With a trio of high-profile concerts, the next seasonโs Eastman Piano Series promises performances by some of the top international piano soloists in the scene. All of the featured musicians are accomplished technicians and engaging performers.
Classical
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Fresh string quartets come to 2019-20 Eastman-Ranlet Series
The 2019-20 Eastman-Ranlet Series of Sunday string quartet concerts isnโt flashy at first glance, but initial appearances can be deceiving, with two groups with which you may be unfamiliar.
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RPO 2019-20 season brings fresh programming
The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra has announced its 2019-20 Philharmonics and Pops series. Next year’s season features a meticulously crafted blend of beloved, heavyweight composers and fresh, new-to-the-RPO works from the 20th and 21st centuries.
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Rare sheet music inspired by Frederick Douglass obtained by UR
Beyond its connections to Douglass, the sheet music gives a snapshot to life for middle class African-Americans in the mid-1800’s
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Opera review: RPO performs ‘Carmen’
Georges Bizet’s “Carmen” is the perfect opera for people new to the art form: It’s a fast-paced, lively crime drama with captivating characters, irresistible rhythms, and indelible melodies for days. But the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s Thursday performance of the operatic classic — a semi-staged production directed by Sara Widzer — also provided more than enough […]
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Classical review: RPO performs Brahms and a Higdon world premiere
In a polished, powerful showing, the RPO debuted a new work by Jennifer Higdon
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Publick Musick explores Mozart’s string quintets
What a difference an instrument can make, if you’re Mozart. He wrote chamber music of all kinds, from violin sonatas to wind serenades, but it’s often conceded that Mozart was at his best when simply adding a second viola (his favorite string instrument) to the customary string quartet: pride of place in his chamber-music output […]
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Classical review: RPO performs ‘Tchaikovsky 5’
The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra lately seemed to be reverting back to the conservatism that had dominated its programming before Music Director Ward Stare’s arrival. Yesterday at Kodak Hall, however, Stare and the RPO presented its boldest concert in recent memory. The evening began with Franz Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 22. Stare took a brisk, stately […]
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Classical review: Pegasus’s ‘Bach & Bach’
In the Baroque period, different countries had different musical traits associated with them. In a quick-and-dirty overview: Italian music was vocally oriented and virtuosic; German music was “learned” (heavy on the counterpoint); and French music was, well, French: generally light textured, highly ornamented, more concerned with the intimate than the transcendental. (This is a very […]
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Classical review: SCMR’s ‘A Couple of Couples’
The Society for Chamber Music in Rochester is always a source of imaginative and engaging programming. Its most recent concert, which took place Sunday afternoon, brought together two musical marriages: violinist Robin Scott of the Ying Quartet and cellist Ahrim Kim (principal cello of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra); and cellist Keiko Ying of Roberts Wesleyan […]
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Classical review: RPO’s ‘Bernstein Celebration’
This week, Ward Stare and the Rochester Philharmonic are celebrating the centennial of that first among 20th century American musicians, Leonard Bernstein. This concert wasn’t just a tip of the baton to a revered musician; it was a salute by a lively, communicative conductor to an infinitely talented composer, conductor, and general muse to American […]
