For many teenagers in Mexico, the book “Pedro Páramo” by Juan Rulfo is required reading. But for Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon, the story became more than homework; it became an obsession. Over the years, he read and re-read it, until it became a part of his consciousness. Zohn-Muldoon has poured decades into his dream of creating an […]
Classical
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Break of Reality: Ten years of breakthroughs
From Java’s to Kilbourn Hall to Kodak Hall in just 10 years. Cello-rock band Break of Reality emerged from Eastman School of Music as a student start-up and has grown into a modern instrumental ensemble with a list of accomplishments practically the length of Gibbs Street. That’s particularly impressive when you consider that this young […]
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Concert Review: RPO’s Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony
Beethoven might be the headliner, but the attention grabbers from last night’s Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra concert were guest cellist Edward Arron performing Saint-Saëns and living American composer Kevin Puts. Perhaps you have heard of neither? All the more reason to get to Saturday night’s concert. Arron’s performance demonstrated what happens when you do everything right […]
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Concert Review: RPO Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony
Thursday night, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra performed under the fourth guest conductor of the season, Christoph Campestrini, in a performance that included orchestral works by Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky and a piano concerto by Mozart that featured pianist Barry Snyder. Russian composers have the ability to take you with them as they rake their souls across […]
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Early musick for an eager publick
When Deborah Fox first decided to study lute in Rochester in the 1980’s, she had a tough time of it and ended up studying privately. Fast forward a couple of decades or so, and Deborah Fox is pleasantly surprised to find herself not only a busy professional lutenist, but also the director of a very […]
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CONCERT REVIEW: Brahms, Bartók, and Higdon at the RPO under Gueller
Here’s the thing about classical music: whether or not it features your favorite composer, a live performance of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra is always worth the ticket price. Hidgon — who is that? Bartók — inaccessible? Brahms — a bit melancholy? And, who is guest conductor Bernhard Gueller? My response is simple: get yourself to […]
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MUSIC PREVIEW: International Society of Bassists Convention
Don’t be alarmed if you hear a deep vibration emanating from downtown Rochester next week. It’s not an aftershock from the recent Ottawa earthquake; it’s hundreds of bassists meeting at the Eastman School of Music. “When I play certain low notes on my bass in the orchestra, you can feel it in your skeleton,” says […]
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Beethoven’s “Eroica”
It’s fun to imagine the kind of kid who would fall in love with Beethoven’s monumental “Eroica” symphony — that jolt, eyes lighting up, smile growing wide. “It’s one of the first pieces I ever loved as a child,” says Courtney Lewis, who will guest conduct the Rochester Philharmonic in a program headlined by Beethoven’s […]
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THEATER REVIEW: “33 Variations”
Intricate, delicate, and lovely are possibly the three words that best describe “33 Variations,” the drama currently on stage at Blackfriars. The play, written by Moises Kaufman (“The Laramie Project,” “I Am My Own Wife”) and directed by John Haldoupis, is a nuanced look at the way people relate to one another, refuse to relate […]
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CLASSICAL: 12th Annual Rochester Early Music Festival
Musica Spei presents and performs as part of the 12th Annual Rochester Early Music Festival. Musica Spei performs a cappella style from a vast repertoire of rarely performed, sacred choral masterworks of the Medieval and Renaissance periods. Also performing will be Pegasus Early Music, the Amadeus Chorale, Eastman Collegium Baroque Orchestra and Viol Consort, Baroquen […]
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CLASSICAL: Mozart and Tchaikovsky: A Benefit for RocMusic
We all gasp and complain each time we see statistics about the city schools, but what do we actually do to contribute to solutions? Enter Kevin Fitzgerald, Evan Meccarello, and local musicians for a concert to benefit RocMusic. This community-based, tuition-free program provides after-school music instruction, instruments, practice time, and ensemble and performance opportunities to […]
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CLASSICAL: Rochester Oratorio Society
My tastes lean toward the sacred in classical music, so this concert immediately caught my eye. The program includes “Messa di Gloria” by Puccini, “Gloria” from “Mass of the Children” by Rutter, and “Gloria” from the “Masque of Angels” by Argento. Italian Giacomo Puccini, you likely know, so why not open yourself also to British […]
