Category Archives: Education
Adam Eccleston shares personal reflections on his favorite music by Black and Brown composers
Black History Month is a time for me to reminisce and give thanks to those who have paved the way for Black and Brown people in classical music and thinking of all of the Black and Brown service members who have paved the way for my family. It wasn’t until a few years ago when …
Nine Black Women Who Changed Opera Forever
In this list, we’ll celebrate some of the great Black opera singers who have passed on into history, and paved the way for Black artists who are still with us. Their stories and recordings are a treasure for listeners and an epiphany for vocalists. Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield (c.1819-1876) was born into slavery …
The Stories of Twelve Famous Carols
When it comes to traditional Christmas carols, separating history from legend can be as tricky as detangling holly and ivy. Looking forward to our Festival of Carols, we’d like to share some of the true stories behind our favorite carols. The First Nowell It is thought “The First Nowell” originated as a Cornish gallery carol. …
Classical Music Inspired By Young People
Inspiration for classical music comes in endless forms. Here’s a look at five classical music pieces inspired by young people. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): The Well-Tempered Clavier Johann Sebastian Bach was surrounded by children for most of his life. In addition to fathering more than twenty (!) kids, he also taught choirboys at the St. …
Composers in the Great War
The “war to end all wars” claimed many lives, and forever altered the lives of those who survived. Here’s a look at some of the composers who served in World War 1 and the music they created. George Butterworth (1885-1916) George Butterworth (1885-1916) was a promising young English composer who collected folk songs and found …
The Story of Minimalism – Part Two: From Minimal to Maximal
(Special Note: If you are new to this blog, click here to first read Part One of this series.) New Horizons: Postminimalism In our last post, we left off with a broader conception of minimalism as a music which creates a listening experience that is meditative, non-teleological, and process-oriented. It is through this broader lens …
The Story of Minimalism – Part One: A New Way of Listening
“What you hear depends on how you focus your ear. We’re not talking about inventing a new language, but rather inventing new perceptions of existing languages.” – Philip Glass If you’ve tuned into All Classical Portland recently, you may have come across some music your ears weren’t expecting to hear from a classical radio …
Debussy and the Poetic Image
The 100th anniversary of Debussy’s death was this past March 25th. Debussy’s adventurous uses of harmony and orchestration would come to impact nearly every distinguished composer of the early and middle twentieth century. His music leaves behind classical structures and agendas and moves toward beauty for beauty’s sake. One experiences a profound sense of dreamlike …
Women’s History Month: Florence Price
As we wrap up Black History Month and open March with National Women’s History Month, we celebrate the life of Florence Beatrice Price (1887-1953), the first African-American woman to be recognized as a symphonic composer and to have a composition played by a major orchestra. However, to reach this achievement and become recognized for her distinct idiom, Price had to fight her way …
Black History Month: William Levi Dawson
In our third installment for Black History Month, we turn to William Levi Dawson (1899-1990), a renowned African-American composer, choir director, and professor. Dawson wrote chamber music, orchestral music, and choral music, and is best known for his arrangements of African American spirituals. Through all the forms he worked with, Dawson consistently incorporated African American …
