If given the task to assemble a collection of music that reflects humanity, what would you choose?
A starting point for a most interesting journey of musical discovery!
Pet project: Musician creates a playlist for shelter animals
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Orchestra’s music director has gone to the dogs. And the cats. Yannick Nézet-Séguin has curated a playlist for four-legged friends that’s being piped into the shelter at the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. He debuted the playlist at the shelter last week. He says he was inspired by watching his own ...
These quotes from classical composers will make you fall in love with music all over again!
Not only are these composers' musical works an inspiration, but their words are, too! Here are some of the most beautiful insights you'll read all day.
CSO musicians reject latest proposal, strike continues
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra strike will persist, as the musicians’ union rejected management’s latest proposal late Monday night. The nearly month-long work stoppage began on March 10 a minute before midnight when negotiations between the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association and the Chicago Federation of Musicians reached an impasse. The two parties failed to agree on the type of the musicians’ ...
Hungary: ‘Porgy and Bess’ cast asked to be African American
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — The Hungarian State Opera has asked the Hungarian cast members in its production of “Porgy and Bess” to self-identify as African American. The opera’s decision to put on George and Ira Gershwin’s seminal work set in the American south and intended for a black cast has caused a conflict with the creators’ estate. The State Opera ...
Pianists, this is your chance to #LearnWithLangLang
Lang Lang's latest solo record Piano Book is out now. Have you ever dreamed of taking the stage with one of the world’s leading piano players? Even if Carnegie Hall is a bit out of your reach, you still have the opportunity to play — and learn — with Lang Lang. In conjunction with the recent release of hist newest ...
Watch Arthur Rubinstein perform Grieg’s Piano Concerto at age 88
Want proof that age is just a state of mind? Watch Arthur Rubinstein, one of the most acclaimed piano virtuosi of the 20th century, give an expert performance of Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor with the London Symphony Orchestra and André Previn at the tender age of 88! Rubinstein was half blind at the time of this performance — ...
Why Composer and Chicago Children’s Choir Alum Ted Hearne Embraces Politics in His Art
Composer Ted Hearne is not afraid to bring politics and social justice issues into his music. The Chicago native attributes this interest to his many years singing in the Chicago Children’s Choir. Hearne describes the ensemble, which was founded in 1956 during the Civil Rights Movement, as an “activist organization” made up of students from diverse racial, economic backgrounds from across ...
How to Land 300-Year-Old Jokes — Tackling Telemann’s Pimpinone
Pimpinone, a 1725 comic opera by Georg Philipp Telemann with a libretto by Johann Philipp Praetorius, tells the story of Pimpinone, a lustful rich man, and Vespetta, a scheming chambermaid. In search of a husband and a fortune, Vespetta first convinces Pimpinone to hire her, and then she persuades him to propose marriage. Now his wife, she becomes the real boss ...
Lang Lang Shares His Wisdom with Music Lovers of All Ages
Grammy-nominated pianist Lang Lang is one of the most recognizable classical artists of the century, having performed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2014 World Cup in Rio de Janeiro – not to mention his cross-genre collaborations with Metallica, Pharrell Williams, and Herbie Hancock. As Lang Lang continues to push the boundaries of the piano and perform at some of ...
Judge dismisses some of Levine’s claims against Met Opera
NEW YORK (AP) — A New York judge on Tuesday dismissed portions of a lawsuit filed by former Metropolitan Opera music director James Levine against the company last year. Levine was the Met’s music or artistic director from 1976-2016, then became its music director emeritus. He was fired in March 2018 after the Met said an investigation found evidence of ...
