Category Archives: Pitman Reviews
John Pitman Reviews: Christopher Tin’s ‘Song Offerings’
During rehearsals for his choral cycle The Lost Birds, Colorado-based choral group Kantorei collaborated with two-time GRAMMY-winning composer Christopher Tin on a new piece. The choir would later describe this new work as a celebration of “unbridled joy!” American poet and lyricist Charles Anthony Silvestri worked closely with Tin and Kantorei on this project. From …
John Pitman Reviews: Marc-André Hamelin’s ‘Found Objects / Sound Objects’
Recorded in the All Classical Radio studios during his visit to promote his performance with Vancouver Symphony, pianist Marc-André Hamelin chats with Director of Music and Programming John Pitman about his 92nd (!) album, Found Objects / Sound Objects. The new album includes works by 20th century icons such as John Cage, Stefan Wolpe, and …
John Pitman Reviews: Tomás Cotik’s Paganini Capriccio
All Classical Radio host John Pitman recently spoke with Portland violinist and Portland State University Professor of Violin, Tomás Cotik, about his unique approach to performing some of the most challenging works for solo violin: the Caprices of Nicolo Paganini. On Tomás’ latest album, Paganini: Capriccio, he emphasizes the world in which Paganini lived, which …
John Pitman Reviews: Ember’s ‘Birds of Paradise’
John Pitman’s latest conversation is with harpist Emily Levin, and a new group named Ember. They specialize in works for harp, violin and cello. Ember’s new album (on Azica, to be released in September 2025) is titled Birds of Paradise, which echoes one of the pieces on their album. Levin, who is also principal harpist …
John Pitman Reviews: Benjamin Appl’s ‘For Dieter’
German-British baritone Benjamin Appl’s past recordings and recitals have explored subjects such as the idea of home (Heimat), the consequences of making choices (Forbidden Fruit), and the works of composers such as György Kurtág. Now on his latest album, For Dieter: The Past and the Future, Appl marks the centenary of the birth of arguably …
John Pitman Reviews: Huang Ruo’s ‘An American Soldier’
All Classical Radio’s Director of Programming John Pitman’s latest Arts Blog interview is a timely one, in conjunction with Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Memorial Day. Composer, pianist, and vocalist Huang Ruo’s latest recording An American Soldier is a powerful and moving opera based on the true story of a young Chinese …
John Pitman Reviews: Yevgeny Sudbin’s ‘Ver La Flamme’
Renowned for his interpretations of the music of Russian composer and mystic, Alexander Scriabin, celebrated pianist Yevgeny Sudbin is host John Pitman’s latest guest for this Arts Blog interview. On Sudbin’s newest album, Ver La Flamme (Toward the Flame), the pianist shares his deep knowledge and appreciation for the music of the early 20th century …
John Pitman Reviews: Les Korngold’s Korngold Symphony
Imagine if we could hear, decades after a composer has passed, a note-for-note set of instructions of what how they intended their music to be heard? It’s rarer than you might think. In this Arts Blog, program director John Pitman has a conversation with the grandson of the Austrian born composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold – …
John Pitman Reviews: Simone Dinnerstein’s ‘The Eye is the First Circle’
American pianist Simone Dinnerstein’s latest album, The Eye is the First Circle, features iconic American composer Charles Ives’ Concord Sonata. The album is a live recording of Dinnerstein’s multimedia production at the Alexander Kasser Theater in Montclair State University, New Jersey. The Eye is the First Circle was inspired in part by a quote from …
John Pitman Reviews: Joshua Roman’s ‘Immunity’
Cellist Joshua Roman began to experience something beyond a case of Covid, early in the pandemic. It soon became apparent that the virus had advanced to become long Covid, which consists of symptoms that vary widely from one person to the next. While coming to terms with this life-changing condition, Joshua had to learn a …
