The concerto is no longer merely a test of virtuosity. It is a stage for collaboration, a reflection of our time, and a laboratory for works that may still be played 100 years from now.
The Cassatt String Quartet celebrates its 40th anniversary with three string quintets by Daniel Strong Godfrey.
Thought-provoking music rooted in the past, informed by the present, and striving for the future.
Aleksey Igudesman, the San Francisco Symphony, and John Malkovich deliver an evening of laughter, courtesy of some of history’s most celebrated composers—and their detractors.
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A rare work that fits equally well on more than one instrument, the Sonata has been embraced by violists, cellists, and orchestras alike.
At a time when public school music education is increasingly under threat adult-focused community-based efforts by orchestras have become more than enrichment.
Academic serialism, Cold War politics, shifting tastes, and some early promotional stumbles prevented many works from securing a foothold in the repertoire. A few determined artists are striving to change that.
New disc features concertos by canonic composers Georg Philipp Telemann and Antonio Vivaldi alongside some by undeservedly lesser-known composers.
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From mysterious buzzes to collapsed bridges, directors are routinely faced with challenges they may not feel prepared to solve.
The February gathering in San Francisco was a whirlwind of educational seminars, workshops, roundtable discussions, performances, master classes, and industry talks.
Recording and releasing classical-style arrangements of pop songs could be viewed as a whimsical endeavor, but to the producers, engineers, arrangers, and musicians of VSQ, the music is no joke.
“Our mission,” says executive director Nicole Mack, “is to help students become scholars, artists, and leaders in our community.”
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The independent nonprofit organization actively aids young classical musicians through arts education programs, scholarships, live events, and radio and television broadcasts.
“I wanted a place that reflected my style and philosophy. A shop where my kids run through on their way to the park,” he says.
“I wanted to write a book that could be read by anybody who plays these pieces: Cellists. Violists. Bassists. Trombonists. Whoever!” says Klorman.
Extracurricular opportunities provide young musicians with exposure to the repertoire, culture, and customs of higher-level ensembles.
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Face-offs pitting new against old violins have long predated YouTube, and some have been conducted with the rigors of science.
Creating an estimated total of at least 200 radio programs for WXQR, Field also performed several times on-air as a soloist, and served as concertmaster of the station’s orchestra.
Founded in Venezuela in 1975, today there are El Sistema programs or comparable partner programs providing musical opportunities to kids in more than 70 countries.
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