Latest news with #NationalSymphonyOrchestra
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Xian Zhang and the BSO are a match made in heaven (or hell, as it were)
The last time conductor Xian Zhang came through town in 2024, she led the National Symphony Orchestra in — let me check my notes here — 'one of the more powerhouse showings from a guest conductor that I've witnessed since landing in D.C. four years ago.' So on Thursday evening it was an easy decision to head to Strathmore, where Zhang took up the first of three performances with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra — a program of composers Yi Chen and Alexander Glazunov followed by a one-two punch of Tchaikovsky.
San Francisco Chronicle
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Trump canceled his Pride concert, but Michael Feinstein found his spotlight in San Francisco
The Great American Songbook has a unique way of bridging gaps between musicians and listeners from all different backgrounds. Singer, pianist and standards ambassador Michael Feinstein and acclaimed classical soloist Jean-Yves Thibaudet serve as a perfect example. As a duo, they've found common ground in this popular repertoire by the likes of Richard Rodgers, Irving Berlin and especially the Gershwin brothers. An enthusiastic audience at Davies Symphony Hall on Tuesday, May 20, discovered just how well these two superstars in their respective genres can mesh. Feinstein and Thibaudet co-headlined a special one-night-only concert with the San Francisco Symphony under the baton of longtime Boston Pops conductor Keith Lockhart, and the performance was by turns entertaining, educational and moving. Feinstein has recently made headlines for decidedly non-celebratory reasons. His Kennedy Center engagement with the National Symphony Orchestra, 'A Peacock Among Pigeons: Celebrating 50 Years of Pride,' scheduled for this week, was canceled by the Trump administration. So Tuesday's program was triumphant in contrast, commencing with an energetic orchestral overture before Feinstein and Thibaudet walked onto the stage flashing winning smiles and sporting matching sparkly tuxedo jackets with satin shawl collars. Seated at interlocking Steinway grand pianos, the pair faced one another as they started into a rendition of Berlin's 'I Love a Piano,' featuring Feinstein's impassioned singing. Given Feinstein's impeccable credentials, including as host of the onetime public radio series 'Song Travels,' it seemed safe to assume that he'd do all of the talking. But both musicians spoke with welcoming rapport for a show that felt like a natural extension of their 'Gershwin Rhapsody' album, released last year to celebrate the 100th anniversary of 'Rhapsody in Blue.' As founder of the Great American Songbook Foundation, Feinstein shared stories of his musical acquaintances going back decades, from conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein to lyricist Irving Caesar, whose popular song 'Tea for Two' concluded the first set of the evening. Feinstein also spoke about his six years as personal assistant to lyricist Ira Gershwin, older brother and primary songwriting partner of composer George. Thibaudet reflected on his upbringing as a French conservatory student. Sharing an anecdote about George Gershwin and Maurice Ravel, the pianist served as something of an audience surrogate — someone with an appreciation of American Songbook standards if not Feinstein's comprehensive knowledge. In a way, it was not unlike an evening at Feinstein's San Francisco nightclub at Hotel Nikko. But the orchestra, with Lockhart at the helm, really made it an event. Thibaudet performed the third movement from Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F with proper symphonic accompaniment. (He mentioned that he first played the piece at age 14.) And the second-half 'Gershwin Fantasy' was a tour de force, stuffed with favorites like 'Someone to Watch Over Me,' 'I Got Rhythm' and 'Embraceable You' and bookended by the original two-piano arrangement of 'Rhapsody.' An encore of the Gershwins' 'Love Is Here to Stay' ended the program on a poignant note. It was George's last composition, and Ira completed the lyrics posthumously, Feinstein pointed out. He posited that the song is about the brothers' relationship. But when he crooned the opening lines — 'It's very clear / Our love is here to stay / Not for a year / But ever and a day' — it was hard not to think about the power of timeless standards too.
RTÉ News
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Conductor David Brophy, an Irishman in Cologne: The Lyric Feature
The Lyric Feature production Der Musikmann follows conductor David Brophy's progress over his first six months with the WDR Funkhausorchester, on his new podium in Cologne; Presented by George Hamilton, the documentary observes the musical, cultural, and personal challenges this Irish conductor faces as he takes on one of the most prestigious positions in his field in Europe. Producer Michael O' Kane introduces Der Musikmann – An Irishman in Cologne below - listen above. From John Field, Michael Balfe, and Margaret Burke Sheridan in the past to James Galway and Barry Douglas in more recent times, Irish musicians have captivated audiences across Europe. To that illustrious list can now be added the name of David Brophy. His musical journey, which began in a band at home on the northside of Dublin, took in a spell playing keyboards with the National Symphony Orchestra before he opted for a career on the podium, shaping the sounds with baton in hand. David is one of music's most engaging characters, and a man I've known for a long time, collaborating on a variety of concert platforms. Watch: Daft Punk's Around the World performed by Uwaga! with David Brophy & WDR Funkhausorchester When he was appointed to the post of Chief Conductor of the WDR Rundfunkorchester in Cologne, this was too good an opportunity to miss. The Westdeutscher Rundfunk was my local radio and TV station when I lived in Germany many years ago and the personal connection expanded into a professional one when I began my career as a broadcaster in Belfast. WDR was one of the German-language stations I worked for as what's known in the business as a "stringer", a local correspondent. I was no stranger to the Funkhaus on Wallrafplatz with its famous paternoster lift, the broadcast centre in the heart of the city that's home to David Brophy's new band. What emerges is a most engaging portrait of a dedicated musician whose winning charm puts students, musicians, and indeed audiences in the palm of his hand. It already had its Irish connection through the work of the author Heinrich Böll, a native of Cologne, one of whose short stories is set in the Funkhaus and who was a regular in the café that welcomes all-comers to a corner of its ground floor. Tiring of the brashness of post-war Germany, Böll retreated to Achill Island where he wrote a journal – his Irisches Tagebuch – that captured worldwide attention when it was published in 1957. David Brophy's artistic journey has taken him in the opposite direction. Producer Michael O'Kane and I followed him to the Rhineland to find out how. We covered his debut on the podium in Cologne – an afternoon event broadcast live on the radio from the packed Klaus-von-Bismarck-Saal, the station's very own concert hall – and returned six months later for a progress report. In between, we had the opportunity to follow the part of the David Brophy career that still resides in Ireland – his performances here and his teaching work at TU Dublin in Grangegorman. What emerges is a most engaging portrait of a dedicated musician whose winning charm puts students, musicians, and indeed audiences in the palm of his hand. You may be surprised as the story takes shape, as preconceived notions give way to the colourful reality that includes the shoes he's been wearing in the orchestra's trademark shade of purple. The world of classical music is by no means all black tie and tails.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
ESAI MORALES TO CO-HOST THE NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT, STEPPING IN FOR JOE MANTEGNA
WASHINGTON, May 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Acclaimed actor Esai Morales (MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING) will join Gary Sinise to co-host the 36th annual NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT, airing live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol on Sunday, May 25. Morales steps in this year for longtime host Joe Mantegna. Sinise and Morales will lead a distinguished lineup that includes Robert Patrick, Blair Underwood, Gretchen Mol, Mary McCormack, with musical performances by Loren Allred, Scotty Hasting, Yolanda Adams, Angel Blue and the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of top pops conductor Jack Everly. The NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT airs live on Sunday, May 25, 2025, from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. E.T. on PBS, as well as to our troops serving around the world via the American Forces Network. The concert will also stream on YouTube and and available as Video on Demand, May 25 to June 8, 2025. For images and additional information, visit PBS Pressroom at the program website at Connect with us on: (#MemorialDayPBS) (@memdayPBS)@memdaypbs on Tik Tok View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Capital Concerts
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
ESAI MORALES TO CO-HOST THE NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT, STEPPING IN FOR JOE MANTEGNA
WASHINGTON, May 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Acclaimed actor Esai Morales (MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING) will join Gary Sinise to co-host the 36th annual NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT, airing live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol on Sunday, May 25. Morales steps in this year for longtime host Joe Mantegna. Sinise and Morales will lead a distinguished lineup that includes Robert Patrick, Blair Underwood, Gretchen Mol, Mary McCormack, with musical performances by Loren Allred, Scotty Hasting, Yolanda Adams, Angel Blue and the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of top pops conductor Jack Everly. The NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT airs live on Sunday, May 25, 2025, from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. E.T. on PBS, as well as to our troops serving around the world via the American Forces Network. The concert will also stream on YouTube and and available as Video on Demand, May 25 to June 8, 2025. For images and additional information, visit PBS Pressroom at the program website at Connect with us on: (#MemorialDayPBS) (@memdayPBS)@memdaypbs on Tik Tok View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Capital Concerts Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
