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Did You Know . . . The Longest Symphony in the Standard Repertory Is Mahler’s Third?
It lasts about 100 minutes and is performed quite often, but it is far from the longest ever written.
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5 Minutes with the Balourdet Quartet
At a time when many string quartet residencies are tied to universities or short-term engagements, the Balourdet Quartet has been part of a different kind of experiment in Seattle.
5 Minutes with Composer Niles Luther
The cellist-composer talks about his work translating brushstrokes into sound, composing for a museum gallery rather than a concert hall.
Future Now
A tale of AI woes and possibilities
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A Surplus of Hope—Why Orchestras Are (Cautiously) Feeling Confident Again
Data shows that orchestras are continuing to outperform the wider performing arts sector and attract new ticket buyers, especially among millennials.
Did You Know . . . Tokyo Has Eight Full-Time, Full-Size, Fully Professional Orchestras?
That’s more than any other city in the world.
Artistic Nurture: Louis Levitt on Building the Sybarite Sound Lab
The double bassist describes his latest venture as an incubator where musicians and composers can experiment, collaborate, and build projects of varying size and scope.
High Stakes, New Identities—The Changing Face of the North American Orchestra
North American orchestras are entering a moment when leadership changes, artistic identity, and civic purpose intersect in consequential ways.
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Did You Know . . . Brahms Was the Only Famous Composer in the 19th Century to Write a Full-length Double Concerto for Violin and Cello?
The vast majority of double violin and cello concertos have been written in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Back in Fashion: The Concerto Form Receives Wider Contemporary Attention
The concerto is no longer merely a test of virtuosity. It is a stage for collaboration, a reflection of our time, and a laboratory for works that may still be played 100 years from now.
‘The Music Critic’ Finds Nothing Sacred
Aleksey Igudesman, the San Francisco Symphony, and John Malkovich deliver an evening of laughter, courtesy of some of history’s most celebrated composers—and their detractors.
Adult Education—The Orchestra’s New Front Line
At a time when public school music education is increasingly under threat adult-focused community-based efforts by orchestras have become more than enrichment.
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Orchestrating Excellence—The American String Teachers Association and Suzuki Association of the Americas Support Their Members at Joint National Conferences
The February gathering in San Francisco was a whirlwind of educational seminars, workshops, roundtable discussions, performances, master classes, and industry talks.
5 Minutes with Violinist Hongyi Mo
Poulenc’s great Violin Sonata is at the center of Mo’s debut album, ‘Métamorphoses,’ and serves as the anchor for an exploration of transformation.
Did You Know . . . in Osaka you Can Hear Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony Performed with 10,000 Voices?
Every December, while the western world rolls out an onslaught of ‘Nutcracker’ and ‘Messiah’ performances, Japan is awash in Beethoven’s Ninth.
When HIPP Meets MIPP: The Art of Historically Informed Performance on Modern Instruments
Three leading conductors who specialize in 18th-century repertoire describe how the craft of playing counts for more than rigid historical orthodoxy.
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Did You Know There Is a Symphony Composed in the Strange Key of A-flat Minor (Seven Flats!)?
The Romanian composer Dimitrie Cuclin (1885–1978) also turned out what is possibly the longest symphony ever written.
Arvo Pärt Gets a 90th Birthday Tribute at Carnegie Hall
By Brian Wise; photos by Fadi Kheir For those who associate Arvo Pärt with a contemplative, austerely beautiful (and Hollywood-friendly) version of minimalism, there was plenty to satisfy in a program by the Estonian Festival Orchestra at Carnegie Hall on…
5 Minutes with . . . Lincoln Center’s Mariko Silver
Silver discusses her new role as Lincoln Center's president and CEO and reveals the inspiration behind the planned $335 million redesign of Damrosch Park.
Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers and Pianist Lara Downes Dazzle at KDFC Sky Concert
The key word was “community” at the September 16 concert of all American music in San Francisco.
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5 Minutes with . . . Fiddler Alasdair Fraser
It's been nearly 40 years since Fraser founded the San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers, a group of enthusiasts that's grown to over 300 people.
Did You Know . . . Louis Spohr (1784–1859) Invented the Chin Rest?
And that's just the beginning. So highly regarded was Spohr across Europe that he was an honorary member of no fewer than 38 music societies. Quite a man, this Spohr!
Did You Know: Only a Single Well-Known Composer Has Written One or More Works for Duo, Trio, Quartet, Quintet, Sextet, Septet, Octet, and Nonet Configurations?
That composer is Louis Spohr (1784–1859)
5 Minutes with . . . Kevin Olusola
The cellist, best known as the singing, beatboxing member of the phenomenal a cappella ensemble Pentatonix, tells the story behind his first full solo album, ‘Dawn of a Misfit.’