Monthly Archives: July 2012

Portrait of the Artist: Jorgé Caballero

In the KMFA Studios: ACGS’s Matthew Hinsley, KMFA’s Dianne Donovan, and Jorge Caballero

Guest blogger: Dianne Donovan, KMFA-FM announcer and host of Classical Austin

Last fall, the great guitarist Jorgé Caballero was in town to be part of the Austin Classical Guitar Society’s “Austin Pictures,” where he performed works by Boccherini and Morel with the Miró Quartet, and Mussorgksy’s Pictures at an Exhibition (arranged for guitar).

On August 4th, he and the Miró will share the stage again at the Long Center for the performing Arts.

I had the chance to chat with him last year. We used a little of the interview for our broadcast of Austin Pictures, but now you can hear the entire interview on the KMFA website.

Though I’ve interviewed many artists, Mr. Caballero stood out for the engaging, poetic and accessible way he talked about his playing and his love for the guitar.

Here’s the interview — of course, Austin Pictures (of fall 2011) will be mentioned but this August 4th you will have a chance to hear him perform a different program with the Miró Quartet.

**The program will feature the Miro performing a Mozart Quartet, a Paganini quartet for violin, viola, cello and guitar, Caballero performing a (solo) suite by J.S. Bach, and all five musicians performing the Guitar Quintet by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco op. 143.

Event: Miró Quartet with Jorge Caballero

Saturday, August 4th, 2012 at 7:30pm

Dell Hall, The Long Center for the Performing Arts

More info at austinclassicalguitar.org

     ~posted by Dianne Donovan, KMFA announcer and producer of Classical Austin

In the KMFA Studios: The McCain Duo

Guest blogger: Sarah Addison, producer of the KMFA-FM program Pianoforte

This week Pianoforte features the McCain Duo, with Texas State Trombone professor Martin McCain and Huston Tillotson University Keyboard faculty member Artina McCain. They’ll be performing an all-Russian program featuring works by Rachmaninoff, Lebedev, and Tcherepnin.

Here are a few photos we took while they were here performing in Studio 2000:

Texas State Trombone professor, Martin McCain

Huston Tillotson University Keyboard faculty member, Artina McCain

The McCain Duo

Join host Jules Brandon for Pianoforte this Wednesday at 9pm, right here on KMFA!
~posted by Sarah Addison, producer of Pianoforte

Choreographing a conductor, with Maestro Peter Bay and Allison Orr

Guest blogger: Dianne Donovan, KMFA-FM announcer and host of Classical Austin

Solo Symphony — A Dance by Austin Symphony Conductor Peter Bay with Forklift Danceworks (July 12-14) Choreography by Allison Orr/Music by Graham Reynolds

Is it a dance? “Yes,” says choreographer Allison Orr…”movement in time and space.” A.S.O. conductor Peter Bay may not have used the word “dance” himself, but a good part of his performance was choreographed by Orr.

On opening night, for this viewer/listener, one word came to mind: ART… art, in all of its simple, complex beauty.

 

After studying Bay’s conducting, Orr took some of the conductor’s signature movements and embellished them for part of the “dance.” At other times, Bay was free to conduct in his usual manner…well, sort of…Bay was facing the audience with the 13-piece orchestra in between. The audience literally and figuratively saw another side of the Maestro and he certainly saw another side of his audience. I couldn’t help but think that this took a good bit of courage to be so exposed and in such an unusual setting.

The choreographed scenes were backed by beautiful ambient original music by the much-in-demand Austin composer, Graham Reynolds. At times the piano and vibraphone notes slipped one by one and drowned in a drone of strings. Reynolds also prepared orchestral reductions of works by Beethoven, Bach, and Stravinsky. Added to the mix were audio excerpts of Bay reflecting on the path that led him here… a lovely blue-based lighting scheme by Stephen Pruitt added to this dream-like work.

A toast to all involved. A toast to Orr-iginal Art!

[Choreographed Conducting with Peter Bay and Allison Orr from Stephen Pruitt on Vimeo.]

Allison Orr, Dianne Donovan, and Peter Bay in the KMFA Studios

You can still experience this!

Fri., July 13th; Sat., July 14th at 8pm
Sat., July 14th at 3pm
Rollins Studio Theatre, The Long Center

      ~posted by Dianne Donovan, KMFA announcer and producer of Classical Austin

Austin Chamber Music Festival—Always a Feast!

Guest blogger: Dianne Donovan, KMFA-FM announcer and host of Classical Austin

Really, it’s always a feast at the Austin Chamber Music Festival. This year is no exception. Artistic Director, Dr. Michelle Schumann, certainly achieved her goal of giving us a diverse, world-class program. I attended all three main-stage concerts last weekend, and on Friday I caught the sweet sounds of The Brasil Guitar Duo (presented by ACMC and The Austin Classical Guitar Society). Not only are these brilliant guitarists from Brazil but their program presented works largely by Brazilian composers.

Saturday, the Claremont Trio made a return to the Festival, with a dynamic performance of music by Mendelssohn, Mozart and a new work written for them by Sean Shepherd. The members of the trio also shared their artistry and energy in workshops with the young artists in the ACMC’s Summer Festival Program.

The Fine Arts Quartet closed the weekend with, you guessed it, Fine performances of quartets by Haydn and Schumann, but the show hit a whole new level of energy an excitement when Dr. Michelle Schumann joined the Quartet to perform the Dvorak Piano Quintet. Great!

That evening’s performance was dedicated to the memory of Peter Coltman, who passed away on July 3rd, 2012. Mr. Coltman was married to ACMC founder, pianist, Felicity Coltman and was very much involved with ACMC over the years. Michelle Schumann and the very gifted ACMC student, cellist, Laura Andrade, performed Fauré’s Après Un Rêve, in a fitting musical memorial.

You can still experience the Festival!

Friday, July 13th-Mother Falcon w/workshop artists-730pm at Antone’s

Saturday, July 14th-Third Coast Percussion-730pm-Bates Recital Hall

Sunday, July 15th-Matt Haimovitz (cello)& Christopher O’Riley (piano)-730pm-Bates Recital Hall

     ~posted by Dianne Donovan, KMFA announcer and producer of Classical Austin