Orlando Philharmonic's New Season announced at the Sneak Peek!

Wednesday night's Sneak Peek at the Orlando Philharmonic's 2016 - 2017 season with maestro Eric Jacobsen had many exciting announcements. Highlights include music by Russian masters, a celebration of John Adams' 70th birthday, Emanuel Ax playing Mozart and Beethoven, two world premieres, and our University of Central Florida choruses closing the season with Mahler's "Resurrection" Symphony No. 2.  We'll also be involved in the Tribute to Marvin Hamlisch concert and the "Final Frontier".  What?  Can't wait!

Beautiful Singing in Tampa

It was great to hear the Elementary Honor Choir sing my A SONG TO END ALL WAR, under the direction of Don Ester, at the Florida Music Educators Association conference in Tampa last weekend.  Lovely, clear singing and a feelingful understanding of the words.  Thank you!

While in Tampa I was able to see friends and colleagues and make the annual pilgrimage to Bern's for my once-a-year steak, a fantastic glass of red, and the overly indulgent dessert room. Also loved BarTaco and Buddy Brew coffee and breakfast sandwich.  Why is there always a mention of food?

A New Beginning for the Orlando Philharmonic

Last week we welcomed Eric Jacobsen as the new Music Director of the Orlando Philharmonic. The opening night concert was a special occasion with a festive atmosphere, masterful programming and heightened playing.  A highlight was the premiere of the first of two commissioned works this season, Gabriel Kahane's Freight & Salvage, based on one of his popular songs -- which required the players to sing!  The gala a few days earlier was a more intimate dinner evening where we were treated to Eric and pianist Joyce Yang's solo performance.  His first selection was the Prelude of Bach's first unaccompanied cello suite. World-class! 

Choral Panorama

It's always a pleasure to present newly published music to my friends and colleagues from around Florida.  At Head's House of Music Choral Panorama I presented two sessions ("Not Your Average Reading Session -- New Music for Middle and High School Choirs" and "Singing Our Stories -- Music that Connects with Ideas and Emotions") that featured new music from the Boosey & Hawkes catalogue, along with a other select publishers. I was eager for them to hear works by Andrea Ramsey, Brian Tate, Wayland Rogers and others, along with new works of my own.   Three tenets of architecture -- commodity (what is its usefulness?), integrity (how well is it constructed?) and delight -- always guide my search for music of quality.

Dawn Upshaw in Ravinia Park

It had been a very long time since I'd been to Ravinia Park north of Chicago.  The July 5th performance by Eric Jacobsen and the Knights with Dawn Upshaw was a lovely evening with longtime friends Charles Schutte and Julie Carlson.  A pre-performance dinner at Parkview restaurant overlooking the birch trees was lovely and the performance in the intimate Martin Theatre fresh and inspiring.  The Knights is (are?) a collaborative ensemble of friends and colleagues -- accomplished soloists and chamber musicians all -- with a wide appreciation of many musical styles.  Their program consisted of works never before performed at Ravinia, including the Dvorak Czech Suite and Brahms German Dances, along with selections from Zhou Long's Eight Chinese Folk Songs and Ligeti's Concert Romanesc.  Dawn Upshaw's performance of the Berio Folk Songs was, as all of her performances, sung with an honesty and deep connection with and commitment to language and story.  Though a long-time friend and fan of Dawn's, I had not heard the Knights before.  Their youthful energy and vitality, spirited playing and keen sense of each other in ensemble brought a bright clarity and nuanced expression to each piece.  A truly memorable night!  The bonus?  Eric Jacobsen will be coming to Orlando as the newly appointed Music Director of the Orlando Philharmonic!