Tag Archive for: KMFA

Mozart In Motion

This is another addition to your summer reading list. 

There are hundreds of books about Mozart but the author of Mozart In Motion has a different take.  Author Patrick Mackie takes us time traveling through the swirl that was Mozart’s short life.

Honoring Fathers With Music On Father’s Day

Next week is Father’s Day. The Austin Symphonic Band is honoring Dads with a Father’s Day concert on June 18th at the Zilker Hillside Theater. 

Cellist Bion Tsang is honoring his late father with a new album he named Cantabile.  It’s dedicated to the music they enjoyed together.  Tsang says he’s hoping his father Paul Ja-Min Tsang, is looking upon him with pride.

The 96-Hour Opera Project

If you’ve ever done a large creative project, you know it usually takes longer than 96 hours – four days – to create what one might call something good.   Composers and Librettist will be attempting this feat in the Atlanta Opera’s 96 Hour Opera Project

The Atlanta Opera’s New Works Administrator Cara Consilvio says it’s not as arduous as it seems.  Still, some of the 2 person teams won’t even meet each other in person until their arrival in Atlanta on June 9th.

Nathan Felix of Austin, is one of the finalists. 

Clarice Assad. The Draylen Mason Composer In Residence

There’s a new Draylen Mason Composer in Residence at KMFA.  She is Clarice Assad, a Brazilian-American composer who, when not on the road, lives in Chicago. In addition to composing,  Assad likes teaching children how to collaborate with music and performance art.  She is also working on an orchestral piece for KMFA.  Her new work will be performed sometime in September in Austin. 

Adult Music Camps

If you’ve been musing about playing the instrument you haven’t touched in more than a few years, there’s a cure for that.  Hundreds of adult music camps all over the country have programs that might fit.There’s the International Music Camp, the New England Adult Music Camp and the Interlochen Chamber Music Camp, to name a few.   In Austin there’s the Austin Chamber Music Center’s Adult Music Camp

The Merry Music Month of May

Amid the graduations, weddings, and other joyous events, celebrate with music of all genres this month. There’s the Big Sing from Conspirare, the ERA Project from LOLA, the Here Be Monsters one day new music festival and a free stream of the Dallas Opera’s 2022/23 season.  Have fun and enjoy. 

Music From The Milky Way and Beyond

The universe sings.  Or at least it provides data that’s music to the ears of NASA scientists working at the Chandra X-ray Observatory in Cambridge, MA.  By a process of Sonification these scientists/technicians/musicians translate data into sound.  More specifically music, which is now on an album called Universal Harmonies.

Dr. Kimberly Arcand, a visualization scientist at NASA,  says she was inspired by an astronomer who is blind. 

The Draylen Mason Fellows Program

It’s almost time to choose another class of Draylen Mason Fellows at Austin Soundwaves.

Hermes Camacho, the Development and Operations Director of Austin Soundwaves says they’re looking for applicants who are not only musical but are socially conscious in the way Draylen Mason was before he was killed by a package bomb in 2018. The current class has their Capstone Concert coming up next month at the Draylen Mason Music Studio at KMFA

ARE YOU WATCHING “NOW HEAR THIS”?

If you’ve never seen a show called Now Hear This, now may be the time.  It’s a program featuring a modern look at classical composers from many years ago and those making music today.

Host Scott Yoo says the show was born 5 years ago in Austin after a concert with UT Music Professor Bion Tsang.  The 4th season is currently running on your local PBS TV station.

A Season Of Being UnConducted

Who needs a conductor?  Not Austin Unconducted.  It’s a string ensemble that works with its members to choose the music they’ll play in any given concert.  Co-founder Luis Bellorin and the rest of the group is preparing now for their season finale concert.  It’ll be at the Draylen Mason at KMFA on April 6th