Brad Lubman Discusses Conducting and Composing
“It’s all one and part of the same thing - conducting and composing,” says Brad Lubman, one of the foremost conductors of modern music. This wasn’t always the case for him, whose conducting and composition trajectories unfurled at different rates, but it’s where he’s arrived.
Meredith Monk: MEMORY GAME
It is an eerie and shocking moment in time to revisit Meredith Monk’s apocalyptic The Games: a science fiction opera (1983). Excerpts of the opera are included on MEMORY GAME, a new album set to release on March 27, 2020, featuring arrangements of Meredith Monk’s music performed by the Bang on a Can All-Stars and Meredith Monk & Vocal Ensemble. However, excerpts of The Games do not stand alone; they are followed by three pieces alluding to dance, and Double Fiesta.
Pascal Le Boeuf and Barbora Kolářová: Imp in Impulse
The word “Caprice” has a double meaning. Pascal Le Boeuf’s Imp in Impulse: caprice for solo violinist Barbora Kolářová does too.
Vegan Restaurants, Central Park Shopping, and More: Lisette Oropesa’s New York City Guide
Lisette Oropesa is a celebrated Cuban-American soprano taking the opera stage by storm. Graduating from Louisiana State University, the singer began her career at the Metropolitan Opera at the young age of 22. Since then, Oropesa has sung at the Met in over 100 performances. She has appeared in other famous concert halls and stages as well, performing some of opera’s most iconic roles.
Pianist Susan Merdinger’s Chicago City Guide
The daughter of a talented pianist/painter, Susan Merdinger first heard strains of classical piano music before she was even born. Inheriting her Mother's artistic sensibilities and her Father's mathematical mind and enormous hands, playing the piano came very naturally, but it was her passion, hard work, and dedication to music that contributed to her prodigious ability.
Solitude, Practice, and Lots of Coffee: How Roberto Sierra Fosters His Successful Career with Balance
Roberto Sierra, legendary composer and winner of the prestigious Tomás Luis de Victoria Prize, has been chosen as one of four remarkable composers to write a piece for the Musical Fund Society’s bicentennial celebration. Sierra, like many composers, surrounds himself with inspiration, balancing the internal and external aspects of his life. So what does a day in the life of a composer look like?
Tania León’s Wheat in the Fields - World Premiere at the Musical Fund Society’s Bicentennial Celebration
Tania León is one of the four winning composers who was chosen to write a world premiere for the Musical Fund Society’s Bicentennial Celebration this spring. We were able to catch up with León to discuss her accomplishments and her remarkable career.
Musical Fund Society and Stephen Jaffe Team Up for The Creation of Three Arcs (Chamber Concerto No. 5)
On April 26, 2020, the Musical Fund Society celebrates its 200th anniversary with the creation and sharing of music by nationally recognized composers. Stephen Jaffe, one of the four winning composers for the event, will be writing for the Network for New Music Ensemble this year. We were able to catch up with the acclaimed composer on his life and anticipation for the special event.
Elizabeth Sombart: Beethoven, Her Artistic Inspirations, and The Problem with Music Education
French pianist Elizabeth Sombart has spent her career bringing music to places where it is not normally heard. In 1998, she created the Fondation Résonnance, to bring classical music to hospitals, orphanages, prisons and refugee camps around the world.
Masato Suzuki On The State of Classical Music, Advice to Young Artists, and His Top Accomplishments
Just a one sentence description of Masato Suzuki proves that he is many things: the Dutch-born Japanese conductor, composer, pianist, harpsichordist and organist, studied both in Japan (at Tokyo National University for Fine Arts and Music) and The Netherlands (at The Hague). But there is too much about Suzuki to keep his descriptor to just a sentence.
From Harlem Eateries to Singing with Andrea Bocelli, Malcolm Merriweather Is a Man About Town
Malcolm J. Merriweather is a man of many talents. Not only is he the ninth Music Director and conductor of The Dessoff Choirs, but he is also an Artist in Residence at Union Theological Seminary, and the Artistic Director of “Voices of Haiti,” a 60-member children’s choir in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, operated by the Andrea Bocelli Foundation.
Acclaimed composer Eleanor Alberga dishes on Bartok, Messiaen and more
With her 2015 Last Night of the Proms opener ARISE ATHENA! Eleanor Alberga cemented a reputation as a composer of international stature. Performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Chorus and conducted by Marin Alsop, the work was heard and seen by millions.
Nic McGegan: The 70th Birthday Edition – An exclusive interview on Nic McGegan’s fifth decade on the podium, his inspiration, his dream vacation, and love of French opera.
Nic McGegan is a celebrated conductor with a resume spanning nearly five decades on the podium. The 2019/20 season marks the final year of his 34 year tenure as Music Director of Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale. Best known as a baroque and classical specialist, McGegan’s approach — intelligent, infused with joy and never dogmatic — has led to appearances with many of the world’s major orchestras, two Grammy nominations, and an appointment of OBE (Order of the British Empire) for his contribution to music.
PERFORMANCE: Vendome Prize Winner To Showcase Brahms and Schumann on January 20th
Pianist Daumants Liepins, Winner of the 2019 Vendome Prize at the Verbier Festival, is coming to Opera America for a special program of works by Schumann and Brahms on Monday, January 20th, 2020. The Vendome Prize guides future professional artists who are “technically perfect, magnetic, original, ambitious, in possession of a large repertoire and ready to undertake the challenges of a performing career.” You won’t want to miss this performance!
Chrystal E. William’s Biggest Talent May Be Giving To Others
This season, Chrystal E. Williams made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Philip Glass’s Akhnaten, appears with Minnesota Opera, Seattle Symphony, and Orchestra 2001, and will launch “Forrópera”, which she co-created with duo partner, Brazilian accordionist Felipe Hostins, combining elements of classical music with Brazilian folk music.
Accomplishments, Artistry, and…Australia? A Peek into the Life of Classical Musician Michael Sheppard
Phenomenal pianist. Penetrating musicianship. Virtuosic soloist.
These words—and many others—have been written into permanence in infinite reviews, ovations, and awards to describe Michael Sheppard. Though Michael’s accomplishments are innumerable when it comes to his most well-known art, piano, he (like many other artistic and talented musicians), stands at the crossroads of several different career paths.
A Lifetime of Explanations Backing His Career, David Skidmore Wouldn’t Change a Thing
A percussion quartet—to those involved in some way, shape, or form in the classical music sphere, the concept of formulating a career (and an entire lifestyle) revolving around a percussion quartet doesn’t seem so crazy.
David Skidmore Leans Into Being a Tourist in Seattle—We Think You Should, Too
Visiting a new city for the first time is so exciting—there’s endless opportunity to explore, an infinite number of restaurants, bars, and shops to discover, and of course, amazing chances for fun and relaxation around every corner.
Why David Skidmore Says Powering Down on Performance Days Makes All the Difference—Artist Routines
Newsflash—we’re just as obsessed with the best classical music artist of our era as you are. That’s why we’ve put our heads together at Classical Post (in a totally selfless effort, right?) to dig in and get the dirt on what our absolute favorite classical music artists love, do on a daily basis, and can’t get enough of.
Simple Food and Musical Culture—These Are a Few Of David Skidmore’s Favorite Things
It’s undeniable—as classical music fans, we love to know what our favorite artists love. To us, they’re the pinnacle of celebrities, the apples of our eye, the people we admire the most. Why wouldn’t we want to know what they love, enjoy, and can’t live without?