Placido Domingo feted at Met Opera for his 50th anniversary
NEW YORK (AP) — Placido Domingo’s eyes watered and his voice quavered. After portraying dozens of characters over a half-century on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House, he got emotional being himself. “For us, the opera singers, it is just like Frank Sinatra said: New York, New York, if you made it, you made it everywhere,” the 77-year-old singer ...
QUIZ | Match The Composer To His Favorite Food
Some composers ate to live, others lived to eat. Can you match the composer to his favorite food?
Leonard Slatkin’s 10 Forgotten American Masterpieces
Many composers and pieces were received enthusiastically upon their premiere, only to have been forgotten or overlooked years later. Esteemed conductor Leonard Slatkin shares 10 forgotten works that deserve greater recognition.
Concert pianist, Marian Anderson protege Burton-Lyles dies
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Blanche Burton-Lyles, a concert pianist who was mentored by pioneering opera singer Marian Anderson, has died. She was 85. Burton-Lyles died of heart failure Monday at a rehabilitation center, according to Slater Funeral Home in Philadelphia. Burton-Lyles was born and raised in Philadelphia. She learned how to play classical piano at the age of 3. Burton-Lyles was ...
10 Latvian composers you should know
Andris Nelsons, Lev Aronson, Gidon Kremer, Ksenija Sidorova, Mariss Jansons, Kristine Opolais — when we think of classical music in Latvia, most of the names that come to mind are either conductors or musicians. But Latvia also has an abundance of composers whose works you will want to hear. In honor of the 100th anniversary of Latvian independence, here are ten Latvian composers that we think you should know!
Composer Lalo Schifrin says Oscar is an ‘amazing honor’
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lalo Schifrin's unconventional scores have a way of getting into your head and staying there. The Argentinian composer has written more than 100 arrangements for film and television, including "Dirty Harry," Bullitt," ''Cool Hand Luke," and, perhaps most famously, the theme for "Mission: Impossible."
How violinist Rachel Barton Pine is working to #ExpandTheCanon
Violinist Rachel Barton Pine has always had an interest in looking beyond the classical canon. In addition to the acclaim she has won for her interpretations of music by well-known composers like Bach, Handel, and Paganini, Pine has also sought to include underrepresented composers in her repertoire. A native Chicagoan, Pine grew up looking for new and exciting pieces to ...
Meet the pianist and statesman who helped secure Poland’s independence
As a pianist, composer, statesman, and philanthropist, Ignacy Jan Paderewski embodied the idea of the Renaissance man in an undeniable way. Few other star concert pianists can boast that they fought for — and helped win — their country’s independence. Paderewski was born in 1860, and he became a popular artist by the end of the 1880s. As a pianist, ...
VIDEO | Aaron Copland appears on WTTW’s “John Callaway Interviews” in 1981
Enjoy this engaging two-part conversation between American composer Aaron Copland and John Calloway! This program of "John Calloway Interviews" aired on WFMT's sister station, WTTW, on September 14, 1981. Copland discusses his introduction to music, his forays into composing Hollywood scores, his relationship with critics, and more in this hourlong interview.
“Weird Al” Yankovic to make Ravinia Festival debut in July 2019
“Weird Al” is coming to Ravinia! Yankovic, the Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, producer, and satirist, will make his Ravinia Festival debut on July 28, 2019, as part of his Strings Attached tour. Subtitled “A Rock and Comedy Symphonic Experience,” the tour marks his first performances with a full orchestra in his more than 40-year career. At Ravinia, Yankovic will perform ...
