REVIEW: Paavo Järvi opens eyes and ears with latest LA Phil appearance
You still pondering who could be the next Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic? Paavo Järvi has entered the chat.
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89 seconds of awesomeness: “The Rite of Spring” on melodicas (video)
You need to take the time to watch this. You will feel much better afterwards. Seriously. Because these three guys kick some serious ass with this brief arrangement of the Stravinsky classic. (Tip of the hat to Brian Lauritzen for originally sharing this gem on FB) Continue reading
RIP Frederick (Fred) Tinsley, LA Phil double-bassist
Frederick Tinsley, double-bass player with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, passed away on Sept 19th. He was 76-years old. Mr. Tinsley was a 42-year veteran of the orchestra; he was originally hired by Zubin Mehta in 1974. The LA Phil will dedicate a concert to his memory during the opening week of their 2016-17 Walt Disney … Continue reading
LACO season opener puts the “chamber” back in chamber music, with a distinct international flavor
The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra kicked-off their 2016-17 season with the purest form of chamber music imaginable: three musicians in someone’s living room playing for a handful of engaged and enthralled guests. Yet as accurate as that description is, it merely begins to scratch the surface of what was a much richer experience that evening. … Continue reading
A chat with Raynor Carroll (Part 2 of 2): post-retirement plans and stories of his successor, soloing, conductors with whom he’s worked, and much more
Here’s Part Two of my interview with Raynor Carroll, the Principal Percussionist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic who’ll retire after tonight’s concert at the Hollywood Bowl. (Part One can be found HERE). In this part, he talks about: Matthew Howard, the musician taking over his orchestra chair once he steps down The challenges of attracting young African-Americans … Continue reading
A chat with Raynor Carroll (part 1 of 2): the outgoing Principal Percussionist of the LA Phil talks about the joys and craziness of his job and the instruments he plays
“Someone will usually ask me: ‘How did you pick percussion or drums?’ I didn’t, it picked me. It was always been the sound of a drum that caught my ear,” explains Raynor Carroll, Principal Percussionist for the Los Angeles Philharmonic. “I like to say I have the ideal job – and soon I’ll say I had the … Continue reading
Comings and goings at the LA Phil and beyond (Summer 2016 edition): Lots of updates with principal chairs and more
It’s time once again to talk about one of our favorite topics: musical chairs in major orchestras, particularly the Los Angeles Philharmonic. There has been a lot happening since last we broached the topic, and by the end of the beginning of the 2016/17 season, one current principal will have retired and there’ll be three new … Continue reading
SoCal’s classical concerts worth checking out this July
I trust everyone enjoyed their 4th of July weekend with tummies still full after all that BBQ and fingers still intact after all those fireworks. Now that those festivities are behind us, let’s look ahead to what I think are the most noteworthy concerts that the month of July has in store for classical music … Continue reading
“Bravura,” a classic American march for July 4, 2016
Happy Independence Day, everyone! In my continuing effort to expand beyond the ubiquitous marches of John Philip Sousa, I present “Bravura” by C.E. Duble. It will likely sound familiar to many of you, so much so that you might have thought that it actually was written by Sousa. It also happened to be one of my … Continue reading
Music critic Tim Mangan gets laid off, quick notes from Ojai, and an anniversary
Hello, everyone. If you’re shocked that I’ve actually published something three days in a row, join the club. I realize that I’ve not been publishing at the rate I have in the past. I’m working on changing that. It’s not that I haven’t been writing; I have. It’s just hasn’t made it here to All is … Continue reading
A chat with Caroline Shaw: Pulitzer Prize-winning musician talks Ojai Festival, inspiration, and illegally grown pumpkins (?!)
Attend the Ojai Music Festival, Southern California’s loveable cabal of contemporary classical music, and you expect works by living composers, particularly brand new pieces that get their debut at the festival. This year, the first world premiere shows up on Saturday afternoon: This might also be a form of dreaming by Caroline Shaw (with text by Claudia … Continue reading
A chat with Kaija Saariaho: the world-renowned composer talks about the 2016 Ojai Festival and more
There are few places that celebrate living composers and their works more than the Ojai Festival. And among those favored by this haven for contemporary classical music is Kaija Saariaho. She first gained notice in the early 1980’s as part of the “Ears Open Society,” the Finnish collective of Sibelius Academy alumni which included Esa-Pekka … Continue reading
A chat with Jeffrey Kahane: with only 12 months left as LA Chamber Orchestra’s Music Director, we look back at an eventful 19 years
Nineteen years down, one more to go. With tonight’s concert at UCLA’s Royce Hall, Jeffrey Kahane will complete his penultimate season at Music Director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. It’s a tenure that is remarkable not only for its length (which is considerable) or even the quality of the music that has resulted from … Continue reading
Susanna Mälkki named as new LA Phil Principal Guest Conductor (and I say, “Huzzah!”)
The Los Angeles Philharmonic announced this morning that Susanna Mälkki has been appointed as Principal Guest Conductor of the orchestra. The Finnish maestra’s tenure will officially begin with the 2017-18 season, with an initial contract to last three years. She will conduct three subscription weeks, Green Umbrella concerts, as well as other projects with the orchestra to … Continue reading
The Oscar moment that didn’t happen for soprano Sumi Jo and composer David Lang
“Mommy would explain to us: ‘Quiet, Daddy’s composing. Quiet, Daddy has Stravinsky coming to the house tonight.’ ” — Lena Ballinger (Rachel Weisz), Youth “Molto triste.” — Sumi Jo, the Oscar’s red carpet If you watched the 88th Academy Awards last night, you may have noticed that only three of the five songs nominated in the “Best … Continue reading
Boris Allakhverdyan will be the next Principal Clarinet of the Los Angeles Philharmonic
As I mentioned last November, Boris Allakhverdyan was one of two finalists in the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s open auditions to find a new Principal Clarinet to take over for the retiring Michele Zukovsky. Multiple sources have now indicated that Mr. Allakverdyan, current Principal Clarinet of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, won the last phase of the audition … Continue reading
All is Yar 