News and music to start your week!
Congratulations go to Jennifer Higdon, pictured, for winning the Grammy for Best contemporary classical compositions for her Harp Concerto. Caroline Shaw also won the Grammy for Best Chamber Music Performance for her piece, Orange, performed by Attacca Quartet. See the full list of Classical Winners here.
NewMusicBox rasies the issue of promoting racial equity in music theory classrooms. Dave Molk and Michelle Ohnona talk about the importance of making whiteness visible in music education.
NewMusicBox also has a report from Frank Oteri about the 2020 Chamber Music Conference and the continued focus on equality and inclusivity for the coming year.
And catch up on the most recent reviews from The Guardian – including Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla conducting a new work by Unsuk Chin titled Spira. Andrew Clements remarks that: “Despite the hyperactivity and complexity of the scoring, the full orchestral forces are used sparingly; the overriding impression is of glittering transparency, and of tracing a totally sure-footed harmonic path from beginning to end.”
Clements also reviews songs by Lili and Nadia Boulanger as performed by tenor Nicholas Phan and pianist Myra Huang. The album of 20 works is a triumph, as Clements notes “It’s hard to imagine these Boulanger songs could have more convincing advocacy.”
Also reviewed this week was a concert featuring the songs of Clara Schumann – 29 in total – performed by the Academy Song Circle. Read on here.
And the news from Philadelphia — (as reported in The Inquirer) — “the major point of curiosity [of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s Thursday concert] was … one Louise Farrenc. The name draws blanks even from the most seasoned Philadelphia Orchestra goer, along with her equally unknown Symphony No. 2 that occupied the prime program slot after intermission. But this increasingly recognized French composer (1804-1875) really needs no introduction, so fluently does the music speak for itself.” –– But for some of us those who’ve been paying attention, the music needs no introduction because The Women’s Philharmonic performed her work more than 30 years ago, and her symphonies were published and recorded some 20 years ago. We’re glad the mainstream is finally waking up!
And we hope you caught our Throwback Thursday feature (in honor of Chinese New Year!) celebrating The Women’s Philharmonic’s performances of music by Chen Yi.
What have you been listening to? Be sure to let us know! [email protected]