One of my earliest musical memories involves sitting in a Honolulu Symphony concert (I grew up in Hawaii) watching, slightly mortified, my father on the edge of his seat, swaying to and occasionally air-conducting a Brahms symphony (is it the … Continue reading →
Our latest Ask An Expert question comes from Wallett Rogers, who wants to know… Q: …what bassoons (Heckel, etc.) do your bassoon section players play in concerts? Okay, now this one requires a bit of explanation before we get to … Continue reading →
Well, after weeks of promises, delays, and procrastination by yours truly, I’m pleased to announce the availability of the very first Inside the Classics Podcast! This initial effort consists of four short segments, in which Sarah and I and a … Continue reading →
Don Lee, formerly a producer over at the 800-pound gorilla of public radio, was at our first Inside the Classics concert a couple of weeks back, and he was intrigued enough to call me up and ask if we could … Continue reading →
The suddenly ubiquitous Alex Ross calls our attention to a surprising new poll of the political leanings and entertainment preferences of American adults showing that 62% like and listen to classical music. In fact, classical edged out rock as the … Continue reading →
I’m keen on reading the new Oliver Sacks book, “Musicophilia”, a collection of vignettes about music and the brain. For all the power music can have over us (who of us hasn’t, at one point in life, been completely overcome … Continue reading →
My boss over at ArtsJournal.com, Doug McLennan, has a fascinating post up on his blog today, in which he discusses the exponential growth of the arts in America over recent years (and decades.) This huge expansion points up a strange … Continue reading →
I’m now in Seoul, South Korea to conduct the 16th annual “Song of Love and Heart” concert at the Seoul Arts Centre. The rehearsal schedule is packed (chorus, children’s chorus and soloists as well as orchestra), and jetlag has me … Continue reading →
This week’s Ask An Expert question comes from Cinda Yager, who asks: Q: How far in advance of rehearsals/concert does a conductor begin preparing/studying the scores? Is most of the preparation done at the piano or on the road? This … Continue reading →
Here are a bunch more photos from our Thursday night Inside the Classics concert last week, courtesy of crack photographer Greg Helgeson… Our brilliant guest dancers were Penelope Freeh and Justin Leaf, both members of James Sewell Ballet. They also … Continue reading →
