One of the most truly gifted, unique piano players in Michigan is gone.
I first heard Steve Richko in the late spring, when he joined Tad Weed and Cliff Monear in a three-piano jazz extravaganza at the Steinway Gallery in Commerce Township. Steve had an incredible ear and truly spoke to your soul from the keyboard. Continue reading
Filed under Musicians of Note
Just for fun. Johann Sebastian Bach meets the Pink Panther. Sort of. Continue reading
Filed under Fun Stuff, Inspiration, Musicians of Note
Lang Lang played in Ann Arbor last night for the University Music Society, appearing with the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra under the direction of Christoph Eschenbach.
From the moment Lang Lang walked on stage, it was clear that the audience was full of his fans and that a rock star had come into the room. Continue reading
Filed under Musicians of Note
Leonard Slatkin
For the past week, I’m hearing from a lot of people about Leonard Slatkin “bombing out” at the Metropolitan Opera. Slatkin withdrew from the Met after only one performance of La Traviata. According to his blog, it was a miserable experience from the start.
If you’ve missed this moment of high drama in the classical music world, here are a couple of places to get caught up. Continue reading
Filed under Inspiration, Musicians of Note
Barry Douglas
Chance encounters can change your life. That’s what happened to me when I encountered Barry Douglas, almost by accident.
Barry Douglas is a world-class pianist from Ireland, who skyrocketed to fame in 1986 when he captured the gold medal at the Tchaikovsky piano competition. Continue reading
Filed under Inspiration, Musicians of Note, Personal Journey
The Motor City Brass Band distributed a news release today about an upcoming Festival of Bands. This event does two things I think are important. It helps facilitate communication and coordination between different organizations, and it pulls the Detroit Symphony into a leadership role with community and amateur music groups.
Here are the details: Continue reading
Filed under Events and Calendar, Musicians of Note
Had an opportunity this afternoon to attend the finals of the Sphinx Competition. It’s my second year at the finals concert of this amazing program, which hopes to change the face — and expand the repertoire — of American orchestras by including more people of color and more music written by African American and Latino composers. Continue reading
Filed under Inspiration, Musicians of Note
This week, I learned that even professional musicians may have a little “midlife musician” in them. Continue reading
Filed under Inspiration, Musicians of Note
Jazz Pianist Hank Jones will play and talk in the Jazz Tent
If you’ve ever had the chance to sit in on a master class, you can learn quite a lot to improve your own playing. (Once you get past the point of being glad YOU aren’t the person whose playing is being critiqued in public!!) Continue reading
Filed under Musicians of Note
Midlife Musicians 