Interchanging Idioms

Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble The King's Singers are delighted to announce the appointment of Jonathan Howard as the newest member of the group. Jonathan, who is 23 years old and a graduate of New College, Oxford, will replace current bass Stephen Connolly when he departs the group to take a position as Head of Vocal Studies at Cheltenham Ladies' College this September. The King's Singers' new album, Swimming Over London , which is Stephen Connolly's last complete album with the group, was released today. Upon learning of his appointment, Jonathan said, "It is an absolute dream come true for me to have the opportunity to perform for a living with such wonderful colleagues and singers, particularly since almost every small-consort or close-harmony venture I have done in the past has been inspired by their work. I am thrilled to accept the post, and cannot wait to start as a full-time member in October. Even now, I'm still in shock t

Led by Music Director Osmo Vänskä, Stravinsky’s Petrushka will be available for free download beginning Friday, May 28, and Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7 will be available June 4 The Minnesota Orchestra will conclude its 107th concert season by offering its first-ever free symphonic downloads. As part of the organization’s new Minnesota Orchestra Music on Demand project, concert performances of Stravinsky’s Petrushka and Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7 will be available for free download exclusively at minnesotaorchestra.org/musicondemand , on May 28 and June 4, respectively. Next fall, the free downloads will be followed by five additional major works which will be offered as paid downloads—with the first movement available for free. All download material will be drawn from live Minnesota Orchestra performances led by Music Director Osmo Vänskä, and recorded and produced for distribution by Minnesota Public Radio. “The Minnesota Orchestra enjoys a distinguished recording and b

with Atlantic Symphony June 3rd eighth blackbird play like musicians possessed … They take wing, soaring on an upthrust of precision-tooled virtuosity.” — BBC Music eighth blackbird spent the first weekend of May in New York City, presenting its “Meanwhile” program at the historic People’s Symphony Concert series and headlining a program of premieres at the innovative Look & Listen Festival; the New York Times ’s Steve Smith commented: “Watching eighth blackbird in action … you envied a composer’s opportunity to challenge these versatile, expressive performers.” Latest in the long line of leading contemporary composers to do so is Pulitzer Prize-winning Jennifer Higdon , whose highly anticipated new Concerto for Sextet and Orchestra, On a Wire , was written expressly for the group. The new work forms the cornerstone of eighth blackbird ’s summer schedule: after giving its world premiere and three subsequent performances at its debut with the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra (June

Flute/percussionist duo Conor Nelson and Ayano Kataoka will close the inaugural season of Music at First on May 28th, 2010 at 7:30pm. This special concert is held in celebration of the release of the Duo’s CD “Breaking Training,” (New Focus Recordings). Music at First is a new music series held at First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn through May, 2010. First Presbyterian Church is located in Brooklyn Heights at 124 Henry St. Directions are at www.fpcbrooklyn.org . There is a $10 suggested donation at the door with no advance reservations or ticket sales. This series, curated by Wil Smith (composer who also serves as organist at First Presbyterian), occurs monthly, featuring one performer or ensemble per evening. Smith describes Music at First as “a diverse mix of New York City's best new music ensembles and performers, accessible to a wide audience of both community members and seasoned new music listeners.” Earlier performers in the series began included Threefifty Duo, a “crit

Ring Fans and Opera Lovers Around the World Can Experience Pape’s Wotan Live from La Scala via HD Satellite Broadcast on May 26 – and New Yorkers Can Watch “Live” at Symphony Space, at 2pm “A glorious role debut that will change the perception of this Wagner character for the next decades”– Die Welt (Germany) While a general theatrical strike caused the cancellation of the original opening night and delayed René Pape’s long-awaited role debut as Wagner’s King of the Gods, Wotan, Pape remarked calmly during his strike-imposed relaxation in a Milan hotel room, “Whenever it happens, it happens. My Wotan is ready to enter the world.” The strike concluded, Wagner’s Das Rheingold opened on May 16 at La Scala in a new co-production by Milan’s Teatro alla Scala and the Berlin State Opera, directed by Guy Cassiers with Daniel Barenboim conducting. “From the first balsamic, beautiful bass-baritone note, Pape is the center of attention: René Pape is shown as an almost conventional Wot

It will be a landmark event when Alan Gilbert, still in his inaugural season as Music Director of the New York Philharmonic, leads the orchestra and a cast of dynamic singers in a staged, multi-media production of Le Grand Macabre , an opera by Hungarian composer György Ligeti that received its premiere in 1978 in Stockholm. Though one of the most frequently performed contemporary operas, Ligeti’s masterpiece – a darkly comic, surreal, and surprisingly moving work about the apparent end of the world – has, remarkably, never before been performed in its entirety in New York. The staged performances at Avery Fisher Hall (May 27 – 29, 2010, with an open rehearsal on May 26) will feature designs and direction by Doug Fitch, a genre-crossing artist who has collaborated with Gilbert on a number of projects including staged operas at Santa Fe Opera and Los Angeles Opera. Gilbert observes, “I think Doug’s plans for this opera are perfect for this piece, and this remarkable score will, I’m s

"The long-awaited US launch of Passionato.com , intended as the World Wide Web's 'premier destination for classical music connoisseurs,' has finally happened." Stereophile May 25th, 2010 marks the launch of Passionato, a new destination for classical music connoisseurs on the web. Passionato’s aim is to replicate a “corner record store” experience with a reach far beyond the corner. Passionato offers classical music lovers the largest available collection of CD-quality DRM-free classical music downloads (Now at over 300,000 tracks with more added daily). With no subscription, no membership requirements and nothing to sign-up for, Passionato provides a wide-ranging collection of recording from major labels (including Deutsche Grammophon and Decca, as well as Virgin and EMI Classics) along with numerous independent labels (such as Naxos, Chandos, Telarc and BIS). "The site promises to be a goldmine," raves Stereophile , "music lovers will find tho

Simone Dinnerstein presented Bach's Goldberg Variations in an understated performance at the Newman Center in Denver tonight. With no fanfare or extended dialog with the audience, Ms. Dinnerstein came out on stage and held the audience enwrapt for nearly an hour and a half, working her way meticulously through the 32 variations originally published in 1741. Her grace and fluidity throughout the program were ever present, but it was her mastery of shifts in style and interpretation that really held the audience captive. The opening "Aria" is a slow pensive piece requiring a deep understanding of the nuances in the music, the long melodic lines only making sense if they are played with sense of the whole and not just note to note. Ms Dinnerstein provided the most delicate shades from one note to the next to perfectly capture the lines in all their beauty. Much later in the program, the dark anguish of "Variation 21, Canon at the Seventh," had the same luxuri

Ceremony Held at Opening Night Concert of the Cincinnati May Festival Friday, May 14, 2010 Conductor James Conlon was inducted into the American Classical Music Hall of Fame on stage at the opening night concert of the Cincinnati May Festival on Friday, May 14, 2010. David Klingshirn, Founder of the American Classical Music Hall of Fame and member of the May Festival Board, and Trish Bryant, President of the Board of the Hall of Fame presented Mr. Conlon with a medal in recognition of his significant contribution to American classical music. Founded in 1996, the American Classical Music Hall of Fame is a national institution dedicated to honoring outstanding musicians, composers, conductors, educators, administrators and institutions. Mr. Conlon will join a notable roster of conductors previously inducted into the Hall of Fame including Leonard Bernstein, George Szell, Lorin Maazel, James Levine, Michael Tilson Thomas and Zubin Mehta, as well as cellist Yo-Yo Ma and violinist Itzhak

Boston Public School Students to Perform with the Boston Pops on May 26 at Symphony Hall Fidelity Investments® and the Boston Pops today announced the winners of the second annual Fidelity FutureStage 2010 Music Competition, a city-wide competition for Boston and Cambridge Public High School student musicians to perform at the Boston Pops concert at Symphony Hall on Wednesday, May 26 at 8:00 pm. The competition is part of Fidelity FutureStage, a national arts education initiative created by Fidelity Investments in 2006 to support middle and high school students in public schools and communities. The four winning musical acts, including soloists and small ensembles, represent musical styles that range from jazz to bluegrass to international. In anticipation of their big night on the Symphony Hall stage, the student musicians will work directly with professional coaches including Keith Lockhart and musicians of the Boston Pops, who will help them prepare for their performances on Ma

NYC trip (June 5-9, 2010) first in series of events to commemorate 40th anniversary of Youth Orchestra The Saint Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra (YO) will perform at the historic Riverside Church on Tuesday, June 8, 2010, at 7 PM as part of its first trip to New York City . YO Music Director and SLSO Resident Conductor Ward Stare will conduct the performance, which will benefit the Riverside Food Pantry. The concert repertoire will include Mendelssohn’s Reformation Symphony and other works performed during the YO’s 2009-2010 season. This concert is the first in a series of events to commemorate the YO’s 40th anniversary season. The YO was founded in 1970 by SLSO Conductor Laureate Leonard Slaktin. Sixty-four current members of the YO and three alumni will spend four days in Manhattan visiting several New York music landmarks. YO musicians will tour two of the city’s famed performing arts institutions: Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. The young musicians will also visit three of

LSO Discovery , the London Symphony Orchestra ’s pioneering music education and community programme, celebrates its 20th anniversary with a concert in the Barbican Hall and a Foyer Festival of music, on Monday 28 June. A variety of performances will take place on the Barbican stage from 7.30pm on Monday 28 June showcasing the breadth and diversity of LSO Discovery. Groups performing alongside the London Symphony Orchestra include LSO String Experience participants, the LSO St Luke’s Community Choir, LSO On Track Next Generation Scheme members, the LSO St Luke’s Youth Choir and the Community Gamelan Group. Repertoire includes music from Oliver, Orff Carmina Burana and Stravinsky The Firebird as well as Hummel’s Trumpet Concerto performed by Philip Cobb, LSO Principal Trumpet, and recent graduate of the LSO Young Talent programme. Before the main evening concert, from 5.30pm, there will be a Foyer Festival in the Foyer areas of the Barbican involving LSO Discovery groups, including t

Conor Nelson and Ayano Kataoka Flute/Percussion Duo Close Inaugural Season with CD Release Concert Flute/percussionist duo Conor Nelson and Ayano Kataoka will close the inaugural season of Music at First on May 28th, 2010 at 7:30pm. This special concert is held in celebration of the release of the Duo’s CD “ Breaking Training ,” (New Focus Recordings). Music at First is a new music series held at First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn through May, 2010. First Presbyterian Church is located in Brooklyn Heights at 124 Henry St. Directions are at www.fpcbrooklyn.org. There is a $10 suggested donation at the door with no advance reservations or ticket sales. Contact musicatfirst@gmail.com for more info. This series, curated by Wil Smith (composer who also serves as organist at First Presbyterian), occurs monthly, featuring one performer or ensemble per evening. Smith describes Music at First as “a diverse mix of New York City's best new music ensembles and performers, accessible to

Follow-up album to the Grammy Award-winning "Simple Gifts," featuring new works and arrangements of popular fan favorites from extensive touring After the 2009 Grammy Award-winning Simple Gifts and a world premiere recording of Pachelbel Vespers in March 2010, internationally-acclaimed vocal group The King's Singers return to the studio to record Swimming Over London , available on the Signum label on May 25, 2010. Featuring a diverse array of songs, this latest release captures jazz classics, current hits, and more, all arranged, performed, and recorded with the meticulous attention to detail and artistry that has established The King's Singers as one of the finest vocal ensembles throughout their history. There are sample tracks from the album on their website . The rich tones and sumptuous harmonies are in true form, a definite delight for the ears. Swimming Over London includes five original songs, commissioned specifically for the disc and written by Mi

Dither Electric Guitar Quartet, New York's rising force in contemporary guitar music, announces Dither's Invisible Dog Extravaganza! in celebration of the release of their debut album on Henceforth Records. On Saturday, June 12, Dither will be joined by an eclectic community of collaborators to perform music that spans minimalism, noise, free improvisation, Celtic music, psychedelic synth-pop and the avant garde. $6 will earn you admission to the gallery, curious musical offerings throughout the evening, inexpensive drinks provided by Brooklyn Brewery, and a special reduced album price! Highlights will include Elliott Sharp performing selections from Octal for eight-string guitarbass, a solo bagpipe performance from progressive piper Matthew Welch, a collaboration between pianist Kathleen Supové and composer/guitarist Nick Didkovsky, and the Deprivation Orchestra of NY's rendition of Eric km Clark's "Deprivation Music #1" for a large ensemble of hearing-de

Mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato has had a dream of a season, earning plaudits in the world’s top culture capitals, including London, where the Times declared her voice to be “nothing less than 24-carat gold.” The singer’s season has revolved around her specialty repertoire of Rossini, in which no mezzo is more celebrated. Following her hit solo Rossini album for Virgin/EMI (Colbran, the Muse), DiDonato now stars on one of the season’s hottest new DVDs – the EMI Il barbiere di Siviglia that captures the famous 2009 Covent Garden production where she performed in pink cast and wheelchair after literally breaking a leg on stage. Now DiDonato is taking on a new Rossini role, that of Elena in La donna del lago , based on Sir Walter Scott’s poem “The Lady of the Lake”. As Elena, DiDonato is following in the footsteps of such performers as Rossini muse Isabella Colbran, Kiri Te Kanawa, Frederica von Stade, and June Anderson. After debuting as Elena at Switzerland’s Grand Théatre de Genè

Recording to include Narration by Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, and Cherry Jones in the Premiere Performance with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops The Boston Pops Orchestra’s world premiere performances of The Dream Lives On: A Portrait of the Kennedy Brothers on May 18 and 19, with guest narrators Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, and Cherry Jones, and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, under the direction of Keith Lockhart, will be recorded live for release as a CD and download (details below). In addition, Boston’s WCVB-TV5 will feature a full-length performance of the new work as part of a Memorial Day television special, An American Salute: The Pops at 125 , May 31, at 7:30 p.m. Written by composer Peter Boyer and lyricist Lynn Ahrens and commissioned by Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops, The Dream Lives On pays tribute to the legacies of John, Robert, and Edward Kennedy. The centerpiece of the Boston Pops’ 125th anniversary season, May 4-June 20, this

Reviving an important but neglected opera is one of the ways the Bard SummerScape festival paints a faithfully nuanced portrait of each past age, and this year’s exploration of “Berg and His World” is no exception. To enrich its evocation of Viennese modernism, Bard presents the first fully-staged U.S. production of The Distant Sound (Der ferne Klang, 1910), by Berg’s compatriot Franz Schreker, in its centenary year. Returning to oversee the landmark production is the visionary Thaddeus Strassberger, who also directed last season’s resounding success at Bard, Meyerbeer’s grand opera Les Huguenots . The opera’s four performances (July 30, August 1, 4, & 6) feature the festival’s resident American Symphony Orchestra under music director Leon Botstein, who gives a free Opera Talk before the August 1 performance. This summer, Bard also offsets the gravitas with an authentic taste of Vienna’s lighter side, offering nine performances of Oscar Straus’s charming operetta The Chocolate S

On the heels of a highly successful tour of Europe and North America (including concerts in twelve U.S. cities) dedicated exclusively to the music of Beethoven, the Artemis Quartet is heard this month on two new all-Beethoven releases (details follow). For two successive seasons the group is performing and recording Beethoven on two continents, as part of a Beethoven marathon that will conclude in Spring 2011 with additional live performances and the release of a boxed set of the composer’s complete string quartets on the Virgin Classics label. In 2005, the quartet’s debut release for the label comprised Beethoven’s Op. 59, No. 1 and Op. 95. A second release in 2008 brought together Op. 59, No. 2 and Op. 18, No. 4, and introduced the ensemble’s newest members, Gregor Sigl (violin) and Friedemann Weigle (viola). The new release features four additional Beethoven quartets: Op.131; Op.18, No. 2; Op.132; and Op. 59, No. 3. Originally released as two separate CDs on the Ars Musici labe

Gustavo Dudamel, certainly the most talked about and celebrated conductor of his generation, releases his fifth Deutsche Grammophon recording featuring the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela. His previous recording for the yellow label focused on works by Tchaikovsky, and for this high-octane new recording, Rite available June 1, Dudamel focuses on another Russian composer: Stravinsky. The Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela under the direction of Dudamel is known for its overwhelming sound, awe-inspiring precision and, above all else, infectious and wild energy. With the discipline of an orchestra twice its age, the SBYOV channels its energy and efforts into giving concerts that repeatedly bring audiences to their feet and have continuously excited critics around the world. Just such a combination of energy and technique is needed to perform Stravinsky’s revolutionary Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring). Reveling in the orchestral colors and emphasizin

Repost from Operachic... this was too good... London-based shoe designer Rupert Sanderson had apprenticeships in Bologna before starting his own private label, first working with Italian greats like Sergio Rossi and Bruno Magli. And maybe it was in Italy where he had inspiration for theatrics, something like what we witnessed in the gold wedge sandals designed for David McVicar's Verdi Aida, now going onto its last performance at London's Royal Opera House. Worn by Marianne Cornetti's Amneris, we've been told that the sandals (for whatever reason) were shelved after the first performance and have been replaced by normal footwear. The sandals shared the spotlight with Micaela Carosi's Aida, Marcelo Alvarez's Radames, and Nicola Luisotti on the podium.

Soprano Renée Fleming, one of the most beloved and celebrated vocalists of our time, will be the featured artist at this year’s Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra gala, “La Diva Renée.” The event will be held on Saturday, October 2, 2010 with Fleming headlining a performance by the SLSO conducted by Music Director David Robertson. Following the concert, gala attendees will be transported to the Wells Fargo Advisors Benjamin F. Edwards III Learning Center for cocktails, dinner, and dancing. Dr. Virginia Weldon, former SLSO Board Chairman, is the gala chair. Kimberley Eberlein and Ann Sullins serve as co-chairs. The honorary chair for the gala is Mary Ann Lee. Gala Schedule: Powell Hall 6:00 pm Cocktails and Hors d’oeuvres 7:00 pm SLSO Concert with Renée Fleming Wells Fargo Advisors Benjamin F. Edwards III Learning Center ( 2801 Market St. , Saint Louis , MO 63103 ) 8:30 pm Cocktails 9:00 pm Dinner and Dancing Gala ticket package

The Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and Chorus will provide live music for one of the greatest movie adventures, The Fellowship of the Ring , shown in Powell Hall. Tickets for all 2010-2011 SLSO Presents concerts may be purchased online at www.slso.org , or by phone at 314-534-1700, or in person at the Powell Hall Box Office, 718 N. Grand Blvd. The music of the film trilogy The Lord of the Rings was composed by Howard Shore. The complete 10 hours of music are available on CD/DVD box set and have toured around the world with Howard Shore conducting. The music was composed in an emotional, operatic way, with numerous leitmotifs similar to Wagner's Ring trilogy. The scores for The Fellowship of the Ring and The Return of the King won Academy Awards in 2002 and 2004. The latter film also won an Oscar statuette for Best Song, as well as the Golden Globes for Best Original Score - Motion Picture and Best Original Song. Shore's music for The Lord of the Rings has become the most

Music of the Baroque period was either funded by the church or the nobility. In many respects listening to this music is like taking a time machine back to when stately parties and fancy dress was all in an evenings entertainment. With a knack for the nuances of baroque music, Nicholas Kraemer conducted the Colorado Symphony Orchestra through a delightful concert of some great music. Opening with the Suite from The Fairy Queen by Henry Purcell, Maestro Kraemer allowed the intimate beauty of a chamber ensemble fill Boettcher Hall. Sweeping his hands to guide the orchestra, Kraemer brought to life the subtle shifts not necessarily notated in the music, adding depth and flow to the piece. There were sparkling solo violin moments with Concertmaster Yumi Hwang-Williams, and other times when the entire violin section flavored the music with rich swells of sound. Corelli, the father of the Concerto, was next on the program with the Colorado Symphony performing his Concerto Grosso in

American Baritone Now in Zurich for Production of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin Now celebrating its 230th anniversary, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences has elected baritone Thomas Hampson as one of its new members. A center for independent policy research, the Academy is among the nation's oldest and most prestigious honorary societies, and Hampson is one of 229 leaders in the arts, humanities, sciences, business, and public affairs to be awarded membership this year. The new 2010 members will be inducted at a ceremony on October 9, at the Academy's headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts. "To be included amongst such prominent cultural and civic leaders for membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences fills me with enormous pride and gratitude," says Thomas Hampson. "The study and celebration of cultural and intellectual identity, whether in the US or abroad, has always been extremely important to me as a human being and as an artist. I sh

As part of New York City Ballet’s “Architecture of Dance – New Choreography and Music Festival” On Thursday, April 29, New York City Ballet opened its 2010 spring season with the inaugural performance of the “Architecture of Dance – New Choreography and Music Festival.” The evening featured two world premieres beginning with Benjamin Millepied’s Why am I not where you are , choreographed to The Lost Dancer, a “splendid commissioned” work (Village Voice) by French composer Thierry Escaich. Alexei Ratmansky’s Namouna, A Grand Divertissement , was the second work on the program, choreographed to Édouard Lalo’s iconic score , Namouna. The premieres continue on May 14 when Thomas Adès’s “eloquent” ( Los Angeles Times ) violin concerto, Concentric Paths , receives its New York debut at the world premiere of a new ballet by Wayne McGregor . Renowned as both composer and performer, Britain’s Thomas Adès works regularly with the world’s leading orchestras, opera companies, and festi

On October 8, 2009, Gustavo Dudamel began his tenure as the Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic with an Inaugural Concert in Walt Disney Concert Hall. Deutsche Grammophon was on-hand to record the evening and, to great success, has already released a digital-only recording of Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 and a DVD of the entire event. DG released the digital-only recording of John Adams’ City Noir on May 11, 2010. The work will be performed at select concerts on the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s US tour with Dudamel conducting. Adams found a suggestion for City Noir in his reading of the “Dream” books by Kevin Starr, particularly the “Black Dahlia” chapter of Embattled Dreams , which covers the sensational journalism and film noir of the late 1940s and early ‘50s. “Those images and their surrounding aura whetted my appetite for an orchestral work that, while not necessarily referring to the soundtracks of those films, might nevertheless evoke a similar mood and feeling tone

Joseph Calleja, who appeared as Tebaldo on Deutsche Grammophon’s recent recording of Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi is rising star. "Joseph Calleja as Tebaldo has a gorgeous voice, which is rich and sonorous, with a strength that provides punch while still maintaining tenderness. His “L’amo tano” perfectly sets him up as Romeo’s nemesis." - Interchanging Idioms 21C Media Group is delighted to announce that it now represents Joseph Calleja , handling his media and public relations. One of the most promising artists of his generation, the Maltese singer is already one of the tenors most sought after by leading opera houses on both sides of the Atlantic. His recent successes include runs at New York’s Metropolitan Opera, where he “brought the house down” in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore ( Classical TV ) and “gave his all, singing with ardor, stamina, and poignant vocal colorings and winning a rousing ovation” in the title role of Bartlett Sher’s new production of O

Nation’s Critics Join Audiences in Extending Warm Welcome to New Winspear Opera House’s First World Premiere, and Production Is Called “A Game-Changer” “Ben Heppner simply is Captain Ahab ” – Dallas Morning News The Washington Post captured the impact of The Dallas Opera’s premiere of Moby-Dick by composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer on April 30: “While new work is often seen by audiences as more a duty than a pleasure, the opening-night crowd in Dallas broke into spontaneous applause three times during the first half, and screamed and yelled its approval at the curtain calls. It was a wonderful and rare reminder that new opera truly can excite people if it’s done right.” The nation’s top media outlets gathered in Dallas for the first world premiere to be held at The Dallas Opera’s new home, the Winspear Opera House, which will host Moby-Dick through May 16. The New York Times reported, “Mr. Heggie’s opera was an undeniable success: the end of its maiden voyage was