The following are the program notes for Schubert III: Winterreise, available now on the Brooklyn Art Song Society Digital Concert Hall.

On January 15, 2021, the New York City band Founders released Songs for the End of Time Vol. 1—their newest and second album. Recorded over the span of three days in November 2019, it features an arrangement of Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, created by Founders’ members Ben Russell and Brandon Ridenour. The release of Songs for the End of Time Vol. 1 carries special meaning—not only as it honors Messiaen’s artistry and gripping story, but also because it coincided with the 80th anniversary of the original work’s premiere.

Add to the list of things Covid-19 has put on hold the old “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” joke. Even “practice, practice, practice” — ironically, an activity well-suited to lockdown — won’t enable you to perform there anytime soon.

Mr. Alejo and Ms. Happel Ashe form the ensemble River Town Duo.

“We’re all dressed up for nobody — which is kind of fun, actually,” muses Nicholas McGegan shortly before a performance at Cleveland’s Severance Hall, certainly a sign of the times in which concert life proceeds without an audience, and of the conductor’s unwavering high spirits, even during a challenging year.

The COVID-19 pandemic perhaps all but demands an artistic response. A commission from the Oregon Bach Festival, Richard Danielpour’s An American Mosaic provides just that in an expansive piano work written for Simone Dinnerstein that at its core reflects upon the various segments of American society united by the shared experience of the pandemic.

Pulitzer Prize and three-time Grammy-winner Jennifer Higdon joins us on Classical Post this month for an insightful convo with pianist Natalia Kazaryan. As one of the most frequently performed composers, Dr. Higdon transcends today’s classical scene with radiance. Here’s her take on leading at this level.

While listening to soprano Laura Strickling’s latest album Confessions, I was reminded of a phrase she has said countless times in rehearsals, interviews, and performances: “Song matters.”

Night after grueling night, Richard Danielpour went to sleep at 11:00 p.m., only to wake up at 2:00 a.m.

“I tried everything I could think of,” said the Grammy-winning composer. “My doctor prescribed sleeping pills. I tried melatonin, magnesium, this, that. Nothing would do it.”

Everyone talks about the new normal in the era of COVID-19, and many business organizations like bars, restaurants, and sports teams have adjusted their operations to retain their audiences and stay in business.

Fascinating composer Sarah Kirkland Snider recently released her Mass for the Endangered as a type of call for action or consciousness about the environmental crisis the world faces. In a very special interview, pianist and scholar Natalia Kazaryan chats with Ms. Snider to gain greater clarity on this new recording and her life as a highly-respected female composer.

The idea that we are all three steps removed from anyone is not an unfamiliar one, but I’ve always pictured those who I’m removed from to be alive and, well, not Gertrude Stein. But there is a string that weaves through time and if we tug on it every now and then it pulls us into history. Speaking with chief music critic of The New York Times and author Anthony Tommasini about his relationship with his mentor composer/critic Virgil Thomson, I found myself three steps away from Stein, Stravinsky, Picasso, Copland, Sibelius and many others who felt more alive to me speaking with Tony Tommasini than they ever have.

Ash Fure is at a transitional point as a composer, she is currently exploring musical experiences outside of the concert music context with collaborators who have different kinds of specialties than a conservatory music training. Something To Hunt is her debut album featuring select concert music that she’s written over the past ten years released by Sound American accompanied by a book with extensive writings about her music from her collaborators. While this may be her debut album, it reflects more of where she’s been than where she’s going. At the same time, she feels that the works featured on Something To Hunt give a glimpse into what she’s striving for as a composer; she can hear her muscles flexing.

In winter 2018, I was developing a conference proposal when a former oboe student Carly Gordon visited me. Carly is a wonderful musician, entrepreneur, and activist, devoted to equity, diversity, and social justice. As we talked, it dawned on us she and I should do a joint presentation for the conference, focused on diversity in recital programming. She would write a paper explaining the history of white male hegemony in classical music, and the specific obstacles marginalizing music by underrepresented composers. I would gather a collection of works for English horn alone, and interpolate performances of the music with her PowerPoint talk.

It’s late October as I write this, and Annick Odom’s hauntingly beautiful new work “Seven Bones” sets the scene for a crisp fall day. Equally inspired by Appalachian and contemporary classical music, this West Virginian ghost story deserves an immediate listen. Annick Odom and Federico Forla join Classical Post to discuss.

Cellist Isidora Nojkovic and violinist Aliyata Foon-Dancoes comprise the new cross-continental duo to pay attention to. They premiered works by Olivia Shortt and Cris Derksen who join me to discuss these exciting new works.

Known as “Classical Bae” and revered for her collaborations with artists including Beyoncé and Yo-Yo Ma, Ezinma utilizes her classical training to create music that marries music of opposite worlds. Her latest single, “Vivaldi Springs Forth” is out now.

25th Heinz Awards Honor Leading Pianist and Composer Gabriela Lena Frank for Breaking Cultural, Gender and Disability Barriers in Classical Music. Through her academy, Dr. Frank is mentoring aspiring composers from diverse backgrounds and inspiring them to prioritize giving back to their communities while leading eco-conscious lives.

I’m thrilled to see some of the top orchestras in the U.S. finally announce their socially-distanced plans for the 20-21 season! “It’s been a tumultuous year” is one of the greatest understatements ever, so anyone in the arts and live entertainment industries who has come up with a plan to successfully pivot is to be applauded. This month, I recently perused various news releases coming out of storied institutions and saw a shocking disparity between some who were able to really move forward with a fall season, but some who could not for a plethora of reasons. As I want to see what’s working and evaluate how these ideas can be implemented for current clients, I’ve selected three of the major U.S. A-list orchestras who seemingly have figured out a way forward this fall despite in-person restrictions. Here’s how The Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, and LA Phil are pivoting.

Prolific composer Missy Mazzoli’s opera Proving Up, with a libretto by Royce Vavrek, was released as an album this August 2020. Pianist Natalia Kazaryan interviews Missy Mazzoli to discuss Proving Up, the future of opera, Luna Composition Lab, upcoming projects and more.