Multigifted Timo Andres Morphs From Pianist To Composer For Premiere
LOS ANGELES – A leading composer-pianist of his generation, Andres was at Disney Hall one night playing Philip Glass etudes, then returned as John Adams led the LA Philharmonic in Andres' quasi-concerto Made of Tunes with pianist Aaron Diehl.
Mälkki Meets Mahler And Raises Her Flag As Conductor At Forefront
CHICAGO – While Susanna Mälkki has led the Chicago Symphony Orchestra effectively on several occasions, her account of Mahler's Symphony No. 4 was of another order, affirming her place among today's preeminent conductors.
Concert Retraces Paths Of Chou Wen-chung, Composer As Patriarch
NEW YORK – Among diverse internationally known Chinese composers, Chou is revered as a musical father. A broad perspective on his works was offered at a centennial concert by Continuum Contemporary Music conducted by Joel Sachs.
As Orchestra Searches For Helmsman, Vänskä Proves It’s Not Adrift
SEATTLE – The Seattle Symphony's two-year absence of a singular guide at the helm inevitably leads to concerns that musicianship may suffer, but the forces sounded absolutely on course in the hands of guest conductor Osmo Vänskä.
Five Pianists Parade Their Perspectives On Theater Of Glass Etudes
LOS ANGELES – Lighting design and the rhythm of stage entrances conjured the solemn purpose of a ritual as the pianists rotated through Philip Glass' 20 Etudes, with each playing two pieces at a time and stagehands deftly switching benches.
Prize In Hand, Recital On Hold, Singer Makes In-Person Debut At Last
VANCOUVER – Mezzo-soprano Ema Nikolovska, a winner of the annual Borletti-Buitoni Trust prize for young artists, initially had to make a virtual appearance with the Vancouver Recital Society. Her onstage performance was worth the wait.
Youth Orchestra Marks Decade With A Concert Uniting Starry Alumni
NEW YORK – To celebrate the 10th anniversary of NYO-USA, the National Youth Orchestra, Carnegie Hall assembled alumni from the program to create the NYO-USA All-Stars, with conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin and pianist Daniil Trifonov.
IN THE NEWS: MCANA MEMBERS' PICKS
- SFSO Musicians leaflet the audience in anger over Salonen's departure over board cuts to his initatives - at Slipped Disc
- Met’s 'Romeo et Juliette' is très exquis - by Rick Perdian at New York Classical Review
- Beatrice di Tenda re-enters the repertoire with an incisive production at Paris’s Opéra Bastille - by Katelyn Simone at Seen and Heard International
- Esa-Pekka Salonen’s tenure as S.F. Symphony music director was brilliant but all too brief - by Joshua Kosman at San Francisco Chronicle
- Takács Quartet Gives Birth to the Universe - by Gail Wein at Sequenza21
- Channeling the anger with baritone Justin Austin at Carnegie Hall - by Rick Perdian at Seen and Heard International
- At once cool and warm, ‘The Snowy Day’ turns beloved children’s story into a family-friendly opera - by James Bash at OregonLive
- As Salonen Steps Down, Speculating on the Future Artistic Leadership of the SF Symphony - by Janos Gereben and Lisa Hirsch at SFCV
- Klaus Mäkelä And L’Orchestre De Paris Offer Arresting Results With Stravinsky, Less So With Debussy - by Norman Lebrecht at Ludwig Van Toronto
- Diverse styles on display in MusicNOW series reflect rich, complex cultural stew of Chicago - by Nancy Malitz at Chicago On the Aisle
- Judging from the audience's approval of the comic tone, Ivany got his Don Giovanni right - by BIll Rankin at Opera Canada
- Composer, Uninterrupted: Christian Wolff at 90 - by Steve Smith at The New York Times
- Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra plans 'alluring' 2024-25 season, hopes to name music director soon - by Janelle Gelfand at Cincinnati Business Courier
- Vienna Philharmonic glows in music from the Weimar Era at Carnegie Hall - by Susan Stempleski at Backtrack
- Boston Modern Orchestra Project’s 90th(!) Recording — Orchestral Works by Avner Dorman - by Ralph P. Locke at arts fuse
- Mali Before 1800: The kora finds its place in early music - by Anne E. Johnson at Early Music America
- Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra finds permanent home on Huntington Ave. - by Levan Reid at CBS News
- Eva Jessye and the Harlem Renaissance - by Ray White at KDFC
- Haydn's Symphony No. 104 in D major: A triumphant farewell to London - by Timothy Judd at The Listeners' Club
- This classical ensemble is tuned in to today's headlines - by Neda Ulaby at NPR
- With art and dance integrated, Laura Kaminsky’s Desert Portal set for exciting world premiere at NOVA Chamber Music Series’ March 10 concert - by Les Roka at The Utah Review
- In a who-knew debut, Czech conductor leads electric Beethoven with Chicago Symphony - by Lawrence B. Johnson at Chicago On the Aisle
- Why don't more American maestros lead American orchestras? - by Javier Hernández at The New York Times
- Lehigh Philharmonic brings classical music to new spaces - by Edward Fuhrer at The Brown and White
- Philharmonic's new classical music initiative shines light on New England composers - by Sara Creato at The Daily Free Press
- Judging from the audience's approval of the comic tone, Ivany got his Don Giovanni right - by BIll Rankin at Opera Canada
- Composer, Uninterrupted: Christian Wolff at 90 - by Steve Smith at The New York Times
Around the US
Comic Additive Helps Revive Early Bernstein Flop ‘Trouble In Tahiti’
MINNEAPOLIS – As foil to the dark misery of the couple in Tahiti, Minnesota Opera paired it in a double bill with Service Provider, a very funny take on cellphone mania that also deals with the same marital problem of a failure to communicate.
A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT
Welcome to Classical Voice North America, the online journal of the Music Critics Association of North America. CVNA was launched in 2013 to provide an outlet for music criticism at a time when the market for traditional print journalism was shrinking. Over the past decade this trend has continued. Yet concert societies and opera companies remain vibrant and enthusiasm for what they do is undiminished. The need for informed commentary is as pressing as ever.
The mission of CVNA is to meet this need with expert coverage by members and occasional guest contributors. If you are a writer with experience in classical music, please consider joining the association. If you are a reader with thoughts to share, please write us at info@mcana.org. We believe in criticism!
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DISC AND STREAM
Freshening Up Josquin With A Scholarly Flair, Down-To-Earth Clarity
DIGITAL REVIEW – On a disc of motets and chansons, Cut Circle under Jesse Rodin achieves a deeply human sound, not rarefied or operatic, that makes Josquin’s emotional use of rhythm and dissonance feel like a friend telling you a secret.
PARLANDO: VIVIEN SCHWEITZER'S PODCASTS
The composer, pianist and climate activist Gabriela Lena Frank talks about the environmental damage caused by the music industry, how her significant hearing loss has impacted her career, and more.
ISSUES IN THE ARTS
International Harmony Via Cultural Exchange: It’s Major In Minor Steps
PERSPECTIVE – The victory by pianist Van Cliburn (pictured with Nikita Khrushchev) at the 1958 Tchaikovsky Competition helped to calm the Cold War. Even In today's fractious world, cultural exchanges offered in good faith are worthwhile.
MCANA HOSTED BLOGS
Prototype Festival 2020: Iron and Coal
The Prototype Festival of new opera offers a mid-winter adrenalin booster for New York opera lovers.