Sunday, March 9, 2014

DigitalJournal.com: 'Chamber Music Monterey Bay Presents the Catalyst Quartet On March 14 As Part of Their West Coast Tour,' 'Kids Up Front & Free!'

Catalyst Quartet

George Walker (b. 1922) has a website at http://georgetwalker.com/
and is featured at AfriClassical.com


DigitalJournal.com

Carmel, California (PRWEB) March 06, 2014

The four musicians of the acclaimed Catalyst Quartet are each alumni of the Sphinx Organization whose mission is 'transforming lives through the power of diversity through the arts'. The Sphinx Organization mentors talented young Black and Latino musicians to the highest levels of professional performance, and the Catalyst Quartet exemplifies the level of talent, precision and passion that results from the organization's work.

As part of their Mexico/West Coast tour, the quartet is set to perform at the Sunset Cultural Center in Carmel as part of Chamber Music Monterey Bay's annual concert series on Friday, March 14. On the program are two classics of the string quartet repertoire: Samuel Barber's String Quartet Op. 11 (with its famed middle movement 'Adagio') and Johannes Brahms' Quartet in C minor, Op. 51, No. 1. Also on the program are George Walker's 'Lyric for Strings', Osvaldo Golijov's 'Tenebrae' and a piece by quartet violinist Jessie Montgomery, an up-and-coming composer in her own right, entitled 'Strum'. Walker, now in his 90s, is the first African-American composer to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music, while Golijov is a native of Argentina.

The quartet's commitment to diversity in the arts will shine off-stage as well. The foursome will present three education and outreach events during their time on the Monterey Peninsula: a free performance for the students and faculty at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and interactive programs for Seaside Middle School and Youth Orchestra Salinas, both of whom are comprised largely of Latino students.

###

WHAT: Chamber Music Monterey Bay presents Catalyst Quartet
WHEN: Friday, March 14 @ 8:00 PM - Pre-concert Lecture @ 7:00 PM
COST: $31 - 46 for regular tickets; $15 for adult students and active military (with ID)


KIDS UP FRONT & FREE! 

Kids in grades 4 through 12 are invited to attend at no cost with an accompanying adult who pay just $25 (high school students do not need adult companion to attend for free).

Chamber Music Monterey Bay 

PO Box 221458 
Carmel, California 93922 
831.625.2212



 Comment by email:

 Hello Bill, I don't understand why these string quartets don't play all of my String Quartet No. 1. Selecting to play only the famous 2nd movement reflects on their unwillingness to meet the challenges of the other two movements. The Catalyst String Quartet has chosen to play the entire string quartet of Samuel Barber that is less demanding than my work. Reviewers have consistently stated that my String Quartet is better than Barber's work.  Best regards.  George  [George Walker]

at 4:17 PM 0 comments

John Malveaux: NPR.org: Misty Copeland Interview 'Busting Stereotypes To Become A Prima Ballerina'; Live Talk 7:30 PM, March 13, 2014 in Santa Monica

John Malveaux and Misty Copeland

John Malveaux of www.MusicUNTOLD.com writes:

Please hear:
http://www.npr.org/2014/03/09/288108214/busting-stereotypes-to-become-a-prima-ballerina.

I will reunite with Misty
Thursday, March 13, 2014
7:30 pm (Reception 6:15-7:30 pm)
An Evening with Misty CopelandLife in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina
William Turner Gallery
Bergamot Station Arts Center
2525 Michigan Avenue,
Santa Monica, CA 90404. See attacment

John

at 3:01 PM 0 comments

John Malveaux: Soprano Angel Blue Sings Verdi's 'Requiem' with St. Louis Symphony March 8, 2014

Angel Blue

John Malveaux of www.MusicUNTOLD.com writes:

On Saturday evening, March 8, 2014, I opted to stay home in Long Beach, Ca. and enjoy the beautiful singing  of Verdi's Requiem featuring soprano Angel Blue with the St. Louis Symphony. I first heard Angel when she sang on a luncheon program of African Americans for LA Opera as a 10th grader at LA County HS for the Arts and immediately recognized this evening and so many more great programs are ahead for Angel. See  http://www.stlpublicradio.org/programs/symphony.php

In the after concert interview from Powell Hall, Angel Blue shared her father was an opera singer. She frequently heard opera recording at home and decided to pursue opera at age 5.
Thanks
John Malveaux

at 11:09 AM 0 comments

SouthsideWeekly.com: “Suite DuSable: A Vision of Faith,” an hour-long orchestral piece composed and conducted by Renee' Baker



The Chicago Modern Orchestra Project performs
“Suite of DuSable: A Vision of Faith.” COURTESY
ALVIN CARTER-BEY

Renee' Baker sends this article:

South Side Weekly

A Journey in Jazz

The DuSable honors a founder
By

Posted on March 4, 2014
The DuSable Museum, in Washington Park, celebrates
its namesake frequently, but celebrated him particularly
loudly last Friday night. “Suite DuSable: A Vision of
Faith,” an hour-long orchestral piece composed and
conducted by Renée Baker, served as a kickoff to
celebrations of Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable, founder
of Chicago.
Integrated with the museum’s ongoing curriculum
development project, the piece paid tribute to DuSable
through creative jazz music, an artistic embodiment
rather than a literal narration. The piece is part of a
series of public events the DuSable is presenting in
conjunction with new units on African-American
history for Illinois public schools. In 2005, a state law
was passed to put more African-American history in
public schools, and the Illinois Amistad Commission
was formed to create curricular units and
accompanying public events. The DuSable is a major
partner in the Amistad Commission’s projects, and
has worked on developing curriculum units and public
programming in conjunction with the Amistad
Commission, according to Pemon Rami, the museum’s
director of educational services and public programs.
“Suite DuSable,” combined with Sunday’s “DuSable
Day,” was one of these events. Recordings from the
concert will be available for teachers to use when
teaching classes about DuSable, but the concert was
clearly meant to reach an audience on its own.

at 10:43 AM 0 comments

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Detroit Symphony Orchestra: 'Beginning March 8 at 8 pm EST, enjoy highlights from our past two seasons of Classical Roots performances'

Program Notes - Live
http://www.dso.org/live.aspx

Beginning March 8 at 8 pm EST, enjoy highlights from our past two seasons of Classical Roots performances, celebrating African American contributions to classical music.

Classical Roots Highlights

Artists
Augustus O. Hill, conductor
André Raphel, conductor
Leonard Slatkin, conductor
Brazeal Dennard Chorale
Janice Chandler-Eteme, soprano


at 8:07 PM 0 comments

Kevin Scott: 'A point served...(In Remembrance Arthur Ashe)' will receive a public reading by the Detroit Symphony conducted by Leonard Slatkin 3/9/14

Kevin Scott

Arthur Ashe (1943-1993)

Kevin Scott writes:

Good morning to all:
 
Those of you who grace the Social Network media already know the news, but for those that don't, it is better late than never, I always say, but being busy these days in getting many things together has left me to neglect this end of the spectrum, namely good ol' fashioned emailing!
 
In a few hours, I will embark on another journey to Detroit, the first time in twenty years. Back in 1992 I went to Detroit as one of four finalists participating in the Unisys/Detroit Symphony Orchestra African-American Composers' Forum, nervous and excited, to say the least. Hearing the DSO was exciting in its own right, and hearing them perform my work was quite exhilarating. Suffice it to say, I won the competition and I was catapulted into the ranks of...well, let's just say my prestige went up a few notches. Commissions, performances, inquiries, lectures - you name it, and I received it.
 
Anyway, as the years went on and the commissions dried up, I turned to conducting and less composing. But when I read that the Detroit Symphony was involved with a reading session sponsored by the American Composers Orchestra, I could not resist the opportunity to enter. And, suffice it to say, my composition was accepted as one of four for the reading session!
 
Soooo...if any of you happen to be in Detroit tomorrow, my composition A point served...(In Remembrance Arthur Ashe) will receive a public reading by the Detroit Symphony conducted by Leonard Slatkin. The details are listed in the links:

 
 
Twenty-two years is a long time, but I am looking forward to this.
 
And that's not all...
 
On Sunday, March 30th, soprano Shannon Roberts will premiere my Four Songs on Haiku of Matsuo Basho at Jan Hus Church on East 74th Street in Manhattan, as part of Vox Novus' Fifteen Minutes of Fame concert series. The songs will be repeated again on Sunday, April 6th at the Church of the Ascension in Manhattan:
 
 
This song cycle - all of sixty seconds - is one of a series of compositions I have penned in recent months for this series. One other composition, Soliloquy for solo clarinet, was accepted by Bruce Curlette and was supposed to have been premiered on March 9th in New York, but he has postponed his portion of the program for Vox Novus and it will be rescheduled. Other works are still pending to be accepted by their respective performers, and I am still writing more one-minute works! It's a challenge, that's for sure...
 
And there's more coming on the way. So getting back to composing these last few months has really been good. And new performers are now asking about what I have written. Much, much more is coming...
 
But there are those who are asking - what about your conducting?

Trust me, it hasn't taken a back seat just yet, as I have two performances with the SUNY Orange Symphonic Band this month - one concert on March 21st in Newburgh, and two in Middletown on March 30th and May 17th. Details are in the press releases from the college:
 
 
 
I look forward to seeing some of you at those concerts also.
 
But for now...time to do last-minute packing and preparing for my flight to Detroit!

I will let everyone know how it has been when I get back, whether you're on Facebook...or not.
 
Sincerely,
Kevin Scott
 
p.s. - if some of you get this twice, it's because the blessed address thing is crazy!

at 5:04 PM 0 comments

ColumbiaMissourian.com: "Historical Society recreates 'dueling pianos' concert" between J.W. "Blind" Boone & Thomas "Blind Tom" Wiggins

On January 25, 2014 AfriClassical posted:



Deirdre O'Connell writes:

Hi Bill,
An account of the duel.

Best
Deirdre


The Ballad of Blind Tom, Slave Pianist by Deirdre O'Connell has been partially excerpted at AfriClassical Blog. Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins (1849-1908) is profiled at AfriClassical.com, which features a complete Works List by Prof. Dominique-René de Lerma, http://www.CasaMusicaledeLerma.com

at 4:18 PM 0 comments

ENSEMBLE DU MONDE: MYSTIC MAHLER, Saturday, March 8, 2014 7:30 pm at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music, NYC

In this All-Mahler program the Ensemble and Music Director Marlon Daniel will be joined by dynamic dramatic African American mezzo soprano Andrea Baker who has appeared in lead roles in major opera houses throughout Europe and the United States.

at 3:36 PM 0 comments

John Malveaux: AfroSoul Singer Nasambu Barasa of Kenya Performs at California African American Museum Women History Month program March 2, 2014

John Malveaux and Nasambu Barasa © Bernie Basley Photography

John Malveaux of www.MusicUNTOLD.com writes:

John Malveaux of MusicUNTOLD standing with freshest AfroSoul singer Nasambu Barasa from Kenya immediately after her set and before audience ovation summoned her back on stage for encore at California African American Museum Women History Month program on March 2, 2014. Please hear 'Congo is Calling' and see photo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COQZl1XXQiA

at 2:57 PM 0 comments

Friday, March 7, 2014

Givonna Joseph: 'New Orleans Créoles Highlighted in French Documentary,' 'Le Grand Tour'

Aria Mason (left) and Givonna Joseph (right)

Hello again
​ Mr. Zick, and Mr. de Lerma

How are you both?​ Hope to new year is treating you well.  

I
​ and my daughter, Aria Mason​
​w
​ere featured​
on
 "Le Grand Tour"
​on​
 France
​
TV​
​!
 
​I​
t is a beautifully filmed documentary about the connections between France, Quebec, and Louisiana. 
​This is the 9th episode of the series.​

Aria and I cover Creole history
​, ​
our connection to opera
​ in early New Orleans​, and the history of
 St. Augustine Church
​, the church built by free people of color where free people, slaves and Europeans sat in pews next to each other to worship. 

In honor of my ancestors who worshipped there,​
​we individually sang verses of Schubert's 
Ave Maria in Créole
​, but they only show the
 last part in Latin with us singing together. 
​My great grandmother, Josephine "Selika" Roux, knew the Latin Mass, but said all her prayers in 
Créole

​As Founder and Director of OperaCréole, ​
I love the way they handled the interview they did of me at home. 

I hope you like it!
​ Please leave a comment on my website, if you feel so inclined.​

​I am happy to share some news!​
​
​To see other video of the show, go to http://www.legrandtour.fr/

All the best,
Givonna​

--
Givonna Joseph
Founder, Director, OperaCréole
Mezzo-Soprano
504-681-5705, cell 504-952-5240

at 10:05 PM 0 comments

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