James Meyers, well-known and cherished member of Cleveland’s community of classical freelance musicians, died unexpectedly on January 23. This album of photos has been put together by his friends and colleagues. Written reminiscences are here; blog visitors are welcome to add their thoughts.
Archives for January 2010
An interview with St. Olaf Choir conductor Anton Armstrong, Part 2
In part two of my telephone interview with St. Olaf Choir director Anton Armstrong, we continued to discuss the program the choir will sing at Severance Hall on February 1.
Daniel Hathaway: The next section begins with Finzi, who is one of my favorite composers — but tell me about Ola Gjeilo.
Anton Armstrong: Ola Gjeilo is a Norwegian composer who has come to this country to do more advanced work on the east coast. He started coming to the forefront three or four years ago when Gunilla Luboff, Norman Luboff’s widow, who owned Walton Music (she’s Swedish) started publishing some of Ola’s music. My colleague Sigrid Johnson commissioned him to write a piece for our first year singers — the Manitou Singers — for Christmas two years ago. Then I stumbled across many of his compositions. He came to St. Olaf for a visit, and he has been featured in the Twin Cities. We’re always trying to find young contemporary voices, and also, as you mentioned early on, we still have very strong ties to Norway. And so it’s not just music of Grieg and Nysted and other who have been revered and highly lauded over the years, but it’s also new voices of Scandinavia and especially Norway that I’m always trying to include in some way, shape or form in our programs. And this whole section is more of the social consciousness section. [Read more…]
An interview with countertenor Philippe Jaroussky
by Cree Carrico
ClevelandClassical’s Oberlin intern Cree Carrico reached countertenor Philippe Jaroussky by phone the day before his Mixon Hall Recital at CIM in Cleveland on January 16. Jaroussky’s appearance with pianist Jerome Ducros was sponsored by Apollo’s Fire, who will bring him in for concerts next season.
Cree Carrico: I hear you’ve just come from New York where you made your Carnegie Hall debut yesterday.
Philippe Jaroussky: Yes, yesterday evening.
CC: How did it go?
PJ: Oh it was cool. I was in good form and the concert was in the small hall — that was very receptive. The hall had great sound and it was really a great concert. I am very happy and look forward to coming back. You know sometimes as a musician you have some dreams. To perform at Carnegie, you think, it’s not for you, its impossible, and when its happening it’s a big joy. You have to enjoy each moment.
CC: How exciting. Will your Mixon Hall program be the same that you performed at Carnegie Hall?
PJ: Yes, absolutely. It will be the same program, a program of French songs. It’s quite strange for me that I’m doing my first recital at Carnegie and in Cleveland with repertory I’m not known for. Finally, its my French touch you know. When I did this program, I did a CD also and there were some very strong reactions. A lot of people in France say this repertoire isn’t appropriate for a countertenor voice. I did this program a lot outside of France, in Japan, in Brazil, in Germany, in England and finally here in the USA. Maybe here its more logical, because before I’m a countertenor, I’m a French musician. It’s not so stupid for you to invite me here and sing this repertory. [Read more…]
An Interview with St. Olaf Choir conductor Anton Armstrong, Part 1
by Daniel Hathaway
We interviewed St. Olaf Choir conductor Anton Armstrong as a preview to the Choir’s performance at Severance Hall on Monday, February 1. Part two will appear here on Thursday, January 28.
Daniel Hathaway: You sang in the St. Olaf Choir as an undergraduate. Did you every dream that you’d become the fourth conductor of the group?
Anton Armstrong: My friends said I did. I’d always hoped to have had something like the St. Olaf Choir. This is my twentieth year here, and even twenty years ago I’m not sure that I quite fit the profile in all the ways. But certainly it’s been a good twenty-year ride here so far, and I think I have a few more years in me.
DH: How did you end up attending St. Olaf in the first place?
AA: Well, I’m originally from New York and I heard the choir there as a high school student, but I didn’t seriously think of coming this far west. As I looked at schools and at my interests at the time — which were not just music — I had a very strong interest in theology and was thinking I might become a pastor. My mother said I would have made a good pastor — “you’re so sinful you’d understand everybody in your congregation!” I also had an interest at that time in PoliSci. St. Olaf certainly had very strong programs in the religion and music areas — and also a very credible PoliSci program. Soon after I got into school, “Paper Chase” came out with John Houseman, and I thought, no, I don’t want to do that! It scared the heebie jeebies out of me. But I was attracted to St. Olaf because of the community of faith, and because of its superior music program, but I knew at that point that I wasn’t a conservatory type of human being. I had to have more to me and surrounding me than music. What I found at St. Olaf’s then and it’s certainly more true now, is a conservatory level experience but within the context of a liberal arts college. For me, it was a good match. [Read more…]
James Meyers, freelance cellist, conductor & recording engineer (updated 2/3/2010)
by Daniel Hathaway & Mike Telin
One of the best-known and most cherished members of Cleveland’s community of classical freelance musicians died suddenly on Saturday evening. James Meyers, 62, was recording a concert at Kent State University, where he served as director of recording services, when he suddenly collapsed and could not be revived.
We knew Jim as a longtime member of Trinity Chamber Orchestra and Trinity Chamber Players who also recorded many of our concerts and conducted on a number of occasions. In the last year, he also become a correspondent for ClevelandClassical.com, writing concert and CD reports for the web site.
But Jim, who studied at Oberlin, Kent State and CSU and spent three years teaching at Haverford College in Bryn Mawr, PA, played in and conducted every conceivable instrumental ensemble in Cleveland’s freelance world.
Among his most recent projects was old time radio drama, and he participated in the development of ‘Radio Boy’ at Geauga Lyric Theater and elsewhere. [Read more…]
Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition: Third Joint Concert—a joyous finale
by Daniel Hathaway
After the prizes were handed out, the third joint concert of the weekend on Sunday evening, January 17, brought the 2010 Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition to a thrilling and satisfying conclusion.
Sue Heineman of the National Symphony must have been a bit breathless, having flown in only that afternoon to judge the final round and play the first segment of the final concert, but none of that showed in her performance of Bach’s Partita (originally for solo flute). Heineman has incredible lungs, chops and stamina, and played with remarkable lyricism. After the Bach, she was joined on stage by Samantha Brenner, Thomas Schneider & Nicholas Cohen for George Sakakeeny’s arrangement of the Andante from Tchaikovsky’s Second String Quartet (“we refer to it as Tchaikakeeny”). This was a beautiful little piece played with affectionate lyricism and creamy tone. [Read more…]
Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition: The Final Round
by Daniel Hathaway
Sunday afternoon’s final round on January 17 offered a good-sized Warner Concert Hall crowd some great bassoon playing by the five finalists — as well as a couple of white knuckle moments and one session which ended abruptly when time was called. So it goes in the heat of competition.
As the audience took their seats, a special twelve member Oberlin string orchestra was tuning up under conductor and harpsichordist Webb Wiggins. The final rounds would require contestants to play the whole of Vivaldi’s 26th Concerto from memory as well as the last movement of Libby Larsen’s Concert Piece for Bassoon and Piano and a piece of each contestant’s choice. [Read more…]
Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition: Second Joint Concert—a grand night for the bassoon
by Mike Telin
It was a grand night for the bassoon last evening (Saturday, January 16) when five outstanding judges and clinicians from the Meg Quigley Vivaldi Bassoon Competition and Symposium came together to perform the second of three Joint Recitals of the weekend in Warner Concert Hall at the Oberlin Conservatory.
In general, the programming of bassoon recitals is problematic. Keeping the audience musically engaged for 90 minutes is not an easy task, however these five soloists chose works ranging from the unknown to staples of the bassoon repertoire, as well as transcriptions that brought out each individual performer’s unique personality and playing style. This, in addition to some brilliant programming co-ordination from Oberlin Professor of Bassoon George Sakakeeny, proved that a bassoon recital is able to provide audiences with a musically magical listening experience. [Read more…]
Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition: The Winners
Announced this evening (Sunday, January 17) at 7:30 pm:
First Prize: Amanda Swain
Second Prize: Shuo Li
Third Prize: Briana Lehman
Honorable Mention: Julie Link & Laura Miller
Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition: Saturday Master Classes
by Daniel Hathaway
For those who love to watch how the real pro’s of the musical world operate, there’s nothing more fascinating than attending a good master class. Although these sessions, where musicians play or sing for a maestro du jour, are usually devoted to special interest groups, there’s a lot to be learned about music making that’s universal for all species.
On Saturday, January 16, the second day of the Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition at Oberlin Conservatory, we observed two bassoon master classes and heard ten players bare their musical souls to two master bassoon teachers and an audience of their peers — one of five such opportunities offered in the Symposium side of the 2010 Competition. [Read more…]