by Jarrett Hoffman
HAPPENING TODAY:
Buckle up and be sure to charge that computer, there’s plenty to catch today — all online.
At 11:30 am, hear the poetry of Langston Hughes and music of the Harlem Renaissance in a presentation by Prester Pickett, Coordinator of Cleveland State’s Howard A. Mims African-American Cultural Center.
Along with that celebration of Black artists, we recommend a 7pm webinar devoted to issues and perspectives around race in music. “Black Reflections: Three Conversations on Racial Justice in Concert Music — Experiences of Black Artists” will be moderated by saxophonist and former Baldwin Wallace faculty member Steven Banks.
For live music delivered via stream, look no further than Trinity Cathedral’s Brownbag Concert at noon featuring the Decho Ensemble. Saxophonists Jake Swanson and Sarah Marchitelli play works by J.S. Bach, Jean-Baptiste Singelée, and Brahms.
Another live-streamed event comes at 7: organist Christopher Houlihan continues honoring “Vierne at 150” with a lecture, demonstration, and Q&A in advance of tomorrow’s performance to cap off the festival.
And for the best in re-broadcasts of past performances, you have two options: “Lunchtime with The Cleveland Orchestra” at noon (von Suppé, Mendelssohn, and Mozart) and the Met Opera’s HD Archives (Wagner’s Das Rheingold).
See our Concert Listings for links and details.
TODAY’S ALMANAC:
Even people who want nothing to do with classical music have at least heard of cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who was born on this date in 1955 in Paris. He’s a household name — perhaps the most famous classical musician of his time? And there are many ways to give a snapshot of his career, from his earliest days as a child prodigy, to his bounty of awards and honors, and his remarkable flexibility of genre, from the classics to contemporary music, bluegrass, tango, and more.
But for once, the clearest picture of who a musician is might actually come from the first line of their own bio: “Yo-Yo Ma’s multi-faceted career is testament to his enduring belief in culture’s power to generate trust and understanding.” I’ll point out two examples of that statement: his Silk Road Ensemble, devoted in large part to cross-cultural collaboration, and his Bach Project, which he famously brought to the sister cities of Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico last year.
Here’s just one performance to remember: Yo-Yo Ma joins violinist Itzhak Perlman, clarinetist Anthony McGill, and pianist Gabriela Montero in John Williams’ Air And Simple Gifts at President Obama’s Inauguration in January 2009.