Tag Archive for: Austin

The Heller Awards for Young Artists

Something bright and refreshing graced the stage at the Long Center a few weeks ago.  It was the Heller Awards for Young Artists.  It honors the best high school musical productions from this school year. Two students are headed to the national competition, the Jimmys in New York next month. 

Ginger Morris, who runs the Hellers, is hoping more schools take part next year. 

Austin Opera Ends This Season In A Blaze Of Carmen

Austin Opera is ending their 2023-24 season with the red-hot opera Bizet’s Carmen.  The cast is full of young singers, many of whom are making their debut with the Austin Opera. 

CEO Annie Burridge is hoping this super popular work from Bizet will entice audiences back to the Long Center after the hibernation forced upon us by Covid. 

 

Conspirare Celebrates The End Of Their 30th Season.

As the end of most performing arts seasons come to an end, the Grammy winning choir, Conspirare is going out with a blast of three programs featuring a 30th anniversary event and the post pandemic return of Conspirare’s Symphonic Choir.   Founder and Artistic Director Craig Hella Johnson is celebrating the end of their 30th season with a musical bash.  

Music Might Be Best With Your Medication

The Eclipse Is Coming and So Are The Concerts

The upcoming Solar Eclipse will darken the sky for a few minutes on April 8th.  Texas orchestras are providing the soundtrack with concerts celebrating the celestial event.  The Waco Symphony is having it’s ‘Sci-Fi Spectacular’  Sun, Moon and Superstars concert.  The East Texas Symphony has collaborated with Tyler Junior College for a musical and visual feast.  Here are other eclipse related music events.   

The World’s First Mariachi Opera

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 is from Ópera de Bellas Artes, the national opera company of Mexico.

The Last Album Of The Emerson String Quartet & Tina Davidson’s Hymn

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 UniverseIt’s a choral work performed by VocalEssence and based on the writings of Jesuit Priest and Scientist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

And The Emerson String Quartet has released its final album after 47 years of performing all over the world.  On Infinite Voyage, they perform the music of  Schoenberg, Chausson, Berg and Hindemith sung in part by Soprano Barbara Hannigan

The Emerson String Quartet (1976 to 2023) with Barbara Hannigan.

Inset: Paul Watkins and Tina Davidson

Is it Time to Start Your Chamber Music Career? 

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, like the 2023 Grand Prize Winner the Kodak  Quartet

Here’s a link to the performances of the 2023 winners of the Coltman Chamber Music Competition. 

Is It Time Already To Apply To Summer Music Schools? 

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 Capsouto, the Associate Director at Equity Arc says they’re trying to provide more diversity in the nation’s orchestral summer programs.  

Cliburn Competition Applications for 2025 Are Open

Cliburn Competition Applications Are Open.  Already you say?  Didn’t the Cliburns just crown a winner, Yunchan Lim of South Korea?  Well, yes but that was an entire year ago.  Now they’re looking for the next winner for the Seventeenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2025

Jacques Marquis President and CEO of the Cliburn Competition says it takes a long time to find the pianist ready to embark upon an international career.