Copenhagen Philharmonic Flash Mob a Hit During A.M. Subway Commute

10:00AM
May
15, 2012

Above: the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra serenades morning subway commuters with “Morning” from Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt. Ah, Denmark – home of the Tivoli Gardens, Legoland, fabled blue cheese and some great classical music flash mobs. You might remember the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra’s brilliant flash-mob rendition of Ravel’s Bolero in Copenhagen’s Central Station about a year [...]

Strad dealer sounds sour note

Violin
Bremen bankers duped by violin dealer
8:23AM
May
15, 2012

One of the world’s most successful dealers of Stradivari violins finds himself in the middle of a firestorm. 

Nikolaus Harnoncourt Honored by Royal Philharmonic Society

4:55PM
May
14, 2012

The Austrian conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt was awarded the Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal in London on Sunday, April 22 for his pioneering role in period-instrument performance practices of Baroque and Classical works, both in the instrumental and choral repertoire, and for his continuing contributions as a conductor, cellist, teacher, and author.

How Star Soprano Lily Pons Became a U.S. Postmark

3:39PM
May
14, 2012

Above: Soprano Lily Pons sings one of her signature arias – “The Bell Song” from Delibes’ opera Lakmé – in the 1930 film I Dream Too Much. In an era when opera singers weren’t generally over-hyped media stars, soprano Lily Pons was famed as no less than Metropolitan Opera sweetheart and Hollywood starlet. And, according [...]

Mozart, Beethoven and Marriner on Symphony @ 7

6:55PM
May
10, 2012

Mozart’s final symphony from Salzburg before moving on to Vienna and a Beethoven piano concerto performance celebrating the opening of the 40th anniversary of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra will be featured this evening on Symphony @ 7.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra To Tour Asia, Mexico Next Season

photograph of the inside of Chicago Symphony Center, looking up from the ground floor toward the balconies
Chicago Symphony Center is the home of the world-renowned Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
11:24AM
May 10, 2012

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has announced plans to make its first tours to South Korea, Taiwan and Mexico during the 2012-13 season, according to The Classical Review. The orchestra’s October 2012 performances in Mexico will mark its Mexican debut. The group has made seven tours of Asia, but its Asian tour in January and February [...]

Inside a Conductor’s Mind: Mariss Jansons

photograph of the facade of Amsterdam's Concertgebouw at night
The Royal Concertgebouw, Amsterdam
10:00AM
May 10, 2012

You can tell from the photograph of the three-year-old boy engrossed in a musical score as he waves a baton in his right hand that Mariss Jansons was no ordinary kid. You might have heard any number of recordings by Jansons, chief conductor of Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and one of the most acclaimed conductors [...]

Trying to Be Heard: Our Quest for Louder Instruments

photograph of the front of an ampliier
Have acoustic musical instruments been designed to produce more sound as an expression of an innate human desire to be heard?
10:00AM
May
8, 2012

Are louder acoustic musical instruments an expression of an innate human desire to be heard?

Columbus Guitar Society Presents Guitar Ensemble

Modern ClassicalGuitars
Modern Classical Guitars, Spruce & Cedar
2:00PM
May 3, 2012

The Columbus Guitar Society is having its annual post-season fundraiser and will present the University of Cincinnati Guitar Ensemble with director Clare Callahan this Friday, May 4th, at 8pm.  This performance was originally scheduled for last January but had to be canceled due to bad weather. The concert will feature the full ensemble as well [...]

Persian Pursuits: A Columbus World Premiere and Persian Festival

photogrpah of compsoer and guitarist Richard Jordan Smoot playing his guitar
The world premiere of composer and guitarist Richard Jordan Smoot's Persian-inspired Khabiri Quartet takes place Friday, May 4 at 8 p.m. at Columbus' Harrison Park Community Center as part of "A Persian Musical Feast," festival of Persian culture.
10:00AM
May
2, 2012

When Columbus-based composer Richard Jordan Smoot took on physician Hooman Khabiri as a music student more than a decade ago, he could not have known that what he learned would be at least as transformative as what he taught.