Gathering Note
Notes from the concert hall
Category: Quarter Notes
-
The Detroit Symphony comes out of a damaging strike with a new outreach initiative aimed at suburban audiences. New York City Opera is on the ropes as deficits continue to mount, ticket sales drag, and musicians are calling for the company to do Carmen. By now we know the Philadelphia Orchestras has filed for bankruptcy.…
-
Last night it was the University of Washington Symphony conducted by Jonathan Pasternack. On Friday, it will be Julia Tai and the Seattle Modern Orchestra. Both are developing into two of the area’s more interesting orchestras. What distinguishes these two orchestra’s isn’t necessarily the precision of their playing. Neither is flawless, but both have created…
-
Since his arrival in Seattle two years ago, Kent Devereaux’s impact on Cornish’s music department has been tangible and welcome. The credit doesn’t go to Devereaux entirely of course. Cornish is lucky to have faculty who appreciate the new and aren’t afraid of exploring the unknown. Equally as important in my mind, Cornish isn’t afraid…
-
Lot’s of interesting stuff happening this week in Seattle. Dutch minimalist started a short residency at Cornish on Monday. Andriessen’s Seattle stop concludes Wednesday with a recital where six pieces by the composer will receive their Seattle debut. This weekend Jan Harty continues her Music Northwest series. Her programs are always some of the most…
-
Seattle Symphony concertmaster Maria Larionoff plans to step down as the orchestra’s concertmaster at the end of this season. The move isn’t exactly surprising. Larionoff was picked to be the SSO’s concertmaster after the position went unfilled for a number of years. She was also one of four concertmasters for a time; an experiment unique…
-
The Boston Symphony sent out this press release today. Does this mean Ricardo Chailly is packing his bags? BSO Managing Director Mark Volpe announced today that as of September 1, 2011, James Levine will step down from his current role as Music Director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, a position he has held since 2004.…
-
Lots going on this weekend. The Seattle Modern Orchestra — Julia Tai’s creation — gears up for a concert tomorrow night at Cornish. Then on Sunday there is a free George Shangrow memorial concert at Benaroya Hall. The concert program itself is a mix of various pieces organizers knew Shangrow adored. This is the second…
-
After years of turnover in the top spot at the Seattle Symphony, the orchestra finally found someone who (hopefully) will stick around. The Seattle Times and New York Times reported Simon Woods — currently with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra — will become the next Executive Director of the SSO. Woods will begin his responsibilities…
-
The past two weeks have been a classical music pile up. Orchestras, ensembles, and soloists crashing into one another. This weekend is poised to be busy too. Jane Harty kicks off a season of Music Northwest in West Seattle with a tribute to Chopin. Onyx Chamber Players are doing Schumann on Saturday. Geoffrey Larson and…
-
I had been wondering when the Seattle Symphony would announce some big, audacious, splashy farewell for Gerard Schwarz’s final season. There was a two concert Hovhaness festival and the season finale is Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony, but neither seemed a big enough way to say good bye to a conductor who oversaw the growth of the…