Monthly Archives: January 2011

Behind the scenes of KMFA’s Birthday Drive

What if I told you that you could give a loved one the perfect birthday gift, and that it would last all year long? It’s true! Your gift to KMFA during our Birthday Membership Drive is not just a gift to yourself… you are giving the gift of diverse classical music to your neighbors, your community, and the whole of Central Texas.

We’ve had a fun three days, with lots of wonderful visitors! In case you didn’t make it in to visit us this time, here are some behind-the-scenes photos:

 

 

Thanks again to one and all who have helped us make it to year 44!  Happy Birthday, KMFA!

~ posted by Alison @ KMFA 🙂

“The Italian Girl” visits the KMFA Studio

~posted by Dianne Donovan, host of Classical Austin

It’s always a lot of fun when I have guests in from Austin Lyric Opera on the Classical Austin show. This time, we previewed the Austin Lyric Opera’s production of Rossini’s Italian Girl In Algiers. We discussed the opera, Rossini, and the challenges of singing/conducting. The show aired on Wednesday, January 26th, 8pm. There was more to our interview than we could fit into one hour on Classical Austin, so if you missed any of the show, or you would like to hear more of the interview, check out the archived version on our website.

GUESTS: Sandra Piques Eddy is a dazzling mezzo who will be starring as Isabella (The “Italian Girl”). Austin audiences got to see and hear this dynamo in recent productions of The Barber of Seville and Cenerentola. Bass-baritone, Peter Strummer (Taddeo) has impressed Austin audiences with his warm voice and characterizations, in Don Pasquale, The Barber of Seville and other productions. Maestro Richard Buckley (ALO Conductor) continues to help bring richly inspired performances from both the singers and the orchestra.

Performance Dates: Jan. 29, Feb. 2, 4, & 6, 2011

More Info: austinlyricopera.org, sandrapiqueseddy.com, peterstrummer.com

~posted by Dianne Donovan, mid-day host, and producer of Classical Austin

American Boychoir visits Austin

A wonderful guest stopped by the studio today — Fernando Malvar-Ruiz, the Director of the American Boychoir, whose home is based in Princeton, New Jersey.

The American Boychoir is regarded as the United States’ premier concert boys’ choir. Under the leadership of Fernando Malvar-Ruiz, The American Boychoir offers audiences a unique blend of musical sophistication, effervescent spirit, and ensemble virtuosity. Boys in grades 4 through 8, reflecting the ethnic, religious and cultural diversity of the United States, come from across the country and around the world to pursue a rigorous musical and academic curriculum at the school. And they’re in town right now, for an event  *tonight* in collaboration with The Austin Girl’s Choir, led by Sara Burden-McClure.

You may have heard Fernando Malvar-Ruiz’s on-air conversation with Rich Upton this afternoon… he had some great insights on the quality and types of music that they perform and record, as well as a modern perspective on teaching young boys the choral arts. If you missed the interview, you can hear it again on our website: click here.

~posted by Alison @ KMFA 🙂

Listening to the Festival of Carols from…. Antarctica?!


(posted by Joan Kobayashi, KMFA General Manager)

This is a beautiful note accompanied by beautiful pictures I just had to share. To imagine listening to our programming with that backdrop . . . well, there aren’t really words to describe it.

~Joan

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Sent: Wednesday, December 22, 2010 1:48 PM
To: Joan Kobayashi
Subject: Enjoyment and pledge

Dear Joan:

I am a University of Texas Research Professor from Austin, sitting in a laboratory at the United States base McMurdo Station in Antarctica, listening to KMFA on what is December 23 for us (on New Zealand time at ~180 degrees west longitude, a day ahead and 5 hours behind Austin).

This is to let you know how much I appreciate the KMFA programming and your colleagues’ presentation of it – not least here surrounded by the magnificent scenery of the active Mount Erebus volcano and the majestic Royal Society Range of the Transantarctic Mountains.

 

I attached some images to let you see the type of setting in which your music is being enjoyed, as we try to decipher the signals of ice mass change in Antarctica and hence of global sea-level change.

Best wishes to you and your colleagues for the Holiday Season.

~Ian

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Thank you, Ian. We’re so glad that the work we do enriches the experience of the work that you do.  Again, thank you for the gift of your words and pictures.  Wishing you a most beautiful Christmas and New Year.

Warmly,
Joan