Earlier this year, when the Los Angeles Philharmonic announced auditions for Assistant Principal and Section Percussion, I thought two things were possible: The auditions were for a single open position to replace Perry Dreiman, section percussionist who retired last year and who often played as acting principal. The auditions were for two separate positions, meaning … Continue reading
This is part 2 of my conversation from Tuesday, May 28, with Matthew Howard, the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Principal Percussion (part 1 is HERE). We continue our discussion about Naru, the percussion concerto Joseph Pereira wrote for him and the LA Phil receiving it’s premiere this week (Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday in Walt Disney Concert … Continue reading
Almost all classical musicians start playing their instrument in their youth, usually when their age is still in single digits — some as young as 2-years old are bowing cardboard violins. They spend two decades refining their craft to take multiple auditions, hoping to get paid to play music. Most of them play in a … Continue reading
The Los Angeles Philharmonic wrapped up its whirlwind twelve day, seven city tour last week. Reviews from the trip were generally positive, many even glowing. Critics seemed most impressed by the performances of 20th & 21st Century works by Bjarnason, Corigliano, and Rachmaninoff, with Yuja Wang’s pianistic contributions also earning requisite praise. The smattering of negative comments made were mostly … Continue reading
The Los Angeles Philharmonic has begun presenting to local audiences the programs they will be taking on tour, all of which include music exclusively from the 20th and 21st Century. London, Lucerne, Paris, and New York get the two big programs: one featuring works by Vivier, Debussy, and Stravinsky; the other with John Adams’s massive oratorio, The … Continue reading
All is Yar 