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new routines

01.06.2012

As 2012 begins, I decided that, rather than make a few resolutions that I wouldn’t honor, I would do some new work on the viola. Here’s what I’ve been thinking about over the last few days.

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my top musical experiences of 2011

12.31.2011

I’m sure that I will have forgotten something obvious, and except for item #1, the list is roughly in reverse chronological order. Send in your favorites from 2011 in the comments section below. The Oregon Symphony’s Carnegie Hall debut. It would be hard to top this one. I’d been to Carnegie before, but with Pink

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another best of 2011 for the oregon symphony

12.31.2011

James Manishen of the Winnipeg Free Post has put up his top ten recordings of classical music for 2011, and the Oregon Symphony’s Music for a Time of War made #3. See the other musical and arts genre lists here. 1. Glenn Gould, On Television: The Complete CBC Broadcasts 1954-1977 This 19-hour, 10 DVD set is

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young conductor

12.29.2011

This one just made me smile: an 8 year old came up and tried his hand at conducting the Berlin Philharmonic in the witches’ ride section of Humperdinck’s opera “Hansel and Gretel”. Cuteness ensues.

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what might have been

12.27.2011

If you’re still smarting about Joshua Bell’s decision to change his program from Shostakovich’s First Violin Concerto to the Brahms, then you can take solace in this amazing performance by Hillary Hahn with Mariss Jansons and the Berlin Philharmonic from Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Japan. To see the whole concert you’ll need to be a

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merry christmas!

12.24.2011
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how to be a professional musician

12.22.2011

Over my 16 years as a full-time member of a professional orchestra (and 8 years before that playing as a free-lance musician), I’ve had time both to observe others and myself engaging in both professional and unprofessional behavior. Sometimes one gets bored, or angry, or just loses it, and things happen. Here’s a guide for

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this week: holiday music gift ideas

12.15.2011

The first new album by a member of the Oregon Symphony is the long-awaited debut CD of OS Principal violist Joël Belgique (the project spanned seven years from inception to delivery of the CD’s). It comprises perhaps the most recorded work (other than the two Brahms sonatas and the seven Hindemith sonatas) in Rebecca Clarke’s

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joshua bell changes program for portland

12.14.2011

I hope that the Classical Beaver brings a change of underwear for the Oregon Symphony’s January 14, 15 and 16th concerts, because the ‘rock star’ violinist Joshua Bell will now be playing the great Violin Concerto of Johannes Brahms in place of the previously programmed First Concerto of Dmitri Shostakovich. I’ll bet that principal oboist

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amazing recital

12.14.2011

Last night (Tuesday) at the Old Church I had the great fortune to attend one of the most mind-blowing performances I’ve ever seen. The violinist was the Oregon Symphony’s (and Arnica Quartet’s) own Shin-young Kwon, and she played, in one concert, all of the six Sonatas for Solo Violin, Op. 27 by the great violin

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a very worthy cause

12.12.2011

I just finished giving money to a wonderful organization that helps young musicians, and I strongly urge you to do the same. The organization is the Rachel Elizabeth Barton Foundation, which provides resources for young string musicians. Rachel Barton is a Chicago-based violinist who has a busy solo career (and happened to record the Brahms

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china forbes talks about her recovery from vocal surgery

12.09.2011

UPDATE: Stabler has an expanded print interview here. From today’s online edition of the Oregonian, courtesy of David Stabler:

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st. paul expands existing hall for orchestra

12.09.2011

The situation in St. Paul, MN reminds me of the scheduling problems with the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall here in Portland. I wonder what the economic impact of an added concert hall in downtown Portland would be. By providing a new home for the SPCO, the renovation will free up dates in the Ordway’s 1,900-seat

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holiday madness!

12.08.2011

We’re just stepping out of the wading pool that was the beginning of December and going fully into the deep end of the holiday concert season. I can’t promise that I’ll be any more consistent with my postings (if anything, they’ll be even more sporadic), but there will be at least a few updates along

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emoting vs. emotion

12.05.2011

In a conversation with my wife Heather (herself a fine cellist), she shared a recent blog post of frequent OSO guest artist Alban Gerhardt, in which he bemoaned the lack of commercial success of a colleague who, he felt, was neglected because she was not an overly physically active performer. It’s an interesting observation, and

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