Have you ever heard of Vicente Lusitano? During his lifetime in the 1500s he lit up the Early Music/Renaissance world with his music, intelligence, and moxie. Unfortunately this Afro-Portuguese composer’s mixed parentage and the prejudices of the period meant his legacy would not survive. But his music remains. In this January 21st edition […]
The Austin Opera is about to do something they’ve never done before. They are presenting the world’s first Mariachi Opera, Cruzar la Cara de la Luna. It will also be the first time they are staging an opera sung in Spanish with help from the new Butler Fund for Spanish Programming. Some of the cast […]
Going back to work this week might seem like somewhat of a letdown after all the fun and frivolity of the holiday season. There is a way to make it all better. Listen to music at the office. A recent study found that workers are happier and more productive when listening to instrumental music while […]
However you celebrate the holidays, there’s probably nothing like playing with your new toy this time of year. It might be a video game with a soundtrack of some of the oldest tunes in the world. Early Music. Dr. Karen Cook, an Early Music Scholar and a Video Game Scholar says while she’s playing […]
Prepare to hear the sounds of three very different African-American composers from different eras of classical music in the 20th century. On the album African-American Voices II, curated and conducted by Kellen Gray, there’s Margaret Bonds and the music of Ulysses Kay and Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson. Kellen Gray is coming stateside next month (January) to work […]
There are two new very different albums that came out recently that could be on your holiday list. Composer and author Tina Davidson has released her latest album Hymn of the Universe. It’s a choral work performed by VocalEssence and based on the writings of Jesuit Priest and Scientist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. And The […]
The Austin Chamber Music Center has opened its application season for the 2024 Coltman Chamber Music Competition. They’re inviting exceptional ensembles from across the country to compete for cash prizes and performance opportunities. Artistic Director Michelle Schumann says some past winners of this competition have gone on to solid careers in the chamber music space, […]
With TikTok, Facebook and other social media platforms, it’s hard to imagine a time when the only way to see a documentary was on television. That is the world the late Christoper Nupen lived and worked in. Starting in the 1960’s Nupen’s company, Allegro Films, started with Double Concerto. Nupen continued to produce ground breaking […]
Two composers and musicians, George Lewis and Harald Kisiedu have gathered some of today’s composers and musicologists in a book of essays called Composing While Black. There are nine essays in the book that talk about their experiences composing, performing and being in a world that isn’t always welcoming to Black musicians, classical or otherwise. […]
We’re a little more than a month away from 2024 which means it’s time to make plans for the summer. Specifically summer music programs for young musicians. Equity Arc has partnered with at least 17 summer music programs to provide applications fees and scholarships for BIPOC musicians via their Common Application for Summer Study. Magee […]