News
Superstars At Play
BFOM recital slightly revised
by Christopher Key
By the time tonight’s Bellingham Festival of Music recital was over, my program looked like a Pentagon flow chart, with arrows going every which way. Cellist Joshua Roman, soprano Heidi Grant Murphy and pianist Kevin Murphy decided they wanted to have a little fun and bring the audience along with them. I didn’t hear any complaints.
Joshua Roman Premieres New Cello Sonata
This month cellist Joshua Roman is getting a jump on the Fourth of July, with both the world premiere in Seattle and the New York City premiere of a piece composed for him by fellow Cleveland Institute of Music graduate Dan Visconti. The five-movement composition, entitled “Americana,” is based on lines of texts from patriotic folk songs, combining elements from American hymns, sea shanties, civil rights marches, and even Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix. “It’s refreshing to see somebody who is able to present such a new, yet familiar side of what classical music can be,” said Roman. “Visconti captures folk themes in a very traditional manner, without it being too hokey. It’s a great celebration!”
Albany Symphony Orchestra’s “Tchaikovsky Spectacular” @ Palace Theatre, 4/23/10
ALBANY – Spectacular. Advertising copywriters often use that adjective to describe concerts of Tchaikovsky, especially when his 1812 Overture is performed, with or without real cannons.
The Albany Symphony Orchestra’s “Tchaikovsky Spectacular” Friday night at the Palace Theatre didn’t emphasize booming spectacle. Instead, it earned the critique of spectacular for the outstanding level of musical execution and deep emotional impact.
Joshua Roman Between Airplanes
From center stage in February with the San Francisco Symphony to second cello this week at Seattle’s Town Hall, Joshua Roman is racking up two sets of frequent flier miles criss-crossing the country with his cello.
Violinist Daniel Hope Performs with Ensemble Member Joshua Roman
Intrepid violinist Daniel Hope continues to forge new ground, challenging audiences to take a fresh look at standard concert repertoire while also opening their eyes to less performed but equally exciting works. His last album—featuring Vivaldi concertos, a sonata, and an aria with Anne Sofie von Otter—was nominated for a 2010 Grammy Award for Best Small Ensemble Performance. Now, the latest fruit of Hope’s exclusive relationship with Deutsche Grammophon, to be released on March 16 in the U.S., is a return to the Baroque alongside soloists from the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.