sci-Fi writer Usula K. Le Guin), at the University of California, Berkeley, by the various San Francisco choirs and the Women's Philharmonic, conducted by JoAnn Falletta; On the same program were the premiere performance's of Chen Yi's “Antiphony” for orchestra and Augusta Read Thomas's “Fantasy” for piano and orchestra (with piano soloist Sara Wolfensohn); 1997 - Morten Lauridsen: “Mid-Winter Songs” (final version) for chorus and orchestra, by the Los Angeles Master Chorale, John Currie conducting; Earlier versions of this work with piano and chamber orchestra accompaniment had premiered in 1981, 1983, and 1985 at various Californian venues; 2000 - André Previn: "Diversions," in Salzburg, Austria, by the Vienna Philharmonic, the composer conducting; Others 1742 - Jonathan Swift, Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin (and the author of "Gulliver's Travels"), objects to the cathedral singers taking part in performances of Handel's works while the composer is in that city (Gregorian date: Feb. 8); Rehearsals for the premiere performance of Handel's "Messiah" would begin in April of that year, involving the choirs of both Christ Church and St. Patrick's Cathedrals in Dublin; 1971 - William Bolcom completes his "Poltergeist" Rag (dedicated to Teresa Sterne, a one-time concert pianist who was then a producer for Nonesuch Records); According to the composer's notes, the "Poltergeist" Rag was written "in a converted garage next to a graveyard in Newburgh, N.Y." Links and Resources On Tavener

Composers Datebook
William Bolcom and William Blake

Composers Datebook

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2023 2:00


Synopsis If the late 18th century is the “Classical Age,” and the 19th “The Romantic,” then perhaps we should dub our time “The Eclectic Age” of music. These days, composers can—and do—pick and choose from a wide variety of styles. The American composer William Bolcom was loath to rule anything out when he approached the task of setting William Blake's Songs of Innocence and of Experience to music. Bolcom calls for a large orchestra, multiple choruses, and more than a dozen vocal soloists versed in classical, pop, folk, country, and operatic styles. There are echoes of jazz, reggae, gospel, ragtime, country and rock idioms as well. As Bolcom put it: "At every point Blake used his whole culture, past and present, high-flown and vernacular, as sources for his many poetic styles. All I did was use the same stylistic point of departure Blake did in my musical settings.” The massive work received its premiere performance in Stuttgart, Germany, on today's date in 1984. Most of the work was completed between 1973 and 1982, after Bolcom joined the faculty of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and it was there that the work received its American premiere a few months following its world premiere in Germany. Music Played in Today's Program William Bolcom (b. 1938) Songs of Innocence and of Experience Soloists; Choirs; University of Michigan School of Music Symphony; Leonard Slatkin, conductor. Naxos 8.559216/18 On This Day Births 1792 - American composer and educator Lowell Mason, in Medford, Massachusetts; 1812 - Swiss composer and pianist Sigismond Thalberg, in Pâquis, near Geneva; 1896 - Czech composer Jaromir Weinberger, in Prague; 1899 - Russian-born American composer Alexander Tcherepnin (Gregorian date: Jan. 21); 1905 - Italian composer Giacinto Scelsi, in La Spezia; 1924 - Russian-American composer Benjamin Lees (née Lysniansky), in Harbin, Manchuria; 1924 - Austrian-born American composer Robert Starer, in Vienna; 1935 - The charismatic rock 'n' roll performer Elvis Presley is born in Tupelo, Miss.; 1937 - American composer Robert Moran, in Denver; Deaths 1713 - Italian composer and violinist Arcangelo Corelli, age 59, in Rome; 1831 - Moravian-born composer and violinist Franz Krommer, age 71, in Vienna; 1998 - British composer Sir Michael Tippett, age 93, in London; Premieres 1705 - Handel: opera "Almira" in Hamburg; This was Handel's first opera (see also Dec. 5 & 30 for related contemporary incidents); 1720 - Handel: opera "Radamisto" (2nd version), in London (Julian date: Dec. 28, 1720); 1735 - Handel: opera "Ariodante" in London at the Covent Garden Theater (Gregorian date: Jan. 19); 1843 - Schumann: Piano Quintet in Eb, Op. 44, at Leipzig Gewandhaus with pianist Clara Schumann; 1895 - Brahms: Clarinet Sonata, Op. 120, no. 1 (first public performance), in Vienna, by clarinetist Richard Mühlfeld, with the composer at the piano, as part of the Rosé Quartet's chamber music series; The first performance ever of this work occurred on September 19, 1894, at a private performance in the home of the sister of the Duke of Meiningen at Berchtesgaden, with the same performers; Brahms and Mühlfeld also gave private performances of both sonatas in Frankfurt (for Clara Schumann and others) on November 10-13, 1894; at Castle Altenstein (for the Duke of Meiningen) on Nov. 14, 1894; and on Jan. 7, 1895 (for members of the Vienna Tonkünstler Society); 1911 - Florent Schmitt: "La tragédie de Salomé" for orchestra, in Paris; 1927 - Berg: "Lyric Suite" for string quartet, in Vienna, by the Kolisch Quartet; 1928 - Hindemith: "Kammermusik" No. 7, Op. 46, no. 2, in Frankfurt, with Ludwig Rottenberg conducting and Reinhold Merten the organist; 1940 - Roger Sessions: Violin Concerto, by the Illinois Symphony conducted by Izler Solomon, with Robert Gross as soloist; The work was to have been premiered by Albert Spalding with the Boston Symphony under Koussevitzky in January of 1937, but did not take place); 1963 - Shostakovich: opera "Katerina Izmailova" (2nd version of "Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District"), in Moscow at the Stanislavsky-Nemirovich-Dachenko Music Theater; 1971 - Shostakovich: Symphony No. 15, in Moscow, by the All-Union Radio and Television Symphony, with the composer's son, Maxim, conducting; 1987 - Christopher Rouse: "Phaethon" for orchestra, by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Riccardo Muti conducting; 1988 - Schwantner: "From Afar . . . " (A Fantasy for Guitar and Orchestra), by guitarist Sharon Isbin with the St. Louis Symphony, Leonard Slatkin conducting; Others 1923 - First broadcast in England of an opera direct from a concert hall, Mozart's "The Magic Flute" via the BBC from London; Links and Resources More on Wiiliam Bolcom More on William Blake

Front Porch Radio - History's Hook
Where Art and History Meet: Sandra Seaton (RR)

Front Porch Radio - History's Hook

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2022 52:36


Hosts Tom Price and Jo Ann McClellan speak with Ms. Sandra Seaton. Ms. Seaton is an award winning author, playwright, and librettist. Her plays have been performed in cities throughout the country, including New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, and her libretto for the solo opera “From the Diary of Sally Hemings,” set to music by Pulitzer Prize, Grammy Award winning, 2007 composer of the year winner, William Bolcom, has been performed at such venues as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco and the Rialto Performing Arts Center in Atlanta.

Composers Datebook
Roumain's "Ghetto Strings"

Composers Datebook

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2022 2:00


Synopsis From its founding in 1986 the Minneapolis Guitar Quartet has both commissioned new works and arranged old ones for their ensemble of four virtuoso guitarists. On today's date in 2001, the Quartet premiered a new commission, a suite of four pieces entitled Ghetto Strings, written by the Haitian-American composer Daniel Bernard Roumain. Daniel Bernard Roumain – or DBR as he likes to be called – was born in Skokie, Illinois, but grew up in Southern Florida, surrounded by music from Latin communities – the Bahamas, Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic – as well as his own family's Haitian music. He took up violin at age five, and says he absorbed a variety of classical and contemporary music. In junior high, he formed his own rock and hip-hop band and in high school played in a jazz orchestra which brought in guests like Dizzy Gillespie and Ray Charles. He later pursued formal musical studies with mentors William Bolcom and Michael Daugherty, earning both his masters and doctoral degrees. The four movements of his Ghetto Strings evoke four places Roumain has called home at various points in his life: Harlem, Detroit, Liberty City in Miami, and Haiti. Music Played in Today's Program Daniel Bernard Roumain (b. 1970): Haiti, fr Ghetto Strings (Minneapolis Guitar Quartet) innova CD 858

Labirinti Musicali
Labirinti Musicali di giovedì 20/10/2022

Labirinti Musicali

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2022 59:50


A cura di Carlo Centemeri - Memoria come ricordo, memoria come reminescenza, memoria come tributo. In cosa la memoria riguarda la musica e in cosa la musica influenza la memoria? Ne parliamo ascoltando Franz Liszt, William Bolcom, Johann Sebastian Bach, Krysztof Penderecki, Astor Piazzolla, Ludwig Van Beethoven

Le Disque classique du jour
Bolcom : L'intégrale des rags - Marc-André Hamelin

Le Disque classique du jour

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2022 15:29


durée : 00:15:29 - Le Disque classique du jour du mercredi 05 octobre 2022 - Après son pétillant disque CPE Bach, paru sur l'étiquette Hyperion en janvier 2022, Marc-André Hamelin revient avec un disque consacré au Rag, cette musique popularisée par Scott Joplin notamment. Ici, ce sont les rags de William Bolcom que l'on retrouve. On écoute !

SWR2 Treffpunkt Klassik. Musik, Meinung, Perspektiven
Der Pianist Marc-André Hamelin spielt William Bolcom: The Complete Rags

SWR2 Treffpunkt Klassik. Musik, Meinung, Perspektiven

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 18, 2022 5:42


"The Complete Rags" heißt eine neue CD mit Klaviermusik, die zwischen 1967 und 2015 entstanden ist. Der Komponist dieser Stücke ist der 1938 geborene Amerikaner William Bolcom. Er gilt als Grenzgänger zwischen E- und U-Musik, der auch zahlreiche Ragtimes komponiert hat. Der kanadische Hypervirtuose Marc-André Hamelin hat diese gerade für Hyperion eingespielt. Eine "pianistisch brillante Gesamtaufnahme", findet Kritikerin Susanne Stähr.

New Classical Tracks with Julie Amacher
Marc-André Hamelin explores William Bolcom's piano rags in his new album

New Classical Tracks with Julie Amacher

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 6, 2022 27:44


Marc-André Hamelin – William Bolcom: The Complete Rags (Hyperion) Jump to giveaway form New Classical Tracks - Marc-André Hamelin by “In 1985, I won the Carnegie Hall competition for American Music. One of the prizes was an invitation to the Cabrillo Festival in California, which is still going on, I think. And the two composers in residence that year happened to be Arvo Pärt and William Bolcom. So, I got to meet him.” Pianist Marc-André Hamelin not only got to meet Bolcom, the American composer whom he'd been admiring since he was 16, but he also got to make music with him. For his latest release, Hamelin has recorded a two-disc set of The Complete Rags of William Bolcom.   There's a lot of diversity in Bolcom's rags. Can you talk about the many moods that we experience throughout this two-disc set? “I think his first rags were a little more Joplin influenced, even though he was adding some touches of his own. “There is one of them, which is a kind of a joke, actually, it's called Brass Knuckles. And it was written in collaboration with the late William Albright. They decided to write that together one day as sort of an antidote to the overdelicate rags that they'd each been writing. It's just a joke, of course, but it's full of clusters and very violent piano writing. And that's why I put it at the very end of the two-disc set. “One of the rags from the Garden of Eden Suite, which is called the Serpent's Kiss and is actually one of the ones that's more often performed, asks for the same kind of percussive sound on the piano. And I couldn't do it fast enough. So I just developed a system of tongue clicks. And Bill was so amused by this during the recording session that he allowed me to keep that.” The opening rag, Eubie's Lucky Day, is dedicated to American pianist Eubie Blake, whom Bolcom considers to be his last great teacher. Can you tell us more about that correspondence? “The fact that he [Bolcom] connected with Eubie Blake is really extraordinary for him, because Bill knew so much about the history of American popular music, and, of course, performing with his wife, Joan Morris, during all these years. So, it was wonderful to be in contact with someone who was there from pretty much the very beginning. The first track of the album is called Tabby Cat Walk. Bolcom makes use of silence effectively in the piece, kind of catches us off guard, maybe the way a cat would. Can you tell us more about that? “They called it stopped time. The music would stop for a bar or two and then it would start again. But the rhythm would always be going on behind, regardless, you know? Just recently I got an early LP of his, which is just his own rags, and Tabby Cat Walk is on there. And of course, you know, I couldn't say it was a CD player because it was vinyl. But I asked myself the same thing. There's something going on here. But no, it's just written like that, and it's quite an effective little thing.” Is there another rag on this two-disc set you'd like to talk about? “Well, there's a couple, actually, that sort of distinguish themselves from the others because rather than having straight ragtime rhythm, they have more of a dotted rhythm. So, a ragtime would be ‘Da Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo.' But a dotted rhythm would be more jagged. So, there's one called Knight Hubert, as in Eubie Blake, [also known as] Hubert Blake, and [an]other one is called the Brooklyn Dodge, and they're both wonderful and very swingy.” To hear the rest of my conversation, click on the extended interview above, or download the extended podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. Twelve New Etudes-Book III: Rag infernal (Syncopes apocalyptiques) More on Marc-André Hamelin and William Bolcom Pianist Marc-André Hamelin Composer William Bolcom at 80: A varied career of 'musical illuminations' Marc-Andre Hamelin Giveaway Marc-Andre Hamelin New Classical Tracks Giveaway You must be 13 or older to submit any information to American Public Media/Minnesota Public Radio. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about things like our programs, products and services. See Terms of Use and Privacy. This giveaway is subject to the Official Giveaway Rules. Resources Marc-André Hamelin — William Bolcom: The Complete Rags (Hamelin store) Marc-André Hamelin — William Bolcom: The Complete Rags (Hyperion store) Marc-André Hamelin — William Bolcom: The Complete Rags (Amazon) Marc-André Hamelin (official site) William Bolcom (official site)

Y87
Joanne Lessner -- writer, singer, director, actor . . . she does it all!

Y87

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2022 39:41


Ever think that your neighbor is so annoying that you might cast them as a villain in your next novel? Well, Joanne Lessner has. She is a polymath who has been singing, writing, acting and performing since college. Is she the most famous? No. Has she made it to Broadway? Well, yes, but most of her career has not been there. Has she built a family and a body of art that she is immensely and justifiably proud of? Absolutely. Take a listen. Here is a link to Joanne's website: http://joannesydneylessner.com/ Here is her bio: Joanne Sydney Lessner is a writer, singer, and actor. Joanne's debut novel Pandora's Bottle was inspired by the true story of the world's most expensive bottle of wine and named one of the top five books of 2010 by Paperback Dolls. She has written four novels featuring aspiring actress and amateur sleuth Isobel Spice: The Temporary Detective (BloodWrites Award for Best New Mystery), Bad Publicity, And Justice for Some, and Offed Stage Left. “The Ghosts' High Noon,” an Isobel Spice short story, is available on this site as a free download. Joanne has written the book and lyrics to several musicals with her husband, composer/conductor Joshua Rosenblum, including the cult hit Fermat's Last Tango, which received its Off-Broadway premiere at the York Theatre Company. The original cast recording became a bestseller, and the DVD has been screened at festivals from New Jersey to New Zealand. The Teatro da Trindade in Lisbon, Portugal, presented the European premiere and subsequently gave the world premiere of their next musical, Einstein's Dreams, based on the celebrated novel by Alan Lightman. Their musical Garbo and Me was presented in concert at the York Theatre Company and the historic Paramount Theatre in Rutland, Vermont, while their adaptation of Wilkie Collins's The Haunted Hotel was unveiled at the Signature Theatre Company in Arlington, Virginia. Their musical revue Love is Not a Science was presented at London's Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, where they will return with a musical based on Edna Ferber and George S. Kaufman's classic play, Stage Door. Joanne's play, Critical Mass, received its New York premiere at the Lion Theatre on Theatre Row as winner of the Heiress Productions Playwriting Competition. She is also a regular contributing writer to Opera News. A remarkably versatile performer, Joanne has appeared on Broadway in Cyrano: The Musical, and in other New York City venues in roles as varied as Charlotte in A Little Night Music, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, and Cis in the cabaret version of William Bolcom's Casino Paradise, which the New York Times named “one of the year's ten best events in classical music.” She has performed in concert as a soloist with New York City Opera Vox, New York Festival of Song, The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center's American Songbook, and the Harrisburg and Albany Symphonies. Joanne has also played ten principal Gilbert and Sullivan roles with the award-winning Blue Hill Troupe, including Julia Jellicoe in The Grand Duke, for which she was honored as Best Female Performer at the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival in Buxton, England. Joanne holds a BA in music, summa cum laude, from Yale University

Classical Conversations
Stephen Powell: American Composers At Play

Classical Conversations

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2022


Baritone Stephen Powell is a revered veteran of the world's opera stages, but in his debut solo album American Composers At Play, he brings his powerful voice to the intimate medium of art song – performing works by four living American composers (William Bolcom, Ricky Ian Gordon, Lori Laitman, and John Musto, all of whom accompany Stephen on the piano). Joining Stephen and his eminent roster of composer/pianists are an equally eminent group of collaborators: guitarist Jason Vieaux, clarinetist Charles Neidich, and the Attacca Quartet. In this conversation with WGTE's Brad Cresswell, Stephen gives us a behind-the-scenes tour of this distinctly American album, and makes a compelling case for why art song remains such an important part of the musical literature. Photo credit: Sue Reno. Please note: due to copyright, musical selections have been truncated in this podcast version. You can find more info about the album and its music here: https://stephenpowell.us/recordings

WRCJ In-Studio Guests
William Bolcom & Joan Morris - May 13, 2022

WRCJ In-Studio Guests

Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2022 10:43


In this interview Cecelia Sharpe speaks with composer William Bolcom and his wife mezzo-soprano Joan Morris.

Fifty Key Stage Musicals: The Podcast
Ch. 4- SHUFFLE ALONG

Fifty Key Stage Musicals: The Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2022 53:05


SHUFFLE ALONG COMPOSER: Eubie Blake LYRICIST: Noble Sissle BOOK: F.E. Miller, Aubrey Lyles DIRECTOR: Walter Brooks PRINCIPLE CAST: Lottie Gee (Bessie), Aubrey Lyles (Sam), F.E. Miller (Steve) OPENING DATE: May 23, 1921 CLOSING DATE: Jul 15, 1922 PERFORMANCES: 484 SYNOPSIS: Sam and Steve are business owners who decide that they will both run for the Mayor of Jimtown, USA. Whichever one wins will appoint the other their chief of police. Complications arise when the two men are so busy squabbling they do not realize that a new candidate is ready to take on their corrupt administration. Shuffle Along was significant as an early Broadway revue written by and starring Black vaudeville artists that became a smash hit with Depression-era audiences. Jerrell L. Henderson outlines the ways the show proved Black musicals, Black love stories, and Black-lead productions could be successful in the United States with strong emphasis placed on creators Eubie Blake, Noble Sissle, Flournoy Miller, and Aubrey Lyles, as well as the show's original performers including Josephine Baker, Adelaide Hall, Florence Mills, Fredi Washington, and Paul Robeson. An analysis of George C. Wolfe and Savion Glover's 2015 reexamination of the show, with cast members Audra McDonald and Billy Porter, is explored as well.  Jerrell L. Henderson is a Director and Puppeteer. Upcoming Puppet Short Films include, Hamlin: La Revue Sombre with Handmade Puppet Dreams and Diamond's Dream with Chicago Children's Theatre. He performed his signature puppetry piece, I Am The Bear, this fall with Chicago International Puppet Festival's Living Room Tours. His shadow play, 3 American Myths: A Riff in Shadow & Light in 3 Rhythmic Movements was a finalist for a 2019 Jim Henson Foundation Grant. Recent directing credits include Mlima's Tale with Griffin Theatre (Jeff Award Nomination for Direction and Best Play) and Thurgood with Walnut Street Theatre. Other credits include The River with BoHo Theatre, Untitled with Inis Nua (Barrymore Award nomination for Outstanding Direction of a Play) and Something Like A War: A New Musical with 11th Hour Theatre. As an assistant director, Jerrell has worked with The Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, and Lookingglass Theatre. He received an MFA in Directing from Northwestern University, is a member of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab (2012), an Artistic Associate of Black Lives, Black Words, and a Henson Foundation sponsored participant at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center National Puppetry Conference (2020). SOURCES Carlin, Richard, and Ken Bloom. Eubie Blake: Rags, Rhythm, and Race. Oxford University Press, USA, 2020.  Gaines, Caseen. Footnotes: The Black Artists Who Rewrote the Rules of the Great White Way. Sourcebooks, 2021.   Kimball, Robert, and William Bolcom. Reminiscing with Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake. Cooper Square Pub, 1973.    Miller, Flournoy, et. al. Shuffle Along. CreateSpace, 2015.   Rose, Al. Eubie Blake. New York : Schirmer Books, 1979.    Woll, Allen. Black Musical Theatre. Da Capo Press, 1991. Shuffle Along, Studio Cast, New World Records (1976) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Composers Datebook
Bolcom's "Ghost" Rags

Composers Datebook

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2022 2:00


Synopsis Many good things come in threes – at least William Bolcom seems to think so. On today's date in 1971, in a converted garage next to a graveyard in Newburgh, New York, American composer and pianist William Bolcom put the finishes touches to the second of three piano pieces he collectively titled “Ghost Rags.” “Ghost Rag” No. 2 was titled “Poltergeist” and dedicated to Tracey Sterne, who at that time was a dynamic record producer at Nonesuch Records.  In her youth Sterne pursued a career as a concert pianist, but in the 1960s and 70s was responsible for assembling the Nonesuch label's astonishingly diverse catalog of old, new and world music.   “Ghost Rag” No. 3, titled “Dream Shadows,” was described by Bolcom as a “white rag” which evoked “the era of white telephones and white pianos” and “was in the white key of C Major.” Bolcom dedicated this rag to his fellow composer, William Albright. And Bolcom's ‘Ghost Rag” No. 1, which has proved to be the most popular of the three, was titled “Graceful Ghost.”  Bolcom dedicated this music to the memory of his father, whose benign spirit Bolcom said he often felt hovering around his piano while he played at night. Music Played in Today's Program William Bolcom (b. 1938) — Graceful Ghost Rags (Paul Jacobs, piano) Nonesuch 79006 On This Day Births 1791 - French opera composer Louis Joseph F. Herold, in Paris; 1898 - Italian-American composer Vittorio Rieti, in Alexandria, Egypt; 1944 - British composer Sir John Tavener, in London; Deaths 1935 - Russian composer Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov, age 75, in Moscow; 1947 - Venezuelan-born French composer Reynaldo Hahn, age 72, in Paris; Premieres 1725 - Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 92 ("Ich hab in Gottes Herz und Sinn") performed on Septuagesimae Sunday after Epiphany as part of Bach's second annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig (1724/25); 1828 - Schubert: Piano Trio in Bb, Op. 99 (D. 898), at a private performance by Ignaz Schuppanzigh (violin), Josef Linke (cello), and Carl Maria von Bocklet (piano); 1830 - Auber: opera "Fra Diavolo" in Paris at the Opéra-Comique; 1876 - Tchaikovsky: "Serenade mélancolique" for violin and orchestra, in Moscow (Julian date: Jan. 18); 1897 - Glazunov: Symphony No. 5, in London; 1915 - Ravel: Piano Trio in a, in Paris, by Gabriel Wilaume (violin), Louis Feuillard (cello), and Alfredo Casella (piano); 1916 - Granados: opera "Goyescas," at the Metropolitan Opera in New York; 1927 - Copland: Piano Concerto, by the Boston Symphony conducted by Serge Koussevitzky, with the composer as soloist; 1941 - Copland: "Quiet City," at Town Hall in New York City by the Little Symphony conducted by Daniel Saidenberg; This music is based on incidental music Copland wrote for Irwin Shaw's play of the same name produced by the Group Theater in New York in 1939; 1944 - Bernstein: Symphony No. 1 ("Jeremiah"), at the Syria Mosque in Pittsburgh by the Pittsburgh Symphony conducted by the composer, with mezzo-soprano Jennie Tourel as vocal soloist; 1972 - Scott Joplin: opera "Treemonisha" (orchestrated by T.J. Anderson), in Atlanta; 1990 - Joan Tower: Flute Concerto, at Carnegie Hall in New York, with soloist Carol Wincenc and the American Composers Orchestra, Hugh Wolff, conducting; 1995 - Elinor Armer: “Island Earth” (to a text by Sci-Fi writer Usula K. Le Guin), at the University of California, Berkeley, by the various San Francisco choirs and the Women's Philharmonic, conducted by JoAnn Falletta; On the same program were the premiere performance's of Chen Yi's “Antiphony” for orchestra and Augusta Read Thomas's “Fantasy” for piano and orchestra (with piano soloist Sara Wolfensohn); 1997 - Morten Lauridsen: “Mid-Winter Songs” (final version) for chorus and orchestra, by the Los Angeles Master Chorale, John Currie conducting; Earlier versions of this work with piano and chamber orchestra accompaniment had premiered in 1981, 1983, and 1985 at various Californian venues; 2000 - André Previn: "Diversions," in Salzburg, Austria, by the Vienna Philharmonic, the composer conducting; Others 1742 - Jonathan Swift, Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin (and the author of "Gulliver's Travels"), objects to the cathedral singers taking part in performances of Handel's works while the composer is in that city (Gregorian date: Feb. 8); Rehearsals for the premiere performance of Handel's "Messiah" would begin in April of that year, involving the choirs of both Christ Church and St. Patrick's Cathedrals in Dublin; 1971 - William Bolcom completes his "Poltergeist" Rag (dedicated to Teresa Sterne, a one-time concert pianist who was then a producer for Nonesuch Records); According to the composer's notes, the "Poltergeist" Rag was written "in a converted garage next to a graveyard in Newburgh, N.Y." Links and Resources On William Bolcom

Voice of the Arts
William Bolcom

Voice of the Arts

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2021


Pulitzer Prize winning composer William Bolcom, now 83, has recently recorded a CD of Robert Schumann's "Album for the Young," which he began playing in the 1940's working with his pianist colleague Logan Skealton on the faculty of the University of Michigan. William Bolcom talks about the Schumann and his most famous piece - "Graceful Ghost," along with the song "Lime Jello Marshmallow Surprise," which was a popular concert favorite of the duo with his wife Joan Morris. Joan jumps in for a moment during the conversation with Jim Cunningham.

Honens Piano Podcast
Open Lid: A Conversation with the Bergmann Duo

Honens Piano Podcast

Play Episode Play 57 sec Highlight Listen Later Dec 17, 2021 66:20


In this episode of Open Lid, Catherine McClelland, Honens Director, Artistic Planning catches up with Marcel and Elizabeth Bergmann, also known as the Bergmann Duo. Hear about how they met and started playing together, the impact competitions have had on their career, the different challenges of playing piano duet versus piano duo, what each of them brings to the duo, their relationship with contemporary composer William Bolcom, Marcel's compositions, and more! Learn more about the Bergmann Duo here.

Composers Datebook
Bolcom's "View" on choral matters

Composers Datebook

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2021 2:00


Synopsis On today's date in 1999, the Lyric Opera of Chicago premiered a new opera by the American composer William Bolcom, based on “A View from the Bridge,” a powerful play by Arthur Miller. Now, not all stage plays “translate” well into opera, as Bolcom was well aware: “In theater, you have the text and then below it you have the subtext,” said Bolcom. “In opera it is pretty much the opposite, the subtext is what you are really dealing with first and foremost: big, raw emotions, which are supported by the text. In fact, Miller's play, although set in Brooklyn in the 1950s, has often been likened to a Greek tragedy, a theatrical form in which the chorus plays an important role. Bolcom saw that as a real opportunity: "If you are going to do an opera from a play, it better have a dimension that the play doesn't. In a play, you can't have your chorus speak because it is financially prohibitive: as soon as the chorus opens up its mouth the price goes up because of actors' equity. So, naturally one of the great resources of opera houses is an opera chorus, a resource you CAN use much more easily." Music Played in Today's Program William Bolcom (b. 1938) — A View from the Bridge (Lyric Opera of Chicago; Dennis Russell Davies, cond.) New World 80558 On This Day Births 1585 - Baptismal date of German composer Heinrich Schütz, in Bad Löstritz; 1835 - French composer, conductor and pianist Camille Saint-Saëns, in Paris; 1914 - American composer Roger Goeb, in Cherokee, Iowa; 1938 - Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara, in Helsinki; 1940 - John Lennon (of the Beatles), in Liverpool, England; Deaths 1999 - Jazz vibraphone virtuoso, Milt Jackson, age 76, in New York City; He was a member of the famous Modern Jazz Quartet; Premieres 1826 - Rossini: opera, "The Siege of Corinth," at the Paris Opéra; 1891 - Dvorák: "Requiem," Op. 89, in Birmingham, England; 1896 - Dvorák: String Quartet No. 13 in G, Op. 106, in Prague, by the Bohemian Quartet; 1921 - Janácek: "Taras Bulba" (after Gogol), in Brno; 1955 - Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 1, by the Leningrad Philharmonic conducted by Yevgeny Mravinsky, with David Oistrakh the soloist; 1963 - Henze: Symphony No. 4 in Berlin, with the composer conducting; 1980 - Jon Deak: Concerto for Oboe d'amore and Orchestra, by the New York Philharmonic conducted by Zubin Mehta with Thomas Stacy as soloist; 1985 - Anthony Davis: opera "X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X," in Philadelphia; The opera's New York City Opera premiere occurred the following year on September 28, 1986; 1986 - Andrew Lloyd-Webber: musical "Phantom of the Opera," at Her Majesty's Theatre in London; The musical opened on Broadway at the Majestic Theater on January 26, 1988; 1987 - Corigliano: "Campane di Ravello" (Bells of Ravello) for orchestra (a birthday tribute to Sir Georg Solti), in Chicago, with Kenneth Jean conducting; 1992 - David Ott: Symphony No. 3, by the Grand Rapids (Michigan) Symphony, Catherine Comet conducting; 1997 - Robert X. Rodriguez: "Il Lamento di Tristano," by flutist Susan Morris De Jong and guitarist Jeffrey Van, at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis; 1999 - Bolcom: opera "A View From the Bridge," by the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Dennis Russell Davies, cond. 1999 - Michael Torke: symphonic oratorio "Four Seasons," at Avery Fisher Hall in New York, by soloists, chorus, and the New York Philharmonic, Kurt Masur conducting; Others 1973 - Leonard Bernstein gives the first of six lectures entitled "The Unanswered Question," as the Charles Eliot Norton Professor of Poetry at Harvard University. Links and Resources On William Bolcom

Composers Datebook
Bolcom's "Five Fold Five"

Composers Datebook

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2021 2:00


Synopsis Young composers who came of age in the 1960s found themselves faced with a question: should they adopt the intellectually fashionable post-serial, atonal style of composition developed by Arnold Schoenberg's followers, or return to a more accessible and tonal musical language, neo-Romantic, neo-Classical, or Minimalist in nature? For the American composer William Bolcom, who turned 20 in 1958, the first option was not appealing. “I had the credentials and the chops to write like that if I wanted to,” he said, “but I said to hell with it.” According to Bolcom's teacher and mentor, the French composer Darius Milhaud, Bolcom was “as gifted as a monkey.” Bolcom was a fabulous pianist with a passion for American ragtime and popular song and distinctly American elements and accents crop up in his compositions. Bolcom says he prefers to live, as he puts it, “in the cracks” between opera and musical theater, tonality and atonality, highbrow and lowbrow. Bolcom's chamber work entitled “Five Fold Five,” for example, premiered on today's date in 1987 at Saratoga Springs, New York, by pianist Dennis Russell Davies and the Philadelphia Woodwind Quintet, starts off flirting with atonal elements, but ends with something that sounds a lot like boogie-woogie. Music Played in Today's Program William Bolcom (b. 1938) — Five Fold Five (Detroit Chamber Winds; William Bolcom, piano) Koch 7395

From The Studio
The Piano Bench: Pianist Polina Beymanov

From The Studio

Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2021 41:44


Polina Beymanov is a junior piano and voice major at Whitworth University, a piano student of Dr Judith Schoeflin and voice student of Scott Miller. She came to our KPBX studio to play her junior recital program, which included music of J. S. Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven and Sergei Rachmaninoff. Of particular interest were two selections somewhat off the beaten path, Oscar Peterson's arrangement of Richard Rodgers' "Little Girl Blue," and two Bagatelles of William Bolcom.

From the Studio
The Piano Bench: Pianist Polina Beymanov

From the Studio

Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2021 41:44


Polina Beymanov is a junior piano and voice major at Whitworth University, a piano student of Dr Judith Schoeflin and voice student of Scott Miller. She came to our KPBX studio to play her junior recital program, which included music of J. S. Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven and Sergei Rachmaninoff. Of particular interest were two selections somewhat off the beaten path, Oscar Peterson's arrangement of Richard Rodgers' "Little Girl Blue," and two Bagatelles of William Bolcom.

Front Porch Radio - History's Hook
Where Art and History Meet: Sandra Seaton

Front Porch Radio - History's Hook

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 8, 2021 43:56


Hosts Tom Price and Jo Ann McClellan speak with Ms. Sandra Seaton. Ms. Seaton is an award winning author, playwright, and librettist. Her plays have been performed in cities throughout the country, including New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, and her libretto for the solo opera “From the Diary of Sally Hemings,” set to music by Pulitzer Prize, Grammy Award winning, 2007 composer of the year winner, William Bolcom, has been performed at such venues as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco and the Rialto Performing Arts Center in Atlanta. She received the Mark Twain Award from the Society for the study of Midwestern Literature in 2012. She taught creative writing and African-American Literature at Central Michigan University for 15 years as a professor of English.

Rise Up Chorus Presents
Episode 8: Meet Jerry Blackstone

Rise Up Chorus Presents "Meet the Musicians"

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2021 52:09


In this eighth episode of "Meet the Musicians" Podcast, host Matthew LaPine sits down with Jerry Blackstone. Grammy® Award winner Jerry Blackstone is a leading conductor and highly respected conducting pedagogue. Prof. Blackstone was a member of the faculty of the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance for thirty years where, as Director of Choirs, he led the graduate program in choral conducting, oversaw the University’s eleven choirs, and upon retirement was named Professor Emeritus of Music (Conducting). In February 2006, he received two Grammy® Awards ("Best Choral Performance" and "Best Classical Album") as chorusmaster for the critically acclaimed Naxos recording of William Bolcom's Songs of Innocence and of Experience.Dr. Blackstone is also the Artistic Director of "Choral Singing in America", a documentary about just that - choral singing in the United States. The docu-series is slated to be published in 2023. For more information about "Choral Singing in America, visit their website, https://choralsinging.org. "Meet the Musicians" Podcast is produced by Rise Up Chorus, a community chorus organization whose mission is to bring the community together and enrich lives through musical experiences. For more information about Rise Up Chorus, visit us online at www.riseupchorus.org.

Valley Public Radio
Fresno Philharmonic Digital Masterworks Series Premieres Saturday January 16

Valley Public Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2021 13:15


The Fresno Philharmonic, Rei Hotoda Music Director and Conductor, will present the free livestream premiere of its first Digital Masterworks concert on Saturday January 16, 2021 at 5:30 pm PST on the Fresno Philharmonic’s website and YouTube channel. The program, titled Intersections of Past and Present, features musicians of the Fresno Philharmonic under the direction of Rei Hotoda performing Adolphus Hailstork’s An American Fanfare, William Bolcom’s Commedia for (Almost) 18th Century Orchestra and Franz Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No.44 in E minor. The program will also feature on screen commentary by Ms. Hotoda. Valley Public Radio's David Aus spoke with Stephen Wilson, President & CEO of the Fresno Philharmonic, about the Digital Masterworks series and how the orchestra has been navigating the constraints of the pandemic to produce performances.

RFS: Vox Satanae
Vox Satanae – Episode #493

RFS: Vox Satanae

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2020 145:56


Halloween Flashback This week we hear works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Giuseppe Tartini, Franz Liszt, Franz Schubert, Hector Berlioz, Camille Saint-Saëns, Charles Loeffler, Sergei Rachmaninoff, André Caplet, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Bernard Herrmann, and William Bolcom. 146 Minutes – Week of October 26, 2020

Classical Conversations
Stephen Powell: American Composers At Play

Classical Conversations

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2020


Baritone Stephen Powell is a revered veteran of the world's opera stages, but in his debut solo album American Composers At Play, he brings his powerful voice to the intimate medium of art song – performing works by four living American composers (William Bolcom, Ricky Ian Gordon, Lori Laitman, and John Musto, all of whom accompany Stephen on the piano). Joining Stephen and his eminent roster of composer/pianists are an equally eminent group of collaborators: guitarist Jason Vieaux, clarinetist Charles Neidich, and the Attacca Quartet. In this conversation with WGTE's Brad Cresswell, Stephen gives us a behind-the-scenes tour of this distinctly American album, and makes a compelling case for why art song remains such an important part of the musical literature. Photo credit: Sue Reno. Please note: due to copyright, musical selections have been truncated in this podcast version. You can find more info about the album and its music here: https://stephenpowell.us/recordings

Classical Conversations
Stephen Powell: American Composers At Play

Classical Conversations

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2020


Baritone Stephen Powell is a revered veteran of the world's opera stages, but in his debut solo album American Composers At Play, he brings his powerful voice to the intimate medium of art song – performing works by four living American composers (William Bolcom, Ricky Ian Gordon, Lori Laitman, and John Musto, all of whom accompany Stephen on the piano). Joining Stephen and his eminent roster of composer/pianists are an equally eminent group of collaborators: guitarist Jason Vieaux, clarinetist Charles Neidich, and the Attacca Quartet. In this conversation with WGTE's Brad Cresswell, Stephen gives us a behind-the-scenes tour of this distinctly American album, and makes a compelling case for why art song remains such an important part of the musical literature. Photo credit: Sue Reno. Please note: due to copyright, musical selections have been truncated in this podcast version. You can find more info about the album and its music here: https://stephenpowell.us/recordings

Vrije geluiden op 4
The King's Singers

Vrije geluiden op 4

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2020 55:30


Een mooie live-opname van de wereldberoemde King's Singers dit weekend. Zaterdag William Byrd, zondag Benjamin Britten. Muziek van het Duo Mader/Papandreopoulos, de laatste deelnemers aan Dutch Classical Talent dit jaar - die deze week hun tour zouden starten! En de Doorgeef-CD-Van-De-Week, met louter (maar wel opmerkelijke) walsen. Met muziek van Franz Schubert, Béla Bartók, Johann Sebastian Bach, William Bolcom, William Byrd, en Jóhann Jóhannsson.

Directors Circle
Jerry Blackstone - Episode 25

Directors Circle

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2020 88:24


This episode features my interview with the legendary Dr. Jerry Blackstone. Jerry is a Grammy award-winning conductor who is well known for his work as a professor of choral music at the University of Michigan. In our discussion, Jerry shares his views on repertoire, inspiring musicians, and the art of music-making.    Topics include: (04:09) Jerry talks about his life, background, and current role as a visiting professor at Wheaton College (12:32) Score study (30:05) Connecting students to the music they perform (34:20) Rehearsal methodology (42:31) Framing verbal instruction (47:28) Jerry’s approach to conducting  (1:11:37) Getting musicians to fall in love with music (1:15:04) Favorite rehearsal tactics (1:16:24) Why do we teach music?  (1:20:15) Todd discusses leaders that have made an impact on his life  (1:24:20) Advice for music educators   Links:  Jerry’s University of Michigan page: https://smtd.umich.edu/about/faculty-profiles/jerry-blackstone/ Jerry conducting Ein deutsches Requiem, op. 45 at UoM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAGxnqRpiF0 Jerry conducting William Brehm’s “Allulia” and “Jubilee!” at UoM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWVFUfXRkzE Jerry giving a clinic on compelling musical performances: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw8FtiyRXMo Bio:  Grammy Award winner Jerry Blackstone is a leading conductor and highly respected conducting pedagogue.  Now emeritus professor of conducting, he served on the faculty of the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance for thirty years where as director of choirs he led the graduate program in choral conducting and oversaw the University’s eleven choirs.   In February 2006, he received two GRAMMY Awards (“Best Choral Performance” and “Best Classical Album”) as chorusmaster for the critically acclaimed Naxos recording of William Bolcom’s Songs of Innocence and of Experience. The Naxos recording of Milhaud’s monumental L’Orestie d’Eschyle, on which Blackstone served as chorusmaster, was nominated for a 2015 GRAMMY Award (“Best Opera Recording”). Opera Magazine reviewer Tim Ashley wrote: “the real stars, though, are the University of Michigan’s multiple Choirs, who are faced with what must be some of the most taxing choral writing in the entire operatic repertory. Their singing has tremendous authority and beauty, while the shouts and screams of Choéphores are unnerving in the extreme. Their diction is good too: the occasions when we don’t hear the words are Milhaud’s responsibility, rather than theirs. It’s an extraordinary achievement, and utterly mesmerizing.” The University of Michigan Chamber Choir, conducted by Blackstone, performed by special invitation at the inaugural conference in San Antonio of the National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO) and presented three enthusiastically received performances in New York City at the National Convention of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA).  As conductor of the University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club from 1988-2002, Professor Blackstone led the ensemble in performances at ACDA national and division conventions and on extensive concert tours throughout Australia, Eastern and Central Europe, Asia, South America, and the United States. In 2017, NCCO presented him with its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Membership Award and, in 2006, for “significant contributions to choral music,” he received the ACDA-Michigan chapter’s Maynard Klein Lifetime Achievement Award.  From 2003-2015, Dr. Blackstone served as conductor and music director of the University Musical Society (UMS) Choral Union, a large community/university chorus that frequently appears with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) and the Ann Arbor Symphony and presents yearly performances of Handel’s Messiah and other major works for chorus and orchestra. Choirs prepared by Blackstone have appeared under the batons of Valery Gergiev, Neeme Järvi, Leonard Slatkin, Hans Graf, Michael Tilson Thomas, John Adams, Helmuth Rilling, James Conlon, Nicholas McGegan, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Peter Oundjian, and Yitzak Perlman. Professor Blackstone is considered one of the country’s leading conducting teachers, and his students have been first place award winners and finalists in both the graduate and undergraduate divisions of ACDA’s biennial National Choral Conducting competition.  His 2016 rehearsal techniques DVD, Did You Hear That? (GIA Publications) deals with the conductor’s decision-making process during rehearsal.  Santa Barbara Music Publishing distributes Blackstone’s acclaimed educational DVD, Working with Male Voices and also publishes the Jerry Blackstone Choral Series. Blackstone is an active guest conductor and workshop presenter and has appeared in forty-two states as well as New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Sicily. In the summer, he leads the Adult Choir Camp and the Choral Conducting Institute at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. Prior to coming to the University of Michigan in 1988, Dr. Blackstone served on the music faculties of Phillips University in Oklahoma, Westmont College in California, and Huntington University in Indiana.    

Directors Circle
Christopher Kiver - Episode 21

Directors Circle

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 2, 2020 69:59


This podcast episode features my interview with Dr. Christopher Kiver. Dr. Kiver is the Director of Choral Activities at Penn State University where he directs the concert choir and glee club. In addition to discussing the importance of music and quality repertoire, Dr. Kiver also gives insight into the role that gender plays in a comprehensive music program.   Topics include: (02:57) Kiver talks about his life and background as starting out as an instrumentalist (05:27) The differences between music education in the USA and the UK  (30:03) What constitutes quality repertoire (38:40) The role of classical music in a comprehensive music program (43:19) The role gender plays in a music program (58:17) Favorite rehearsal tactics (1:00:00) Why do we teach music?  (1:02:01) Kiver discusses leaders that have made an impact on his life  (1:06:57) Advice for music educators   Links:  Kivers’s Penn State Page: https://music.psu.edu/faculty/christopher-kiver Kiver conducting the Penn State Concert Choir: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpozk4UG9fM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpBJTPAI_yM Kiver conducting the 2011 PMEA All State Choir: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e_2sAVIFzA   Bio:  Christopher Kiver conducts the Concert Choir and Glee Club, oversees the graduate choral conducting program, and teaches classes in choral conducting and choral literature. He is founder and director of The Orpheus Singers and serves as Director of Music at the University Baptist and Brethren Church in State College. Kiver is a graduate of the University of London, Florida State University and the University of Michigan where he received the D.M.A. in choral conducting.   Choirs under Kiver’s direction have performed at state and regional conventions of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and National Association for Music Education. He has taught at the Westminster Choir College Summer and Saturday Seminar programs, and appeared as a guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator in the United States, Australia, China, and New Zealand. Kiver is national chair for the Repertoire and Standards Committee on Male Choirs for the American Choral Directors Association, and a past-president of the Pennsylvania chapter of ACDA. A native of England, he has received numerous prizes and scholarships including a Fulbright Award, and the 2002 Sydney World Symposium Foundation Scholarship. In 2006, he was a double Grammy Award winner ("Best Choral Performance" and "Best Classical Album") as a chorus master for the critically acclaimed Naxos recording of William Bolcom’s monumental Songs of Innocence and of Experience. Kiver was the recipient of Penn State's "President’s Award for Engagement with Students" in 2017.    

The Mind Over Finger Podcast
053 Ursula Oppens: Wisdom from a Trailblazer

The Mind Over Finger Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2019 35:30


This week, I have the incredible honor of welcoming renowned pianist Ursula Oppens to the show. A legend among American pianists, Ursula is widely admired for both her original and perceptive readings of new music, and for her knowing interpretations of the standard repertoire. As you'll hear in the episode, she's an incredibly passionate and wise musician!  Her and I covered several topics, from the reality of a career in music today, to how she approaches learning repertoire, and how she's stays focused in the practice room! In this episode, Ursula expands on: Her love of new music and how it developed early on in her life How she approaches bringing new music to life Why she doesn't think musicians should have a niche but should, instead, be interested in learning Her view of the musical landscape of today What improvisation can bring to our playing How she loves practicing (and I love that she said that so much!) How mental and muscle memory develop together Why she thinks it's important to memorize music in order to learn it better Her strategies to find energy, motivation, and focus to practice Why flexibility is a crucial skill to develop How a well-rounded education is also very helpful Her very wise piece of advice for young musicians Ursula is a force of nature and very generous with her insight. I know you'll love this discussion!     The Mind Over Finger Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtQSB1IVNJ4a2afT1iUtSfA/videos   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! TURN THE METRONOME ON AND START PRACTICING BETTER AND LEARNING FASTER RIGHT NOW!  GET YOUR FREE METRONOME GUIDE TODAY! Click HERE or visit www.mindoverfinger.com!   MORE ABOUT URSULA: Website: https://colbertartists.com/artists/ursula-oppens/ YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqj7e-6dIIBw2OkKmHxYItw   Ursula Oppens, a legend among American pianists, is widely admired particularly for her original and perceptive readings of new music, but also for her knowing interpretations of the standard repertoire. No other artist alive today has commissioned and premiered more new works for the piano. A prolific and critically acclaimed recording artist with five Grammy nominations, Ms. Oppens most recently released a new recording of Frederic Rzewski's The People United Will Never Be Defeated, nominated for a Grammy in 2016, and Piano Songs, a collaboration with Meredith Monk. Earlier Grammy nominations were for Winging It: Piano Music of John Corigliano; Oppens Plays Carter; a recording of the complete piano works of Elliott Carter for Cedille Records (also was named a “Best of the Year” selection by The New York Times long-time music critic Allan Kozinn); Piano Music of Our Time featuring compositions by John Adams, Elliott Carter, Julius Hemphill, and Conlon Nancarrow for the Music and Arts label, and her cult classic The People United Will Never Be Defeated by Frederic Rzewski on Vanguard. Ms. Oppens recently added to her extensive discography by releasing a two-piano CD for Cedille Records devoted to Visions de l'Amenof Oliver Messiaen and Debussy's En blanc et noir performed with pianist Jerome Lowenthal. Over the years, Ms. Oppens has premiered works by such leading composers as John Adams, Luciano Berio, William Bolcom, Anthony Braxton, Elliott Carter, John Corigliano, Anthony Davis, John Harbison, Julius Hemphill, Laura Kaminsky, Tania Leon, György Ligeti, Witold Lutoslawski, Harold Meltzer, Meredith Monk, Conlon Nancarrow, Tobias Picker, Bernard Rands, Frederic Rzewski, Allen Shawn, Alvin Singleton, Joan Tower, Lois V Vierk, Amy Williams, Christian Wolff, Amnon Wolman, and Charles Wuorinen. As an orchestral guest soloist, Ms. Oppens has performed with virtually all of the world's major orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the American Composers Orchestra, the Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP), and the orchestras of Chicago, Cleveland, San Francisco, and Milwaukee. Abroad, she has appeared with such ensembles as the Berlin Symphony, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Deutsche Symphonie, the Scottish BBC, and the London Philharmonic Orchestras.  Ms. Oppens is also an avid chamber musician and has performed with the Arditti, Cassatt, JACK, Juilliard, and Pacifica quartets, among other chamber ensembles. Ursula Oppens joined the faculty of the Mannes College of Music in the fall of 2017, and is a Distinguished Professor of Music at Brooklyn College and the CUNY Graduate Center in New York City. From 1994 through the end of the 2007-08 academic year she served as John Evans Distinguished Professor of Music at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. In addition, Ms. Oppens has served as a juror for many international competitions, such as the Concert Artists Guild, Young Concert Artists, Young Pianists Foundation (Amsterdam), and Cincinnati Piano World Competition.   If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes!  I truly appreciate your support! Visit www.mindoverfinger.com for information about past and future podcasts, and for more resources on mindful practice. Join the Mind Over Finger Tribe here!  https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfingertribe/     THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme!  Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Also a HUGE thank you to my fantastic producer, Bella Kelly!   MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/    

The Mind Over Finger Podcast
044 Sarah Whitney: Thriving Through Injury

The Mind Over Finger Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2019 55:33


Sarah Whitney: Thriving Through Injury Today on the show, I'm really happy to bring you violinist Sarah Whitney to cover a VERY important topic: dealing with injuries as a musician! In this episode, Sarah talks to us about how you can not only prevent and treat injury, but also thrive in the aftermath – how to handle recovery, the ways she warms up to prevent injury, and how important the mental aspect of recovery is.  She also talks about how she helps musicians achieve their career goals and why life and career coaching can be a real game changer. And don't forget to share your injury story with us, and let us know what resonated with you in the episode! ALL ABOUT SARAH: Website: https://www.sarahwhitney.com Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/theproductivemusician/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahwhitneyistall/ Sybaryte5: https://www.sybarite5.org/ https://www.facebook.com/SybariteFive/ https://www.instagram.com/sybarite5/ Trifecta String Trio https://www.trifectatrio.com/about https://www.instagram.com/trifectastringtrio/   The violinist Sarah Whitney is celebrated as a performer, teacher, entrepreneur, career coach, and musical maverick. Praised by The Washington Post for her “marvelous violin acrobatics,” Sarah has appeared on stages worldwide as a soloist and collaborative artist throughout North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Comfortable in a wide range of settings and musical styles, she is fiercely dedicated to bringing fresh new ideas to classical music and empowering musicians to find their own voice. Sarah is a founding member of the acclaimed string quintet SYBARITE5, which won the Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition in 2011 and continues to perform extensively around North America. Sarah has also performed with SYBARITE5 at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Alice Tully Hall, the Library of Congress, the Aspen, Caramoor, Chautauqua, Grand Teton, and Ravinia Festivals, and on the CBS Early Show. Their latest album entitled Outliers reached No. 1 on the Billboard Charts, and they recently premiered Dan Visconti's Beatbox: Concerto for String Quintet & Orchestra with the South Carolina Philharmonic, Midland Symphony Orchestra, and Duluth-Superior Orchestra. Recognized as a pioneer in changing the perception of classical music and committing to building new audiences, in 2015, Sarah founded Beyond the Notes, an innovative concert series dedicated to breaking down the barriers between performers and the audience. The series is rooted in the Boston-area but has expanded in recent years to present performances throughout North America. She is also currently the Music Director for Lincoln Center Stage — an innovative partnership between Lincoln Center and the Holland-American Cruise Lines. This initiative organizes highly-coveted residencies for top young chamber musicians on board cruise ships elevating the performance level to that  heard in leading concert halls. Sarah's writing is featured regularly in for Strings Magazine and 21CM.org. Her widely-read blog The Productive Musician focuses on health and wellness, productivity, and strategies for developing and maintaining an effective mindset. She has served on the New York State Presenters Network Panel in discussions about progressive programming and innovation. Defying categorization and welcoming diverse collaborations, Sarah has collaborated with the Alvin Ailey and Jose Limon dance companies and has been featured on-stage with Adele, Ellie Goulding, the Transiberian Orchestra, Jeff Beck, Anne Murray, Andrew Wyatt, Tommy Lee, and with Father John Misty. Active as a recording artist, Sarah has performed on albums with Darlene Love, Josh Ritter, Stephen Kellogg, Mark Geary and Etienne Charles and can be heard on William Bolcom's Grammy-winning album ‘The Songs of Innocence and Experience'. She has also collaborated with DJ Doug E. Fresh and opened for Jennifer Hudson and Diana Ross. She recently recorded together with the legendary clarinetist Richard Stoltzman. Sarah also performs regularly in the Seeing Double Duo with violinist Julia Salerno, and the Trifecta Trio together with violist Angela Pickett and cellist Laura Metcalf. Sarah is co-founder of the Jingle Punks Hipster Orchestra that has been featured on Mashable, Perez Hilton, Revolt TV, as well as with the rapper NAS in Johannesburg, South Africa. Guiding students with an especially collaborative teaching approach, Sarah works nationally with students of all levels. She has given guest master classes and entrepreneurial workshops at the Curtis Institute, New England Conservatory, DePauw University, University of Oklahoma, University of Arizona, Grinnell College, Ohio University, University of North Florida, the Walnut Hill School, the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, among others, and has been guest artist-in-residence at Eastern Washington University. She has served on faculty at Music in Chappaqua, The Music School of New York City and the Walla Walla Suzuki Institute. She previously served as co-director of the Sato Center Outreach Group at the Sato Center for Suzuki Studies in Cleveland, and received Suzuki teacher training from the renowned pedagogue Kimberly Meier-Sims. Currently based in New York City, Sarah holds degrees from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance and the Cleveland Institute of Music. Additional studies include at the Aspen Music Festival and School, the Music Academy of the West, and the Meadowmount School of Music. Her teachers included Paul Kantor, William Preucil, Kathleen Winkler, Aaron Berofsky, Cyrus Forough, Stephen Shipps and Irina Muresanu. Sarah performs on violin made by J.B. Vuillaume in 1850.   If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes!  I truly appreciate your support! Visit www.mindoverfinger.com for information about past and future podcasts, and for more resources on mindful practice. Join the Mind Over Finger Tribe here!  https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfingertribe/     THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme!  Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Also a HUGE thank you to my fantastic producer, Bella Kelly!   MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/    

Interviews with Musicians
Sara Guttenberg

Interviews with Musicians

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2019 70:07


Sara Guttenberg, soprano, is highly sought after as a soloist and chamber artist, charming critics and audiences with her “vocal finesse” (South Florida Sun-Sentinel) and “soaring tones” (Miami Herald). Guttenberg is a member of Seraphic Fire and the Berwick Chorus of the Oregon Bach Festival. Known for her vocal versatility, she has performed and recorded music of multiple vocal genres. She is also a featured soloist on Naxos recordings of William Bolcom’s Songs of Innocence and of Experience, which earned four GRAMMY® awards. Guttenberg has sung under the batons of Nicholas McGegan, Michael Tilson Thomas, John Nelson, Leonard Slatkin, and Helmuth Rilling. Currently, she is pursuing a doctoral degree in Choral Conducting at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Previously, she spent seven years teaching at Southern Utah University, where she conducted multiple ensembles in addition to teaching choral music education classes and applied voice. Guttenberg holds Master’s degrees in Voice Performance and Choral Conducting from University of Michigan, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Inner Chamber: A New Music Podcast
Episode 10: July Summer Series!

Inner Chamber: A New Music Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2019 53:36


It's summer, which means it's time to look back on our 2018-19 season. In this episode, listen back to our concert "Between the Lines," featuring works for saxophone. Narrator Emma Wine introduces each piece on the program. Program: Intro: Cadence Factory by Gu Wei Bop by Jennifer Higdon Josquin Microludes by David Ludwig Mai by Ryo Noda Bag of Caterpillars by Kyle Kindred Hard to Argue by Catherine Likhuta In Memoriam by Joel Love Encore: Graceful Ghost Rag by William Bolcom

the memory palace
Episode 140: Jackie Mitchell

the memory palace

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2019 16:24


The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts. Music We start off with Chez Thomas, by Charles Delarue Go to The Graceful Ghost, one of William Bolcom's 3 Ghost Rags. Then Krzysztof Komeda's Ballet Edude II A touch of Ellington playing A Single Petal on a Rose. Then Concerto no. 5 en la minuer: Allegro ma non molto, as performed by Wilhelm Friedeman Bach and Brigitte Haudbebourg frames... Philharmonics - Piano Sessions found on the Deluxe Edition of Agnes Obel's Philharmonics album. Then we go to Nathaniel Johnson's gorgeous, Penelope's Theme from the score to the delightful film, The Brothers Bloom. Sneeuwland by Oskar Schuster. Judith by Jacob David. Notes I read a bunch of articles on Jackie, but if you're looking for one-stop-shopping that can send you off in other research avenues, I'd probably suggest this article by Zack Harold in Lapham's Quarterly.

FitMixTape
Alyson Cambridge, Operatic Soprano/Runner & Fitness Enthusiast

FitMixTape

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2019 36:54


Operatic soprano Alyson Cambridge has had a lot of laudatory adjectives thrown her way — radiant, powerful, revelatory are just a few. Add to the list: fit. A dedicated runner and strength trainer, she adheres to a consistent workout and wellness plan geared to make her a strong, healthy and resilient performer. She started singing when she was 12 and debuted at the Metropolitan Opera at 24. She has appeared with numerous opera companies and stepped out on Broadway last year in Rocktopia, a mash-up of classic rock and classical, where her endurance — which allowed her to hit an expansive range show after show after show — didn’t go unnoticed. We chatted with the award-winning singer, who lives in New York, about her love affair with running, how she strategizes her sleep and nutrition for peak performance energy, why she refuses to be too precious about taking care of her voice and what goals she has her sights on in the opera world and beyond. On Alyson’s workout playlists: Upbeat pop, EDM, techno   “Too Close,” Alex Clare “I Dare You,” The xx “Thank U, Next,” Ariana Grande  Follow Alyson on Instagram @alysoncambridge and Twitter @AlysonCambridge. Visit her website alysoncambridge.com for upcoming performance dates and check out her newest album, Sisters in Song — a collection of operatic duets done with fellow award-winning soprano Nicole Cabell — here. Show notes can be found at fitmixtape.com. While you’re there, sign up for our newsletter. Follow the show on Instagram @fitmixtape and on Twitter @fitmixtape. Have a comment, question, suggestion or killer playlist? Send an email to fitmixtape@gmail.com.  BIO: American soprano Alyson Cambridge, hailed by critics as “radiant, vocally assured, dramatically subtle and compelling, and artistically imaginative” (Washington Post), noted for her “powerful, clear voice” (New York Times) and “revelatory, sensual, smoky readings” (Opera News), is one of the most diverse and compelling vocal artists on the scene today. Her rich, warm soprano, combined with her strikingly beautiful stage presence and affecting musical and dramatic interpretation, have brought her more than a decade of successes on the world’s leading opera and concert stages, including The Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Washington National Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Carnegie Hall, London’s Royal Albert Hall, Deutsche Opera Berlin and Vienna Konzerthaus. Her debut album, From the Diary of Sally Hemings, a song-cycle by acclaimed American composer William Bolcom, premiered at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall to rave reviews. ​​As part of her personal mission, and with a strong desire to give back and make an impact beyond the traditional confines of the theater, Cambridge lends her time and talent to charities and causes close to her heart, including The Fresh Air Fund, Sing for Hope, The Humane Society, K9s for Warriors, Hope For Hearts Foundation and the American Red Cross.

Everything Band Podcast
Episode 98 - Jason Nam

Everything Band Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2019 55:42


Jason Nam is the Associate Director of Bands at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. In this episode Everything Band went "on the road" to Bloomington and had a chance to chat with Jason in the IU band offices. Topics: The importance of doing your best in every stop and how opportunity can come from those around seeing you value and not wanting to let you get away. Thoughts about building relationships and connections and how awareness of these relationships can help guide your interactions with fellow professionals as well as your band parents. Advice for creating a multi-year plan for your band program, including a conversation about band music and the perception that music for education is of lesser value than more advanced works. Jason’s background growing up in Southern California, attending the University of Redlands, his subsequent teaching and his move to the University of Indiana where he is an Assistant Professor of Music and Associate Director of Bands in the Jacobs School of Music. Collaboration and commissions in the band community and particularly at Indiana University. Links: Jason Nam Indiana University University of Redlands SCSBOA Indiana University Summer Music Clinic Dahl: Sinfonietta Biography: Jason H. Nam is assistant professor of music and associate director of bands at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he directs the Concert Band and teaches undergraduate courses in instrumental conducting and administration of school bands. Nam earned a Doctor of Music in Wind Conducting degree from the Jacobs School, where he studied with Stephen W. Pratt. He also earned an M.M. in Conducting and a B.M. in Music Education from the University of Redlands, where he studied with Eddie R. Smith. Prior to his graduate degree work, he served as a lecturer in the Department of Music at California State University San Bernardino and as director of bands at La Colina Junior High School and San Marcos High School in Santa Barbara, California. More recently, he has served as a faculty member, ensemble conductor, and assistant director of the Indiana University Summer Music Clinic. In addition, Nam currently serves as resident music director of the Southern Indiana Wind Ensemble. Nam keeps a very busy schedule as a conductor, adjudicator, and clinician across the United States and North America. As a trumpet player, he has freelanced and performed with numerous orchestras, chamber ensembles, and jazz ensembles in the southern and central coast regions of California, including with the Redlands Symphony Orchestra. As a conductor, he was honored to be named a national finalist for The American Prize in Conducting (Band/Wind Ensemble division) in 2017. He has been published in the Journal of the National Band Association and the American Bandmasters Association’s Journal of Band Research. His research interests include the music of William Bolcom, the wind chamber music of Igor Stravinsky, the historical development of the wind band repertoire in the twentieth century, as well as effective rehearsal methodologies for conductors. He completed a new band transcription of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer William Bolcom’s Inventing Flight: A Suite for Orchestra of Thumbnail Portraits. The transcription was completed with the permission of Bolcom and his publisher, Edward B. Marks Music Company. In March 2016, the band version of Inventing Flight was officially published by E. B. Marks Music Company and made available as a rental to bands worldwide. Nam holds professional memberships in the College Band Directors National Association, National Band Association, Conductor's Guild, Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association, Indiana Music Education Association, and Pi Kappa Lambda music honor society, and is a proud member of the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity of America. He currently lives in Bloomington, Ind., with his wife, Melissa and son, Davis.

New Books in Italian Studies
Naomi André, “Black Opera: History, Power, Engagement” (U Illinois Press, 2018)

New Books in Italian Studies

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2018 56:59


Naomi André’s innovative new book, Black Opera: History, Power, Engagement (University of Illinois Press, 2018) is an example of a concept she calls “engaged musicology.” Positioning herself within the book as a knowledgeable and ethical listener, André seeks to understand the resonances and importance of opera to today’s audiences, performers, and scholars. To do this, she focuses on seven works and two continents. André places opera in the United States in conversation with opera in South Africa, the only country in Africa that has a continuous operatic tradition from the nineteenth century until the present day. Her work in South Africa began when she traveled with renowned opera singers George Shirley and Daniel Washington to that country as part of a project through the African Studies Center at her home institution of the University of Michigan. There she found a rich operatic life that included the performance of new works, such as Winnie: The Opera by Bongani Ndodana Breen as well as new interpretations of canonical operas such as a South African reimagining of Bizet’s Carmen called U-Carmen eKhayelitsha, both of which she features in Black Opera. The other works she considers are From the Diary of Sally Hemings by William Bolcom and Sandra Seaton, Porgy and Bess by George Gershwin, along with Carmen and two American versions of that opera, Oscar Hammerstein’s Carmen Jones and the MTV production, Carmen: A Hip Hopera. André’s central concern is how the history of race relations and changing gender roles in both countries impacted the development, performance, composition, and reception of opera. To do this, she provides what she terms a “shadow history” of opera culture to help her readers understand “black operas” (that is operas by black and interracial compositional teams, about black subjects, and the issues around black opera singers) that have been hidden due to social, political, and economic reasons rather the quality of the works and performers. Nestled within the disciplines of musicology, ethnomusicology, African Studies, and cultural theory, this truly interdisciplinary monograph points to a new way to analyze music’s place in the past and the present. Naomi André is Associate Professor in the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies, Women’s Studies, and the Associate Director for Faculty at the Residential College at the University of Michigan. She received her B.A. from Barnard College and M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University. Her research focuses on opera and issues surrounding gender, voice, and race. Her publications are on topics including Italian opera, Schoenberg, women composers, and teaching opera in prisons. Her earlier books, Voicing Gender: Castrati, Travesti, and the Second Woman in Early Nineteenth-Century Italian Opera (2006) and Blackness in Opera (2012, co-edited collection) focus on opera from the nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries and explore constructions of gender, race and identity. In addition to serving on the Executive Committee for the Criminal Justice Program at the American Friends Service Committee (Ann Arbor, MI), she brings her expertise on race, politics, and opera to the public through numerous appearances on public panels and symposia, and in the popular press. Kristen M.

New Books in American Studies
Naomi André, “Black Opera: History, Power, Engagement” (U Illinois Press, 2018)

New Books in American Studies

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2018 56:59


Naomi André’s innovative new book, Black Opera: History, Power, Engagement (University of Illinois Press, 2018) is an example of a concept she calls “engaged musicology.” Positioning herself within the book as a knowledgeable and ethical listener, André seeks to understand the resonances and importance of opera to today’s audiences, performers, and scholars. To do this, she focuses on seven works and two continents. André places opera in the United States in conversation with opera in South Africa, the only country in Africa that has a continuous operatic tradition from the nineteenth century until the present day. Her work in South Africa began when she traveled with renowned opera singers George Shirley and Daniel Washington to that country as part of a project through the African Studies Center at her home institution of the University of Michigan. There she found a rich operatic life that included the performance of new works, such as Winnie: The Opera by Bongani Ndodana Breen as well as new interpretations of canonical operas such as a South African reimagining of Bizet’s Carmen called U-Carmen eKhayelitsha, both of which she features in Black Opera. The other works she considers are From the Diary of Sally Hemings by William Bolcom and Sandra Seaton, Porgy and Bess by George Gershwin, along with Carmen and two American versions of that opera, Oscar Hammerstein’s Carmen Jones and the MTV production, Carmen: A Hip Hopera. André’s central concern is how the history of race relations and changing gender roles in both countries impacted the development, performance, composition, and reception of opera. To do this, she provides what she terms a “shadow history” of opera culture to help her readers understand “black operas” (that is operas by black and interracial compositional teams, about black subjects, and the issues around black opera singers) that have been hidden due to social, political, and economic reasons rather the quality of the works and performers. Nestled within the disciplines of musicology, ethnomusicology, African Studies, and cultural theory, this truly interdisciplinary monograph points to a new way to analyze music’s place in the past and the present. Naomi André is Associate Professor in the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies, Women’s Studies, and the Associate Director for Faculty at the Residential College at the University of Michigan. She received her B.A. from Barnard College and M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University. Her research focuses on opera and issues surrounding gender, voice, and race. Her publications are on topics including Italian opera, Schoenberg, women composers, and teaching opera in prisons. Her earlier books, Voicing Gender: Castrati, Travesti, and the Second Woman in Early Nineteenth-Century Italian Opera (2006) and Blackness in Opera (2012, co-edited collection) focus on opera from the nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries and explore constructions of gender, race and identity. In addition to serving on the Executive Committee for the Criminal Justice Program at the American Friends Service Committee (Ann Arbor, MI), she brings her expertise on race, politics, and opera to the public through numerous appearances on public panels and symposia, and in the popular press. Kristen M. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Books Network
Naomi André, “Black Opera: History, Power, Engagement” (U Illinois Press, 2018)

New Books Network

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2018 57:11


Naomi André’s innovative new book, Black Opera: History, Power, Engagement (University of Illinois Press, 2018) is an example of a concept she calls “engaged musicology.” Positioning herself within the book as a knowledgeable and ethical listener, André seeks to understand the resonances and importance of opera to today’s audiences, performers, and scholars. To do this, she focuses on seven works and two continents. André places opera in the United States in conversation with opera in South Africa, the only country in Africa that has a continuous operatic tradition from the nineteenth century until the present day. Her work in South Africa began when she traveled with renowned opera singers George Shirley and Daniel Washington to that country as part of a project through the African Studies Center at her home institution of the University of Michigan. There she found a rich operatic life that included the performance of new works, such as Winnie: The Opera by Bongani Ndodana Breen as well as new interpretations of canonical operas such as a South African reimagining of Bizet’s Carmen called U-Carmen eKhayelitsha, both of which she features in Black Opera. The other works she considers are From the Diary of Sally Hemings by William Bolcom and Sandra Seaton, Porgy and Bess by George Gershwin, along with Carmen and two American versions of that opera, Oscar Hammerstein’s Carmen Jones and the MTV production, Carmen: A Hip Hopera. André’s central concern is how the history of race relations and changing gender roles in both countries impacted the development, performance, composition, and reception of opera. To do this, she provides what she terms a “shadow history” of opera culture to help her readers understand “black operas” (that is operas by black and interracial compositional teams, about black subjects, and the issues around black opera singers) that have been hidden due to social, political, and economic reasons rather the quality of the works and performers. Nestled within the disciplines of musicology, ethnomusicology, African Studies, and cultural theory, this truly interdisciplinary monograph points to a new way to analyze music’s place in the past and the present. Naomi André is Associate Professor in the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies, Women’s Studies, and the Associate Director for Faculty at the Residential College at the University of Michigan. She received her B.A. from Barnard College and M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University. Her research focuses on opera and issues surrounding gender, voice, and race. Her publications are on topics including Italian opera, Schoenberg, women composers, and teaching opera in prisons. Her earlier books, Voicing Gender: Castrati, Travesti, and the Second Woman in Early Nineteenth-Century Italian Opera (2006) and Blackness in Opera (2012, co-edited collection) focus on opera from the nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries and explore constructions of gender, race and identity. In addition to serving on the Executive Committee for the Criminal Justice Program at the American Friends Service Committee (Ann Arbor, MI), she brings her expertise on race, politics, and opera to the public through numerous appearances on public panels and symposia, and in the popular press. Kristen M. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Books in African Studies
Naomi André, “Black Opera: History, Power, Engagement” (U Illinois Press, 2018)

New Books in African Studies

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2018 56:59


Naomi André’s innovative new book, Black Opera: History, Power, Engagement (University of Illinois Press, 2018) is an example of a concept she calls “engaged musicology.” Positioning herself within the book as a knowledgeable and ethical listener, André seeks to understand the resonances and importance of opera to today’s audiences, performers, and scholars. To do this, she focuses on seven works and two continents. André places opera in the United States in conversation with opera in South Africa, the only country in Africa that has a continuous operatic tradition from the nineteenth century until the present day. Her work in South Africa began when she traveled with renowned opera singers George Shirley and Daniel Washington to that country as part of a project through the African Studies Center at her home institution of the University of Michigan. There she found a rich operatic life that included the performance of new works, such as Winnie: The Opera by Bongani Ndodana Breen as well as new interpretations of canonical operas such as a South African reimagining of Bizet’s Carmen called U-Carmen eKhayelitsha, both of which she features in Black Opera. The other works she considers are From the Diary of Sally Hemings by William Bolcom and Sandra Seaton, Porgy and Bess by George Gershwin, along with Carmen and two American versions of that opera, Oscar Hammerstein’s Carmen Jones and the MTV production, Carmen: A Hip Hopera. André’s central concern is how the history of race relations and changing gender roles in both countries impacted the development, performance, composition, and reception of opera. To do this, she provides what she terms a “shadow history” of opera culture to help her readers understand “black operas” (that is operas by black and interracial compositional teams, about black subjects, and the issues around black opera singers) that have been hidden due to social, political, and economic reasons rather the quality of the works and performers. Nestled within the disciplines of musicology, ethnomusicology, African Studies, and cultural theory, this truly interdisciplinary monograph points to a new way to analyze music’s place in the past and the present. Naomi André is Associate Professor in the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies, Women’s Studies, and the Associate Director for Faculty at the Residential College at the University of Michigan. She received her B.A. from Barnard College and M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University. Her research focuses on opera and issues surrounding gender, voice, and race. Her publications are on topics including Italian opera, Schoenberg, women composers, and teaching opera in prisons. Her earlier books, Voicing Gender: Castrati, Travesti, and the Second Woman in Early Nineteenth-Century Italian Opera (2006) and Blackness in Opera (2012, co-edited collection) focus on opera from the nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries and explore constructions of gender, race and identity. In addition to serving on the Executive Committee for the Criminal Justice Program at the American Friends Service Committee (Ann Arbor, MI), she brings her expertise on race, politics, and opera to the public through numerous appearances on public panels and symposia, and in the popular press. Kristen M. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Books in African American Studies
Naomi André, “Black Opera: History, Power, Engagement” (U Illinois Press, 2018)

New Books in African American Studies

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2018 56:59


Naomi André's innovative new book, Black Opera: History, Power, Engagement (University of Illinois Press, 2018) is an example of a concept she calls “engaged musicology.” Positioning herself within the book as a knowledgeable and ethical listener, André seeks to understand the resonances and importance of opera to today's audiences, performers, and scholars. To do this, she focuses on seven works and two continents. André places opera in the United States in conversation with opera in South Africa, the only country in Africa that has a continuous operatic tradition from the nineteenth century until the present day. Her work in South Africa began when she traveled with renowned opera singers George Shirley and Daniel Washington to that country as part of a project through the African Studies Center at her home institution of the University of Michigan. There she found a rich operatic life that included the performance of new works, such as Winnie: The Opera by Bongani Ndodana Breen as well as new interpretations of canonical operas such as a South African reimagining of Bizet's Carmen called U-Carmen eKhayelitsha, both of which she features in Black Opera. The other works she considers are From the Diary of Sally Hemings by William Bolcom and Sandra Seaton, Porgy and Bess by George Gershwin, along with Carmen and two American versions of that opera, Oscar Hammerstein's Carmen Jones and the MTV production, Carmen: A Hip Hopera. André's central concern is how the history of race relations and changing gender roles in both countries impacted the development, performance, composition, and reception of opera. To do this, she provides what she terms a “shadow history” of opera culture to help her readers understand “black operas” (that is operas by black and interracial compositional teams, about black subjects, and the issues around black opera singers) that have been hidden due to social, political, and economic reasons rather the quality of the works and performers. Nestled within the disciplines of musicology, ethnomusicology, African Studies, and cultural theory, this truly interdisciplinary monograph points to a new way to analyze music's place in the past and the present. Naomi André is Associate Professor in the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies, Women's Studies, and the Associate Director for Faculty at the Residential College at the University of Michigan. She received her B.A. from Barnard College and M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University. Her research focuses on opera and issues surrounding gender, voice, and race. Her publications are on topics including Italian opera, Schoenberg, women composers, and teaching opera in prisons. Her earlier books, Voicing Gender: Castrati, Travesti, and the Second Woman in Early Nineteenth-Century Italian Opera (2006) and Blackness in Opera (2012, co-edited collection) focus on opera from the nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries and explore constructions of gender, race and identity. In addition to serving on the Executive Committee for the Criminal Justice Program at the American Friends Service Committee (Ann Arbor, MI), she brings her expertise on race, politics, and opera to the public through numerous appearances on public panels and symposia, and in the popular press. Kristen M. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies

New Books in Music
Naomi André, “Black Opera: History, Power, Engagement” (U Illinois Press, 2018)

New Books in Music

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2018 56:59


Naomi André’s innovative new book, Black Opera: History, Power, Engagement (University of Illinois Press, 2018) is an example of a concept she calls “engaged musicology.” Positioning herself within the book as a knowledgeable and ethical listener, André seeks to understand the resonances and importance of opera to today’s audiences, performers, and scholars. To do this, she focuses on seven works and two continents. André places opera in the United States in conversation with opera in South Africa, the only country in Africa that has a continuous operatic tradition from the nineteenth century until the present day. Her work in South Africa began when she traveled with renowned opera singers George Shirley and Daniel Washington to that country as part of a project through the African Studies Center at her home institution of the University of Michigan. There she found a rich operatic life that included the performance of new works, such as Winnie: The Opera by Bongani Ndodana Breen as well as new interpretations of canonical operas such as a South African reimagining of Bizet’s Carmen called U-Carmen eKhayelitsha, both of which she features in Black Opera. The other works she considers are From the Diary of Sally Hemings by William Bolcom and Sandra Seaton, Porgy and Bess by George Gershwin, along with Carmen and two American versions of that opera, Oscar Hammerstein’s Carmen Jones and the MTV production, Carmen: A Hip Hopera. André’s central concern is how the history of race relations and changing gender roles in both countries impacted the development, performance, composition, and reception of opera. To do this, she provides what she terms a “shadow history” of opera culture to help her readers understand “black operas” (that is operas by black and interracial compositional teams, about black subjects, and the issues around black opera singers) that have been hidden due to social, political, and economic reasons rather the quality of the works and performers. Nestled within the disciplines of musicology, ethnomusicology, African Studies, and cultural theory, this truly interdisciplinary monograph points to a new way to analyze music’s place in the past and the present. Naomi André is Associate Professor in the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies, Women’s Studies, and the Associate Director for Faculty at the Residential College at the University of Michigan. She received her B.A. from Barnard College and M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University. Her research focuses on opera and issues surrounding gender, voice, and race. Her publications are on topics including Italian opera, Schoenberg, women composers, and teaching opera in prisons. Her earlier books, Voicing Gender: Castrati, Travesti, and the Second Woman in Early Nineteenth-Century Italian Opera (2006) and Blackness in Opera (2012, co-edited collection) focus on opera from the nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries and explore constructions of gender, race and identity. In addition to serving on the Executive Committee for the Criminal Justice Program at the American Friends Service Committee (Ann Arbor, MI), she brings her expertise on race, politics, and opera to the public through numerous appearances on public panels and symposia, and in the popular press. Kristen M. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tollans musikaliska
I händerna på pianovirtuosen Marc-André Hamelin

Tollans musikaliska

Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2018 43:40


I Marc-André Hamelins fingrar gömmer sig hela pianolitteraturen. Han har kallats sin landsman Glenn Goulds ende värdige arvtagare. Bland Marc-André Hamelins många inspelningar i eget namn finns en rad rosade och prisbelönta skivor med verk av till exempel Stravinskij, Rachmaninov, Mozart, Sjostakovitj, Debussy, Korngold, Skrijabin, Liszt, Reger, Stauss, Chopin, Leonard Bernstein, Robert Schumann, Janácek, Haydn och Brahms. Men Hamelin är även en av de mest spännande och modiga pianisterna som har gjort till sin passion att ur musikhistorien lyfta fram stora men udda tonsättare som hamnat i skuggan av mer spelade och säkrare kort. Som Charles-Valentin Alkan, Ferruccio Busoni, Joseph Marx, William Bolcom, Nikolaj Medtner och Gyorgy Catoire. År 2000 erövrade Hamelin en Grammy Award för sin kompletta utgåva av Leopold Godowskys virtuosa arrangemang av Chopinetyder. Naturligtvis ingår Beethovens kompletta pianosonater i Marc-André Hamelins repertoar, men att försöka avsätta ännu en inspelning på en redan mättad marknad vore en villfarelse, anser han. Skivbolag som EMI, Deutsche Grammofon och Phillips ser sina skivor som färskvaror och rensar ut sina titlar ur sortimenten redan efter 3-4 månader. Därför har Marc-André valt skivbolaget Hyperion, som gett ut 19 av hans skivor. De ger honom total konstnärlig frihet att utveckla konsertrepertoaren. Men egna stycket Music Box spelade han in på danska skivbolaget Danacord Marc-André Hamelin ser hela den tillgängliga pianolitteraturen som ETT väsen. Han särskiljer inte mellan standardverk och okända verk. Det är inte alltid geniala verk har haft möjlighet att bli kända. Det kan bero på otur eller att noterna helt enkelt inte har funnits tillgänliga, menar Hamelin, som spelat in hela Alkan's Symfoni för solopiano. Den ingår i ett verkcykel, som det tar över två timmar att spela, och som även innehåller en tresatsig konsert, en ouvertyr, ett antal variationer och tre enkla solostycken.  Alkans Symfoni för solopiano är i samma klass som vad som helst från Chopins eller Robert Schumanns pennor. Det är Hamelins absoluta övertygelse. Ett djupt poetiskt, superbt strukturerat verk. -Jag full av beundran, säger han.  -Alkan är en genunit originell tänkare, säger Marc-André Hamelin. För mig är det ett mysterium att Paganinis virtuosa musik har överlevt, medan Alkans har fallit i glömska, trots att noterna publicerades. Ett svar kan vara att Alkan gick i kvav tidigt. Lämnade aldrig sitt hus. Gjorde ingenting för att musiken skulle bli känd. I Alkans Symfoni för solopiano finner Hamelin alltid någon intressant harmonisk eller melodisk uppfinning. Med mycket SMÅ medel skapar tonsättaren en tragisk stämning. En storhet som inte står Schubert efter. Eller tonsättaren Leo Janacek med sin förmåga att, med några få toner, nå bråddjup, förklarar Hamelin. Men mitt i melankolin finns humorn. En rik och komplex musik som Hamelin attraheras av.       Låtlista:   Pianokvintett, Ess-dur, sats 1, Allegro Brillante Robert Schumann Marc-André Hamelin, The Leipzig String Quartet Liveinspelninga av Sveriges Radio, Malmö.   Music Box M-A Hamelin M-A Hamelin danacord DACOCD 559   Symphony for solo piano, Allegro Charles Valentine Alkan M-A Hamelin Hyperion CDA67218 Symphony for solo piano, Finale: Presto Charles Valentine Alkan M-A Hamelin Hyperion CDA67218   Fantasy i C-dur Robert Schumann M-A Hamelin   Complete Studies of Chopin's Etudes, Op 10 nr 12, Ciss-moll. For left hand. Leopold Godowsky M-A Hamelin Hyperion CDA67411/2   Piano Concerto in C-major, Op 39: III Pezzo serioso. Introductio och Prima Pars Ferruccio Busoni M-A Hamelin. The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Mark Elder, dirigent. Piano Concerto in C-major, Op 39: IV All' Italiana (Tarantella) Vivace Ferruccio Busoni M-A Hamelin. The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Mark Elder, dirigent.

The Indie Opera Podcast
Opera Fix: March 12, 2018

The Indie Opera Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2018 2:12


Everything Band Podcast
Episode 47 - Daniel Montoya Jr.

Everything Band Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2018 56:53


Texas composer Daniel Montoya Jr. joins me on the eve of TMEA 2018 to discuss his career as a composer and share his opinions on a variety of topics, including writing for marching bands and why sometimes it is better to not talk too much! Topics: Daniel’s background, growing up in the Texas band tradition, and the story of his humorous biography. The inspiration behind Daniel’s early efforts as a composer and how relationships he built over time led to early success as a published composer of percussion music and eventually to his current career as a composer of music for marching band and concert band. The process of commissioning a piece of music and Daniel’s advice for how to deal with your percussion section. In what is the greatest soliloquy in the history of this podcast, Daniel dishes on competition and band and keeping everything in its proper perspective. Links: Daniel Montoya Jr. The Portfolio Composer, Episode 25: Aprille Janes Mahler: Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection” Maslanka: Symphony No. 4 Biography: Daniel Montoya, Jr. is a native of Austin, a 90’s music aficionado (followed closely by the jams of the 80’s), and denies his “hipster-ness” whenever possible. He also, occasionally, writes music (since being musically moved by his first viewing of the James Cameron film Titanic and wanting to write the music to the sequel, Titanic 2: Jack of Spades: Jack Dawson’s Revenge: This Time It’s Personal). His oeuvre spans several genres, including original pieces and arrangements for wind band, percussion ensemble, and the marching arts. His works, which resound with bristling energy and color, have won numerous awards from national organizations. His education includes a master’s degree in wind conducting from Texas State University where he studied with Dr. Caroline Beatty, a master’s degree in music composition from Central Michigan University where he studied with David R. Gillingham, and a baccalaureate degree in music composition from Texas State University (he fully expects to be called Grand Master Montoya, or “Montstro“). He has also studied and participated in masterclasses with such composers as Kevin Beavers, William Bolcom, Michael Ippolito, Cindy McTee, Kevin Puts, Russell Riepe, and Roberto Sierra. While not tending to Mont Shoemore, his outlandish and somewhat offensive collection of sneakers, Montoya has been known to make public appearances at performances of his music, which have included concerts at Avery Fisher Hall, the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic, the Percussive Arts Society International Conference, the Texas Music Educators Association Conference, the North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference, and the Texas Bandmasters Association Conference, among others. When in attendance at these events, he can usually be identified by denim, sneakers, and his satchel (man purse or, “murse” for the layman). Although the closest he’s been to being a man in uniform was as a member of “The Pride of the Hill Country” and possibly some ill-advised Halloween costumes, he served as the arranger for the U.S. Army All-American Marching Band in 2012 & 2013. His involvement with marching bands engages him throughout the nation. Among the organizations that have used his compositions and arrangements on the field are champions and finalists at various state- and national-level competitions, and major Division I intercollegiate bands. Montoya is the Program Coordinator & Brass Composer/Arranger for The Guardians Drum & Bugle Corps from Houston, TX and has arranged for The Colts Drum & Bugle Corps from Dubuque, IA and Revolution Drum & Bugle Corps from San Antonio, TX. His innovative approach to field arrangement involves imbuing new vitality and dramatic elements into his charts without sacrificing the integrity of the source material, creating a new and vibrant musical object rather than a mere transcription of the original. When not submerged in his mild-mannered Clark-Kent-esque composition day job, Montoya enjoys engaging in the indigenous Austinite culture and trying to slowly conquer the universe of social media. He is frequently mistaken for Andy Garcia on Congress Avenue. His sidekicks on this mission are his better half, known to the Twittersphere simply as “The Girl,” their daughter, known to the world as “The Heir,” and a slightly overweight puggle named Mahler who runs the household and sleeps in the big bed. He has coined the term “portmonto” as a portmanteau of his name with the word “portmanteau” to refer to his love of making up senselessly long words (partially inspired by his love of mash-ups) and he was a fan of using hashtags on Facebook way before it was cool. Montoya’s music is published by C-Alan Publications, Row-Loff Productions, Tapspace Publications, and his publishing company, Underwater Theme Productions/Montoya Music. Montoya is an Artist/Educator for Innovative Percussion, Inc. and is a member of ASCAP and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

Contrabass Conversations double bass life
401: Brian Perry on auditioning and motivation

Contrabass Conversations double bass life

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2017 68:10


I had a great time chatting with Dallas Symphony bassist and Southern Methodist University faculty member Brian Perry!  Brian is also on the Board of Directors for the Bradetich Foundation and the International Society of Bassists, and he is the editor for the Bass World column "In The Zone." This episode is organized into three parts: Part 1 - the difference one teacher can make Part 2 - auditioning Part 3 - staying motivated More About Brian: Brian Perry is the newest member of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra double bass section. Prior to his appointment in 2013, he was a member of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra for nine seasons. He has appeared with the Minnesota Orchestra, National Symphony and Cleveland Orchestra, and often performs with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood. An active collaborator, Perry is a frequent guest artist with pianist Buddy Bray for the Cliburn Foundation’s Musical Awakenings educational concert series and has performed locally on the Spectrum Chamber Music, Fine Arts Chamber Players and Cliburn at the Modern series. Additionally, he has appeared as guest artist with the Vermeer String Quartet and pianist Natalie Zhu on the Bay Chamber Concerts series in Rockport, Maine. In recent seasons, he has served as the bassist in Miguel Harth-Bedoya’s Caminos del Inka ensemble and as a member of the Funkytown All-Stars, an all double-bass quartet based in Fort Worth. Always keeping his eyes open for new repertoire for the double bass, Perry performed his transcription of William Bolcom’s Graceful Ghost Rag for the composer himself in an all-Bolcom program at the Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth in 2010. Perry earned his music degrees from Boston University and the University of North Texas. His principal teachers include Larry Moore, Jeff Bradetich and Edwin Barker. Perry is currently adjunct lecturer of double bass at the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He also serves as a board member for the International Society of Bassists (I.S.B.) and the Bradetich Foundation, an organization dedicated to promoting the double bass as a solo instrument. Committed to educating and mentoring young bassists, he has adjudicated and presented master classes for both the 2015 I.S.B. convention and the TCU Bass Fest and, since 2010, has been the double bass instructor at the highly acclaimed Boston University Tanglewood Institute in Lenox, Mass., one of the nation’s premier summer orchestral training programs for high school students. Links to Check Out: Brian's SMU page SMU in the Double Bassists Guide to Colleges Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: The Chromatic Endpin.  A straight endpin only lets you balance the bass one way. The Chromatic Endpin opens up many possibilities.You can feel more of the bass's weight, make it feel light as a feather, or anywhere in between. When the bass is balanced, you stand comfortably on two feet with a neutral spine. The instrument feels lighter, is easier to hold, and you're more comfortable. The 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. Check out this video of David Murray "auditioning" his Upton Bass! The Bass Violin Shop, which  offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

Professor Carol
Friday Performance Pick – 139

Professor Carol

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2017


Bolcom, Three Ghost Rags When you think of Ragtime, you probably think of Scott Joplin. Maybe you should think of William Bolcom (b. 1938) as well. Bolcom played a key role in reinvigorating interest in Ragtime and in Joplin back in the 1960s. And very ... Read more The post Friday Performance Pick – 139 appeared first on Professor Carol.

Opera Box Score
William Bolcom Returns! | 10.vii.17

Opera Box Score

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2017 62:20


You get another chance to hear Oliver’s interview with Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, a countertenor who was one of the winners of this year’s National Council Auditions at the Metropolitan Opera, plus George's interview with contemporary American composer William Bolcom... And, you get all your opera headlines and our hot takes on them in ‘The Two Minute Drill’... Leave us a voicemail: 224.218.9BOX (9269) Tweet us: @operaboxscore

Opera Box Score
William Bolcom! | 1.v.17

Opera Box Score

Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2017 62:08


American composer William Bolcom joins George ‘Inside the Huddle’. They talk about Bolcom's career bridging the gap between popular and classical music, as well as his work with librettists Arnold Weinstein and Mark Campbell... But first, Oliver and Tobias respond to some Listener’s Letters, and they update you on some opera happenings right here in Chicago on ‘The Home Team’... And, of course, you get all your opera headlines and the OBS hot takes on them in the ‘Two Minute Drill’... @operaboxscore

A Day in the Life
The Premiere of Bolcom's 5th Symphony: "A Classical Day in the Life" for January 11

A Day in the Life

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 11, 2016 2:01


It was on this day in 1990 that American composer William Bolcom's 5th Symphony had its world premiere with the Philadelphia Orchestra. On today's "A Classical Day in the Life," we explore Bolcom's influences - from ragtime to Richard Wagner.

Café Concerts
Café Concert: Time for Three

Café Concerts

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2014 11:10


Within the last month, the string trio Time for Three has had the unusual distinction of being covered by the Today Show, the Los Angeles Times, CNN, The Strad and yes, WQXR. The reason? Violinists Zachary De Pue and Nicolas Kendall were told they couldn’t take their violins inside the cabin on a US Airways flight from North Carolina to Arkansas. It was at that point that De Pue began playing J.S. Bach's Partita No. 3 on the tarmac while Kendall, recording the incident on his phone, shows the pair being ignored by various US Airways personnel. The musicians’ video of the incident was posted on YouTube, which quickly set off a social media storm. (US Airways later described it as a misunderstanding of carry-on rules between its employees and the musicians.) Even as Time For Three came on a wider public's radar (and its Facebook feeds) with the incident, the trio has been active for over a decade, appearing everywhere from symphony halls to jazz clubs to football games and even the Indianapolis 500 auto race. The musicians first met and began jamming together in 1999 while classmates at the Curtis Institute of Music. They got their first formal gig in 2001 and soon the sideline became a more serious pursuit. “Our common ground is classical music and each one of us brought a different genre to the table,” Double bassist Ranaan Meyer said in an interview with WQXR host Naomi Lewin. Kendall’s interests included gypsy jazz, hip-hop and R&B; De Pue specialized in Texas fiddling and folk music; Meyer played jazz. “What was really unique was we were able to teach each other some of the influences from those other genres, respectively. In the WQXR Café, the group played two selections for their new, self-titled album on Universal Classics, starting with "Roundabouts," an intimate piece by Kendall that features a round structure. Since 2009, Time for Three has been in residency with the Indianapolis Symphony, where De Pue is the concertmaster. The trio's next song, “Banjo Love,” by Meyer, gives a hint of the American fiddling tradition that has become a part of its musical DNA. It also pays homage to the noted banjo player Béla Fleck, who is a musical hero of the group. The trio’s final song in the café is a cover version of Coldplay’s "UFO." While it attests to the strong pop influences on Time for Three, the musicians are quick to call attention to their classical credits. Along with appearing at Carnegie Hall and other major venues, they have commissioned high-profile composers including Jennifer Higdon, William Bolcom and Chris Brubeck to write works for the group and are currently developing a new piece with the Portland, OR-based composer Kenji Bunch. “When people ask us what we are we have no idea,” noted Meyer, laughing. “We're a marketing nightmare for most record companies. The fact that we're actually signed with Universal is a major pat on the back for us. When we're getting together, frankly it's not a purist thing." Video: Amy Pearl; Audio: Edward Haber; Text & Production: Brian Wise; Interview: Naomi Lewin