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Neave Trio performs Ravel  and Tailleferre live and online

7/15/2021

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On Saturday, August 7 and Sunday, August 8, 2021 at 1pm, the Boston-based Neave Trio will perform on two concerts presented as part of Bard Music Festival’s 12-concert series, Nadia Boulanger and Her World. The concerts will be performed for a live audience at the Fisher Center’s LUMA Theater at Bard College (Manor Ave.) and livestreamed online.


The Bard Music Festival returns for its 31st season with an exploration of the life and work of Nadia Boulanger (1887–1979), the pioneering Parisian pedagogue, composer, conductor, pianist, organist, and indomitable personality who shaped more than a generation of American musicians. Through a series of themed concert programs, lectures, and panel discussions, Nadia Boulanger and Her World pays tribute to one of the most important female figures in the history of classical music.


On Program Two, “Contemporaries and Colleagues,” August 7 at 1pm, Neave Trio will perform Ravel’s Piano Trio on a concert which traces Nadia Boulanger’s early musical relationships. The program couples songs she wrote in her teens with chamber works by then-preeminent Debussy, her composition teacher Fauré, and renowned classmates George Enescu and Ravel. Ravel composed his only piano trio after nearly six years of sketching and planning. But following the beginning of World War I in 1914, Ravel was motivated to quickly complete the work before enlisting in the French army. In a letter to Igor Stravinsky, he wrote, “The idea that I should be leaving at once made me get through five months’ work in five weeks! My Trio is finished.” Complete program and ticket information: https://fishercenter.bard.edu/events/boulanger-p2/


On August 8 at 1pm, Program Four, “The Epitome of Chic: Paris Between the Wars,” offers a snapshot of post-World War I era through vocal and chamber works by both Boulanger sisters and a host of their fellow Parisians. Neave Trio will perform Tailleferre’s Piano Trio. Tailleferre was the sole woman composer of Les Six. She composed her melodically captivating and boldly rhythmic trio between 1916-17, but did not publish the work until after she revisited it 60 years later around 1978. 

​For more details on performances and tickets, click here.

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What happens when pianists are in quarantine

7/14/2021

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Katarzyna Musial is a quite talented Polish-Canadian pianist, having won multiple competitions and issuing a commercially released disk entitled "My Spanish Heart".  She is also founder of and Artistic Director of the Stella Musica Festival which promotes women in music, and she performs around the world.

But during the pandemic, well, let's just say that musicians left to their own devices can do things that are a little different.  Katarzyna produced a series of videos entitled "Pianist in Quarantine" in which she both plays and dances.

One of the episodes can be found here.

Make your own judgments.

​

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Amherst Early Music Festival returns--in hybrid form

7/14/2021

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The Amherst Early Music Festival will be held July 17-25, but this year will be a hybrid festival.  Concerts will be available online only, but there will be in-person classes in four different cities as well as online classes.

For details on the festival, events, and tickets, click here.
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Passing of Jeanne Lamon

7/9/2021

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This almost got past us without our notice, but Jeanne Lamon, longtime Music Director of Tafelmusik passsed away on June 20 of cancer.  She was 71.

​A tribute can be found on the Tafelmusik web site here.
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Hilary Hahn becomes Chicago Symphony artist-in-residence

6/22/2021

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The Chicago Symphony today announced Hilary Hahn as their artist-in-residence, beginning September 1.

Her appointment will last two years, and she'll be showing up in Chicago for multiple appearances during each season.

The official announcement and a video of Hilary discussing her appointment can be found here.
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OPERA America awards grants to women composers

5/28/2021

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OPERA America is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2021 Discovery Grants from the Opera Grants for Women Composers program. These composers will receive a total of $100,000 to support development activities of seven new theatrical works for the trained voice and instrumental ensemble.

Opera Grants for Women Composers promote the development of new works by women and raise the visibility of women writing operas. The grants are made possible through the generosity of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.

This year’s recipients are:
• Gelsey Bell for mɔːnɪŋ
• Christina Campanella for The Visitation
• Asako Hirabayashi for Hebi-onna (Snake Woman)
• Angel Lam for Lost Shanghai
• Shuying Li for When the Purple Mountains Burn
• Nicole Paris and Katherine Skovira for ?this is my Body
• Bora Yoon for ‘아가씨’ Handmaiden [Mademoiselle]

In addition to the cash awards, OPERA America invites and provides travel support for all grant recipients to attend its annual Opera Conference and New Works Forum, enabling them to develop relationships with potential creative partners and producers. Grant recipients also receive mentorship on the artistic and business aspects of new work development.

Grantees were selected from an applicant pool of 57 composers by a panel of industry leaders consisting of Kelvin Chan, general director, Vital Opera; Mila Henry, artistic director, The American Opera Project; Laura Kaminsky, composer; Sarah Meyers, stage director; Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton, librettist; Damien Sneed, composer and conductor; and Karim Sulayman, tenor.

“Until the launch of Opera Grants for Women Composers in 2013, fewer than five percent of the organization’s grants for repertoire development had been awarded to works by women composers,” stated Marc A. Scorca, president/CEO of OPERA America. “Thanks to the generosity of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation and initiatives like the Discovery Grants, we’ve been able to increase and diversify the voices, perspectives, and stories that comprise the American repertoire.” OPERA America is committed to increasing gender parity across the field through multiple initiatives. These include the Opera Grants for Women Composers program’s Discovery Grants and Commissioning Grants, Opera Grants for Women Stage Directors and Conductors (generously supported by the Marineau Family Foundation), the Mentorship Program for Women Administrators, and the Women’s Opera Network. Since the inception of its granting programs, OPERA America has awarded over $20 million to the opera field to support the work of opera creators, companies, and administrators.

Lean more about OPERA America's grant programs here.
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Montreal Piano Competition announces winners

5/14/2021

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 Concours Musical International de Montréal (CMIM) has unveiled the winners of its 2021 Piano Edition.

First Prize was awarded to South Korean Pianist Su Yeon Kim, who will collect awards and scholarships valued at over $180,000, an unprecedented total sum for the CMIM. The prize also includes a concerto performance with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and a solo album recording on the Steinway & Sons label. The undeniable talent of this young pianist’s technique and musicality, combined with a balanced and daring program, transcended the screen and convinced the international jury.

A complete list of winners follows:

2021 Concours Musical International de Montréal Piano Edition Awards
 
First Prize: Su Yeon Kim, South Korea

- Grand Cash prize of $30,000 offered by the City of Montréal
- Joseph-Rouleau Career Development Grant
  $50,000, offered by the Azrieli Foundation
- Solo recording on the Steinway & Sons label
  and launch at Steinway Hall in New York city
  $75,000, offered by Steinway
- Normand Beauchamp winner’s concert tour in three North-American cities
  $15,000, offered by Sarah Beauchamp
- Concerto performance with the CMIM’s official orchestra,
  the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM)
  $7,500, offered by the OSM
- Artist Residency at Canada’s Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity
  $2,500, offered by Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity
- Artistic representation by Forbes International Artist Management
 
Pierre-Péladeau and Raymonde-Chopin Second Prize: Yoichiro Chiba, Japan
$15,000 offered by Quebecor
 
Third Prize: Dimitri Malignan, France
$10,000 offered by Stingray Classica
 
ICI Musique Audience Award: Dimitri Malignan, France
$5,000, offered by ICI Musique
 
André Bourbeau Award for the best Canadian artist: Alice Burla, Canada
$5,000 offered by la Fondation Bourbeau
 
Bita Cattelan Philanthropic Engagement Award: Anna Han, United States
$5,000 offered by Bita Cattelan
 
André Bachand Award for the best performance of the compulsory Canadian work: Alice Burla, Canada
$2,000 offered by Claudette Hould
 
Festival Bach Montreal Award for the best performance of a work by J.S. Bach: Dimitri Malignan, France
$ 1,500 offered by the Festival Bach Montreal
 
5 Finalist Grants of $ 3,000 to unranked finalists
offered by Janine Bombardier and Sadok Besrour, CGI, Cogeco, Colabor Group and Pierre Seccareccia
  • Alice Burla, Canada 
  • Francesco Granata, Italy 
  • Ying Li, China 
  • Chaeyoung Park, South Korea 
  • Marcel Tadokoro, France 

​Videos of many of the performances can be found here.


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Metropolitan Opera to perform live again

5/13/2021

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The New York Times is reporting that the MET will be performing for live audiences again soon--but not at Lincoln Center.

They will be doing two performances Sunday in Queens at the Knockdown Theater.  The program will include their first opera by a Black composer: Terrence Blanchard's "Fire Shut Up in My Bones", as well as selections by Verdi and Mozart.

​You can read the whole story here.
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A Tour of Mexico concert to stream online

5/12/2021

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New West Symphony
 (NWS), with Grammy-winning conductor 
Michael Christie as Artistic and Music Director, continues its 2020-21 groundbreaking and reimagined season of “Global Sounds, Local Cultures” with A Tour of Mexico. This festival, running May 20-23, culminates with a feature symphony concert presentation, spotlighting virtuosic guitarist Jiji Kim and harpist Maria Casale, with works by Arturo Marquez, Fernando Arroyo Lascurain, Silvestre Revueltas, Manuel Ponce, Gabriela Ortiz, Jose Enrique Gonzalez-Medina and the traditional Mexican folk song, El Son de la Negra. A Tour of Mexico is presented in partnership with the Museum of Ventura County.



Along with the symphony concert, Season and Concert Passport holders can enjoy access to companion cultural festival programs for further immersion into the music, the artistry, and the culture that inspired the concert, curated by Michael Christie. These events will take place on Thursday, May 20 at 6pm PT – a Pre-Concert Talk from UCLA Senior Lecturer, David Ravetch, who explores the music presented in the A Tour of Mexico concert in an informative, audience-friendly format; Friday, May 21 at 7pm PT – Culture Insights, an exploration of Southern California’s heritage, including demonstrations of traditional instruments and performance, and discussions about history, arts and music; and Saturday, May 22 at 7pm PT – Meet the Artists, a longstanding New West Symphony tradition which brings audiences closer to the guest artists and offers an opportunity to learn about artistic and creative process.
​

Sunday, May 23, 2021 at 3pm PT – A Tour of Mexico – Symphony Concert
Michael Christie, conductor


Guest Artists:
Jiji Kim, guitar
Maria Casale, harp
Mariachi Divas


Arturo Marquez: Máscaras, Concerto for Harp and Orchestra
Fernando Arroyo García Lascurain: Pok-Ta-Pok: El Juego De Los Dioses
Silvestre Revueltas: Ocho por Radio
Gabriela Ortiz: Exilios
Manuel Ponce: Concierto del Sur for Guitar and Orchestra
José Enrique González-Medina: Las primas del General Calles
Traditional: El Son de la Negra


Additional Cultural Programs Included with a Concert Passport:


Pre-Concert Talk with David Ravetch
Presented Thursday, May 20, 2021 at 6pm PT (not available on demand)
The New West Symphony’s pre-concert talk features UCLA Senior Lecturer, David Ravetch, who explores the music presented in the A Tour of Mexico concert in an informative, audience-friendly format.


Culture Insights
Premieres Friday, May 21, 2021 at 7pm PT
Culture Insights is an exploration of Southern California’s heritage, including demonstrations of traditional instruments and performance, and discussions about history, arts and music. Appearances for this edition include Zapotec master weaver Porfirio Gutiérrez; Rocio Marron, Son Jarocho and Mariachi violinist; community leader, Carmen Ramirez; musician and educator, Jorge Andres Herrera; an Aztec Dance performance by Veronica X. Valadez and leaders from the Museum of Ventura County.


Meet the Artists
Premieres Saturday, May 22, 2021 at 7pm PT
Meet the Artists is a longstanding New West Symphony tradition which brings us closer to the guest artists and gives our audience an opportunity to learn about artistic and creative process. Enjoy a combination of biography, performance and insight into an artist’s process and talent, such as soloist guitarist Jiji Kim, composers Fernando Arroyo García Lascurain, José Enrique González-Medina and Gabriela Ortiz.

​Learn more by clicking here.



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Bang on a Can marathon live streaming

5/12/2021

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Bang on a Can announces the Bang on a Can Marathon of Song – Live Online – on Sunday, June 6, 2021 from 1-5pm ET featuring 15 performances streamed from musicians' homes around the country and across the world. For this Marathon all performances will include some type of vocalization – singing, speaking, murmuring, or other use of the voice. The June 6 Marathon of Song marks Bang on a Can’s eighth marathon concert since the start of the pandemic dating back to May 2020 and will bring the tally to over 150 performances, including 70 world premieres of new commissions. Bang on a Can plans to continue these Marathons, streaming online.

The four-hour live Marathon, featuring Fred Frith, L’Rain, Albert Kuvezin from Yat Kha, Charles Amirkhanian, Matana Roberts, and many more, will be hosted by Bang on a Can Co-Founders and Artistic Directors Michael Gordon, David Lang, and Julia Wolfe, who say: Humming, speaking, crooning, shouting, praying, tuneful, harmonized or noisy, we have spun songs since the beginning of our existence. These adventurous composers are redefining what it means to make song, and these powerful performers bring it to life with a myriad of colors and sensibilities.


A core feature of the program will be eleven world premieres of newly commissioned works:


Albert Kuvezin new work (world premiere) performed by himself
Allison Russell 
Anna Clyne new work (world premiere) performed by Ken Thomson
Charles Amirkhanian Audible Autopsy (world premiere) performed by Robert Black
Eddy Kwon new work (world premiere) performed by himself
Florent Ghys new work (world premiere) performed by David Cossin
Fred Frith new work (world premiere) performed by himself
Julius Eastman Prelude To The Holy Presence Of Joan D'Arc performed by Julian Otis
Kyle Brenn Still/Exist
L’Rain
Mary Kouyoumdjian new work (world premiere) performed by Arlen Hlusko
Matana Roberts How Many (world premiere video)
Peni Candra Rini new work (world premiere) performed by herself
Sophie Cash new work (world premiere) performed by Vicky Chow 
Trevor Weston new work (world premiere) performed by Mark Stewart 

The concerts are free, but suggested donation levels--as well as access to the concerts--can be found here.


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    I'm a classical radio announcer, blogger, and musician.

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