A View from Germany: Classical Music is so Sexist

A View from Germany: Classical Music is so Sexist

Inge Kloepfer’s striking article “So sexistisch ist die Klassik  — Classical Music is So Sexist” appeared on June 13, 2018 in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.  We wanted English-speaking readers to be able to read this important journalism,...
CD Review: Ruth Lomon, Shadowing

CD Review: Ruth Lomon, Shadowing

While we rarely publish CD reviews on our blog, we decided it was important to give coverage to a recent CD by composer Ruth Lomon.  Ruth’s music ranges from expressive and lyrical to electrifyingly engaging.  But not only that, Ruth has always been seriously...
New Work by Libby Larsen performed by North State Symphony

New Work by Libby Larsen performed by North State Symphony

Last night (Feb. 24) in Chico, CA, the North State Symphony gave an enthralling area premiere of a new work by composer Libby Larsen.  Dancing Man Rhapsody was written for violinist Terri Baune (Concertmaster of the North State Symphony) and commissioned by the NSS...
The Performance: Beach’s Concerto Comes to Life!

The Performance: Beach’s Concerto Comes to Life!

Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in area premiere of rare, remarkable Concerto. [update added at end after hearing second performance] Amy Beach was 33 years old when she gave the premiere performance of her own Piano Concerto (op. 45 in C-Sharp Minor) in April 1900....

Beach’s Concerto Comes to Life!

It’s one thing to know a piece from recordings and quite another to hear it come to life in the fluid process of rehearsal, with the 100 or so musicians involved in the give and take, the learning process of  bringing an unknown work to life—I was...

Hilary Hahn and Gillian Whitehead

As I mentioned last year, violinist Hilary Hahn has commissioned 27 new works to use as encore pieces. You can read about the project in an article from the Wall Street Journal here. Hilary has hand-picked 26 composers and is having a contest for the 27th piece(and...