There are so many musical works that have been lost to history. Joshua Conyers and the faculty and students at the Eastman School Of Music in Rochester, NY has recorded over 40 of them in an album called In Plain Sight, The Black Anthology. In recognition of the nation’s 250th, there’s the first part of […]
The Many Deaths Of Laila Starr is historic. It’s one of the few operas covering South Asian themes. It centers on Laila Starr, the Avatar of Death living as a mortal in Mumbai, India. It was created by composer Kamala Sankaram, and the librettist, Minita Gandhi via The New Works Initiative at the Minnesota Opera. […]
Now that Gustavo Dudamel is holding the baton for the New York Philharmonic, the classical music community is all atwitter. He says he’s not coming in to make changes, but changes will most likely come. And on the west coast, from whence he came there’s Dale Hikawa Silverman, a violist and the first Asian American […]
When you go to a beerfest, like the one coming up in Munich are you expecting to hear any form of classical music? If the answer is no, then patrons attending the Munich Oktoberfest are going to be quite surprised when Cellist Anna Rehker and her string quartet start playing music from Bridgerton along with […]
Many of you were not alive or were babies on the horrible day, September 11, 2001. Those of us who were, will NEVER FORGET it. That includes the thousands of reporters who covered the events of that day and in the days ahead. Judlyne Lilly was a news anchor at WTOP Radio in Washington, DC […]
Morgiane, the opera by Louisiana native Edmond Dédé got national and international attention when it was performed and recorded earlier this year. This 1887 opera was finally included in the opera canon after 138 years and a 12-year effort by Givonna Joseph, Artistic Director of Opera Creole in New Orleans. This opera company continues singing […]
Heartbeat Opera in New York has a reputation for modern reimagining’s of classic operas. They did it earlier this year with their production of Manon by Jules Massenet. Now they’ve done something they’ve never done before. They called back the cast to record a cast album of the show. It was a revelation for the […]
Since 2021, the Catalyst Quartet has released albums of the music of Black composers. The series called Uncovered featured the works of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Florence B. Price, Coleridge-Taylor, Perkinson, William Grant Still, and George Walker. The latest and last album features the works of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges. The National Symphony Orchestra won’t be performing […]
Since the 21st century started in earnest, there’s been some discussion about opera. New operas versus the standard repertoire and how it’s measured against the prevailing views about race and attitudes. Now comes One Ounce Opera out of Austin, Texas. They are seeking to throw the old views out about everything that opera represents with […]
A soothing album as a balm for the ICE infested people of Minneapolis. This guy likes to play his piano outdoors These are the links to other items mentioned in the podcast.