by Hannah Schoepe
As the colors of summer are transforming into shades of autumn, fall fashion lines are emerging, and fresh school supplies are on the market, the influential Community Partnership for Arts and Culture is donning a new look. The organization has been revamping several aspects of its business strategy, including a new name and a new logo. Beginning this season, it will be known as Arts Cleveland. [Read more…]
by Hannah Schoepe
The Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing Arts Center at the Temple Tifereth-Israel on the campus of Case Western Reserve University will present a new Silver Hall Concert Series. The performances begin this weekend with the annual Showcase Concert presented by the Cleveland Classical Guitar Society on September 15, and continue with the Cleveland Chamber Choir on September 23. The series will comprise nineteen free concerts featuring professional and semi-professional ensembles from greater Cleveland in the 1,200-seat Silver Hall Auditorium (a full concert calendar is below).
The idea of shimmering silver is certainly a fitting concept to describe the Series, presented in partnership with CWRU. Renovated in 2015, Silver Hall Auditorium now includes state-of-the art recording and live-streaming capability. This Series marks the Maltz Center’s new venture into presenting.
Randall Barnes, executive director of the Maltz Center, said the Series tackles several key components that help to define the niche of the Center. “First, the celebration of the musical artistry of our students through the CWRU Music Department ensembles; second, the professional and semi-professional talent of the greater Cleveland area ensembles showcased here; and finally, the intersection of technology and heritage by delivering one-of-a-kind performances both in-person and live-streamed from Silver Hall, the historical showpiece of the Maltz Performing Arts Center.”
by Mike Telin
Life has been good for Ran Dank and Soyeon Kate Lee since they won medals at the Cleveland International Piano Competition in 2007 and 2003, respectively. Since those wins, both pianists have enjoyed successful careers as solo artists, as well as holding positions as Assistant Professors of Piano at the Cincinnati College- Conservatory of Music.
This week Dank and Lee will showcase their skills as duo pianists when they return to Cleveland for a performance on Thursday, June 7 at 8:00 in Mixon Hall at the Cleveland Institute of Music. The concert is presented as part of the Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Artists, which began last week and runs through Saturday, June 9.
The Duo’s program will include works by Mozart, Scriabin, Janáček, and Liszt as well as a four-hands version of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring. “It’s a special piece for us because we played it at our wedding concert in New York City,” Lee said during a joint telephone call with Dank. “A wedding is sort of a rite,” he added with a laugh. “But you can’t quite call the piece an arrangement because parts of it were originally conceived for four hands. So in some ways, the orchestrated version is the arrangement in the same way Ravel would orchestrate his piano works.”
by Hannah Schoepe
How are your compositions formed? How do you balance judgement with unhinged creativity? What is the most profound advice you can offer students today? Those were a few of the questions posed to the Pulitzer prize-winning composer and Roomful of Teeth member Caroline Shaw during an insightful Q & A session Thursday afternoon, February 16 in Oberlin’s Kulas Recital Hall.
During the session Shaw addressed her compositional process, as well as her creative sources of inspiration. She began by playing an excerpt from her recently composed string quartet Valencia. With its simple lines and ethereal harmonics, the piece grabbed the audience’s attention immediately. When asked about the work, Shaw affirmed her love for simple layers in her music. She said, “I like to create a ‘room,’ a musical space where people can walk around but don’t get lost.” Continuing on a humorous note, she said most listeners assume there is a connection between the quartet and Valencia Spain, when in fact the genesis of the work was derived from the beauty of a valencia orange. [Read more…]
by Hannah Schoepe
Out of a field of 45 semifinalists, the Knight Foundation announced 17 winners of the Akron Knight Arts challenge in November of 2017, distributing funds totaling $743,000. Urban Troubadour received the Foundation’s support with a grant in the amount of $80,000. Formed by John and James Knight, the Knight Foundation supports excellent journalism, arts, and technology in Akron, Detroit, Miami, and St. Paul — communities that were instrumental to the success of the Knight-Ridder Newspapers. The Arts Challenge was established to nurture artistic talents and creative ideas that benefit those communities.
Urban Troubador is an excellent example of just such a creative idea. Established by flutist and Akron resident Jane Berkner, this collective of Northeast Ohio musicians inhabits unusual spaces, turning concerts into happenings and promoting a fresh way for the community to experience public performances. The musicians come together to play in venues such as microbreweries, restaurants, and loft spaces, combining music with gallery openings, wine tastings, and more.
“Big halls are a thing of the past, and concerts in homes and unconventional spaces are all the rage,” Jane Berkner said via email. [Read more…]
by Hannah Schoepe
Capturing the essence of human emotions, Brahms’s cello sonatas are undeniable gems. Cleveland Orchestra cellist Brian Thornton and pianist Spencer Myer share a beautiful interpretation of the sonatas in their new album Johannes Brahms Sonatas for Cello and Piano, released on the Steinway & Sons record label. The playing on the album is magnificent, and the balance between the players is beautiful. [Read more…]
by Hannah Schoepe
In their latest album, Magnum Mysterium: Advent & Christmas Music for Lute and Voice, the Cleveland-based Duo Mignarda creates a sense of historical purity — the perfect tranquil holiday setting. Released on the group’s personal label, the CD was recorded in Immaculate Conception Church and the Shrine Church of St. Stanislaus in Cleveland in 2016. Mezzo-soprano Dona Stewart and lutenist Ron Andrico are joined by double harpist Frederick Lautzenheiser, who adds texture and color to several tracks. [Read more…]
The National Flute Association (NFA) has announced that George Pope will be the recipient of its 2018 Distinguished Service Award. Pope will receive the award at the NFA convention in Orlando in August 2018. A resident of Akron, Pope is emeritus professor of flute at the the University of Akron and lecturer in flute at the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory. [Read more…]
by Hannah Schoepe
Opening a window into the past, Les Délices will explore the polarized yet relational bond between 17th- and 18th-century French and Italian music during its season-opening concerts. “Inspired by Italy” will take place Saturday, October 21 at 8:00 pm at Pilgrim Church in Tremont, and Sunday, October 22 at 4:00 pm at Plymouth Church in Shaker Heights. For ticket information click here.
Les Délices, a Baroque ensemble founded in 2009 by Baroque oboist Debra Nagy, initially specialized in French music. This weekend’s concerts will feature Nagy, Baroque violinist Julie Andrijeski, viola da gambist Emily Walhout, and harpsichordist Mark Edwards. When asked about the French name via email, Nagy wrote, “It means ‘the delights.’ Délices also shares the same root as the words ‘delicious’ or ‘delicacy.’ French Baroque music is sometimes considered a fine delicacy. It is rich and diverse, but not often a central part of a listener’s diet. We wanted the opportunity to introduce this music to a wider audience.” [Read more…]
by Hannah Shoepe
The Cleveland Classical Guitar Society will present a night of exotic guitar sounds across an eclectic range of genres, featuring renowned guitarist Celil Refik Kaya. Kaya makes his Cleveland debut on October 14 at 7:30 at Plymouth Church in Shaker Heights.
The program begins with works by Mauro Giuliani, as well as selections from J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations. Bridging the gap to the contemporary portion of the evening will be Kaya’s transcription of Enrique Granados’ Valses poéticos. The second half of the program includes Kaya’s own Sonatina and works by Jorge Morel and Joaquín Rodrigo. Click here for ticket information. [Read more…]