The viola may be the less flashy sibling of the violin, but in the hands of these seven great women composers, the viola truly shines as a solo instrument. From the bold modernism of Marga Richter and Peggy Glanville-Hicks to
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On ‘Letting Go’ as a Musician
Part 3 – Letting Go of the Notes July 11th, 2021In my first article on ‘letting go’ as a musician I explored how we know when it is time to “let go” of a piece of music we have been learning and set it free in a performance setting or -
Not a Niche, but an Opportunity
An Interview With Guillaume Descottes of Vialma.com July 10th, 2021Classical music is always viewed as a niche market with a big learning curve for admission. It’s often derided as being music for the elite or music for the wealthy. As a listener, people find it hard to break into -
Music and Bows and Clothes: Oh My!
More Musician Mishaps July 10th, 2021It’s hard to believe how many hilarious behind-the-scenes mishaps we musicians experience. Afterwards, once we’ve recovered from the embarrassment, we love to share these stories at parties! My friend cellist Clay Ruede recently told me this one: He was playing -
Dante Alighieri (1265-1321)
“Father of the Italian language” July 9th, 2021The poet, writer and philosopher Dante Alighieri—who died in Ravenna 700 years ago—is widely considered one of the most influential creative minds in Western culture. His “Divine Comedy” is not only one of the most important poems of the Middle -
Hiroyuki Fujikake
“Aqua Rhythms” July 8th, 2021Throughout human consciousness, the great rivers of this world have spiritually highlighted the paradoxical relationship between eternity and change. As metaphors for life itself, they simultaneously underscore all that is timeless and ephemeral in human experience and existence. Because rivers -
Stealing and Re-Imagining
‘Landscapes’ by Doug Thomas July 8th, 2021Most composers (and artists and writers too) steal from others. They learn their craft by copying; studying the works of others who’ve gone before them offers important insights into the nuts and bolts of the music (structure, harmony, texture etc) -
Keeping it Simple: Holst’s St Paul’s Suite July 7th, 2021 Named not for the cathedral but for the girls’ school in Hammersmith where he was music master for nearly 30 years, the St Paul’s Suite by Gustav Holst provided the students with a beautiful piece that was all their own. -
Tomaso Albinoni July 6th, 2021 “The Professional Dilettante” There is hardly a collection of recorded Baroque favorites that does not include the “Adagio in G minor” by Tomaso Albinoni (1671-1751). Although that world-famous composition is attributed to Albinoni, it was actually the creation of the