In this episode of One Symphony, Devin Patrick Hughes interviews Lucas Richman, a Grammy winning composer and conductor, exploring his career and insightful perspectives on music and its role in society. 

Richman recounts his early exposure to music through composer biographies, sharing an anecdote about writing to Aaron Copland and receiving an encouraging postcard in return, which served as an early inspiration.

The discussion moves to Richman's experiences with Leonard Bernstein, highlighting a masterclass on the Academic Festival Overture and the profound impact Bernstein had on his understanding of music and life. Richman emphasizes Bernstein's ability to infuse everything with love and teaching, noting his preference for discussing music with doctors rather than musicians due to their focus on the art rather than business. 

Richman discusses his approach to composition, emphasizing his commitment to bringing social issues and awareness into the concert hall. He describes his symphony inspired by Bernstein's words, "This will be our reply to violence is to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before," with movements embodying intensity, beauty, and devotion. He also discusses "The Warming Sea," a piece addressing climate change, and Paths to Dignity, a violin concerto inspired by the issue of homelessness. In Paths to Dignity, Richman musically portrays the word "dignity" using specific notes, aiming to create a conversation and raise awareness. He collaborated with Mitchell Newman, a violinist and advocate for the unsheltered community, to bring attention to the human stories behind homelessness. 

Richman reflects on his time as an assistant conductor, which instilled in him the importance of clarity and efficiency. He describes his experience conducting film scores for movies such as Seven and The Village, noting the collaborative nature of the work. Richman also shares his perspective on conducting his own music, expressing that others often bring fresh interpretations that he appreciates.

Transitioning to the evolution of the conducting field, Richman acknowledges the influence of mentors like Daniel Lewis and Herbert Blomstedt, emphasizing the significance of respect, intent, and honesty. He expresses concern that some contemporary conductors prioritize showmanship over serving the music and fostering leadership skills.

Turning to the role of a music director, Richman underscores the importance of community engagement, fundraising, and collaboration with the board and staff. He highlights initiatives such as streaming concerts, expanding educational programs, and forging relationships with local organizations. He also touches on his involvement in music education, including his piece Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant, which introduces children to classical music through imaginative characters.

Thank you for joining us on One Symphony. Special thanks to Lucas Richman for sharing his music and story.

Musical selections from today’s episode:

• Brahms: Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80 (Live). Lucas Richman conducting.
• The Warming Sea composed by Lucas Richman. Performed by the Bangor Symphony Orchestra, Divisi Women’s Choir, and the Bangor Area Youth Choir. Conducted by Jayce Ogren. Commissioned by the Maine Science Festival.
• Excerpts from Concerto for Violin: Paths to Dignity composed and conducted by Lucas Richman. Featuring Mitchell Newman on violin and the Bangor Symphony Orchestra.
• “The Gravel Road” from the film The Village. Composed by James Newton-Howard and conducted by Lucas Richman featuring Hillary Hahn on violin.
• “Tikkun Olam (Heal the World)” from Symphony: This Will Be Our Reply. Text and music by Lucas Richman. Performed by the Bangor Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Richman. Featuring the Oratorio Society and University of Maine Singers under the direction of Francis John Voight.

For more information on Lucas, see www.lucasrichman.com. You can always find more info at OneSymphony.podbean.com or DevinPatrickHughes.com, including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the podcast! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music.

In this interview with Tom Morris, a veteran of orchestra management whose career included leadership roles with the Boston Symphony and the Cleveland Orchestra, conductor Devin Patrick Hughes provides a comprehensive look at the inner workings of orchestral institutions, the evolution of their management, and the crucial role of music in their success. Morris's journey from a percussionist to a top-level administrator offers a unique perspective, and his reflections provide valuable lessons for anyone interested in the performing arts.

One of the most compelling aspects of the interview is Morris's discussion of how his musical background shaped his management philosophy. He emphasizes his deep understanding of musicians' lives, having experienced firsthand the challenges and demands of performing in an orchestra. This empathy enabled him to build trust with musicians and approach labor negotiations with a unique perspective. Morris’s belief that "ultimately these institutions are about the music" underscores the importance of passion and artistic integrity in organizational leadership.

The episode also explores the historical evolution of orchestra management, particularly the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Morris recounts how, before the 1970s, the orchestra relied on simple postcards for subscription renewals. He explains that over the seventies and eighties, the percentage of the budget earned from ticket sales gradually fell. This shift necessitated the development of marketing and fundraising departments, leading to a significant increase in administrative staff. 

Morris shares fascinating insights about the Boston Pops, emphasizing that it was founded in 1885, before Arthur Fiedler became its 17th conductor in 1929. The Boston Symphony created the Pops to provide more employment for musicians and to perform lighter music for a broader audience. He discusses how the Boston Symphony transformed Symphony Hall into a "beer hall" to accommodate a more informal setting for the Pops concerts. He explains that in the early days the Pops sold blocks of tickets to community groups and did not have to focus on individual ticket sales. He also recounts how the popularity of Arthur Fiedler was enhanced even further by the "Evening at Pops" television series. Morris details the process of selecting John Williams as Fiedler's successor, explaining that Williams was chosen for his musical integrity and knowledge of the symphony orchestra.

Furthermore, the interview addresses the crucial dynamic between management, the music director, and the board of directors, which Morris refers to as the "Bermuda Triangle.” Morris suggests that this structure can function perfectly if the right people are in those roles and are bound by a common vision. He also emphasizes that having a collaborative culture is essential, but that collaborative decision-making should be avoided. Morris stresses the importance of clear lines of authority and not settling for "good enough" when hiring. He also shares that when hiring he uses Jim Collins' three C's: competence, character, and chemistry. These points underscore the need for strong leadership and a shared vision in any successful organization.

Morris also touches on the importance of thoughtful programming. He humorously mentions his collection of "dumb programs" and emphasizes the importance of carefully considering the combination of pieces in a concert. He contrasts examples of bad programming with one of his favorites, a concert he organized with Christoph von Dohnányi, which combined pieces by Ligeti, Wagner, and Bruckner. This conversation highlights that thoughtful artistic direction is an essential element in the success of an orchestra.

Thank you for joining us on One Symphony. Special thanks to Thomas Morris for sharing his life and leadership. You can pick up a copy of Always the Music: How a Lifelong Passion Framed a Future for Orchestras wherever you get your books.

For a list of recordings played on today’s episode, please check out our show notes. You can always find more info at OneSymphony.podbean.com or DevinPatrickHughes.com, including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the podcast! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music.

https://www.alwaysthemusic.com

Featured Music

All music selections for this episode feature the Boston Pops. 

Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings in C Major, Op. 48: Waltz. Conducted by Arthur Fiedler, from the album Fiedler: Greatest Hits. 

L'Arlésienne Suite No. 2: Farandole. Composed by Georges Bizet. Conducted by Arthur Fielder, from the album Fiedler: Greatest Hits.

“Manhattan Skyline.” From the album Disco Inferno / Manhattan Skyline. Conducted by Arthur Fiedler. 

“I Got Rhythm, Embraceable You.” From the album Boston Pops Salutes Astaire, Kelly, Garland. Composed by George and Ira Gershwin. Conducted by John Williams. 

“Flying Theme” from E. T. Composed by John Williams. Performed live by John Williams conducting the Boston Pops in 2002. 

“America Medley: America.” From the album Salute to America. Composed by Leonard Bernstein. Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Conducted by John Williams. 

“None But The Lonely Heart.” From the album Pops a la Russe. Composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Conducted by John Williams. 

The Snow Maiden - Suite - Danse des Bouffons. Composed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. From the album Pops a la Russe. Conducted by John Williams. 

Holst: The Planets, op.32: 3. Mercury, The Winged Messenger. From the album Boston Pops Orchestra: John Williams. Conducted by John Williams.

Overture from The Merry Wives of Windsor. From the album Fiedler: Greatest Hits. Conducted by Arthur Fiedler. 

“Pizzicato Polka.” From the album 100 Fiedler Favorites. Conducted by Arthur Fiedler. 

“Funeral March of a Marionette.” From the album 100 Fiedler Favorites. Conducted by Arthur Fiedler.

 

In this episode of One Symphony, conductor Devin Patrick Hughes sits down with renowned composer Pierre Jalbert to explore Jalbert’s musical journey, creative process, and the spiritual influences that shape his work. Jalbert shares intimate stories about his childhood in Vermont, his collaborations with world-class musicians, and the importance of resonance and reverberation in his compositions. He also pays tribute to his mentor, the late Larry Rachleff, and discusses his genre-bending project with the Apollo Chamber Players. Throughout the interview, Jalbert offers insights into the challenges and rewards of writing for both chamber groups and large ensembles and reveals how he strives to create music that serves the audience. Join us for a fascinating glimpse into the mind of one of today's best composers.

Earning widespread notice for his richly colored and superbly crafted scores, Pierre Jalbert’s music has been described as “immediately captures one’s attention with its strong gesture and vitality” by the American Academy of Arts and Letters.  Among his many honors are the Rome Prize, the BBC Masterprize, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Fromm Foundation commission.

 

Jalbert’s music has been performed worldwide in such venues as Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and the Barbican.  Recent orchestral performances include those by the Boston Symphony, the National Symphony, the Houston Symphony, the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. 

 

He has served as Composer-in-Residence with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the California Symphony, and Music in the Loft in Chicago. Select chamber music commissions and performances include those of the Ying, Borromeo, Maia, Enso, Chiara, Escher, Del Sol, and Emerson String Quartets, as well as violinist Midori.  Three new CDs of his music have been recently released:  Violin Concerto, Piano Quintet and Secret Alchemy, and Piano Trio No. 2.

 

Jalbert is Professor of Music at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music in Houston, and he is a co-founder of Musiqa, a Houston-based new music collective.  His music is published by Schott Helicon Music Corporation, New York.

 

Thank you for joining us on One Symphony. Thanks to Pierre Jalbert for sharing her music and stories. You can find more info at https://www.pierrejalbert.com.

 

Pierre Jalbert composed all music featured in this episode, with one exception.

 

String Theory was performed live by the Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra.

 

Mystical and With Great Energy, from Secret Alchemy, from the album Music From Copland House performed by Curtis Macomber, Danielle Farina, Alexis Pia Gerlach and Michael Boriskin.

 

The first movement from From Dusk to Starry Night “The Night in Silence” on a text by Walt Whitman features Sasha Cooke and the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra.

 

Violin Concerto, featuring Steven Copes on violin. Performed by The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra with Thomas Zehetmair as the conductor. 

 

“Fiddle Dance” from L’espirit du nord. Performed by the Apollo Chamber Players. 

 

Mozart Piano Concerto K488 in A major, first movement improvised cadenza performed by Robert Levin with the Cluj-Nacopa Philharmonic in Romania with Nicole Moldovenau as the conductor. 

 

“Chanson de Lisette” from Le’spirit du nord. Performed by the Apollo Chamber Players.

 

“Music of air and fire” performed by the Houston Youth Symphony conducted by Michael Isadore.

 

You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

 

In this episode of One Symphony, Juhi Bansal discusses her diverse cultural influences, from Hindustani classical to Western styles, and how she weaves them together to create powerful narratives through sound. Bansal delves into the inspiration behind several of her striking works, including "Songs From the Deep," "Waves of Change," and "Aurora," which explore themes of women's resilience, environmental conservation, and the beauty of natural phenomena. Bansal also reflects on the role of artists in driving change and her personal growth as a composer over the past 15 years. Join us for an engaging conversation that celebrates the power of music to create narratives that combine spirituality and nature.

Thank you for joining us on One Symphony. Thanks to Juhi Bansal for sharing her music and stories. You can find more info at https://juhibansal.com.

Juhi Bansal composed all music featured in this episode.

Songs from the Deep commissioned by the Oregon Mozart Players for the 2022 Sound Investment Commission.

Waves of Change (music, surfing and identity) inspired by the Bangladesh Girls Surf Club in Cox’s Bazaar region of Bangladesh. Performed by Ranjana Ghatak. Featuring Kathryn Shuman singing soprano and Timothy Loo on cello.

Flash, Glimmer, Glow, Spark. Performed by the Dusseldorf Symphony.

Aurora (for SATB chorus). Performed by the LA Choral Lab. Featured soloists are Kathryn Shuman, Molly Pease, Rothan Ramanan, and Zachary Zaret.

Love, Lose, Exile for Soprano, Cello, and Piano. Featuring Abigail Sinclair on soprano, Yu-Hsin Teng on piano, and Evan Kahn on piano.

Wings for Violin, Cello, and Piano. Performed by Pasha Tseitlin on violin, David Meyer on cello, and Nic Gerpe on piano.

You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

In this episode of One Symphony, host Devin Patrick Hughes sits down with Ralph Patrick, a former pastor and Alzheimer's Association collaborator, to explore the profound impact of music on individuals living with dementia. Patrick shares his personal experiences and insights, discussing how live musical performances can engage, stimulate, and connect with those affected by this challenging disease. Discover the steps musical organizations can take to create dementia-friendly programs and learn about the cognitive benefits of music for individuals with dementia. Don't miss this thought-provoking discussion on the transformative power of music and its ability to reach the deeper, inner self beyond cognition.

Ralph Patrick, a former pastor and Alzheimer’s Association collaborator is the son of Jean who died of Alzheimer's in 2012.  Her diagnosis in 2001 led him to join the Colorado Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.  He has presented hundreds of education classes, as well as providing consultationg services for both caregivers and those living with dementia, and has been a collaborator and presenter with Boulder Symphony creating Sensory Friendly concert series, reaching thousands in Colorado and beyond.  

00:00 Introduction to the Power of Music in Dementia Care

00:14 Early Experiences and Realizations

01:59 The Impact of Music on Dementia: Recorded vs. Live

04:31 Advancements and Community Engagement in Music Therapy

07:08 Orchestras and Ensembles: Engaging with Dementia Programs

09:56 Tailoring Music Programs for Different Stages of Dementia

16:59 The Therapeutic Benefits of Music for Dementia

18:51 The Role of Orchestras in Supporting Dementia Communities

22:10 The Deep Connection Between Music and Memory

23:28 Preventative and Therapeutic Benefits of Music

25:08 Closing Thoughts and Encouragement

Thank you for joining us on One Symphony. Thanks to Ralph Patrick for sharing his expertise and stories. You can find more info at https://www.alz.org or https://bouldersymphony.org/outreach/ or linkedin.com/in/ralph-patrick-69734215

Musical selections on this episode today include 

1. Bach - Air from Orchestral Suite no. 3 in D major BWV 1068 Performed by the Netherlands Bach Society
2. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Symphony No 5 in E minor op. 64 Sergiu Celibidache conducts the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra
3. Mozart Divertimento in D Major, K. 136 "Salzburg Symphony No. 1": II. Andante · Ton Koopman conducts the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra 
4. The Syncopated Clock · Leroy Anderson, conducted by Leroy Anderson
5. Shostakovich: Jazz Suite No. 2 - VI. Waltz II Riccardo Chailly conducts the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra 
6. Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 In F, Op. 68 -"Pastoral" – First movement --   Herbert von Karajan  conducts the Berliner Philharmonic 

You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

 

In this episode of One Symphony, host Devin Patrick Hughes welcomes rising star composer, performer, and educator Brittany Green to discuss her boundary-pushing work and perspective on the future of classical music in the 21st century.

Green, who started out in music education before pivoting to composition in her 20s, brings a multifaceted approach to her practice. Through projects like the Young Composers Project, she blends her interests in composing and teaching, working with K-5 students to collaboratively create music using tools like Max MSP. During the pandemic shutdowns, Green delved further into live electronics and narration as a form of performance, drawing inspiration from artists in the black arts and poetry space to bring fresh aesthetics to her classical compositions.

A major theme in Green's music is the "construction, displacement and rupturing of systems." She sees composers throughout history, from Beethoven onwards, as mold-breakers who redefined expectations. Green explores concepts like building and dismantling rhythmic structures, and cutting through established textures and timbres, to allow new musical ideas to emerge from the breakage and slippage. Pieces like "Against Sharp" express this through incessant repeated notes that slowly erode into legato lines and expanded harmonic material. Intellectually, Green relates this to the ideas of cultural scholars like Bell Hooks and José Muñoz around disrupting systems of domination from the margins.

When it comes to expanding classical music's reach, Green emphasized the importance of authentic community engagement. Through her "community engaged residencies" with orchestras around the country, she aims to have genuine dialogue with communities about their interests and needs, rather than just bestowing a pre-packaged experience upon them. Finding collaborators within communities and among outside artists doing impactful work elsewhere allows for rich cross-pollination of ideas. Regional orchestras especially are well-positioned to connect with local institutions and build meaningful, reverberating programming.

Green sees opportunities to lead audiences to appreciate new musical experiences they "don't know they don't know." While some may assume anything written recently is inaccessibly avant-garde, the reality is new classical music spans a wide range of genres and aesthetics. With creative programming that makes unexpected connections between old and new works, and provides helpful context, orchestras can open listeners' minds and excite their curiosity to discover fresh voices.

Even as artificial intelligence emerges as a tool for music creation, Green believes the most vital qualities of composition will remain the domain of humans. AI may be able to generate music that is theoretically "correct," but it is the element of surprise, of flouting expectations in ways only a human can anticipate, that makes music truly interesting. Moreover, the physically and emotionally resonant experience of making and sharing live music, and literally feeling sound together in community, is not something AI can replicate.

Incorporating interdisciplinary storytelling is another way Green seeks to connect on a deep level. Her piece "Garden On Green Street" features recorded interviews with her mother and aunt musically manipulated to form an intergenerational dialogue with ancestors. The multimedia work "Thresh and Hold" transforms sounds like chains and rocks collected from her family's land into instruments channeling memories of slavery and freedom.

Green's compositions often explore themes of constructing, displacing, and disrupting systems. Drawing inspiration from composers throughout history who defied conventions, she employs techniques like developing and dismantling rhythmic structures, and allowing new musical ideas to emerge from ruptured textures and timbres. Works such as "Against Sharp" exemplify this approach, while engaging with cultural theories around subverting dominant paradigms from the margins. As Green eloquently stated, "I find a lot of excitement in that for me, that unfolds in looking at rhythmic structures that I can build over time and then slowly dismantle or maybe quickly dismantle and completely break and explore what music comes out of that breakage in that slippage of rupture."

 

Composer Dan Visconti joins host Devin Patrick Hughes on One Symphony to discuss his innovative approaches to engaging new audiences with classical music. In this in-depth interview, Visconti shares valuable lessons from his wide-ranging collaborations, including projects with incarcerated youth, refugees, and interactive opera productions. He delves into his concept of "civic practice," which involves directly engaging communities in the artistic process to address social issues. Visconti also provides insight into his own boundary-pushing compositions, such as "Low Country Haze" and "Living Language," and the intricacies of cross-genre collaboration. Throughout the conversation, Visconti's deep commitment to expanding the reach and relevance of classical music is evident. He offers thought-provoking perspectives and practical strategies for how orchestras can adapt to the needs and interests of 21st-century audiences. This interview is essential viewing for anyone passionate about the future of classical music and its capacity to inspire positive social change.

00:00 Introduction and Visconti's Early Musical Influences

00:30 The Importance of Play and Discovery in Musical Development

01:47 Visconti's Transition from Violin Performance to Composition

03:30 The Impact of The Beatles and Classical Music on Visconti's Style

04:33 Strategies for Audience Engagement and Defying Conventions

05:02 Visconti's Projects and Experiences in Music and Social Impact

07:39 Harnessing the Power of Music in Civic Practice

08:53 A Case Study: Music Programs for Incarcerated Youth

17:18 The Significance of Music in Community Engagement Efforts

17:34 Designing Interactive Concert Experiences for Modern Audiences

32:43 Balancing Artistic Vision and Practicality in Composition

33:00 "Low Country Haze": A Musical Interpretation of the American Road Trip

38:03 The Dynamics of Collaboration in Music from a Composer's Perspective

42:58 Conclusion: Visconti's Vision for the Future of Music and Collaboration

 

Thank you for joining us on One Symphony. Thanks to Dan Visconti for sharing his music and wealth of knowledge.  You can find more info and connect with Dan at https://www.danvisconti.com

Musical selections on this episode today include

Music Box (River Silver)

Fifth House Ensemble

December 1952

Composed by Earle Brown

David Tudor

Deep Listening - Ione

Pauline Oliveros, Stuart Dempster & Panaiotis

Low Country Haze (Version for Chamber Orchestra)

Scharoun Ensemble Berlin

Drift of Rainbows

Humble Pie

Composed by Dan Visconti

You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

 

On this episode of One Symphony, conductor Devin Patrick Hughes interviews Henry Fogel, a prominent figure in the orchestral music field. Fogel discusses his early life in music, his exciting journey in radio, and his passion for making symphonic music more accessible. They also delve into Fogel's contribution to orchestras as a director and a manager. From his beginnings in a home where Broadway musicals were the high end of musical taste, to his rise as a key figure in the world of orchestral music, Fogel’s insights on board members and anecdotes about conductors provide a unique window into the business side of the symphony orchestra.

Henry Fogel has served as President and CEO of the League of American Orchestras, where he significantly impacted the orchestral landscape by supporting and consulting with over 190 orchestras during his tenure. His leadership as President of the Chicago Symphony for 18 years saw substantial growth in the organization's endowment and community engagement efforts. Henry’s extensive career also includes leadership positions at the National Symphony Orchestra of Washington, D.C., and the New York Philharmonic. He is actively involved in various nonprofit boards and serves as Chair of the Chicago Classical Music Recording Foundation. Henry’s contributions to the American symphonic landscape have been recognized through honorary doctorate degrees and many awards, including the League of American Orchestras' Gold Baton Award. Beyond his professional achievements, Fogel is an accomplished narrator and producer, sharing his passion for classical music over the radio waves for 5 decades. Henry enjoys spending time with his children, grandchildren, and pursuing his interest in Chinese cuisine.

 

Thank you for joining us on One Symphony. Thanks to Henry Fogel for sharing his wealth of wisdom.

Musical selections on this episode today include

 

Mass in B Minor, BWV 232: I. Kyrie: No. 1, Kyrie eleison I (Chorus)[Music Download]

From the album Bach: Mass in B Minor, BWV 232

By: The Netherlands Bach Society & Jos van Veldhoven

 

Glagolitic Mass,

From the album Janáček: Glagolitic Mass - Martinů: Field Mass

By: Czech Philharmonic, Prague Philharmonic Choir, Václav Neumann, Josef Veselka, Jan Hora, Gabriela Beňačková, Věra Soukupová, František Livora, Karel Průša

 

Berwald: Symphony No. 4 in E flat major - I. Allegro risoluto[Music Download]

From the album Schubert: Symphony No.4 "Tragic" / Berwald: Symphonies Nos.3 "Singulière" & 4

By: Berliner Philharmoniker and Igor Markevitch

 

Symphony No. 9 in E-Flat Major, Op. 70: V. Allegretto[Music Download]

From the album Shostakovich: Symphony Nos. 5 & 9

By: Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra

 

Corigliano: Symphony No. 1[Music Download]

Symphony No. 1: I. Apologue. Of Rage and Remembrance

By: Daniel Barenboim and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra

 

Nielsen: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 5[Music Download]

Symphony No. 5, Op. 50, FS 97, CNW 29: I. Tempo giusto - Adagio

By: Leonard Bernstein and the Royal Danish Orchestra

https://www.wfmt.com/programs/collectors-corner-with-henry-fogel/

https://devinpatrickhughes.com

You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

In an in-depth interview, Devin Patrick Hughes speaks with former ITN journalist, ClassicFM host, and biographer John Suchet discusses his transition from journalism to classical music as a career because of his connection to Tchaikovsky's music. He shares his initial love for Tchaikovsky's melodies, developing an understanding of music through learning jazz trombone, and his eventual passion for writing about classical music composers. John touches upon Tchaikovsky's struggle with his identity and homosexuality, and how it influenced his symphonic works. Additionally, he considers the debate about Tchaikovsky's dubious death and the bizarre relationship that Tchaikovsky had with Nadezhda von Meck, his best-known patroness. John believes his approach to understanding music is through the man and not the music, and shares never before heard anecdotes about Tchaikovsky’s relationships with other men. 

00:00 Introduction and Early Life

00:16 Transition into Classical Music

00:34 Tchaikovsky's Early Musical Journey

01:49 Tchaikovsky's Career in Journalism

02:57 Tchaikovsky's Love for Classical Music

03:43 Tchaikovsky's Writing Career

04:13 Tchaikovsky's Love for Other Composers

05:47 Tchaikovsky's Self Doubt

08:13 Tchaikovsky's Struggles with Homosexuality

10:27 Tchaikovsky's Marriage and its Impact

11:57 Tchaikovsky's Influence and Legacy

28:28 Tchaikovsky's Death and its Controversy

38:47 Conclusion: Tchaikovsky's Enduring Impact

As the host of The Classic FM Concert with John Suchet for 12 years, John Suchet is a household voice in classical music and broadcasting. Before his career at Classic FM, John was celebrated as one of the nation's foremost reporters and newscasters. At ITN, he covered pivotal global events such as the Iranian Revolution, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and the Philippines Revolution. He has earned accolades including Television Reporter of the Year and Television Newscaster of the Year. In 2008, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Royal Television Society, marking his remarkable career spanning nearly four decades in television news.

John's lifelong passion for classical music, particularly the works of Beethoven, has been a driving force in his life. He authored seven books focusing on the legendary composer, with his latest publication, a special 250th anniversary edition of "Beethoven — The Man Revealed," released in 2020. His dedication to promoting classical music earned him prestigious honors such as an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Dundee and an Honorary Fellowship from the Royal Academy of Music. He has also authored books on Verdi, the Strausses, Mozart, and Tchaikovsky, the Man Revealed, which is the subject of today’s discussion.

Thank you for joining us on One Symphony. Thanks to John Suchet for sharing his wealth of knowledge. You can find more info at JohnSuchet.co.uk  and pick up a copy of Tchaikovsky The Man Reveals, and other books by great composers of John’s wherever you get your books. Musical selections on this episode today include Tchaikovsky’s 4th Symphony by the Berlin Phil, Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony by Vienna Phil and Herbert von Karajan,, Strauss’s Blue Danube Waltz by the Vienna Phil and Willi Boskovsky, Sugar Rum Cherry (Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from Three Suites by Duke Ellington, Tchaikovsky’s First String Quartet by the Emerson String Quartet, and the Nutcracker by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/one-symphony-with-devin-patrick-hughes-_UBbpoivcA3/

https://www.audible.com/pd/One-Symphony-with-Devin-Patrick-Hughes-Podcast/B08K57VY49

 

 

 

In this insightful discussion, Devin Patrick Hughes is joined by Eric Booth, a lifelong teaching artist, elaborates on his experiences with teaching artistry and its importance in bridging the gap between classical music and broader audiences. Booth shares his perspective on what constitutes a teaching artist, emphasizing that their role extends beyond teaching a specific art form to activating the creative abilities in others. He also discusses the concept of “entry points,” which allows non-experts to make personally-relevant connections to musical pieces. Booth further explores the notion of open rehearsals, creating room for audience engagement, question-asking and building up appreciation for the technical skills of musicians. Furthermore, Booth touches upon the importance of celebrating mistakes as part of the creative process, fostering growth mindset and nurturing artist expression.

Eric Booth has been honored with The Arts Education Leadership Award from Americans for the Arts, and was named one of the “50 most influential people in the American arts.” After many years as a Broadway and classical actor, successful businessman, and author of The Everyday Work of Art and The Music Teaching Artist’s Bible, he launched his work in teaching artistry in 1979. He launched the teaching artist program at Juilliard, and has taught at Stanford University, NYU, Tanglewood and the Lincoln Center Institute where he now leads the Teaching Artist Development Labs.

He advises El Sistema programs in the U.S. and many countries; and consults with arts organizations, cities, states and national governments on arts learning. He gave the keynote address to UNESCO’s first ever worldwide arts education conference, and is widely called “the father of the teaching artist profession.”

Thank you for joining us on One Symphony. Thanks to Eric Booth for sharing his life’s worth and wealth of knowledge. You can find more info at www.teachingartistsmakingchange.com or www.ericbooth.net Musical selections on this episode today include Stravinsky’s Elégie for Viola Solo from the album Boulez Conducts Stravinsky and Deutsche Grammophon. You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

www.ericbooth.net

https://www.soundespressivocompetition.com/judges-panel/devin-patrick-hughes

 

 

Celebrated composer Chen Yi shares her life's journey with host Devin Patrick Hughes. Chen Yi touches upon her roots in China, how classical music came into her life due to her music-loving parents, and the experience of living through the Cultural Revolution. She credits her upbringing and early life experiences for shaping her perspective towards education, community service, and music. Chen Yi moved to Beijing after the Cultural Revolution to study music and was one of 32 selected from 20,000 applicants to study at the Beijing Central Conservatory. She talks about the various musical styles she learned and how they inspired her compositions. The discussion gives an insight into Chen Yi's blend of Western and Chinese musical traditions, drawing from her experiences, culture, and a wide range of musical techniques. Chen Yi also talks about 'Momentum,' one of her favorite works, and how the community and society have inspired her compositional process.

Thank you for joining us on One Symphony. Thanks to Chen Yi for sharing her incredible music and wealth of knowledge. You can find her music where ever you listen. Musical selections on this episode today include Momentum and Duo Ye From the album Best of Chen Yi by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Ge Xu: (Antiphony) was from the album The Women’s Philharmonic: The Music Of Chen Yi. Viola Concerto Shian Shi was from Chen Yi: Concertos for String Instruments by the Boston Modern Orchestra Project & Gil Rose. You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

00:00 Introduction and Early Life

00:39 Musical Beginnings and Cultural Revolution

02:17 Post-Cultural Revolution and Education in Beijing

02:36 Influence of Chinese Traditional Music

03:28 Experiences in Countryside and Folk Music Influence

04:24 Journey to Western Classical Music

05:06 Language and Music: A Unique Blend

05:39 Career as a Concertmaster and Composer

06:03 Folk Song Collection and Composition

08:03 Moving to the United States and Further Studies

08:16 Residency at the Women's Philharmonic

08:34 Community Engagement and Education Programs

11:39 Career as an Educator

12:40 Discussion on Cultural Revolution and Music

13:22 Influence of Chinese Folk Music Storytelling

17:31 Incorporating Chinese Instrumental Techniques into Western Instruments

20:22 Breaking Barriers and Creating a Unique Musical Language

28:26 Commemorating Major Events and Depicting Rituals in Music

46:42 Bringing Different Worlds Together in Music

50:53 Advice for Young Composers

51:34 Conclusion

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Conductor Devin Patrick Hughes is joined by the remarkable violin virtuoso Rachel Barton Pine on One Symphony. Dive into Rachel's intriguing blend of genres from her early beginnings with the violin and her Chicago Symphony debut, to her exploration of heavy metal and traditional fiddling styles. Rachel shares how experience with modern composers enhances her interpretation of historical pieces, and dishes about her exhilarating experience with premiering Earl Maneein's Dependent Arising. The talk also includes a deep dive into her latest album featuring Shostakovich's first violin concerto and the origin of her iconic Del Gesù violin. The interview concludes with her love for Chicago.

Violinist Rachel Barton Pine performs with the world's leading orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony, Vienna Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic, and Camerata Salzburg. She has appeared on The Today Show, CBS Sunday Morning, CNN, PBS NewsHour, A Prairie Home Companion, and NPR’s Tiny Desk. During the pandemic, she performed the entire solo violin part of 24 different violin concertos for her live, weekly series “24 in 24: Concertos from the Inside.”

Her RBP Foundation assists young artists through its Instrument Loan Program and Grants for Education and Career, and runs the groundbreaking Music by Black Composers project which was launched in 2001.
She holds prizes from several of the world’s leading competitions, including a gold medal at the 1992 Bach International Violin Competition in Leipzig, Germany.


Thank you for joining us on One Symphony. Thanks to Rachel Barton Pine for sharing her talents and stories. You can find her music where ever you listen. Music selections performed by Rachel come from the Album Dependent Arising including Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto no. 1 and Earl Maneein’s Dependent Arising, Concerto for Violin and Orchestra with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted by Tito Munoz.  Malek Jandali’s Violin Concerto was performed by Rachel along with the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra and Marin Alsop conducting. 

Thanks to Cedille Records for making this episode possible.

You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

00:00 Introduction and Early Musical Journey

00:17 Discovering Heavy Metal and Merging Genres

00:41 Exploring Musical Tastes and Influences

01:29 The Impact of a Chicago Bulls Playoff Game

02:55 Bridging Classical and Rock Genres

04:20 Exploring Different Fiddle Styles

05:03 Incorporating Metal into Classical Music

05:44 The Influence of Shostakovich and Metal Music

08:47 The Role of Music in Social Justice

11:04 The Connection Between Music and History

11:52 The Universality of Classical Music

12:22 Collaboration with Malik Jandali

34:07 The Role of Workshopping in Music

36:05 The Influence of Chicago on Musical Career

 

Rachel Barton: Blending Genres and Bridging Worlds Through Music

 

It's not every day that you encounter a musician who, at a young age, found a passion for both classical and heavy metal music. Rachel Barton's story is a testament to the power of music to transcend boundaries and genres.

 

A Musical Prodigy Meets Heavy Metal

 

Rachel started her journey with the violin at three and a half years old, debuting with the Chicago Symphony at age 10. Around this time, she discovered heavy metal music, which marked her first encounter with the music of Shostakovich. Rachel reflects on her early years, "I enjoyed a variety of music beyond classical. My parents played blues at home, and I was really drawn to heavy metal, especially thrash."

 

A Turning Point: Performing at a Chicago Bulls Game

 

A pivotal moment came when Rachel played the national anthem at a Chicago Bulls playoff game. Her unique rendition caught the public's attention, leading to a realization. "People started approaching me, amazed by the violin's versatility. It was then I realized my mission: to bring listeners to classical music using rock genres."

 

Cross-Genre Exploration: From Heavy Metal to Classical

 

Rachel's journey took an interesting turn as she started exploring heavy metal and other genres on her violin. "I didn't consider myself a crossover artist," she clarifies, "I'm all about performing classical music, but I use my interests in rock to bring new listeners to classical."

 

Intersecting with Bands and Musicians

 

Rachel discovered that many of her favorite bands listened to classical music. "It was enlightening to tell someone, 'Hey, your favorite band likes these composers.' It's a powerful message." This intersection led her to create arrangements of rock songs for chamber and orchestral performances, a unique approach to bridging musical worlds.

 

Educational Outreach: A Lifelong Passion

 

A crucial part of Rachel's journey has been her commitment to educational outreach. "I've always believed in going into schools and teaching children about music," she says. Rachel's efforts go beyond young audiences, as she strives to introduce classical music to adults who might not usually engage with the genre.

 

Shostakovich and Heavy Metal: An Unexpected Connection

 

Discussing her unique connection with Shostakovich, Rachel shares, "Heavy metal fans adore Shostakovich for his intensity and darkness. I love pairing his works with contemporary pieces to show the depth and range of classical music."

 

Working with Contemporary Composers

 

Rachel's work with living composers has given her a deeper understanding of interpretation. "Working with contemporary composers helps me interpret the works of classical composers more effectively. It's a fascinating process to bring their intentions to life."

 

The Vibrancy of Chicago's Music Scene

 

Reflecting on her roots, Rachel speaks passionately about Chicago's diverse music scene. "Chicago has everything - from blues to industrial, house to classical. The city's music scene is incredibly supportive and vibrant, making it an ideal place for musicians."

 

Conclusion: A Musician Without Boundaries

 

Rachel Barton's career defies conventional boundaries, proving that music can be a powerful tool for connection and understanding. Her journey from a classical violin prodigy to an artist who bridges genres is a remarkable story of passion, innovation, and dedication to music's universal appeal.

 

Below are some highlights from our interview. 

 

Rachel, it's great to have you on One Symphony today. Can you share your history with cross-genres?

 

I started playing the violin at three and a half, debuted with the Chicago Symphony at 10, and around that time, I discovered heavy metal. My journey into combining genres began at a Chicago Bulls game where I played the national anthem. People were amazed by the violin's versatility, which inspired me to bring classical music to new audiences through rock genres.

 

How did this realization affect your approach to music?

 

I realized most people's exposure to classical was limited. So, I began reaching out through rock radio stations, playing rock music on my violin, then transitioning to classical pieces. I discovered that many of my favorite bands listened to classical music, which helped me bridge these genres.

 

What about your work with contemporary composers?

 

Rachel Barton: Working with contemporary composers deepens my understanding of music interpretation. It helps me interpret classical works more effectively and brings a fresh perspective to music creation.

 

How do you view classical music's relevance today?

 

Rachel Barton: Classical music is intense, exciting, and universal. It transcends boundaries and is meaningful to people of all races and ethnicities. It's a way to understand each other even if we don't speak the same language.

 

Tell us about your collaboration with Malik Jandali and working with Marin Alsop.

 

I participated in recording a violin concerto by Malik Jandali, blending Middle Eastern and Western styles. Working with Marin Alsop was enlightening. The concerto has Middle Eastern elements, like the oud, but it remains a Western orchestra piece.

 

How has your approach to playing changed over the years?

 

I've learned to balance the composer's intentions and my interpretation. Working with living composers has made me a more effective interpreter of classical music.

 

Can you talk about your latest project, "Dependent Arising," and pairing it with Shostakovich's work?

 

This album includes a piece by Earl Maneein, inspired by Buddhism and the acceptance of death. We paired it with Shostakovich's work because of his popularity among metal fans and the emotional depth in his music.

 

What are your thoughts on workshopping in classical music?

 

Workshopping is essential, even for experienced musicians. It's a process of growing with a piece, trying new things, and evolving one's approach.

 

Lastly, what is your favorite Chicago staple, aside from the symphony?

 

For me, it's Chicago blues. My parents loved blues, and it has a special place in my heart. Chicago’s music scene is incredibly diverse and supportive, making it a fantastic place for musicians.

 

Thank you, Rachel, for joining us today.

 

Thank you, Devin. I'm grateful for the opportunities I've had, especially with Cedille Records, which has allowed me to explore various musical projects.

 

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George S. Clinton is an award winning composer who has scored over 100 films, most notably “Austin Powers” !The Santa Clause”; “Mortal Kombat”; and the Emmy Award winning “Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee.”

He began his professional music career as a singer/songwriter in Nashville writing for Tree Music and doing session work. Upon moving to LA, he became a staff songwriter for Warner Brothers Music, with songs recorded by the likes of Michael Jackson and Joe Cocker. It was the music from Clinton’s forth album as a recording artist that attracted the attention of Cheech and Chong, giving him the chance to score his first film “Still Smokin’”.

 

Clinton has been an advisor at the Sundance Composers Lab, on the Music Executive Branch of The Oscars, and Chair of Film Scoring at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Awards include Grammy and Emmy nominations, the SCL Ambassador Award, and nine BMI Film Music Awards, including their highest honor, the BMI Icon Award for career achievement.

Thank you for joining us on One Symphony. Thanks to George S. Clinton for sharing his life and music. You can find more info on Rose of Sonora at Roseofsonora.com. For a list of recordings played on today’s episode please check out our show notes.

You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org or DevinPatrickHughes.com including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music. 

Devin welcomes Internationally-acclaimed guitar virtuoso Trace Bundy, who's music is poetry in motion, using harmonics, looping, multiple capos, and his unique banter and stage presence to deliver an unforgettable live concert experience. Seeing the fan-dubbed "Acoustic Ninja" play live confounds even the most accomplished music lovers as to how one person can do all that with just two hands and ten fingers.

 

Bundy’s unique career has brought him across the world, with concerts in 28 countries and counting - from performance halls of South Korea and Italy, to remote villages in Zimbabwe and Guatemala. He has independently sold over 150,000 albums on his record label, Honest Ninja Music. His video clips circulate virally at astonishing speed, with over 45 million YouTube views to date.

 

Thank you for joining us on One Symphony. Thanks to Trace Bundy for sharing his music and story. You can find his music where ever you listen. And he’s playing live in concert with Boulder Symphony this Friday night at Boulder Theatre. Works on the show today include music written and performed by Trace Bundy, U2, and Pachelbel from the albums Elephant King and Adapt. Thanks to Honest Ninja Music for making this episode possible.

 

You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Thank you to Johnson & Stories, Suerte Tequila, & Chuck & Margit Porter for making this episode possible. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

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As an advocate of historically marginalized composers, musicologist Douglas Shadle is a leading voice in public discussions about the role of symphony orchestras and orchestral music in American life. On the latest episode of ONE SYMPHONY, we discuss his latest book, Antonin Dvorak's New World Symphony (Oxford, 2021), as well as his first book, Orchestrating the Nation: The Nineteenth-Century American Symphonic Enterprise (Oxford, 2016), which explores the volatile relationships between composers, performers, critics, and audiences throughout the 19th century and demonstrates why American composers rarely find a home on concert programs today. 

 

Shadle is also a highly-regarded expert on fellow Little Rock native Florence Price, the first African American woman to win international acclaim as a composer. His research on Price has been featured in The New Yorker, New York Times, and NewMusicBox. Shadle’s second book recontextualizes Antonín Dvořák’s iconic New World Symphony within the complex landscape of American culture at the end of the nineteenth century.

 

Shadle’s publications have won two ASCAP Deems/Taylor Virgil Thomson Awards, the Society for American Music Irving Lowens Article Award, the inaugural American Musicological Society H. Robert Cohen/RIPM Award, and the Vanderbilt Chancellor’s Award for Research. Shadle joined the Blair School faculty in 2014 and has served as the chair of the Department of Musicology and Ethnomusicology since 2019.

 

Thank you for joining us on One Symphony. Thanks to Douglas Shadle for sharing his knowledge and insights, you can find Antonin Dvorak’s New World Symphony where you get your books. Works on the show today included Dvorak’s American String Quartet performed by the Prague Quartet and his Ninth Symphony with Charles Mackerras and the London Philharmonic, Myun-Wun Chung and the Vienna Philharmonic, and Paavo Jarvi and the Cincinnati Symphony.

 

You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

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Jeffrey Nytch joins conductor Devin Patrick Hughes on One Symphony. Jeffrey has built a diverse career as a composer, educator, performer, and thought leader in arts entrepreneurship. His music has been performed at major venues throughout the U.S. and Europe, including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, MoMA, and many others.

His international reputation as an arts entrepreneurship educator includes numerous awards, including the Excellence in Specialty Entrepreneurship Award from the U.S. Assn. of Small Business & Entrepreneurship and the Sharon Alpi Award for Innovative Pedagogy from the Society for Arts Entrepreneurship Education. His groundbreaking book, The Entrepreneurial Muse applies traditional entrepreneurial theory to the performing arts.

Since 2009, he has served on the faculty of The University of Colorado-Boulder, where he is an Associate Professor of Composition and serves as Director of The Entrepreneurship Center for Music, one of the leading programs of its kind.

 

Thank you for joining us for on One Symphony. Thanks to Jeffrey Nytch for sharing his music and insights, you can get more info at https://www.jeffreynytch.com. Works on the show today included Jeffrey’s For the Trees played by the Ivalas Quartet and Seize the Sun performed by Carpe Diem String Quartet.

Thank you to Kim at Johnson&Stories for editorial contributions!

You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

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Norwegian violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing, who joins Devin Patrick Hughes on One Symphony, seeks to introduce classical music to new audiences all over the world. She has recorded three award-winning albums, premièred several highly acclaimed new compositions and appears in the world’s most celebrated concert halls, including Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing. She has performed with orchestras around the world including the Oslo Philharmonic, the Vienna Symphony, the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, the Shanghai and Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestras and many more. She has appeared as Norway’s cultural ambassador at venues such as the United Nations and the Shanghai Expo, and has travelled the world with Norway’s royal family.

Some of her many roles to make music more assessable is as co-founder of the Hemsing Festival and the artistic director of SPIRE, an innovative annual mentoring program within the Nordland Music Festival in Bodø, which promotes and supports young artists in their personal and artistic development.

 

Thank you for joining us for on One Symphony. Thanks to Eldbjørg Hemsing for sharing her performances and insights, you can get more info https://www.eldbjorgmusic.com. Works on the show today included The Arctic Suite by Jacob Shea, The Return of the Sun and Under the Arctic Moon by Frode Fjellheim, Peer Gynt Suite and Last Spring by Edvard Grieg, and A Hidden Life by James Newton Howard.

 

Thank you to all amazing performers featured on today’s show including:

Eldbjørg Hemsing, the Arctic Philharmonic, Frode Fjellheim, and the New York Philharmonic & Leonard Bernstein. Thanks to Sony Music Entertainment for helping to make this episode possible. Thank you to Kim at Johnson&Stories for editing the episode!

 

You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

 

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PETER BOYER is one of the most frequently performed American orchestral composers of his generation, joins Devin Patrick Hughes on One Symphony. He’s conducted and been commissioned by ensembles around the world including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Kennedy Center for the National Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Pops, Cincinnati Pops, and “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, along with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Houston Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Nashville Symphony, and Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.

Boyer’s Grammy-nominated work Ellis Island: The Dream of America, has become one of the most performed American orchestral works of the last 15 years and was featured on PBS’ Great Performances in 2018. In 2019, Boyer received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, which is officially recognized by both Houses of Congress as one of the most prestigious American awards.

Peter Boyer is active in the film and television music industry. He has contributed to more than 35 feature film scores from all the major movie studios and has composed scores for The History Channel and even arranged for the Academy Awards!

 

Thank you for joining us for on One Symphony. Thanks to Peter Boyer for sharing his music and insights, you can get more info at https://propulsivemusic.com. Works of his heard today include Fanfare, Hymn and Finale; Elegy, Balance of Power, and Ellis Island - the Dream of America.

Thank you to all amazing performers featured on today’s show including:

Peter Boyer, the London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, the Staatskapelle Dresden, Rundfunkchor Leipzig, & Peter Schreier.  Thanks to the record labels Naxos and Universal International Music for making this episode possible.

You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show.  Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

American composer Michael Torke joins conductor Devin Patrick Hughes on One Symphony. Michael Torke's music has been hailed as "some of the most optimistic, joyful and thoroughly uplifting music to appear in recent years" by Gramophone, and the composer has been commissioned by such orchestras as The Philadelphia Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the San Francisco Symphony; and  by ballet and opera companies around the world including the Met and the English National Opera.

He has been commissioned by Disney and Absolute Vodka, has written incidental music for The Old Globe Theater, and has been composer in residence with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

Beginning his career with exclusive contracts with Boosey and Hawkes, and Decca Records, he now controls his own copyrights and masters through his publishing company, Adjustable Music, and record company, Ecstatic Records.

Hailed as a "vitally inventive composer" by the Financial Times and "a master orchestrator whose shimmering timbral palette makes him the Ravel of his generation" by the New York Times, Michael Torke’s recent work, SKY, written for violinist Tessa Lark, was a finalist for the 2020 Pulitzer Prize, and was nominated for a Grammy for best classical instrument solo.

 

Thank you for joining us for on One Symphony. Thanks to Michael Torke for sharing his music and insights, you can get more info at https://www.michaeltorke.com. Works of his heard today include Ecstatic Orange, Time, Bright Blue Music, Being, Sky, and Four Proverbs.

Thank you to all amazing performers featured on today’s show including:

• David Zinman & the Baltimore Symphony
• Michael Torke and the Michael Torke Orchestra
• American Modern Ensemble
• David Alan Miller, Tessa Lark, & the Albany Symphony
• Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs
• Catherine Bott and the Argo Band

And thanks to Michael Torke, Ecstatic Records, Albany Records, Columbia Records, and Decca Music Group for making the show possible.

You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show.  Thanks to Mary and Diane for making this episode possible! Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

Vitaliy Katsenelson joins Devin Patrick Hughes on One Symphony. He was born in Murmansk, USSR, and immigrated to the United States with his family in 1991. Vitaliy became CEO of Investment Management Associates in 2012 and has written two books on investing and for publications including Financial Times, Barron’s, Institutional Investor and Foreign Policy. Vitaliy’s articles can also be found at ContrarianEdge.com and on the Intellectual Investor Podcast.

 

Soul in the Game is a book of inspiring stories and hard-won lessons on how to live a meaningful life.  Drawing from the lives of classical composers, ancient Stoics, and contemporary thinkers, Katsenelson weaves together a tapestry of practical wisdom that has helped him overcome his greatest challenges: in work, family, identity, health – and in dealing with success, failure, and more.

 

Part autobiography, part philosophy, part creativity manual, Soul in the Game is a unique and vulnerable exploration of what works, and what doesn’t, in the attempt to shape a fulfilling and happy life.

 

Thank you for joining us for on One Symphony.  Thanks to Vitaliy Katsenelson for sharing his wealth of knowledge, you can check out Soul in the Game where you get your books and myfavoriteclassical.com. Thank you to all amazing performers featured on today’s show: Valentina Lisitsa, Michael Francis and the London Symphony, Roger Norrington and the London Classical Players, Valery Gergiev and the Vienna Philharmonic, Yevgeny Mravinsky and the Leningrad Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic, Lang Lang, Daniel Barenboim and the Chicago Symphony, Bernd Glemser, Antoni Wit, and the Polish National Radio Symphony.

 

You can learn more about Vitaliy at https://contrarianedge.com/. You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

Go behind the scenes with conductor Devin Patrick Hughes as we take a historical, musical, and cultural tour through one of the greatest works of art of the 19th century, the Nutcracker!

Who did Tchaikovsky collaborate with?

What were some of his inspirations to write the Nutcracker?

Did Tchaikovsky enjoy writing the Nutcracker?

How did he work with the choreographer?

Along with keeping most ballet companies alive by selling out houses for over a century, Tchaikovsky’s music and its ability to bring a story to life will forever ignite out imaginations and creativity during the holidays and beyond.

 

The Nutcracker becomes one of the sounds, smells and tastes of our holiday spirit and the solstice, along with the season of renewal, and the affirmation that life can be exactly what you create it to be. 

 

Thank you to all the incredible record labels and performers who made this episode possible.

 

Ensembles:

Orchestra of the Kirov Opera, Apotheosis Orchestra, Ensemble Musica Nigella, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, Oslo Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic

 

Conductors:

Valery Gergiev, Korneel Bernolet, Takénori Némoto, Jan Koetsier, Gustavo Dudamel, Mariss Jansons

 

Soloists: Éléonore Pancrazi, Rita Streich, Melitta Muszely, Raimund Grumbach, (singers);

Philippe Bianconi, pianist

 

Labels: Philips, Apotheosis, Klarthe, La Dolce Volta, Classical Moments, Deutsche Grammophon, Chandos, Decca

 

Thank you to all our listeners and supporters for joining us on One Symphony in 2022. You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org. Please feel free to rate review or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

 

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https://www.cpr.org/2022/11/16/boulder-symphony-pianist-shangru-du/

 

The holidays are a great time to catch up on all our favorite movies, and many of these films wouldn’t enjoy the popularity they do without their amazing soundtracks! Today on One Symphony, we want to share with you some of our Holiday Film Score favorites! Join conductor Devin Patrick Hughes as he explores some classical films scores including Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas from Meet Me in St. Louis, Gremlins by Jerry Goldsmith, Home Alone by John Williams, and Danny Elfman's Nightmare Before Christmas. Along the way we explore how these mammoth scores were influences by composers and works like Aaron Copland, Hector Berlioz, Tchaikovsky, Kurt Weill, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Franz Schubert, and many more! 

Thank you to all the amazing performers and record labels who made this episode possible including Danny Elfman, Disney, Judy Garland, UMG Recordings, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Geffen Records, the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, Silva Screen Records, Warner Brothers, Orchestra of the Marinsky Theatre and Valery Gergiev, Universal Music, Atlanta Symphony and Louis Lane, Alessio Randon and Naxos, the Boston Symphony and Charles Munch, Valentina Lisitsa, Michael Francis and the London Symphony, Ute Lemper, Jeff Cohen and the RIAS Sinfonietta Berlin, with John Mauceri on Decca, Everest Records, Katherine O’Hara, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Daniel Barenboim, and Mel Torme.

You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to lend your support to the podcast. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

Composer Jeff Beal, a musician with a genre-defying dramatic fluidity joins conductor Devin Patrick Hughes on One Symphony. His film scores have received critical acclaim, while he remains active and relevant in the concert, theater, and dance worlds. Jeff’s evocative score and theme for House of Cards received four Emmy Award nominations, and recently won for outstanding score, bringing Beal’s Emmy tally to fifteen nominations and four statues.  Other lauded series and film scores include HBO’s Carnivale, Rome, and the documentaries Blackfish and Queen of Versailles and the dramas Pollock and Appaloosa.   

 

Jeff’s orchestral works have been commissioned and performed by major orchestras, choruses, chamber groups, and soloists across the globe. Born and raised in the San Fransisco Bay Area, Jeff graduated from the Eastman School of Music where he and his wife Joan recently donated $2 million to the creation of The Beal Institute for Film Music and Contemporary Media.

 

Thank you for joining us for our third season on One Symphony.  Thanks to Jeff Beal for sharing his music and wealth of knowledge. Thanks to the New Hollywood String Quartet, Hila Plittman, Leonard Slatkin, and the Eastman Philharmonia and Supertrain Records for making this episode possible! You can check out Jeff’s music including his new album The Paper Lined Shack wherever you listen to your music, and online at http://www.jeffbeal.com. You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

 

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In this episode of One Symphony, host Devin Partick Hughes joins podcast, composer, conductor, and singer Damien Geter who shares his unique perspective on the world of opera and his approach to music. Geter's insights, drawn from his experiences as a performer, composer, and educator, offer a compelling look into the challenges and opportunities facing classical music today.

Geter’s current projects include a string orchestra piece, and he recently completed his fifth opera. He discussed his approach to composing, stating that he considers who will sing the parts, and that being a singer himself has given him a unique understanding of how to write for the voice. Geter explained that he doesn't find it hard to write an opera because he's been immersed in the world of opera for so long. His perspective is also informed by his experience conducting operas.

 

Geter also spoke about the process of putting an opera together. He explained the importance of a libretto workshop before writing the music. He also noted that there are many factors influencing the timeline for a production, including when the composer turns in the music and how organized the company is. Ideally, singers need a few months to learn their roles. He noted that some companies have unrealistic expectations about the time needed to create a new opera. Geter said that he would prefer to have two years to write an opera, but he's been doing it in six months lately and it feels rushed.

A key theme in the interview was the importance of representation in opera. Geter emphasized that people are more likely to engage with opera when they see themselves represented on stage. He noted that he didn't see many people who looked like him when he was growing up, and he wants to help Black and brown kids see that they can also pursue a career in classical music. He also spoke of the importance of partnering with communities to build audiences and secure funding, since American opera companies are not state-funded. He also pointed out the need for opera companies to mix new and old works, to appeal to both new and existing audiences.

Geter's approach to music is heavily influenced by the classical tradition, particularly composers like Beethoven and Brahms. However, he also incorporates elements of his background, such as his experience with jazz, his upbringing in the church, and his perspective as a Black person in the United States. He notes that his music will inherently have elements of his identity even if he's not intentionally writing about those experiences. He wants to have some years where he's not expected to write with a social bend.

Geter spoke about his love for history, which led to him co-authoring a book that examines the social and political context of Western European music. He pointed out that people will likely look back at the art of the 2016-2020 era and understand how much it was influenced by events of that time, such as the Black Lives Matter and Me-Too movements. In addition to his music career, Geter has also had some success as an actor, with a role in the television show Grimm.

Thank you for joining us on One Symphony. Thanks to Damien Geter for sharing his life and music. You can find more info at https://www.damiengetermusic.com. For a list of recordings played on today’s episode please check out our show notes.

 

You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org or DevinPatrickHughes.com including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music. 

Devin Patrick Hughes is joined by Grammy-winner Jason Vieaux is described by NPR as “the most precise and soulful classical guitarist of his generation” and by HuffPost as “revitalizing the classical guitar.”

As a soloist and chamber musician for festivals like San Francisco Performances, Ravinia, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Seoul Arts Center, Shanghai Concert Hall, and featured soloist with the orchestras of Cleveland, Toronto, Houston, Nashville, and more, Jason is considered one of the world’s leading classical guitarists. 

Jason just released “Bach Volume 2: Works for Violin” on Azica Records to critical acclaim and “Shining Night” with violinist Anne Akiko Meyers was released in May. 

He recently recorded Pat Metheny’s “Four Paths of Light” on Metheny’s 2021 album “Road To The Sun”, and won a Grammy in 2015 for best classical instrumental solo for his album PLAY. 

Jason was the recipient of the Guitar Foundation of American International Guitar Competition first prize, and holds faculty positions at Curtis and Cleveland Institutes of Music.

Thank you for joining us for our third season on One Symphony.  Thanks to Jason Vieaux for sharing his music and wealth of knowledge. 

Albums performed on this episode:

• Jason Vieux’s J.S. Bach Viollin Works, Volume 2, Arranged for Guitar, Azica Records
• Laureate Series, Guitar Recital by Jason Vieaux, Naxos
• Pat Metheny, Road to the Sun, Metheny Group Productions, and BMG Rights Managment

You can check out Jason’s music wherever you listen to your music, and online at https://www.jasonvieaux.com. You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Thank you to new supporters Rusty, Catherine, Julia, and Arnette for making this episode possible! Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

Jason Vieaux, guitar

https://www.jasonvieaux.com/

Devin Patrick Hughes, conductor

https://www.soundespressivocompetition.com/services/devin-patrick-hughes

One Symphony Podcast

https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/one-symphony-with-devin-patrick-hughes-_UBbpoivcA3/

 

 

Devin Patrick Hughes sits down with pianist and new music pioneer Michael Mizrahi. Praised as "intrepid" (Philadelphia Inquirer), "engaging" (Houston Chronicle), and "endlessly fascinating" (WQXR New York), pianist Michael Mizrahi has won acclaim for his compelling performances of a wide-ranging repertoire and his ability to connect with audiences of all ages. He’s appeared as concerto soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, and teaching artist across the United States and abroad.

 

Michael Mizrahi has performed in the world’s leading concert halls including Carnegie Hall, the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, and the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and has soloed with orchestras such as the Houston Symphony and the National Symphony. He has won first prize at competitions such as the Ima Hogg International Competition and the Bartok-Kabalevsky Competition. 

 

Michael Mizrahi is a founding member of NOW Ensemble and also a member of Decoda, ensembles on the forefront of premiering and championing new classical music, has recorded extensively for New Amsterdam Records, including Currents which was featured as one of NPR’s best albums of the year and album of the week on WQXR. Michael is on faculty at the Lawrence University Conservatory, where he trains a new generation of musical Jedi. 

 

Thank you for joining us on One Symphony, My apologies for the hiatus, I had a bad case of COVID in May, but am happy to be back in action!  Thanks to Michael Mizrahi for sharing his music and wealth of knowledge. Thank you to NOW Ensemble and New Amsterdam records for making this episode possible! 

Computer Wave by William Brittelle and 4 Pieces for Solo Piano by Ryan Brown can be found on the album, The Bright Motion. Dreamfall by Mark Dancigers and Cradle from Before and After by Sean Friar were performed by NOW ensemble. 

 

You can check out the music of Michael Mizrahi and NOW Ensemble wherever you listen to your music, and online at michaelmizrahipiano.com and nowensemble.com. You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Thank you to new supporters Robin and James for making this show possible! Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

Conductor Devin Patrick Hughes is joined by composer Sean Friar. Friar grew up in Los Angeles, and has been described by Slate Magazine as having a sensibility that is "refreshingly new and solidly mature… and instead takes joy in the process of discovery and in the continual experience of suspense and surprise that good classical music has always championed." A winner of the Rome Prize, Friar composes for ensembles of all stripes from orchestra and chamber ensembles to a junk car percussion concerto, a laptop orchestra, and a microtonal piano duo. He’s been commissioned by ensembles the world over including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Berlin Philharmonic, the American Composers Orchestra, and Alarm Will Sound. 

Thank you for joining us on One Symphony and thanks to Sean Friar for sharing his music and insights. Thank you to all the incredible performers and record labels that made this episode possible! Velvet Hammer and Before and After were performed by the NOW Ensemble on New Amsterdam Records. 

You can check out the music of Sean Friar wherever you listen to your music, and online at https://www.seanfriar.com. You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Thank you to Sam, Jenny, and Alicia for making this show possible! Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

Devin Patrick Hughes interviews Tõnu Kõrvits, an Estonian composer who’s music has been performed the world over.  

His works belong to the repertoire of the most important Estonian orchestras, choirs, and artists, and have been performed globally by groups such as the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Swedish Radio Choir, The Sixteen Choir, Southern Chorale, and many more. 

As a talented and prolific creator, he has garnered numerous recognitions from Estonian state and cultural institutions.  

Tõnu’s recording "Moorland Elegies" was given the Estonian Music Award in the category of The Best Classical Album of the Year in 2017. 

In 2015, Tõnu Kõrvits became an honorary citizen of Clarksdale, Mississippi for his music which he created as a tribute to Clarksdale, the Delta, and to the preservation of the Blues. He is composition professor at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. 

 

Thank you for joining us on One Symphony and thanks to Tõnu Kõrvits for sharing his music and insights. Thank you to all the incredible performers and record labels that made this episode possible! Hymns to the Nordic Lights, Silent Songs, Tears-Fantasy, and Elegies of Thule were performed by the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Risto Joost on the Ondine Label.

Tasase Maa Laul was performed by Kadri Voorand, Tönu Kaljuste, and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra on ECM Records and Deutsche Grammophon. Moorland Elegies was performed by Marianne Pärna, the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra conducted by Risto Joost.

 

You can check out the music Tõnu Kõrvits wherever you listen to your music, and online at https://www.emic.ee/tonu-korvits. You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org and at DevinPatrickHughes.com including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Thank you to John and Christina, and Jacob and Owen for making this show possible! Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

 

Author and scholar Laura Tunbridge and conductor Devin Patrick Hughes discuss the historical Beethoven in rehearsals, as the entrepreneur, the conductor, the early adopter of technologies, the family man, his controversial metronome markings, and the authenticity behind historically informed performance practice. Tunbridge is a Professor of Music at the University of Oxford, UK and the author of books about Robert Schumann, art-song, and Beethoven: A Life in Nine Pieces, and is currently working on a book about string quartets. 

 

The book is Laura Tunbridge’s Beethoven: A Life in Nine Pieces, published by Yale University Press. Thank you Laura for sharing your amazing passion and wealth of knowledge about Beethoven’s life and music. Thank you to all record labels and performers that made this episode possible, musical excerpts came from Fidelio, the Third Sonata for Cello and Piano, the Choral Fantasy, Symphonies Three and Seven and the Piano Trio in C minor, performed by Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic, Angela Denoke, Jon Villars, Emanuel Ax, Yo-Yo Ma, Vladimir Ashkenazy and the Cleveland Orchestra, Andre Previn and the Royal Philharmonic, Henryk Szeryng, Pierre Fournier, Wilhelm Kempff, Paavo Järvi and the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, and Sony Classical.

You can find the book wherever books are sold, and follow Laura Tunbridge on Twitter. You can check out more info about One Symphony or lend your support for the show at OneSymphony.org.  Thank you to our most recent supporters Jessica, Bonnie, Carl, Lauren, and Steven. Please feel free to rate, review, and share the show on all platforms. Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

Devin Patrick Hughes sits down with Conductor Robin Fountain, who is the Professor of Conducting at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music. He’s worked with orchestras around the world including the Singapore Symphony, the Louisiana Philharmonic, L’Orchestre Philharmonique Sainte Trinité (Haiti), Traverse City Symphony, and the Southwest Michigan Symphony where he transformed the orchestra’s performance level, repertoire, and scope, creating a summer series, a Chorus, and Music Makers, a teaching program for underserved students.

 

Robin was educated at Oxford, the Royal College of Music in London, Carnegie Mellon University, was an Aspen Conducting Fellow, and also trained with members of the Berlin Philharmonic at The Conductors Lab in Aix-en-Provence, which he translated their world class style of music-making to develop his 6th Principals for a More Rewarding Life in Music, in his recent book The Ensemble Musician, co-written with Thomas Verrier.

 

The book is The Ensemble Musician, Six Principles for a More Rewarding Life in Music, by Robin Fountain and Thomas E. Verrier. You can find it wherever books are sold! Thank you to Robin Fountain for sharing his insights for a more successful and rewarding ensemble experience, and to Robin and music students of the Vanderbilt University Orchestra for their exciting rendition of Gustav Holst’s the Planets. 

 

You can find more info about Robin and his book at RobinFountain.com. You can check out more info about One Symphony or lend your support for the show at OneSymphony.org.  Thank you to our most recent supporters Kim, Susan, Christian, Anthony, and Sarah. Please feel free to rate, review, and share the show on all platforms. Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

Charles Wetherbee and Korine Fujiwara of Carpe Diem String Quartet chat with conductor Devin Patrick Hughes on One Symphony. The Carpe Diem String Quartet is a boundary-breaking ensemble who’s mission is to forge a new identity for chamber music by championing living composers, undertaking daring projects with other art forms, and promoting the healing power of music. They’ve earned widespread acclaim for their performances of standard repertoire, new music, genre-bending collaborations, and community engagement. 

Carpe Diem defies classification with programming and collaborations that encompass and blend new and old, including classical, Romani, tango, folk, pop, rock, jazz, and multicultural music. Their outreach performances, including MusiCare, Music Goes 2 School, and Music from the Start, incorporate diverse and eclectic repertoire tailored to specific audience demographics, bringing their inspiring performances and outreach to diverse audiences such as the Apache Nation to families at the Columbus Museum of Art, and residents at the Ohio Women’s Reformatory.

Thank you to Carpe Diem String Quartet members Charles Wetherbee and Korine Fujiwara, and all the amazing artists who made this episode possible! Korine Fujiwara’s Cherry Blossom from the album Montana was played by the Carpe Diem String Quartet, and Fujiwara’s The Storyteller, a Concerto for Violin and String Orchestra was performed by Charles Wetherbee, conducted by Chosei Komatsu and the Central Aichi Symphony Orchestra. For Reza Vali’s The Book of Calligraphy Carpe Diem was joined by Darius Saghafi on Albany Records. Erbek Eryilmaz’s Insistent Music was performed by the composer and Carpe Diem String Quartet. 

You can follow Carpe Diem at CarpeDiemStringQuartet.com, and go to OneSymphony.org for more info, or if you’d like to donate to keep the music playing and support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, and share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

The holidays are a great time to catch up on all our favorite movies, and many of these films wouldn’t enjoy the popularity they do without their amazing soundtracks! Today on One Symphony, I wanted to share with you some of my Holiday Film Score favorites!  I’d like to thank our new sponsors including Kevin, Kim, Dana, Dennis, and Sound Espressivo Online Global Music Competition for their support to make One Symphony possible. Join conductor Devin Patrick Hughes as he explores some classical films scores including Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas from Meet Me in St. Louis, Gremlins by Jerry Goldsmith, Home Alone by John Williams, and Danny Elfman's Nightmare Before Christmas. Along the way we explore how these mammoth scores were influences by composers and works like Aaron Copland, Hector Berlioz, Tchaikovsky, Kurt Weill, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Franz Schubert, and many more! 

Thank you for listening, I hope your holidays are filled with love, joy, and a bit of entertainment from some of these great films and soundtracks. 

Thank you to all the amazing performers and record labels who made this episode possible including Danny Elfman, Disney, Judy Garland, UMG Recordings, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Geffen Records, the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, Silva Screen Records, Warner Brothers, Orchestra of the Marinsky Theatre and Valery Gergiev, Universal Music, Atlanta Symphony and Louis Lane, Alessio Randon and Naxos, the Boston Symphony and Charles Munch, Valentina Lisitsa, Michael Francis and the London Symphony, Ute Lemper, Jeff Cohen and the RIAS Sinfonietta Berlin, with John Mauceri on Decca, Everest Records, Katherine O’Hara, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Daniel Barenboim, and Mel Torme.

You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to lend your support to the podcast. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

Back by popular demand!  Devin breaks down Tchaikovsky’s beloved Nutcracker. It wouldn’t be the Christmas Holiday in the western world without the magical sounds of the Nutcracker, composed by the great Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and centering around Clara, a young girl who falls in love with a Nutcracker Prince and conjures an epic battle against a Mouse King with Seven Heads. We’ll travel into the fantastical worlds of Tchaikovsky, writer and musician E.T.A. Hoffmann, and choreographer Marius Petipa as we bring this marvelous ballet to life. Don’t worry, there will be plenty of holiday sweets to keep you focused!

Thank you to all the incredible record labels and performers who made this episode possible. Ensembles: Orchestra of the Kirov Opera, Apotheosis Orchestra, Ensemble Musica Nigella, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, Oslo Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic Conductors: Valery Gergiev, Korneel Bernolet, Takénori Némoto, Jan Koetsier, Gustavo Dudamel, Mariss Jansons Soloists: Éléonore Pancrazi, Rita Streich, Melitta Muszely, Raimund Grumbach, (singers); Philippe Bianconi, pianist Labels: Philips, Apotheosis, Klarthe, La Dolce Volta, Classical Moments, Deutsche Grammophon, Chandos, Decca Thank you for joining us. you can always find more info at OneSymphony.org. Please feel free to rate review or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

Conductor Devin Patrick Hughes interviews Matthew Detrick, who is a violinist and entrepreneurial leader in the professional arts world, and founded and serves as executive and artistic director of the Apollo Chamber Players, which is an internationally-acclaimed chamber music ensemble serving millions around the world in the realm of creative, programmatic performance, and through commissions of multicultural new music.  Apollo Chamber Players includes Matthew J. Detrick, violin, Founder, Artistic & Executive Director, Anabel Ramirez Detrick, violin and Content and Outreach Manager, Whitney Bullock, viola and Education Coordinator, and Matthew Dudzik, cello and Chief Financial Officer. In addition to Apollo, Matthew also is a frequent guest speaker on leadership in the arts, awards funding through the Texas Commission for the Arts, and runs Detrick Arts, which contracts ensembles for charity and corporate events.  He serves as concertmaster of the Symphony of Southeast Texas and has served as soloist and musician for ensembles including Houston Grand Opera and Ballet, and the period ensemble Mercury, and was awarded the Chamber Music America Residency Award. Matt and Apollo can be heard on Navona Records, Azica Records, and Parma Recordings. Thank you for joining us on One Symphony and thanks to Matt Detrick for sharing Apollo’s music and story. All works were performed by the Apollo Chamber Players.  You heard Seremoj es Romanca from the album European Folkscapes. We Will Sing One Song by Eve Beglarian includes Arsen Petrosyan, Pejman Hadadi, and Joan DerHovsepian. With Malice Towards None by Kimo Williams features electric violinist Tracy Silverman. String Quartet no. 6, Nostalgia de las montañas is by Leo Brouwer. Imágenes de Cuba is by Arthur Gottschalk. Themes of Armeninan Folksongs by Komitas Vardapet was arranged by S. Aslamazyan and Matthew Detrick, and Apollo was joined by Joan DerHovsepian. Mây for Đàn bầu & String Quartet was composed by Van-Anh Vo. You can check out Apollo’s performances, and donate to the cause at apollochamberplayers.org.  You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to lend your support to the podcast. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

In this episode of One Symphony with conductor Devin Patrick Hughes, Devin has an inspiring conversation with bass virtuoso and composer Kebra Seyoun Charles. From their early exposure to African drumming and gospel music to becoming a celebrated classical musician, Charles shares their unique journey and vision for the future of classical music through their "Counter Classical" style. Charles's work embodies a fresh perspective on classical music's future, one that honors tradition while embracing innovation and inclusivity. Their approach shows that classical music's evolution doesn't require abandoning its foundations, but rather expanding its boundaries to embrace diverse influences and experiences. As they put it, "Classical music is so beautiful and so ephemeral and it can't be contained."

Charles explores growing up in a musical household and how that led to their disvoery of the film composer, Erich Woflgang Korngold. They also discuss the autobiographical ballet project, Enby, that’s based on their experience as a nonbinary person developing in the world. 

Kebra-Seyoun Charles is able to give prominence to the dance qualities in all forms of music. Kebra-Seyoun has performed alongside esteemed improvisers and composers such as Jon Batiste, at Carnegie Hall, and Tyshawn Sorey, at the New England Conservatory. Kebra-Seyoun was also featured in “Slugs’ Saloon” at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, an interactive installation created by famed jazz musician and composer Jason Moran.

Kebra-Seyoun Charles is also a passionate chamber musician. Playing with groups like East Coast Chamber Orchestra, A Far Cry, Palaver Strings, and the Sphinx Virtuosi afford Kebra the opportunity to showcase virtuosity while still playing within an ensemble. A prime example of this is their tenure on the 2019 Emmy award-winning Broadway production “Hadestown”.

Thank you for joining us on One Symphony. Thanks to Kebra-Seyoun Charles for sharing their amazing spirit and music-making. You can find  more info at https://www.kscharles.com. Recordings from the episode include: 

• Koussevitsky: Concerto for Double Bass, First Movement. Featuring Kebra-Seyoun Charles on Double Bass. Performed with the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Benjamin Zander conducting.
• Dating in NY. Composed by Kebra-Seyoun Charles. Featuring Charles on bass and musicians from the Juilliard School. 
• The third movement from Andres Martin’s Bass Concerto. Performed by Charles with the New World Symphony under the direction of Chad Goodman.
• First movement from Erich Korngold’s Piano Quintet, op. 15. Performed by the ARC Ensemble from the Royal Conservatory, Toronto. 
• Erich Korngold’s Cello Concerto in One Movement. Featuring Victor Julien-Laferrière on cello performing with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony. Conducted by Marie Jacquot.
• “Another Breakup Song.” Composed by Kebra-seyoun Charles. Featuring Charles on bass. Kayla Williams on viola, Joseph Brent on mandolin, Sommer Alteir on violin, and Kabir Adiya-Kumar on percussion. 
• “Galaxy,” composed by Xavier Foley. Featuring Kebra-seyoun Charles and Xavier Foley on bass accompanied by the Sphinx Virtuosi. 
• Holdberg Suite. Composed by Edvard Grieg. Performed by the Palaver Strings featuring Kebra-Seyoun Charles on bass. 

You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org or DevinPatrickHughes.com including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music. 

 

Tracy Silverman, electric violin virtuoso and pioneer, and conductor Devin Patrick Hughes speak about “The Agony of Modern Music,” the history of how many strings came to be on the violin, Tracy’s debut with the Chicago Symphony, his stint as a musical Olympian, how to not achieve perfection, playing like Ray Charles, Jascha Heifetz, and Jimi Hendrix. He also discusses his collaborations with Terry Riley, John Adams and his Electric Violin Concerti, and his album Between the Kiss and the Chaos.

 

Described as “the greatest living exponent of the electric violin” by the BBC, pioneering violinist and composer Tracy Silverman believes “strings must evolve or they will perish” and his mission is to reconnect strings with our popular culture and to teach string players to groove. His groundbreaking work incorporating rock, jazz, Americana, hip-hop, and other popular genres with the 6-string electric violin has upended the contemporary classical genre, and his strum bowing method has been adopted by performers all around the world.  Terry Riley described Tracy’s violin playing as being like an orchestra itself. John Adams said: “When I heard Tracy play I was reminded that in almost all cultures other than the European classical one, the real meaning of the music is in between the notes.  No one makes that instrument sing and soar like Tracy, floating on the cusp between Heifetz and Jimi Hendrix.” Tracy was first violinist in the Turtle Island String Quartet, and was named one of the 100 distinguished alumni by the Juilliard School, and as a composer has 3 Electric Violin concerts among other works, and has performed concertos written for him by John Adams, Terry Riley, Nico Muhly, and Kenji Bunch. The violin virtuoso and humanitarian was recently featured on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts, Performance Today, CBS Sunday Morning, and A Prairie Home Companion, and is an internationally in-demand clinician and currently teaches at Belmont University in Nashville.  Thank you for joining us on One Symphony and thanks to Tracy Silverman for sharing his performances and works. You heard Between the Kiss and the Chaos, Hundred Percent Forever, the Beatles Here Comes the Sun, Axis and Orbits, Crazy Times, John Adams’s the Dharma at Big Sur, all performed by Tracy Silverman.  

Additional performances were by the Beatles, Fanny Clamagirand, Sinfonia Finlandia, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, the Berlin Philharmonic, the BBC Symphony, and John Adams. Thanks to the record labels Delos, Naxos, Acewonder, and Nonesuch for making this episode possible!  You can check out Tracy’s music and books at  tracysilverman.com and strumbowing.com. You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to lend your support. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

Holly Mulcahy, violinist and thought leader in classical music speaks with conductor Devin Patrick Hughes. They discuss what classical music can learn from the wine industry, programming for modern audiences, playing for prisoners, pandemic revelations, and tools to create classical music accessibility, including when to clap, and bringing kids to the symphony. Also featured on the show is Holly’s performance of George Clinton’s Rose of Sonora! 

Holly Mulcahy is an in-demand American violin soloist, concertmaster of the Wichita Symphony and Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, a thought leader in the symphonic music field and non-profit world, and a true classical music entrepreneur. She has collaborated with many exciting living composers like Jennifer Higdon, Philip glass, and Hollywood composer George Stanley Clinton on the Rose of Sonora, a violin concerto and epic western adventure story inspired by love and revenge.  Holly founded Arts Capacity, which brings live interactive performances and art to prisons, is the author of Neo Classical, and is constantly brainstorming, advocating, and acting to make the orchestra more assessable to all.   Thank you for joining us on One Symphony and thanks to Holly Mulcahy for sharing her passions, performances, and insights. George S. Clinton’s Rose of Sonora was performed by Holly Mulcahy.  You can learn more about Holly’s advocacy, leadership, and performances at https://www.hollymulcahy.com and at https://insidethearts.com/neoclassical/ and her nonprofit https://artscapacity.org. You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to lend your support. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

Siwoo Kim, violinist and Devin Patrick Hughes, conductor speak about the violin virtuoso’s early life, his mindset instilled from his mother, Siwoo’s approach to phrasing, singing, and repertoire, as well as VIVO Music Festival, composers that excite us, and the music that make’s us cry. Other topics include teachers and collaborating with composers and musicians.

 

Violinist SIWOO KIM has been described as “incisive” and “compelling” by The New York Times and playing with “stylistic sensitivity and generous tonal nuance” by the Chicago Tribune.

Siwoo performs as soloist and chamber musician, and as a multifaceted entrepreneur, co-founded the VIVO Music Festival in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.

Siwoo made his Carnegie Hall debut with the Juilliard Orchestra, and has performed with orchestras around the world including the Staatsorchester Brandenburgisches Frankfurt, Houston Symphony, Kwazulu-Natal Philharmonic, in venues like Walt Disney Concert Hall, and many more!

And I should say that very soon he’ll be returning to the Salina Symphony!

He has collaborated with world-renown artists such as Itzhak Perlman, Jeremy Denk, Joyce DiDonato, Mitsuko Uchida, and string quartets such as Guarneri, Julliard, and Takács.

He has been featured as a guest artist at international festivals including those at Tivoli, Bergen, and Ensemble Ditto in South Korea and has taken top prizes in many competitions including Crescendo, Juilliard, and youngArts.

Siwoo welcome to One Symphony, I’m so excited to be speaking with you today!

 

Thank you for joining us on One Symphony and thanks to Siwoo Kim for sharing his performances and insights. Thank you to all the incredible performers and record labels that made this episode possible including Sony and Linn records.

 

Bach’s Second Violin concerto was performed by Siwoo Kim and the New York Classical Players conducted by Dongmin Kim.

Mozart’s 5th Violin Concerto was performed by Siwoo Kim and the Orchestra Royal de Chambre de Wallonie, with Jean-Jacques Kantorow conducting.

Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy was performed by Jascha Heifetz and the Boston Symphony conducted by Charles Munch

Samuel Adler’s Violin Concerto was performed by Siwoo Kim and Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt, conducted by Emily Freeman Brown.

 

You can check out Siwoo’s website and schedule online at http://www.siwookim.com and his upcoming music festival at https://www.vivofestival.org. You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to lend your support. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

Composer Jerod Tate and conductor Devin Patrick Hughes discuss Chickasaw musical culture, Jerod’s influences and how composers are plugged into ethnicity and national identity, along with growing up with Stravinsky, Bartok, Barber, and Liszt. They also chat about Jerod’s compositional process for some of his most performed works, American Indian hymns and much more.    Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate is a classical composer, citizen of the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma and is dedicated to the development of American Indian classical composition. He has recently worked as Guest Artist for the San Francisco Symphony Currents program Thunder Song: American Indian Musical Cultures and was recently Guest Composer for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Balcony Bar program Home with ETHEL and Friends, featuring his commissioned work Pisashi (Reveal) for String Quartet. His commissioned works has been performed all over North American, including the National Symphony, Dallas and Detroit Symphonies, the Minnesota Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic, Winnipeg Symphony, South Dakota Symphony and many more! Jerod Tate has held the Composer-in-Residency for Music Alive, a national residency program of the League of American Orchestras and New Music USA, and brings music instruction and inspiration to the next generation through his work with the Chickasaw Summer Arts Academy, and has taught composition to American Indian high school students in Minneapolis, the Hopi, Navajo, and Lummi reservations, and to Native students in Toronto. Jerod has some amazing recordings available on the Grammy Award winning label, Azica Records, including Iholba’ (The Vision) for solo Flute, Orchestra and Chorus, and Tracing Mississippi, a Concerto for Fute and Orchestra. He earned his music and composition degrees from Northwestern University and the Cleveland Institute of Music, and also performed on keyboard for the Broadway tours of Les Misérables and Miss Saigon.  Thank you for joining us on One Symphony and thanks to Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate for sharing his music and insights. Thank you to all the incredible performers and record labels that made this episode possible! Lowak Shoppala’ (Fire and Light) was played by the Nashville String Machine and conducted by the composer, with the Chickasaw Nation Children’s Chorus and Dance Troupe. Vocal Soloists are Stephen Clark, Chelsea Owen, Meghan Vera Starling, and Narrators are Lynne Moroney, Wes Studi, and Richard Ray Whitman. It’s available on Azica Records. Tchaikovsky’s Second Symphony was played by the Oslo Philharmonic and conducted by Mariss Jansons on the Chandos label. Pisachi was performed on Documerica, by ETHEL String Quartet with Ralph Farris (viola), Dorothy Lawson (cello), Kip Jones (violin) and Corin Lee (violin) on the Innova label. Heloha Okchamali was played by Elizabeth Hill, Piano and Anastasia Christofakis, Clarinet. Tracing Mississippi was recorded by the San Francisco Symphony and San Francisco Symphony Chorus conducted by Edwin Outwater and is available on Azica Records. You can check out Jerod’s music online at https://jerodtate.com. You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to lend your support. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

Composer Anna Clyne joins conductor Devin Patrick Hughes on One Symphony. They discuss Anna’s influences like Stravinsky, Steve Reich, and Arvo Part, composing based on poetry from Rumi to Shakespeare, along with silence in music, symphonic programming, repurposing material from others or yourself, and a way for a composer to be in the room with an orchestra from anywhere in the world! Anna Clyne is a GRAMMY-nominated composer of acoustic and electro-acoustic music.  Described as a “composer of uncommon gifts and unusual methods” by the New York Times and as “fearless” by NPR, Clyne is one of the most acclaimed and in-demand composers of her generation, connecting her music across art forms with innovative collaborations with choreographers, visual artists, filmmakers, and musicians.  Also the winner of the 2016 Hindemith Prize, Anna Clyne is currently the Associate composer for the Sottish Chamber Orchestra, and has held composer residencies with the Chicago Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, and the National Orchestra of France.  Some of Anna Clyne’s most amazing works that have been performed by the top orchestras, soloists and conductors around the world, include Dance for cello and orchestra, Night Ferry, Rewind, This midnight Hour, Prince of Clouds, The Seamstress, Sound and Fury and Within Her Arms.  Marin Alsop said it best by describing Anna’s music as “always emotional and driven by her heart, and skillfully composed”. Thank you for joining us on One Symphony and thanks to Anna Clyne for sharing her music and insights. Thank you to all the incredible performers and record labels that made this episode possible!

Cornelius Dufallo and Amy Kauffman played Tea Leaves from The Violin. 

Dance was performed by Inbal Segev, and the London Philharmonic conducted by Marin Alsop.

Masquerade was performed by the BBC Symphony conducted by Marion Alsop. 

A Wonderful Day was performed by Anna Clyne and Willie Barbee from Bang on a Can All-Stars on the Cantaloupe Music label.

  Rewind was performed by the BBC Symphony and Andre de Ridder.

Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring was performed by the London Symphony and Rafael Frübeck de Burgos. 

Beethoven’s Grosse Fuge was performed by the Takács Quartet. 

Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra was played by the Hungarian State Symphony and Adám Fischer.

You can check out Anna Clyne’s music online at annaclyne.com. You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

Composer Jack Frerer joins conductor Devin Patrick Hughes on One Symphony today. They speak about the secret sauce to writing great music, conducting and composing teachers, comedy in music, how rock guitar and music theory make a great classical composer, and much more! The music of Australian composer Jack Frerer has been performed around the world, including the Arapahoe Philharmonic, Nashville Symphony, and Albany Symphony.

Although still a young composer at the age of 26, Jack has received numerous awards, including a Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a Morton Gould Composers Award from ASCAP, the Suzanne and Lee Ettelson Composers Award, the Brian Israel Prize from the Society for New Music, and was winner of both the Juilliard Orchestra and Gena Raps Chamber Music competitions. He was a Tanglewood fellow for 2019, a composer for New York City Ballet’s, and is currently Composer-in-Residence with the Arapahoe Philharmonic. Jack studied with John Corigliano and Robert Beaser at Juilliard, and is currently a graduate student at the Yale.

Thank you for joining us on One Symphony and thanks to Jack Frerer for sharing his music and insights. Thank you to all the incredible performers that made this episode possible. Downloads was played by KJ Mcdonald, Philip Sheegog, Ning Zhang, Viola Chan and Joey Chang. On-Again, Off-Again was performed by The Juilliard Orchestra. Spiral Sequences by the Azure Quartet: Kj McDonald, Brenden Zak, Hannah Geisinger and Yifei Li. Stutter Step was played by Kevin Zhu, Philip Sheegog and Tengku Irfan. The Present Hour was performed by The Albany Symphony’s ‘Dogs of Desire’ ensemble, featuring vocalists Lucy Dhegrae and Lucy Fitzgibbon, and texts by Ayla Sullivan, Dominic Huey, Emily Brontë and Amy Ludwig VanDerwater.  Brahms’s Symphony no. 1 was performed by Paavo Berglund and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe on the Ondine label.  

You can check out Jack’s music online at jackfrerer.com. You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

Conductor Devin Patrick Hughes interviews rapper Lightskin Legend on One Symphony today. Change is a mission statement for the charismatic 21 year-old Lightskin Legend, whose high aspirations to change the genre of hip hop and create social movement around the world drive his creative inspiration. A graduate of Rhodes College and master’s student at the University of San Diego but originally from Colorado, Grayson Walker is the grandson of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer George Walker and son of renowned concert violinist Gregory T.S. Walker, who is also with us today.    Lightskin Legend has become a cult favorite with hits like “My Shot”, “Pretty Faces”, and “Main Thang”, and continues to expand in popularity as his unique lyricism and signature sound makes its way around the world. “My Shot” reached the top 25 in the U.K. iTunes Hip Hop Charts, and his latest album Commitment Issues seeks to build off that success. Lightskin Legend recently made his Symphonic debut on Gregory T.S. Walker’s dream n the hood, and I’m excited to bridge the symphony and r&b worlds together.   There is a Parental Advisory warning on the music featured in this episode. If you have kids in the room please make appropriate adjustments. Thank you for joining us on One Symphony with Devin Patrick Hughes and thanks to Lightskin Legend for sharing his amazing gifts and insights, and to his father Gregory T.S. Walker for joining in the conversation. Musical selections were performed and produced by Lightskin Legend and included Pretty Faces, Id, Commitment Issues, & Costa Rica. Ponce De-Leioun also performed on Pretty Faces. You can experience Lightskin Legend’s music on all platforms. You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

I am so excited today to be speaking with the globetrotting mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung. One of the most exciting artists of her generation, Michelle appears frequently with the world’s top orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sao Paulo Symphony, and the Concertgebouw orchestra.  She has also appeared in the top music festivals around the world including Ravinia, Tanglewood, Aspen, Salzburg, and Lucerne. She’s worked with the most legendary conductors in classical music including Daniel Barenboim, Pierre Boulez, Sir Colin Davis, Gustavo Dudamel, Bernard Haitink, Seiji Ozawa, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Mariss Jansons, and many more. Michelle has performed in the worlds great houses in works across the operatic spectrum from Wagner and Strauss to Bartok and Berlioz, and also regularly presents recitals across the world. Her recordings of Mahler’s 3rd symphony and Kindertotenlieder with the San Francisco Symphony and Berlioz’s Trojans with the London Symphony both received the Grammy for Best Classical Album and Best Opera Recordings. While not touring the globe and during the pandemic, Michelle can be found in Broomfield, CO, and I’m very honored to have her on the show today! Thank you for joining us on One Symphony and thanks to Michelle DeYoung for sharing her amazing musical gifts and insights. Thank you to all the incredible performers and labels that made this episode possible. All vocal performances you heard feature Michelle DeYoung.  Gustav Mahler’s Symphony no. 2, the Resurrection, was performed by the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Pierre Boulez on Deutsche Grammophon. Esa-Pekka Salonen led the Philharmonia Orchestra in Bela Bartok’s Duke Bluebeard’s Castle on Signum Records. Der Abschied from Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde was played by the Minnesota Orchestra conducted by Eiji Oue on Reference Recordings. You can experience Michelle’s work and upcoming concerts online at MichelleDeYoung.com. You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

I’m excited to share with you my interview with the fantastic composer and educator Edgar Girtain. I had a blast recording this interview, and I’m sure you’ll get a kick out Edgar’s passions and insights. I wanted to give all my listeners a heads up on this episode that there is some more colorful language and a depiction of a historical murder during the show. So if you have kids in the room or may find this content at all offensive, you may want make necessary adjustments.  That being said, I hope you enjoy the interview!    Edgar Girtain is a traditional american composer with dozens of orchestral, chamber, and vocal works to his name. His music is regularly performed by a quantity of name-droppables in more places than even the composer can be sure of, and he holds beyond a reasonable number of degrees in music from several august institutions of higher education. His teachers include some composers you've probably heard of, but he learned the most from the teachers whose names you haven't, such as Charles Fussell, america's greatest forgotten composer. (He also owes deep gratitude to that elder statesman of eccentric american composers, David Felder). Edgar is regularly featured in his local newspaper, occasionally mentioned in bigger ones, and carves out his living as the head administrator of a minuscule university music department in cold, rainy Puerto Montt, Chile. Born in 1988, he's a married father of more than one daughter.   Thank you for joining us on One Symphony and thanks to Edgar Girtain for sharing his music and insights. Thank you to all the incredible performers that made this episode possible. Music was excerpted from Edgar’s Isolation Day 253, his Trios and Barbara Allen for voice and violin. You can check out Edgar’s music online at edgarfgirtainiv.com You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

The distinguished American composer Barbara Harbach spent her career as a performer, professor, creator of symphonies, operas, string orchestra works, musicals, chamber music, silent film scores, ballets and much more. For decades she has been a trailblazing advocate for women in the arts. Her music can be found on many major labels such as MSR Classics, Naxos & Albany Records, and many more, with two upcoming album releases of chamber and orchestral music!  Barbara holds degrees from Yale and Eastman. Along with her Curators Distinguished Professorship at the University of Missouri in St. Louis, she’s received the Hellenic Spirit Foundation Award, YWCA Leader of Distinction award and many more.  Thank you for joining us on One Symphony and thanks to Barbara Harbach for sharing her music and performances. Thank you to all the incredible performers and record labels that made this episode possible. 

• Twilight Dream from Frontier Fancies was performed by the Slovak Radio Symphony, violinist Frantisek Novotny, and conducted by Kirk Trevor on MSR Classics. • In Peace and Joy I Now Depart from Barbara’s Suite Luther, Eliza and Lizzie from the Freedom Suite for String Orchestra, Together in Harmony from Symphony for Ferguson, and Midnight Tango from Night Soundings for Orchestra were performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by David Angus • Ireland Remembered from Incantata was played by the St. Louis Chamber Players, conducted by James Richards.  • O Most Noble Greenness from Visions of Hildegard and Danza Flamenco from Cuatro Danzas para Flauta y Piano were played by flautist Jennifer Mazzoni, violinist Jane Price, and pianist Alla Voskoboynikova

You can check out Barbara’s music online at BarbaraHarbach.com. You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

In this episode of One Symphony, host Devin Patrick Hughes interviews Dr. Samantha Ege, pianist and musicologist, about the life and works of Florence Price. Dr. Ege discusses Price's musical style, her significance in American classical music, and the recent rediscovery of her compositions. The conversation covers Price's role in the Chicago music scene, her blending of classical and African American musical traditions, and the challenges she faced as a Black female composer in the early 20th century. Dr. Ege also shares insights from her own recordings of Price's piano works and her upcoming scholarly publications on the composer.

 

Dr. Samantha Ege is a leading scholar and interpreter of the African American composer Florence Price.  Her work illuminates Price in the context of the Black Chicago Renaissance and Black women's dynamic networks of advocacy, empowerment, and uplift. Her first book, South Side Impresarios: How Race Women Transformed Chicago's Classical Music Scene, and first edited collection, The Cambridge Companion to Florence B. Price, are important culminations of the research she has shared around the world.

 

Dr Ege is a also concert pianist who specializes in the music of 20th and 21st century composers. Her performances bring her research to life, sounding new narratives that are so often unheard in the modern-day concert hall. Dr Ege seeks to communicate the diversity of classical music's past, present, and future through her performances, and foster a sense of belonging for everyone.

 

In her London debut at the 2021 London Festival of American Music she gave the world premiere of Florence Price's complete Fantasie Nègre set. In 2018, she made her international lecture-recitalist debut at the Chicago Symphony Center with her event A Celebration of Women in Music: Composing the Black Chicago Renaissance. She has performed across the UK, Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia. She has also played with the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra, Oakland Symphony Orchestra, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, and Yale Philharmonia.

 

Thank you for joining us on One Symphony. Thanks to Dr. Samantha Ege for sharing her incredible research, insights, and music-making. You can find her book, South Side Impresarios and more at https://www.samanthaege.com.

 

Music Selections

“Weeping Willow, A Rag Time Two Step.” Composed by Scott Joplin. Performed by Benjamin Loeb on the album Scott Jopin: Piano Rags 2 from Naxos.

Violin Concerto No. 2. Composed by Florence Price. Featuring Kelly Hall-Tompkins on violin with the Urban Playground Chamber Orchestra. Conducted by Thomas Cunningham.

Sonata in E minor “Andante.” Composed by Florence Price. Performed by Samantha Ege.

“Sketches in Sepia.” Composed by Florence Price. Performed by Samantha Ege.

Symphony No. 1 in E minor: I. Allegro ma non troppo. Composed by Florence Price. Performed by The Philadelphia Orchestra. Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor. Available from Deutsche Grammophon.

Symphony No. 3 in C minor: I. Andante – Allegro. Composed by Florence Price. Performed by The Philadelphia Orchestra. Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor. Available from Deutsche Grammophon.

Sonata in E minor “Scherzo.” Composed by Florence Price. Performed by Samantha Ege.

Fantasie Nègre No.4 in B minor. Composed by Florence Price. Performed by Samantha Ege. Available from Lontano Records.

“Snapshots Moon Behind a Cloud.” Composed by Florence Price. Performed by Samantha Ege. Available from Lontano Records.

Fantasie Nègre No.1 in E minor. Composed by Florence Price. Performed by Samantha Ege. Available from Lontano Records.

Juba Dance from Symphony No. 3. Composed by Florence Price. Performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Ricardo Muti, conductor.

Fantasie Nègre No.2 in G minor. Composed by Florence Price. Performed by Samantha Ege. Available from Lontano Records.

 

You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org or DevinPatrickHughes.com including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music. 

Devin speaks with John Clay Allen about musicians and composers who were pioneers in bridging electronic and acoustic sounds, especially around the symphony orchestra.  John Clay Allen is a composer, pianist, educator & explorer on the fringes where classical music meets electronic music. Originally from Ruidoso, New Mexico, his music is a synthesis of post-minimalist and spectralist styles, with an underlying predilection for the romantic. His music values the timbral and textural over the traditional note unit, and uses electronics to extend the realm of acoustic possibility. His body of work ranges from pieces for soloist and chamber ensembles to full orchestra, wind symphony, and opera, and his debut album Asnières (silent “s”) was released in 2020.  Clay’s compositions have been performed across the United States and internationally at festivals including SEAMUS, CICTeM in Buenos Aires, the Cortona Sessions in Italy, and the New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival. Recent commissions include works for the Boulder Symphony, Pendulum New Music’s Spark Award, sAge Brass, the Boulder Altitude Directive, and Ajax string quartet. Clay has been a fellow at New Music on the Point and the Charlotte New Music.  As a performer, Clay frequently appears as a conductor and collaborative pianist, and has performed across the United States. Passionate about education and outreach, Clay has taught lessons and classes in composition, piano, and music technology for nearly a decade and is a founding member of the Equinox New Music Collective, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing new music to new audiences. Clay holds degrees from West Texas A&M University, University of North Texas, and the University of Colorado Boulder where he received his doctorate in composition. Clay currently divides his time teaching at Metropolitan State University of Denver and the University of Colorado Boulder.  Thank you for joining us on One Symphony and thanks to John Clay Allen for sharing his music, knowledge, & expertise. Thank you to all the incredible performers and record labels that made this episode possible. Tchaikovsky’s 4th symphony was performed by the Oslo Philharmonic and Mariss Jansons. Respighi’s Pines of Rome was played by the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Herbert Van Karajan. John Adams Transmigration of Souls was performed by the NY Philharmonic and Lorin Maazel on Nonesuch Records. Au Deuxième Etage by Elainie Lillios is from the album Miniatures Concrètes from the Empreintes Digitales label. Pamela Z’s Ethel Dreams of Temporal Distubances is performed by Ethel, Vijay Iyer & Pamela Z from the album Light Cantaloupe Music. Gérard Grisey’s Partiels from Les espaces acoustiques is played by the WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, conducted by Stefan Asbury on Kairos Records. Warehouse Medicine from the B-Sides by Mason Bates is performed by San Francisco Symphony and Michael Tilson Thomas. The reminder of the tracks come from John Clay Allen’s Asnières, which you can find on all platforms, wherever you listen. You can check out John Clay Allen online at JohnClayAllen.com. You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

Dominique Christina is a writer, performer, educator, activist, Mother, troublemaker, agitator, social commentator, star volleyball player, and was a high school and college teacher for ten years. She was the National Poetry Champion in 2011 and Women of the World Slam Champion in 2012 and 2014. Dominique can be found speaking online on TEDX and also on HBO’s High Maintenance. Her books, available everywhere include:  -The Bones, the Breaking, the Balm, a Colored Girls Hymnal -Anarcha Speaks -This is Woman’s Work: Calling Forth Your Inner Council of Wise, Brave, Crazy, Rebellious, Loving, Luminous Selves We're very excited for you to hear our discussion which covers craft and performance, the etymologies of words, the importance of learning from past poets like Edgar Allen Poe and Beethoven, the relationship between artists and politicians, childhood, motherhood, and more. In additional to some amazing musical selections Dominique shares two of her more recent poems, It’s Morning and Praise Poem at the end of the episode.  Thank you for joining us on One Symphony and thank you to Dominique Christina for sharing her amazing performances. Thank you to all the incredible performers and record labels who made this episode possible. Motherless Child was performed by O.V. Wright on Geffen Records. Simply Beautiful comes from Al Green’s I’m Still in Love with You by Fat Possum.  Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata was performed by Daniel Barenboim. Got to Give it Up by Marvin Gaye is on Motown Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Incorporated. Shallows is from If You Leave by Daughter from Glassnote Entertainment, Daughter and A World Artists Love. The Other Side is from Little Ghost performed distributed by Moonchild, and Entertainment One You can find Dominique Christina’s books, including Anarcha Speaks and This Is Women’s Work on all platforms, wherever books are sold. You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

 

 

Devin breaks down Tchaikovsky’s beloved Nutcracker. It wouldn’t be the Christmas Holiday in the western world without the magical sounds of the Nutcracker, composed by the great Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and centering around Clara, a young girl who falls in love with a Nutcracker Prince and conjures an epic battle against a Mouse King with Seven Heads. We’ll travel into the fantastical worlds of Tchaikovsky, writer and musician E.T.A. Hoffmann, and choreographer Marius Petipa as we bring this marvelous ballet to life. Don’t worry, there will be plenty of holiday sweets to keep you focused!

Thank you to all the incredible record labels and performers who made this episode possible. Ensembles: Orchestra of the Kirov Opera, Apotheosis Orchestra, Ensemble Musica Nigella, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, Oslo Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic Conductors: Valery Gergiev, Korneel Bernolet, Takénori Némoto, Jan Koetsier, Gustavo Dudamel, Mariss Jansons Soloists: Éléonore Pancrazi, Rita Streich, Melitta Muszely, Raimund Grumbach, (singers); Philippe Bianconi, pianist Labels: Philips, Apotheosis, Klarthe, La Dolce Volta, Classical Moments, Deutsche Grammophon, Chandos, Decca Thank you for joining us. you can always find more info at OneSymphony.org. Please feel free to rate review or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

Devin speaks with award winning, internationally renowned, and in-demand conductor of symphonic and operatic repertoire, and writer Mark Wigglesworth. Mark’s conducting skills and passions take him equally formidably from the music of Mozart all the way to the present day.  Maestro Wigglesworth has some incredible recordings featuring all fifteen Shostakovich Symphonies, Mahler’s Sixth Symphonies, Britten’s opera Peter Grimes, and many more. Mark has recently released an incredible book titled the Silent Musician: Why Conducting Matters. This is of interest to conductors, beginning or seasoned, musicians, music lovers, and leaders in any field who want to be more connected to their ensembles and more influential. During the show, Mark speaks about the influence and art of gesture, and the road to discovering you own. He discusses the history of how to decide on tempo, or speed at which music is played, and how it’s all about the character of the music. Mark covers why silence matters, and the effects of COVID on how rehearsals and performances are executed.  Thank you to all the incredible record labels and performers who made this episode possible. All selections were conducted by our guest, Mark Wigglesworth. The excerpts from the 5th and 10th Symphonies of Dmitri Shostakovich were performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Whales on the BIS Records label.  The Piano Concertos of Johannes Brahms were performed by pianist Stephen Hough and the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg.  The 13th Symphony Excerpt of Dmitri Shostakovich features bass soloist Jan-Hendrick Rootering and the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra You can find Mark’s book, The Silent Musician: Why Conducting Matters, published by University of Chicago Press wherever you buy books! Thank you for joining us. you can always find more info at OneSymphony.org. You can find Mark at MarkWigglesworth.com. Please feel free to rate review or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!