As I mentioned in my previous post, I’ve been attending concerts at Heinz Hall for nearly 30 years, a byproduct of some longstanding personal ties I have to the Steel […]
The Composer Comes First: A Conversation with Manfred Honeck Read Post »
PITTSBURGH, PA Last weekend, I attended a recording session of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in Heinz Hall. Ok, that needs some clarification. After witnessing the PSO’s triumphant return to Carnegie
Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Soar with Bruckner 8 at Heinz Hall Read Post »
Watching the absurdly-long State of the Union last night, I couldn’t help but think of this equally-absurd image of Trump conducting an orchestra of his MAGA cronies. Look closely and
An American Cacophony: Tom Service on Trump’s MAGA Orchestra Read Post »
“Conducting has become the profession of a traveling salesman… A conductor has to stay put to educate an orchestra.” – William Steinberg (1899-1978) former music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony
What Price Glory? A Word on Music Directors Read Post »
Despite the prevalence of Finnish conductors at the top of today’s orchestra heap – think Esa-Pekka Salonen, Klaus Mäkelä, or Susanna Malkki, among many others – it’s easy to forget
Budapest Festival Orchestra and Iván Fischer Triumph with Mahler 3 at Carnegie Hall Read Post »
When you live in New York, where we’re spoiled by a never-ending stream of visiting international orchestras, not to mention our very own world-class orchestra, it’s easy to forget that
Identity is an elusive quality among today’s symphony orchestras. Whereas orchestras were once home-grown, populated by players largely from within their own borders, today they have become global ensembles, drawing
The Prague Philharmonia Bring Their Music – and Musicianship – to Carnegie Hall Read Post »
It must bug the bejeezus out of the big-budget U.S. orchestras to hear over and over again that The Cleveland Orchestra – long regarded as one of the Big Five
The Cleveland Orchestra Returns to Carnegie Hall with Mozart and Shostakovich Read Post »
Great music exists all over this country: from the northern plains, to southern California, and everywhere in between. Cross a couple of rivers west from New York and you’ll reach
