Podcast appearances and mentions of Yolanda Kondonassis

GRAMMY-nominated harpist Yolanda Kondonassis has selected Friday, May 12 – the start of Mother's Day weekend – for the release of a highly personal new track written for her by the great Cuban virtuoso trumpeter and composer Arturo Sandoval. In her performance of Wildflower (Yolanda's Song), Kondonassis explores her connection to her own late mother, a powerful and complex bond that she writes about in a heartfelt entry to her blog. Due for release as a single on Azica Records, Wildflower is accompanied by a music video capturing touching images of mothers and daughters, set against the striking backdrop of wildflowers. Classical Music Discoveries is sponsored by Uber and Apple Classical. @CMDHedgecock#ClassicalMusicDiscoveries #KeepClassicalMusicAlive#CMDGrandOperaCompanyofVenice #CMDParisPhilharmonicinOrléans#CMDGermanOperaCompanyofBerlin#CMDGrandOperaCompanyofBarcelonaSpain#ClassicalMusicLivesOn#Uber#AppleClassical Please consider supporting our show, thank you!Donate (classicalmusicdiscoveries.store) staff@classicalmusicdiscoveries.com This album is broadcasted with the permission of Katy Salomon representing Primo Artists.

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only contentWelcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with harpist Yolanda Kondonassis. It is a great honour to be featuring this conversation in the run-up to America's celebration of all things to do with mothers on 14 May - Mothers Day.Yolanda's latest single is a striking composition by the great Cuban virtuoso and composer Arturo Sandoval. Wildflower  is a celebration of Kondonassis's own mother and is a supplemental track to her 2022 album Five Minutes for Earth.Thanks to Yolanda for allowing me to play extracts from Wildflower alongside our conversation.Thank you for listening to Harmonious World. Please rate, review and share and don't forget that you can also subscribe to support the show.Don't forget the Quincy Jones quote that sums up why I do this: "Imagine what a harmonious world it would be if every single person, both young and old, shared a little of what he is good at doing."Support the showThanks for listening to Harmonious World. You can support the show by becoming a subscriber.Please rate and review wherever you find your podcasts - it really helps.Follow me on instagram.com/hilseabrookFollow me on facebook.com/HilarySeabrookFreelanceWriterFollow me on twitter.com/hilaryrwriter

In the Bonus Room, our conversation turns towards Yolanda's teaching career, her approach to teaching, and why she will have students write a review of an imaginary concert they have given. We end our conversation by talking about balancing the life of a soloist with that of a wife and mother.

The music scene is quite different today from when Yolanda began her career, so we discuss some of the challenges facing a young musician today embarking on a solo career. A current project of Yolanda's is "Five Minutes for Earth," a series of pieces lasting five minutes which deal with environmental themes. Other subjects also discussed include the importance of Snickers during long recording sessions!

Yolanda Kondonassis is one of the world's premier classical harpists, and is widely regarded as today's most recorded classical harpist. She has won a Grammy Award for her recording of the Jennifer Higdon Harp Concerto (which she commissioned) and has appeared as a soloist with many top orchestras. In addition, she has published several books, including a children's book. She is the head of the harp department at the Cleveland Institute of Music.In Part 1, I first ask Yolanda to talk about her experience of soloing with the New York Philharmonic at the age of 18. We then discuss her beginnings as a musician and how she has managed her career through the years. To finish up Part 1, we use the Jennifer Higdon Harp Concerto commission as an example of how a major commission is brought to life.

Classical musicians are incredibly passionate about their work. But that doesn't mean they can't make room in their hectic lives for other passion projects. For harpist Yolanda Kondonassis — one of the world's greatest soloists and head of the harp departments at the Cleveland Institute and Oberlin Conservatory — earth conservation has been the focus of her activism for more than 20 years. And it's led her down some fascinating roads both inside and outside the music world. In 2012 she published her first children's book, My Earth, My Home: A Kid's Book About Why Protecting Our Earth Matters. She also founded Earth at Heart — a nonprofit organization that serves to increase earth conservation awareness and action through the arts. Yolanda's latest album, Five Minutes for Earth, is a perfect example of the way she connects her many passions. A collection of 15 five-minute works for solo harp she commissioned from some of today's most dynamic compositional voices, Five Minutes for Earth is more than an album, she explains in the latest episode of the Classical Post podcast: "It's a project with some long-reaching goals." "Once all of these pieces are released and premiered, they'll be available to harpists all over the world. And for each verified performance — by any harpist, anywhere in the world — an automatic donation will be made to one of a list of really worthy, vetted earth conservation organizations through Earth at Heart." In addition to prompting awareness and action about the climate crisis, Yolanda's project also looks to empower musicians to play a part in the earth's future, given that the financial constraints of an artist's life often make it difficult to donate monetarily. "I wanted to explore the idea of giving musicians a way to contribute through their performance, through their service, when discretionary income may not permit them to write a check to a worthy organization for a very dire cause." In this conversation, we learn more about Yolanda's album and activism, and hear why she defines success not only by what she's done but by how she's done it. Plus, she shares the homeopathic anti-inflammatory she can't live without, the ways visual arts inspire her music-making, as well as the New York City eateries she turns to when she's craving steak frites or the best lobster roll outside of Maine. Listen to Five Minutes for Earth on Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever you get your music. — Classical Post uncovers the creativity that exists behind great music. Dive into meaningful conversations with leading artists in the world today. Based in New York City, Classical Post is a touchpoint for tastemakers. Visit our website for exclusive editorial and subscribe to our monthly newsletter to be notified of new content. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok. Classical Post is an ambassador for NED, a wellness company. Get 15% off their products like CBD oil and many other health-based products by using our code CLASSICALPOST at checkout.

Harpist extraordinaire Yolanda Kondonassis and Rochester Philharmonic Music Director Ward Stare join us to preview their new album, American Rapture from Azica Records. Included on the disc are the Symphony No. 1 by Samuel Barber; a cave-diving inspired tone poem by the young composer Patrick Harlin (Rapture), and the world premiere centerpiece of the recording: the Harp Concerto by Grammy Award and Pulitzer prize-winning composer Jennifer Higdon.

Star harpist Yolanda Kondonassis celebrates the centennial of Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera's birth with a new album, Ginastera: One Hundred. The recording features guest appearances by the violin/piano duo of Gil and Orli Shaham plus guitarist Jason Vieaux, as well as a centerpiece of Yolanda's repertoire over the years, Ginastera's Harp Concerto.

Yolanda Kondonassis — Five Minutes for Earth (Azica Records) Jump to giveaway form New Classical Tracks - Yolanda Kondonassis by “I had such a great time practicing new stuff,” harpist Yolanda Kondonassis said. “It rewires your neurons when you're sitting there for hours absorbing new music, new material, new techniques and new everything.”During the pandemic Kondonassis had time and space to learn 15 new solo pieces for harp inspired by Earth for her latest album, Five Minutes for Earth. How does this album fit into the mission of your nonprofit? “My foundation, Earth at Heart, will sponsor and finance all ongoing performances of these five-minute pieces that are on the album every time they're performed. Any harpist anywhere in the world, if they can upload their performance and info to the Earth at Heart website, a contribution will be made to an Earth conservation organization. “The idea was not only to inspire through the arts, but in the case of Five Minutes for Earth, it gives artists a way to contribute through their performances.” Why is five minutes the magic number? “Five minutes started as a construct. I asked myself, ‘What can I realistically ask composers to do or donate?' I thought five minutes was a great metaphor for the time we have as a global community to get our act together.” How would you describe Maximo Diego Pujol's piece, Milonga Para Mi Tierra? “Diego says it's a love song for my Earth, and I love that ownership. It's not just the Earth. It's my Earth. That's an important part of the title and subliminally threaded throughout. It's nostalgic and melancholy while remaining hopeful. It's awe inspiring to watch that work in progress.” Can you talk about the composer and piece that opens the album? “Takuma Itoh, who is based in Honolulu, Hawaii, composed Kohola Sings. He wrote this piece using the stunning effect. It's a string-bending maneuver that can imitate the songs of whales.” Can you talk about Michael Daugherty's Hear the Dust Blow? “The initial idea came from the Dust Bowl period. The Grapes of Wrath and all that came from a convergence of elements. It was a combination of weather patterns and an abuse of the land. We learned something back then in the 1930s, but we need to learn it again. “There are gorgeous, aching moments in this piece. The idea of wishing, hoping and dreaming of a new day and a better life are woven through his piece. It is the glue. “Each piece has a small element of both looking back and forward. They are all so different from one another. But, if I were to try and narrow down a common thread with each work, it is that they all have a touch of melancholy combined with lots of hope.” 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. Watch now More on Yolanda Kondonassis From NPR Tiny Desk: Jason Vieaux And Yolanda Kondonassis Performance Today In studio with Yolanda Kondonassis and Jason Vieaux New Classical Tracks Yolanda Kondonassis premieres new harp concerto by Jennifer Higdon in 'American Rapture' Giveaway 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 Yolanda Kondonassis — Five Minutes for Earth (Amazon) Yolanda Kondonassis (official site)

Multiple GRAMMY-nominated harpist Yolanda Kondonassis announces FIVE MINUTES for Earth, her new album that both celebrates our planet and illuminates the challenge to preserve it. Kondonassis asked fifteen of today's most innovative compositional voices to create new works for the harp, of approximately five minutes in length, that express a powerful experience inspired by Earth in one of its many conditions or atmospheres.Purchase the music (without talk) at:Five Minutes for Earth (classicalsavings.com)Your purchase helps to support our show! Classical Music Discoveries is sponsored by La Musica International Chamber Music Festival and Uber. @khedgecock#ClassicalMusicDiscoveries #KeepClassicalMusicAlive#LaMusicaFestival #CMDGrandOperaCompanyofVenice #CMDParisPhilharmonicinOrléans#CMDGermanOperaCompanyofBerlin#CMDGrandOperaCompanyofBarcelonaSpain#ClassicalMusicLivesOn#Uber Please consider supporting our show, thank you!http://www.classicalsavings.com/donate.html staff@classicalmusicdiscoveries.com This album is broadcasted with the permission of Crossover Media Music Promotion (Zachary Swanson).

Listen to four specially selected works from David's recordings, discussions about each work and, of course, all things six strings!Guest:David LeisnerAn extraordinarily versatile musician with a multi-faceted career as an electrifying performing artist, a distinguished composer, and a master teacher.“Among the finest guitarists of all time”, according to American Record Guide, David Leisner's career began auspiciously with top prizes in both the 1975 Toronto and 1981 Geneva International Guitar Competitions. His recent seasons have taken him around the US, including his solo debut with the Atlanta Symphony, a major tour of Australia and New Zealand, and debuts and reappearances in China, Japan, the Philippines, Germany, Hungary, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Ireland, the U.K., Italy, Czech Republic, Greece, Puerto Rico and Mexico. An innovative three-concert series at Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall included the first all-Bach guitar recital in New York's history, and currently he is the Artistic Director of Guitar Plus, a New York series devoted to chamber music with the guitar. He has also performed chamber music at the Santa Fe, Music in the Vineyards, Vail Valley, Crested Butte, Rockport, Cape and Islands, Bargemusic, Bay Chamber, Maui, Portland, Sitka and Angel Fire Festivals, with Zuill Bailey, Tara O'Connor, Eugenia Zukerman, Kurt Ollmann, Lucy Shelton, Ida Kavafian, the St. Lawrence, Enso, Escher and Vermeer Quartets and many others. Celebrated for expanding the guitar repertoire, David Leisner has premiered works by many important composers, including David Del Tredici, Virgil Thomson, Ned Rorem, Philip Glass, Richard Rodney Bennett, Peter Sculthorpe, Osvaldo Golijov, Randall Woolf, Gordon Beeferman and Carlos Carillo, while championing the works of neglected 19th-century guitar composers J.K. Mertz and Wenzeslaus Matiegka.A featured recording artist for Azica Records, Leisner has released 9 highly acclaimed CDs, including the most recent, Arpeggione with cellist Zuill Bailey, and Facts of Life, featuring the premiere recordings of commissioned works by Del Tredici and Golijov. Naxos produced his recording of the Hovhaness Guitar Concerto with Gerard Schwarz and the Berlin Radio Orchestra. Other CDs include the Koch recording of Haydn Quartet in D with the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and Hovhaness Spirit of Trees for Telarc with harpist Yolanda Kondonassis. And Mel Bay Co. released a solo concert DVD called Classics and Discoveries. Mr. Leisner is also a highly respected composer noted for the emotional and dramatic power of his music. Fanfare magazine described it as “rich in invention and melody, emotionally direct, and beautiful”. South Florida Classical Review called him “an original and arresting compositional voice.” Recent commissioners include the Rob Nathanson for the New Music Festival at UNC Wilmington, Cavatina Duo, baritone Wolfgang Holzmair, Arc Duo, Stones River Chamber Players (TN), Fairfield Orchestra (CT), Red Cedar Chamber Music (IA), and the Twentieth Century Unlimited Series (NM). Recordings of his works are currently available on the Sony Classical, ABC, Dorian, Azica, Cedille, Centaur, Town Hall, Signum, Acoustic Music, Athena and Barking Dog labels. The Cavatina Duo's recording of his complete works for flute and guitar, Acrobats (Cedille) was released to exceptionally strong reviews. His compositions are mostly published by Merion Music/Theodore Presser Co., as well as AMP/G. Schirmer, Doberman-Yppan and Columbia Music.David Leisner has been a member of the guitar faculty at the Manhattan School of Music since 1993, and also taught at the New England Conservatory from 1980-2003. Primarily self-taught as both guitarist and composer, he briefly studied guitar with John Duarte, David Starobin and Angelo Gilardino and composition with Richard Winslow, Virgil Thomson, Charles Turner and David Del Tredici. His book, Playing with Ease: a healthy approach to guitar technique, published by Oxford University Press, has received extraordinary acclaim.Website: www.davidleisner.com

When it comes to the harp, Yolanda Kondonassis is kind of a big deal. She’s literally written the book on the topic. In this episode, she teaches all about the history of the harp, describes the different kinds of harp, its mechanics, its repertoire, and about harp music being written today. She also tells the story of her personal history with the harp and how those first few plucks altered her life FOREVAH!

Ep. 106: Yolanda Kondonassis, one of the world's premier solo harpists. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. Yolanda Kondonassis is celebrated as one of the world’s premier solo harpists and is widely regarded as today’s most recorded classical harpist. Hailed as “viscerally exciting” (The Chicago Tribune) and a “brilliant and expressive player” (The Dallas Morning News), she has performed around the globe as a concerto soloist and in recital, bringing her unique brand of musicianship and warm artistry to an ever-increasing audience. Also a published author, speaker, professor of harp, and environmental activist, sheweaves her many passions into a vibrant and multi-faceted career. Kondonassis has sold hundreds of thousands of albums and downloads worldwide and her extensive discography includes over twenty titles. She continues to be a pioneering force in the harp world, striving to make her instrument more accessible to audiences and push the boundaries of what listeners expect of the harp. She was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo for the world premiere recording of Jennifer Higdon’s Harp Concerto with The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (Azica Records, 2019). Her 2008 album of music by Takemitsu and Debussy, Air (Telarc), was also nominated for a Grammy Award. Since making her debut at age 18 with the New York Philharmonic and Zubin Mehta, Kondonassis has appeared as soloist with major orchestras in the United States and abroad including The Cleveland Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, and Hong Kong Philharmonic, to name a few. Other engagements include performances at renowned festivals including the Marlboro Music Festival, Spoleto Festival,Tanglewood Music Festival, and she has been featured on CNN and PBS, as well as Sirius XM Radio’s Symphony Hall, NPR’s All Things Considered and Tiny Desk Concerts,St. Paul Sunday Morning, and Performance Today.   Kondonassis is committed to the advancement of contemporary music for the instrument, with recent premieres including works by Bright Sheng, and Jennifer Higdon. Her extensive discography includes works by Rorem, Rochberg, Erb, Liebermann, Paulus, Fitch, Lash, Montsalvatge,Takemitsu, Cage, and Carter, among others. Her most recent book,The Composer’s Guide to Writing Well for the Harp, was released in 2019. In addition to her active solo, chamber music and recording schedule, Kondonassis heads the harp departments at Oberlin Conservatory of Music and The Cleveland Institute of Music, and presentsmasterclasses around the world.   In this podcast we talk about premieres, her new book, passion for writing, life changing moments and hobbies. Ms. Kondonassis also speaks about her non-profit, Earth at Heart and much more. For more information about Yolanda Kondonassis please visit: https://www.yolandaharp.com © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

This week, I talk with HARPIST Yolanda Kondonassis about her 1 Track, Alberto Ginastera's Harp Concerto.

Fresh on the heels of her SECOND Grammy Award nomination, this time in the best classical instrumental solo category, Yolanda Kondonassis finds time to chat with our Better Than Monkeys audience about her passion for the harp, her newest recording of the Jennifer Higdon Harp Concerto with Ward Stare and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, her passion for the environment, her skills as an author and educator, her not so secret love for her husband and her fixation with coffee and funky music!

John Pitman Review - Harpist Yolanda Kondonassis: American Rapture by All Classical Portland

Yolanda Kondonassis, Harpist, and Ward Stare, Conductor, speaking about the Harp Concerto by Jennifer Higdon, Pulitzer-Prize-winning Composer, for Yolanda Kondonassis. The work is part of an album titled, "American Rapture" released in 2019 by Azica Records, featuring Symphony No. 1 by Samuel Barber and "Rapture" by Patrick Harlin and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. www.azica.com www.yolandaharp.com www.wardstare.com

I had a chance to speak with grammy award winning guitarist, Jason Vieaux a couple of weeks ago in light of his upcoming release with the Escher String Quartet. Our interview was not quite as long as some of the others, but we were able to cover several really interest topics. Grammy winner Jason Vieaux, “among the elite of today's classical guitarists” (Gramophone), is the guitarist that goes beyond the classical. His most recent solo album, Play, won the 2015 Grammy Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo.Jason Vieaux has performed as soloist with over 100 orchestras in the U.S. and abroad. Additional recent and future highlights include performances at Caramoor Festival as Artist in Residence, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society the National Gallery of Art, San Francisco’s Herbst Theatre, Buenos Aires’ Teatro Colon, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, New York's 92Y, Ravinia Festival, and many other distinguished series. A first rate chamber musician and programmer, he frequently collaborates with artists such as the Escher Quartet, harpist Yolanda Kondonassis,accordion/bandoneon virtuoso Julien Labro, and violinist Anne Akiko Meyers. His passion for new music has fostered premieres by Jonathan Leshnoff, Avner Dorman, Jeff Beal, Dan Visconti, David Ludwig, Vivian Fung, José Luis Merlin, and more.Vieaux’s latest CD release is a performance of Jonathan Leshnoff’s Guitar Concerto with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra (Naxos). He has two upcoming releases on Azica Records: a new album, Dance, with the Escher String Quartet (July 19, 2019), featuring works byBoccherini, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, and Aaron Jay Kernis; as well as a new solo Bach album. Recent recordings include Jeff Beal’s “Six Sixteen” Guitar Concerto with the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra (BIS); Infusion (Azica) with accordionist/bandoneonist Julien Labro; Ginastera’s Guitar Sonata, which is featured on Ginastera: One Hundred (Oberlin Music) produced by harpist Yolanda Kondonassis; and Together (Azica), a duo album with Kondonassis. In 2012, the Jason Vieaux School of Classical Guitar was launched with ArtistWorks Inc., an interface that provides one on one online study with Vieaux for guitar students around the world. In 2011, he cofounded the guitar department at the Curtis Institute of Music, and in 2015 was invited to inaugurate the guitar program at the Eastern Music Festival. Vieaux has taught at the Cleveland Institute of Music since1997, heading the guitar department since 2001. He has received a Naumburg Foundation top prize, a Cleveland Institute of Music Distinguished Alumni Award, GFA International Guitar Competition FirstPrize, and a Salon di Virtuosi Career Grant. His primary teachers were Jeremy Sparks and John Holmquist. Vieaux was also the first classical musician to be featured on NPR’s “Tiny Desk” series.You can find out more about his upcoming performances, appearances and recordings at jasonvieaux.comI caught up with Jason in between his busy family schedule. He was gracious with his time and we were able to chat about his upcoming releases, and some other really good things like how his approach to recording has changed over the years, his teaching career, balancing family life with performing, and much more.

Harpist Yolanda Kondonassis and conductor Ward Stare share insights into their new album 'American Rapture,' which features the world premiere of a new harp concerto by Jennifer Higdon.

Harpist extraordinaire Yolanda Kondonassis and Rochester Philharmonic Music Director Ward Stare join us to preview their new album, American Rapture from Azica Records. Included on the disc are the Symphony No. 1 by Samuel Barber; a cave-diving inspired tone poem by the young composer Patrick Harlin (Rapture), and the world premiere centerpiece of the recording: the Harp Concerto by Grammy Award and Pulitzer prize-winning composer Jennifer Higdon.

Harpist extraordinaire Yolanda Kondonassis and Rochester Philharmonic Music Director Ward Stare join us to preview their new album, American Rapture from Azica Records. Included on the disc are the Symphony No. 1 by Samuel Barber; a cave-diving inspired tone poem by the young composer Patrick Harlin (Rapture), and the world premiere centerpiece of the recording: the Harp Concerto by Grammy Award and Pulitzer prize-winning composer Jennifer Higdon.

Tomorrow evening at 7:30 the Mesa Arts Center presents harpist Yolanda Kondonassis and guitarist Jason Vieaux. Along with a repertoire of solo pieces...

Welcome to Harp Column Podcasts, where we go behind the stories in Harp Column with your host Kristina Finch. In this episode, Kristina chats with renowned performer Yolanda Kondonassis about her collaboration with composer Jennifer Higdon, whose Harp Concerto is set to be premiered by Kondonassis with the Rochester Philharmonic on May 10 and 12. Read our [...] The post Harp Column Podcast Episode 39 appeared first on Harp Column.

Welcome to Harp Column Podcasts, where we go behind the stories in Harp Column with your host Kristina Finch. In this episode, Kristina chats with renowned performer Yolanda Kondonassis about her collaboration with composer Jennifer Higdon, whose Harp Concerto is set to be premiered by Kondonassis with the Rochester Philharmonic on May 10 and 12. Read our [...] The post Harp Column Podcast Episode 39 appeared first on Harp Column.

Star harpist Yolanda Kondonassis celebrates the centennial of Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera's birth with a new album, Ginastera: One Hundred. The recording features guest appearances by the violin/piano duo of Gil and Orli Shaham plus guitarist Jason Vieaux, as well as a centerpiece of Yolanda's repertoire over the years, Ginastera's Harp Concerto.

A spotlight is cast upon Helen holding her child in her arms, standing upon an orb poised above a crescent moon, within the bowl of it, so that the moon resembles golden horns cradling the Earth, and she above it, enthroned. About her head twelve star-points are arrayed in a halo, rotating. The orb-and-moon rises, lofting Helen and child, as the chorus speaks.***Image is a common motif of the Virgin Mary, this one by Albrecht Durer. It is identical to the motif of the Great Mother Goddess as related by Apulieus in his pagan Roman novel, The Golden Ass.Music excerpt is
 Hovhaness: Harp Concerto, Opus 267 performed by 
Yolanda Kondonassis (harp).

By cinematic montage we witness the marvel of seasons, the alteration of time upon Faustus’ garden in a span of several changes, so that across it the magic flowers grow and die more magically, in the spring naturally and in the winter supernaturally. The pace of change is rapid, yet rather than ever wearing or withering, we sense that it thrives in riotous fecundity and novelty, even in the shrouding snow.Then, upon the appropriate musical cue, we plunge through the solid wall of the house to enter Faustus’ study.There we see the sorcerer, seeming younger than before, seated at his desk, facing the audience, and Helen is to his right and Alexander to his left; beneath the desk in the spacious well at Faustus’ feet we see a blond child playing with a pestle and a mortar and some scales.**Image by Turkish graphic designer, Coheper, who can be found online here.Music excerpt is Hovhaness: Garden of Adonis, Opus 127 performed by Yolanda Kondonassis (harp).

The circular space transforms, dissolving and reconfiguring. The image changes within the circle, as it resolves and transforms from the image of a mother and her child to a face—the full face of a young woman, whom we should recognize—and replaces the form of the mother and child entirely. Her face, half-shadowed, turns with the clarity realized, and her eyes divert.The chorus continues speaking.***Music excerpt is Hovhaness: Sonata For Harp & Guitar, Op. 374, "Spirit Of The Trees" performed by Yolanda Kondonassis (harp) and David Leisner (guitar).

A circular space is illuminated, displaying tessellation of vivid colors, like gems in leaded glass, like the sacred Window of the Rose, in which intricate and repeating designs, endlessly change; like a wheel it turns; like a kaleidoscope the turning alters the image and it possesses infinite variegation, yet there is natural order in its variety, and harmonious beauty in its appearance; the chorus speaks from the darkness beyond the stage.***The image is 
Window of the Rose at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.Music excerpt is Hovhaness: Sonata For Harp & Guitar, Op. 374, "Spirit Of The Trees" performed by Yolanda Kondonassis (harp) and David Leisner (guitar).

Again in Faustus study, the scene begins with Faustus addressing Mephistophiles who is costumed for a masquerade; he wears some women’s clothes and a powdered wig; daubs of rouge spot both his white-washed cheeks.***The image, a still frame from F.W. Murnau’s silent film Faust, is the apparition of Helen of Troy, brought naked before Faustus, as conjured by Mephistophiles.Music excerpt is Hovhaness: Sonata For Harp & Guitar, Op. 374, "Spirit Of The Trees" - 2. Canon: Allegro performed by Yolanda Kondonassis (harp) and David Leisner (guitar).