There are few groups more quirky than this nine-person, Boston-based band. Playing in support of its latest album, “Waving Kissyhead, Vol. 2 & 1,” Chandler Travis Philharmonic combines a counterculture rock sensibility with tinges of big-band horns and general zaniness. CTP self-describes as “alternative dixieland” and “omnipop,” but the bottom line is this: if you’re […]
Daniel J. Kushner
Posted inMusic
The RPO’s 2016-17 season in review
CITY’s classical music critics recap the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2016-17 season
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Classical review: RPO performs ‘La Boheme’
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Music Director Ward Stare rose to prominence as Principal Trombone for Lyric Opera of Chicago. Here in the Flower City, he has made a conscious effort to perform operatic works in their entirety. On Thursday, when the RPO performed Giacomo Puccini’s beloved “La Bohème,” the result was unsettled at first, but ultimately […]
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THEATER | ‘Incorruptible’
For a left-of-center theater experience offering both humor and poignancy, there’s the Rochester premiere of “Incorruptible,” Michael Hollinger’s 1996 play about two Catholic parishes in France in the Dark Ages, both claiming to possess the bones of St. Foy. As the local monks lose heart, a shady musician with one eye proposes a solution for […]
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CLASSICAL/OPERA | RPO performs “La Bohème”
The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra will close its 2016-17 Philharmonics series in grand style, with one of the most crowd-pleasing, enduring works in the operatic canon: Giacomo Puccini’s “La Bohème.” RPO Music Director Ward Stare will lead a strong cast of dynamic singers, including Inna Dukach as the seamstress Mimi; Harold Meers as her lover, the […]
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Beer quest
Rochester loves its craft beer. From Three Heads Brewing to Lost Borough to Swiftwater, there are more destinations than ever for local beer connoisseurs to wet their whistles. And yet many beers get overlooked — seemingly too obscure or odd to be considered everyday elixirs. What follows is a non-comprehensive survey of seven beers and […]
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SPECIAL EVENT | “Rails and Ales”
Now in its 80th year, the Rochester and Genesee Valley Railroad Museum will celebrate in style this Saturday with an event combining the nostalgia of a train ride with the comfort of craft beer. Rochester breweries Swiftwater, Iron Tug, and Triphammer Bierworks as well as local cidery Blue Toad will all represent, alongside regional outfits […]
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SPECIAL EVENT | Rochester Bike Week
Rochester has long had a vibrant, if less visible biking community. That community of passionate riders is more prominent than ever, evidenced in part by an abundance of activities during Rochester Bike Week. There are 10 different rides taking place through May 21, including: Rochester Bike Kids’ laid-back Wednesday Night Cruise (this adult ride starts […]
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Classical review: Fabien Gabel conducts the RPO
Popular guest conductor Fabien Gabel joined the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in a return to Kodak Hall on Thursday for a program that truly was a tale of two halves, featuring startlingly contrasting moods. It can be argued that the evening’s first piece, Bernard Herrmann’s suite from the film “Vertigo,” was its best: Gabel’s conducting was […]
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CLASSICAL | “American Voices”
The Rochester Oratorio Society, directed by Eric Townell, ends its 71st season on Friday with a concert of choral music written entirely by Americans. “American Voices” will feature “Four Motets” by the quintessential American composer Aaron Copland. Other notable composers on the bill include Amy Beach (“Credo” from Mass in E-flat with soprano soloist Elena […]
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CLASSICAL | RPO performs “La mer”
Few RPO guest conductors generate excitement quite like Fabien Gabel. The Quebec City Orchestra music director has become a Rochester favorite since his 2014 debut. Gabel is especially adept at French repertoire, weaving a tapestry of evocative textures and heightened moods. This Thursday and Saturday, the conductor will lead the orchestra in Claude Debussy’s “La […]
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DANCE | “Carmina Burana” and “Carmen”
If you like a little scandal in your entertainment, New York State Ballet and Rochester Lyric Opera have a double feature to whet your appetite for intrigue. This Friday and Saturday at The Lyric Theatre, NYS Ballet and RLO will perform excerpts from two veritable classics: Georges Bizet’s beloved opera, “Carmen,” and the culturally ubiquitous […]
