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A Primal Experience – In The DarkFriday, June 3rd, 2011If JACK Quartet is playing Georg Friedrich Haas’ String Quartet no. 3 “In iij. Noct” anywhere within a six-hour drive from your location, this is something that should not be missed. In early May, the Quartet (JACK is John, Ari, Chris, and Kevin) joined me out in Seattle to perform on my chamber music series, TownMusic. For the concert we continued this season’s composer/performer theme, and had several works by members of the quartet played along with pieces that have inspired them – such as Ligeti’s Second String Quartet and Xenakis’ Tetras. I was lucky enough to join them and premiere Ari’s arrangement of five-voice madrigals by 16th Century composer Gesualdo. As expected, the concert was dynamic, powerful, and even polarizing. I’ve seen the group perform several times in the last couple of years, and from the first minute I knew they had something unique. The business of playing musicMonday, December 6th, 2010Ever wonder how a classically trained musician from a conservatory background handles the day-to-day of being a self-employed businessperson? So do I. Classical Music and the InternetSaturday, October 16th, 2010Note: The following is a reformatted version of a presentation I gave at TEDxRainier on 10/10/10. Since giving this speech, the YouTube Symphony has announced their next event. It will be in Sydney, Australia, in March 2011. I have also recorded an invitation to audition for this exciting event. The Popper Project: Part TwoMonday, August 16th, 2010Wow. This is one of the most difficult challenges I’ve set before myself. And therefore, one of the most compelling. Having just posted Popper no. 25 last week, 15 more to go seems doable. The most difficult part of the Popper Project is the goal to post one a week. Still, each etude presents unique demands that make the endless pursuit of perfection rewarding and fun (as well as… endless). “Americana” – by Dan ViscontiTuesday, June 1st, 2010The following is a guest entry by my good friend and prolific composer, Dan Visconti. The subject matter is his new Sonata, “Americana”, commissioned for yours truly by Town Hall Seattle and slated to be premiered on June 10.  Dan Visconti - drawing by Chuck Krenner |
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