Five Things Friday – Reinbert de Leeuw
Conductor, composer, pianist, author . . . Dutch musician Reinbert de Leeuw wears many hats. Throughout his career, de Leeuw has been an ardent champion of new music, co-founding the Schoenberg Ensemble in 1974 (he’s been conductor and music director since its inception). If you aren’t familiar with Reinbert de Leeuw, here’s five things to help you get acquainted:
Five Things Friday – The Norwegian Chamber Orchestra
The Norwegian Chamber Orchestra (or, as we’ve shortened it here in the office, the NCO) has worked with 2012 Music Director Leif Ove Andsnes for several years, both on recording projects and at the Risør Festival in Norway. But the group is well-known and established in their own right, so for this week’s Five Things Friday, we’ve decided to see what we could learn about the NCO:
Five Things Friday – Martin Fröst
“Until you’ve heard Martin Fröst, you haven’t really heard the clarinet.” – The Times
Swedish clarinetist Martin Fröst is known throughout the world for his virtuosic abilities and his dedication to stretching the boundaries of the traditional classical music performance. His championing of pieces such as Anders Hillborg’s Peacock Tales have led to developing performances that not only include clarinet, but dance and theatrical production as well. If you’re curious about this multi-talented musician, here’s five things you may (or may not) know about Martin Fröst . . .
Five Things Friday – Marc-André Hamelin
If you live in Los Angeles, there is really only one classical music station that you tune to—the inimitable 91.5 KUSC. And when you grow up listening to KUSC, artist names quickly become familiar, even without your realizing it. For me, one of those names was the pianist Marc-André Hamelin. So you can imagine my anticipation when I heard he was coming to Ojai in June. However I realized that despite having heard his recordings many times, I actually knew very little about Hamelin. So, in preparation for his Ojai debut, we’ve found five things you may (or may not) know about Hamelin . . .
Five Things Friday – Christianne Stotijn
This week mezzo-soprano and 2012 Festival artist Christianne Stotijn will be performing Mahler 2 and 3 with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel, as part of the Phil’s month-long Mahler Project. Delft-born Stotijn is known throughout the world for her passionate and nuanced interpretations of lieder. Here are five things we’ve learned about Stotijn in preparation for her arrival in Ojai . . .