In the early 1970s, two Juilliard students met and became close friends. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and pianist Emanuel Ax. Their friendship has spanned almost half a century now, and their musical collaborations go back more than 40 years. On today's show, Fred Child talks to Emanuel Ax and Yo-Yo Ma about music and emotions, and we'll hear from their brand new album Hope Amid Tears.
We don't toss the word "virtuoso" around casually, but in some cases, it clearly applies. On today's episode, join us for virtuosic performance by Alexander Gavrylyuk - who, by the way, would like to redefine what we mean by the word 'virtuoso.'
Composer David Kirkland Garner began writing a piece to honor a particular fiddler's legacy, but, as he found out more, he began moving in a very different direction. On today's show, hear a fiddle tune that's been demolished, transformed, and rebuilt: CROW by David Kirkland Garner.
Antonin Dvorak didn't like having a reputation as a composer of light, charming, toe-tapping tunes. He wanted to create something profound. With that in mind, he began composing a new symphony, and he wrote to a friend: "...this (piece) must shake the world!" Experience the earth-shaking Symphony No. 7, by Dvorak, on this episode of Performance Today.
English composer Ruth Gipps was born in 1921. She composed music throughout her life, but she was also a champion of 20th century music. Gipps founded two orchestras that focussed on music by living composers, and she fought for the place of women among contemporary composers, conductors and performers right up until her death in 1999. On today's show, hear a piece that conductor Jessica Horsley describes as "...the sort of music that just makes everything alright in the world. It heals all wounds", the Symphony No. 2 by Ruth Gipps.
Composer David Kirkland Garner began writing a piece to honor a particular fiddler's legacy, but, as he found out more, he began moving in a very different direction. On today's show, hear a fiddle tune that's been demolished, transformed, and rebuilt: CROW by David Kirkland Garner.
When Hassan Anderson was in high school, he played the school's "loaner" oboe. His mother felt strongly that he was too talented to be playing on a cheap oboe, so she made a big sacrifice; she sold her car to buy his first professional oboe. On today's show, hear Hassan Anderson and pianist Eliran Avni play music by Thomas Dorsey, from a concert in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Composer Michael Abels wrote a piece specifically for the great musical brothers: Anthony and Demarre McGill. It's cooperative and competitive, as well as delicate and powerful at the same time. On today's show, hear the McGill brothers perform Winged Creatures, by Michael Abels.
The Cavatina Duo - flutist Eugenia Moliner and guitarist Denis Azabagic - became curious about music of the Sephardic Jews from Spain and Portugal when they discovered that they both had Sephardic roots. They asked several composers to write new pieces for them based on old Sephardic melodies. On today's show, hear the Cavatina Duo and the Avalon String Quartet perform one of those pieces: the Sephardic Suite, by Clarice Assad.
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