Tag Archive for: Judlyne Lilly Gibson

Classical Guitarists From All Over the World Come To Play In Austin

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Two of Austin’s most distinguished performing arts organizations are opening their seasons on the same weekend.

The upcoming 2024 season of Austin Classical Guitar could be called a musical United Nations.  Classical Guitarists from all over the world are on the schedule. 

Matt Hinsley, executive director of Austin Classical Guitar says he and artistic director Joe Williams were looking express their season theme of “Give”. Their first show is September 14th. 

The Austin Symphony opens its season Friday night, September 13th.  It’s called Dancing Around the World, with violinist Soojin Han. 

The Fall Season Ahead:

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ATX Chamber Music and Jazz

After the rush of Labor Day and the hectic days of a new school year, it might be time to socialize with some chamber music or perhaps some jazz.  In our annual series of seasons ahead, ATX Chamber Music and Jazz is offering a social experience.

Co-founders and Artistic Directors Geoffrey Herd and Anna Petrova say they give patrons the time to socialize with drinks and hors d’oeuvres before listening to a selective program of chamber music or jazz.  

The Season Ahead:  The Central Texas Philharmonic

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In just a few weeks performing arts groups will unveil the first shows of the 2024 Fall season.  There are many more in Central Texas than there used to be, so you have more than a few choices.

We’re starting with the Fall 2024 season for The Central Texas Philharmonic led by Music Director Stefan Sanders.  

Gustav Mahler Need Not Apply: The Symphonina

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It was the age of the audience at a classical music concert that lit a fire under David Fogel. 

He seems to have invented another genre of classical and orchestral music.  The Symphonina.  A short symphony just right for the younger set and older ears too. 

The Opera about Fannie Lou Hamer

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Photo by www.ireneyoungfoto.com

After reading numerous articles about our shorter than short attention spans, I’ve decided to split this, the August 2024 Classical Music in Color into two parts. It may be a permanent fixture. Let me know what you think.

The first part is an interview with 85 year old composer Mary D. Watkins who’s about to premiere her latest opera “Is This America” about the Mississippi Civil Rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer. 

Mary D. Watkins is a Colorado native who earned a degree in classical composition from Howard University in Washington, DC.  She started getting noticed later in life.  She won a Female Composer grant from Opera America in 2020, has previously won composer fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, along with various other grants.  AND She received a 2021 Artist Legacy Award from the California Arts Council.  She was also recognized with a 2022 Composers Now Visionary Award. She says her composition of this opera was a long time coming.

The Second part of this, the August 2024 edition of Classical Music In Color is what I’m calling for now, the Albums, Opportunities, Events and Milestone section of the show.

Here are the links:

Sphinx – SOPA

Black Violin Foundation Grants

Castle Of Our Skins Give Black

Kellen Gray

Lara Downes

Click Here

Sophie Mathieu – The Draylen Mason Composer in Residence

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Imagine what it’s like to actually be doing the job you love so much. 

It’s a feeling that Sophie Mathieu knows well.  She’s KMFA’s Draylen Mason Composer In Residence for 2024. 

Mathieu, a cellist, with a Masters from the Butler School of Music, is also the first local composer who’s been chosen for the program. Since the announcement in January, she’s been taking part in educational events, public and private workshops of her work with Austin Unconducted and various other activities.  This is in addition to working on her new piece.  Sophie is pretty sure she’’ll call it “Night Poem” when it premieres on September 22nd. 

Another Texan Wins The Jimmys

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It was a back to back win for Texans at this year’s Jimmy Awards.  These are the National High School Musical Theatre Awards that recognize the best high school-age musical theater talents in America.  It was held in June on Broadway in New York.

This year, it was Damson Chola Jr. from Cleburne, Texas, matching his win with last year’s winner Langston Lee from Leander, Texas.

Mount Rainier’s Composer in Residence   

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Stephen Lias always has music on his mind. He’s the Dean’s Circle Endowed Professor Of Composition at Stephen F Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas.  Lias is also an outdoor kind of guy.  Over the years, he’s composed music for a variety of national parks either on commission or just because.  Now he’s been named Washington State’s Mount Rainier National Park’s first-ever composer in residence. His composition will celebrate the 125th anniversary of the park but won’t premiere until 2026.

Preludes, Fugues and Friends

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What a sad and joyful time it is for the friends of the late composer Matt Dibble.  This English lad was only 40 when he died in 2021 from complications from a covid vaccine.  He left behind 48 tracks of Preludes and Fugues that he kept secret until hours before his death. 

His good friend Jon Hargreaves helped crowdfund the necessary funds to record the album with the pianist Matt Dibble loved the most.  Freddie Kempf.  There’s also a documentary about Matt Dibble. 

Good News About Three Black Classical Artists

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It’s been a busy and awarding season for some young emerging Black American classical musicians.  Pianist Clayton Stephenson and Violinist Njioma Chinyere Grievous were the recipients of The Avery Fisher Career Grant Award.  Another, Tyler Taylor, won the Emerging Black Composers competition from the San Francisco Symphony, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

We also honor an early music musician, James Nicholson, whose career spanned more than 25 years.

The National Association of Negro Musicians Convention

Njioma Grevious – Photo credit Jiyang Chen