There’s an old saying that “Fortune Favors the Bold.” It certainly has proven to be true so far for Alexander Treger and his fledgling Young Artists Symphony Orchestra (YASO), especially given their impressive inaugural concert a few weeks ago. To understand the full story, we have to go back to this past May. With Mr. Treger’s 17-year tenure … Continue reading
I watched the Dodgers win a playoff game two nights ago. This is notable not so much for the Blue Crew’s victory but rather because of the fact that I actually watched it. Due to a combination of obstinacy and greed from Time-Warner cable, roughly 75% of Dodger fans can’t watch the team’s games. Normally such a … Continue reading
I recently was told that it was now officially Autumn. Really??!! Summer couldn’t have passed by that quickly, could it have? The temperature yesterday was still the 90’s as it has been for much of the past few weeks, and the humidity is ridiculous by Southern California standards. But it’s true, Fall is here. There were signs: Football season … Continue reading
Timothy Mangan, renowned classical music critic and friend of All is Yar, recently published a piece in the Orange County Register titled “Concert etiquette baffling? Here’s a hand.” It does a splendid job demystifying and explaining the classical music and opera attendance experience for newbies and veterans alike. The two biggest topics he covers: appropriate dress and … Continue reading
The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and their Music Director, Jeffrey Kahane, recently launched their penultimate season together in familiar fashion: offering works by living composers on the same program as old masters. It’s a very welcome habit that once again proved to be quite fruitful. The first half of this inaugural program of their 2015-16 season especially … Continue reading
It’s shaping up to be a very horn-y week in Los Angeles, and we have local musicians and Colburn School faculty members Andrew Bain and Annie Bosler to thank for it. “Three years ago or so, I was asked if Colburn would be interested in hosting the International Horn Symposium,” recalls Ms. Bosler. “Around that time … Continue reading
The Los Angeles Philharmonic has a new Associate Principal Cello, though to frequent concert-goers, things will seem rather status quo. That’s because multiple sources report that at the end of this past week’s auditions, the position was awarded to Ben Hong, the orchestra’s Assistant Principal Cello since 1993 and acting Associate Principal for the past two seasons. When … Continue reading
Tonight, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Los Angeles Master Chorale are performing Carmina Burana at the Hollywood Bowl. While it isn’t done with the frequency of, say, Beethoven’s 9th, I can’t think of a full-blown choral work that sees the Hollywood Bowl stage more often. So even though I couldn’t make it to the Bowl this evening, I’m … Continue reading
Ah, the Hollywood Bowl season. The music under the stars. The celebrity soloists. The reliable if relatively unheralded conductors. The people watching. The pre-concert drinking and picnicking. The mid-concert helicopters. The late-concert fireworks. The post-concert crush of many thousands all trying (and largely failing) to quickly amble downhill to their bus or car at the same time. Good times, good times … Continue reading
Some good news for all of you fans of Michele Zukovsky: I received official confirmation on when the tenure of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Principal Clarinet will end, and it’s a little later than was originally thought. Her official retirement date will be December 31, 2015, with her final concert less than two weeks before … Continue reading
The Los Angeles Philharmonic plays its first classical concert of this summer’s Hollywood Bowl season tonight, but it will do so without the services of Andrew Bain. Fear not: he’ll be back soon. The orchestra’s Principal Horn has been out and about, no doubt preparing to co-host the 47th International Horn Symposium which will be held in Los … Continue reading
This year’s Hollywood Bowl season is upon us. Things kicked-off a few weeks ago, care of Journey, Ed Sheeran, and a sing-along Sound of Music, among other concerts. The Los Angeles Philharmonic made their summer debut on the Bowl stage playing the score to Back to the Future while the film was shown above their heads, though the … Continue reading
It’s an overcast and relatively muggy Saturday morning in Ojai. Still here for the 69th edition of the town’s iconic Music Festival and we’re about 45 minutes away from today’s first concert of Day Four (or Three if you don’t count Wednesday night). Planning on detailed reviews of the entire festival experience, but wanted to … Continue reading
Tonight marks the opening concerts in the 2015 rendition of that annual musical adventure known as the Ojai Festival. As is their habit, the folks at Ojai change Music Directors every year, and for this year’s festival, they tapped percussionist extraordinaire, Steven Schick. The Iowa native holds a number of notable posts (Distinguished Professor of … Continue reading
On this Memorial Day, I offer the “Air Force Hymn” sung by the United States Air Force Academy Cadet Chorale. Note that it’s not the “Air Force Song” with which most are familiar (i.e. “Off we go into the wild blue yonder . . . “). Also note that the current official version has slightly different, more … Continue reading
All is Yar 