Chamber Music in Stockholm
I attended the Grande Finale of the Classical Chamber Music Festival in Stockholm on July 30. In attendance was a friend who drove from Tierp (some 80 miles north of…
World Premiere by Quinn Mason
The Draylen Mason Composer-in-Residence program honors the memory of Draylen Mason, a promising young Austin musician killed in 2018 by the Austin package bomber. The first and current holder of…
American Landscapes
The concluding Masterworks concert by our local treasure, the Austin Symphony Orchestra, featured works that musically depict the landscapes of America. Guest soloist John Novacek was key to making this…
Tchaikovsky’s Problematic Concerto
The latest concert by Austin Symphony Orchestra featured pianist Olga Kern performing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concert No. 1. It was first performed in 1874, by the composer himself. In attendance was…
The Chocolate Factory
There has always been a misconception that fairy tales were written for children. As this musical production of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory proves, that is not the case.…
Austin Symphony: Ukrainian Lament
The latest Austin Symphony Orchestra concert began very differently, with introductory remarks by both its CEO, David Pratt, and its conductor Peter Bay. Pratt dedicated the concert to the brave…
Midori and Sibelius
One of the world’s foremost violinists, Midori, graced the stage at the Long Center for her third appearance with the Austin Symphony Orchestra. Concert goers with a long memory will…
Steve Jobs: The Opera
Steve Jobs was a cultural icon while still alive, and now he has been translated to the rarified realm of opera. He would probably wince and recoil from this portrayal…
Pride Chorus Houston: A Stellar Christmas Concert
An inspired choice of rarely-heard musical numbers made the holiday outing of Houston’s gay and lesbian chorus a delight. It was held at historic Lambert Hall, built in 1927. In…
A Gay Austin Christmas
Don we now our gay apparel. Well, there were a few guys at the Austin Gay Men’s Chorus Christmas concert who were wearing gay apparel, but most looked like they…