“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
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
If you had to pick nine symphonies — no more, no less — by different composers to include as part of a proverbial desert island survival kit, what would they be? I asked myself this question just for grins over the recent Christmas & New Year’s break. Nine has been a magical number of sorts for … Continue reading
We in Southern California are so spoiled. We’ve got amazing weather and a diverse geography with which to enjoy it; where else can you spend a couple of hours surfing in the morning and be snow skiing by lunchtime? We’ve got Vin Scully, two Stanley Cups in three years, and two solid college football teams 13 … Continue reading
When I got the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s email informing me that one of their former Dudamel Conducting Fellows, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, had been selected as the orchestra’s Assistant Conductor, the first thing I thought was, “Oh, good for her.” The second thing I thought was, as a diacriticly-challenged English-speaker, “Wait — how exactly do you say that name?” I reached out … Continue reading
The names on the program — Gustavo Dudamel, Yo-Yo Ma — were impressive, the kind that transcend classical music into the popular consciousness. The musical offering — Cage, Bach, Tchaikovsky, Adès, Mahler, Saint-Saëns — was noteworthy, both for its eclecticism and its ability to offer a diverse showcase for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Walt … Continue reading
The setting for last week’s first classical music concert of the 2013 Hollywood Bowl season couldn’t have been more perfect: the temperature was a picnic-perfect low 70’s, cooling down just a little as the sun set; the sky was clear and cloudless, and a very slight breeze blew through the amphitheater. It was, as the great … Continue reading
The video gem below comes care of Steve Dumaine, Principal Tuba of the National Symphony. Here, he shows his range — not only giving his high-end chops a workout by playing a well-known piece outside of the standard tuba repertoire, but also doing it on a rather atypical instrument. Random other thoughts: I like this … Continue reading
Here are the Southern California musical events happening in the coming month which are grabbing my attention, and that should be grabbing yours too: Jacaranda’s holiday-ish “Winter Dreams” Concert this Saturday Yes, ’tis the season for Messiah and The Nutcracker, but if you’re looking for something a little different, the intrepid folks at Jacaranda offer up this mix of … Continue reading
Despite my tardiness, I’ve still been wanting to write about last month’s Los Angeles Philharmonic performance of the Mahler 5th Symphony. Sure, at least three loyal readers have been prodding me in public and private to do so. On top of that, the concert featured Daniel Harding, a conductor who hasn’t made a visit to … Continue reading
Happy Friday. In case you don’t make it out to any concerts this weekend, the concert can come to you: Between now and Monday at 12noon Eastern Time, the Detroit Symphony is streaming their recent performance of Music Director Leonard Slatkin conducting the Mahler Fifth Symphony and the Mozart Piano Concerto No. 22 with Emanuel … Continue reading
There was a time not too long ago that had you mentioned that a fair-haired, mop top, wunderkind conductor was standing on the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s podium, your image would have been of an Englishman rather than a Venezuelan. Simon Rattle (not yet knighted) was Principal Guest Conductor from 1981 to 1994, though as the … Continue reading
All is Yar 