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happy new year! December 31, 2007

Posted by Charles Noble in : miscellaneous, add a comment

baby-782430.jpg

See you next year, and best wishes for a happy and prosperous new year!

news roundup December 30, 2007

Posted by Charles Noble in : miscellaneous, music, add a comment

Some recent items for your consideration:

violist kim kashkashian on npr December 30, 2007

Posted by Charles Noble in : music, soloists & recitals, add a comment

Arguably one of the great violists of the 20th/21st century, Kim Kashkashian has made many critically-acclaimed recordings (almost all on ECM New Series) of both the standard repertoire and new works, many written especially for her. Born in Detroit, she was a graduate of the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Md., but ended up spending much of her early career in Europe, teaching at several music schools in Germany (Freiburg and Berlin) for years. Luckily for American violists and music lovers, she recently returned to the US to take a position at the New England Conservatory in Boston, Mass.

I was fortunate to take part in a week-long master course with Ms. Kashkashian in 1993 at the Britten-Pears School in Aldeburgh, England. It was a great experience, and one of the most profound and concentrate periods of musical learning that I’ve experienced - the results of which I’m still processing to this day.

There’s a great interview/performance program that aired on NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday today - click here to take a listen. It’s centered around her recent ECM recording release: Asturiana.  It’s an excellent recording that I do own, and I’d recommend it highly.

Thanks to B. Moran for the tip.

local flutist nominated for grammy December 29, 2007

Posted by Charles Noble in : bloggers, chamber music, contemporary, music, recordings, add a comment

James Bash has broken the story that Molly Barth, flute professor at Willamette University (and also a frequent substitute/extra with the OSO as well as with fEARnoMusic) has been nominated for a Grammy award. She was nominated as a member of the contemporary ensemble eighth blackbird, of which I believe she was a founding member.

more local groups praised December 29, 2007

Posted by Charles Noble in : appreciation/criticism, chamber music, music, new music, add a comment

I added to the recent post about David Stabler’s list of the best classical events of 2007 to include the joint performance by Third Angle and fEARnoMusic.  Check out the expanded post here.

letters in response to Seattle NYTimes article December 29, 2007

Posted by Charles Noble in : labor issues, music, the orchestra world, 1 comment so far

In the upcoming Sunday edition of the New York Times, several letters are printed in the Arts section - you can read the complete letters (as printed) here.

Here are some of the best parts of some of them: (more…)

bizarre music news of 2007 December 29, 2007

Posted by Charles Noble in : the orchestra world, add a comment

The Seattle Times’ classical music critic Melinda Bargreen reports on the bizarre classical music news that occurred around the world in 2007. Unfortunately (and am I sensing a pattern here?) she neglected to mention a couple items from her own backyard: (more…)

audiences pendulum keeps swinging December 28, 2007

Posted by Charles Noble in : appreciation/criticism, music, the orchestra world, 4comments

John Terauds, the classical music critic for the Toronto Star, writes in a recent column that younger audiences are turned off by crossover efforts, and just want the “straight stuff”. (more…)

stabler lists top events of 2007 December 28, 2007

Posted by Charles Noble in : appreciation/criticism, soloists & recitals, the orchestra world, add a comment

Oregonian critic David Stabler
David Stabler

David Stabler, the classical music critic of the Oregonian newspaper, has listed his top classical music happenings of 2007. (more…)

it’s the pit(s) December 28, 2007

Posted by Charles Noble in : music, the orchestra world, add a comment

New York State Theater - photo credit: David Shankbone
photo credit: David Shankbone

Double-bassist Jason Heath gives an exposé on life in the “pit” (the lowered area in front and beneath the stage which holds the orchestra during shows, ballets, and operas. It’s some pretty extreme stuff, including dancing, yelling, boozing, watching television - you get the picture (and if you don’t read the rest of the post here).