August 21, 2017
In August 2017, Oregon experienced its first total solar eclipse since 1979, and with it was a first for the station! All Classical Portland commissioned a piece of music to accompany this magnificent moment of totality: The Body of the Moon by composer Desmond Earley. Aptly titled, The Body of the Moon, Earley’s new composition …
August 16, 2017
With the once in a lifetime event coming up on Monday, here is some background information on the composers featured in All Classical’s Eclipse soundtrack. Richard Strauss’ tone poem Also Sprach Zarathustra is one of the most popular pieces of classical music, thanks in part to the success of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Yet, the …
August 8, 2017
Erick Valle is a local Portland musician specializing in vocal improvisation and music production, currently assisting for THE VOID Research and Development Center. Erick graduated from the University of Oregon in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy. After college, he devoted himself entirely to the development of his sound, which found its origins …
July 18, 2017
The rooms of two famous former tenants are displayed in an apartment complex in London’s Mayfair neighborhood: Jimi Hendrix and George Friedrich Handel, who found fame after moving to England. The guitar god and the baroque composer occupied adjoining flats, 200 years apart. Handel obtained the apartment after being appointed by George II. (Hendrix was …
July 12, 2017
American composer Jack Gallagher (born in Brooklyn in 1947), is a Grammy®-winning composer of works for a variety of instruments, including several orchestral works. Some are of a large scale, such as his Symphony No. 2, ‘Ascendant’, while others, such as his Berceuse (lullaby) are diminutive but make as much of an impression. Part of …
July 10, 2017
It’s one of his most famous works, but the origins of George Frideric Handel’s Water Music are something of a mystery. In 1717 King George the first of England asked Handel to perform a concert aboard the royal barge as it traveled along the the river Thames. On July 17th, around 50 musicians embarked in …
June 21, 2017
Nicolo Paganini dazzled audiences in his time with his unprecedented virtuosity, made women swoon (and men envious), and helped to create the myth that he must have sold his soul for such abilities. In truth, Paganini was a gifted creator of original melodies, as well as variations on opera arias and popular tunes of his …
May 31, 2017
American pianist Simone Dinnerstein, who first received critical acclaim for her recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, has made collaboration a major part of her career since that first, solo recording. She has created recordings that bridge the worlds of classical music, jazz and folk. Her longtime collaborator and arranger, composer Philip Lasser, has been with …
May 16, 2017
The members of the Emerson String Quartet are keeping plenty busy, both onstage and in the studio. They’re touring, too: the four members of the Grammy® – winning chamber ensemble were in Portland recently (presented by Chamber Music NW), and will return in July. It’s all part of a well-deserved celebration of the group’s 40th …
April 24, 2017
On the heels of their triple-Grammy® – winning CD of Michael Daugherty’s music (Tales of Hemingway), the Nashville Symphony Orchestra continues its commitment to American music with this showcase of Jennifer Higdon works. All Things Majestic (Naxos) includes the eponymous composition, which was written for the Grand Teton Music Festival. It certainly captures the splendor …
