Category Archives: KMFA recommends

Brazilian guitarist Yamandu Costa performs in Austin

~posted by Sarah Addison, KMFA Development Associate and Producer of Pianoforte

Saturday night marked the last concert of the Austin Classical Guitar Society’s 2011-2012 International Concert Series and the Guitars Galore Festival. The concert, which was sold out completely, featured the extraordinary Brazilian guitarist Yamandu Costa, who is on his first concert tour of the U.S.

The Guitars Galore Festival Orchestra performing the piece “Nebulae” by Olga Amelkina-Vera

The concert began with the Guitars Galore Festival Orchestra, consisting of what looked to be about 100 guitars, performing the piece “Nebulae” by Olga Amelkina-Vera, who won the Guitars Galore composition competition this year. The piece was haunting and beautiful, and one I certainly hope to hear again.

After a brief introduction by ACGS Executive Director, Matthew Hinsley, Yamunda humbly came out and played for a little over an hour. He played more notes on his seven stringed guitar than I thought possible, and almost all of the music he played he had written himself! The music ranged from upbeat tangos to lullabies, and was accented in places by his singing and even whistling. In between pieces he sipped tea through the straw of a handcrafted mug and chatted a little with the audience. His accent might have been a little difficult to understand, but his exuberant playing left nothing unsaid.

Yamandu Costa on stage

I hope Yamunda’s first tour of the United States has gone well so that he will return to Austin soon!


~posted by Sarah Addison, KMFA Development Associate and producer of Pianoforte

Enjoying “Sonorous Strings” courtesy of the Round Rock Symphony

~posted by Alison @ KMFA

I had the great pleasure of attending a chamber music concert last Monday evening… well, perhaps “attending” isn’t the right word: when you are listening to a talented quartet of musicians, it’s almost as if you participate. Chamber music is traditionally performed in smaller settings, and in this case in a wonderfully acoustic meeting room at the Georgetown Library. We could hear every distinct note from every instrument from only a few feet away. The pressure is on, then: not just for the musicians, but also for the audience, who for the most part perched on the edge of their seats and listened intently, all the while trying not to make a single sound that might distract from the beautiful music.

The Artisan Quartet performs Beethoven (Richard Kilmer, Paula Bird, Brice Williams, and Douglas Harvey)

Ms Toby Blumenthal, pianist, introduces the Mozart Piano Concerto (insider info: she said it was her favorite!)

These musicians in particular were the Artisan Quartet, joined by Toby Blumenthal on piano. The Artisan Quartet is sort of the “A” Team quartet of musicians who, in addition to being members of the Austin Symphony, are each performers and educators of international renown. Toby Blumenthal has similar credentials, and special thanks go out to the Round Rock Symphony who hosted their delightful collaborative performance. And there were even more classical music luminaries in the audience: Dr. Ellsworth Peterson was there, and he had kindly written the program notes for each piece.

The Artisan Quartet started the performance with a Beethoven piece (String Quartet Opus 18, No. 3 in D Major); then Ms. Blumenthal joined them for Mozart’s Piano Concerto (No. 14 in E flat Major), and after a short break, rounded out the evening with a Faure Piano Quartet (in C Minor, Opus 15).  Their music was wonderful, ranging at times from serene to optimistic to suspenseful.

Part of the Round Rock Symphony’s mission is “to musically enrich the greater Round Rock community by presenting affordable and accessible symphonic concerts of the highest artistic order,” and they certainly accomplished that when they hosted this event! Their “accessibility” isn’t just about location, it’s also about their warmth, hospitality, and devotion to promoting live classical music. I’m looking forward to attending their upcoming performances, especially the From Russia with Love concert, and of course the Georgetown Festival of the Arts!  You can check out their website for the dates and more info: www.roundrocksymphony.org/concerts.htm.

Performing the Faure piano quartet

In the KMFA studios: stars from the cast of ALO’s “Turandot”!

~posted by Dianne Donovan, KMFA mid-day announcer and producer of  KMFA’s program, Classical Austin

Lise Lindstrom (Turandot), Frank Poretta (Calaf), KMFA's Dianne Donovan, and ALO General Director Joseph Spector

Say, if you missed Classical Austin, you can still hear the interview I did with the two of the stars, Lise Lindstrom (starring in the title role as Turandot) and Frank Porretta (starring in the role of Calaf). I also got to chat with A.L.O.’s new General Director, Joseph Specter.

Here are a few highlights from our conversation:

  • Hear how Lise Lindstrom keeps her signature role fresh.
  • Frank Poretta comes from a family of opera singers but that didn’t stop him from trying his vocal chords in rock (think: Aerosmith, Led Zepplin).
  • ….Guess who else did some rock singing?

If you missed the show on Wednesday night, you can hear the interview portion on our website.

Don’t forget KMFA’s Live Broadcast of A.L.O.’s production of Turandot: Saturday, April 14th @ 7pm.

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

Young performers shine at the ACO Pearl Amster Youth Concerto concert

~posted by Hannah Kate Schaeffer, KMFA Administrative Assistant

I had a chance to attend the Austin Civic Orchestra perform at the Bethany Lutheran Church this past weekend.  It’s a local event, with local artists providing their talents to a local audience. It isn’t every weekend you can hear live, classical music in this city, so I felt lucky to have two tickets to this performance.

The program began as a showcase of the talents of four talented winners of the Pearl Amster Youth Concerto competition. Three violinists and one pianist played along with the orchestra as if they had been performing like this for the entirety of their young lives. One blond violinist rocked out on his violin, like a young Mick Jagger who plays Scottish-themed concertos with symphonic orchestras instead of classic rock bands. Their parents and family members watched proudly as the young talents performed. Sure, a few of them have already  performed at Carnegie Hall, but that evening they had their own orchestras to back their solo performances in their home town.

Collin Turner, age 18, performing the final movement of Scottish Fantasy by Max Bruch as part of the ACO sponsored Pearl Amster Youth Concerto Festival at Bethany Lutheran Church on March 10, 2012

After a quick intermission filled with a deep yearning for a slice of the gigantic celebratory cake that sat in the back hall (to be eaten after the performance), ACO played the suite from Bernstein’s quintessential Broadway composition, West Side Story. I later asked conductor Dr. Ferrari why she chose this piece, assuming a connection between the young performers present and the young characters in West Side Story, but she just explained that she loved the musical, and the timing happened to be perfect. Well fine, Dr. Ferrari, but I’d still like to think that there’s something of a cosmic link between the young hopefuls at the concert that night and the adolescents who sang about their life’s springtime in West Side Story. But there at Bethany Church, the world provided a concrete ending to an age-old story that is rarely ever finished – the kids won.
    ~posted by Hannah Kate Schaeffer, KMFA Administrative Assistant

“All I want for Christmas is a sackbut.” ~ Sara Hessel, KMFA Music Director

Actually, I don’t really want a sackbut for Christmas. My ears are already ringing with the three amazing early music Christmas concerts that I’ve enjoyed in the past week!

It all started with “Yule, Brittania!” presented by Texas Early Music Project. We enjoyed carols, chant and traditional music from England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, spanning the 13th-19th centuries. TEMP’s vocalists were in excellent form, and did full justice to the lovely arrangements by artistic director Daniel Johnson. While they gave us lots of ‘new’ pieces, somehow it’s par for the course at Christmas to enjoy the old familiar favorites the best, like “Ye sons of men, with me rejoice,” and the heart-melting Scottish lullaby “Balooloo, my lammie,” with alto Stephanie Prewitt singing it like only she can.

I couldn’t believe my luck when I heard that the UK-based Dufay Collective would be performing in Houston! I’ve been a fan of their spirited performances for years, and have played their excellent recordings on Ancient Voices many times. Their program of 16th- and 17th-century English music was sheer joy to listen to. Vocalist Vivien Ellis seemed to have stepped right out of one of Henry VIII’s Christmas revels with her clarion tone, excellent diction and storyteller’s sense. Especially memorable was an anonymous ballad called “To drive the cold winter away,” and the very moving “Thys endere nyghyt,” gorgeously arranged by director William Lyons. It was fascinating to watch the players switch effortlessly from one instrument to another: Mr. Lyons played flute, recorder, curtal (an ancestor of the bassoon) and bagpipes!

Rounding out this incredible week of music was the most dynamic performance of Handel’s Messiah I’ve ever heard, given by Austin’s own Ensemble VIII, along with Mercury Baroque (Houston), and directed by Dr. James Morrow. Dr. Morrow’s historically informed performance gave this hoary yet beloved masterpiece a much-needed dust off. The pared-down vocal and instrumental forces made for an extremely transparent texture that allowed the listener to hear nuances usually lost in large-scale productions. Quick tempi were used to great effect, but even the fastest passages were executed with precision. But this was no purely technical performance! The whole emotional spectrum of this masterwork was there for the hearing: the exuberant delight of “For unto us a Child is born,” the mystical “Behold the Lamb of God,” the pathos of “He was despised,” and the majesty of the Hallelujah Chorus and “Worthy is the Lamb.” It was an unforgettable experience, and one that I hope to have the pleasure of repeating next year!

Sara Hessel is KMFA’s Music Director, as well as producer and host of Ancient Voices. Tune in on Sundays, 9am and 4pm, to enjoy Ancient Voices, right here on KMFA, 89.5.

The Austin Polish Film Festival – A Cultural Revelation

Born in 1976

Who are you; what would you like; what do you think is important?

~posted by Hannah Schaeffer, KMFA administrative assistant

I am as new to KMFA as I am to Austin. I have only lived in the outskirts for the past few years, so I am just now able to truly explore and discover this diverse and wonderful city. Naturally, I was excited to be sent to the Austin Polish Film Festival for my first blogging assignment. I did not know about the Austin Polish Society before the festival, so this event was the perfect opportunity for learning more about their community and Austin as a whole.

The festival spanned over the course of 5 days, and I attended the final day of the festival on Saturday, November 12th at the Marchesa Hall and Theatre. I enjoyed five short films and one full-length feature, including a live interview with one of the headline actors from the final film. I was moved by a beautiful, yet tragic animation about the man who invented moving pictures in color, and entranced by a modern story of love and intrigue in the age of computer/reality simulation.

My favorite feature was a quick documentary from the year 1980 called “Talking Heads” in which Polish citizens were asked three questions: “Who are you, what would you like, and what is important to you?” The film began with charming and hopeful responses from young Polish children. As the interviewees slowly grew older, their hopes, dreams and identities grew more diverse. Words like “choice, work and freedom” transitioned into “democracy, health, suffering and humanity” as a montage of older professionals from academics to miners discussed their hopes for the future on the black-and-white screen. Finally, a 100 year-old woman playfully confessed that she just “wants to live longer.” I was delighted to have learned so much about a foreign society in such a small amount of time.

Needless to say, I was grateful to have experienced this cultural and artistic celebration. The APS has so much to offer Austin, so I hope to see more from them in the near future.

~Hannah Schaeffer 🙂

McCallum’s music in the park

~posted by Phil Pollack, KMFA Tech Ops Manager

Last weekend I enjoyed the great pleasure of  attending the McCallum Orchestra’s event, Music in the Park.  Held in the Mueller neighborhood’s Lake Park Amphitheater, the Orchestra played musical arrangements from favorite movies.

The student musicians all wore blinking lights while they performed on the night-time stage, and scenes from each film score that they played would appear on the movie screen behind them.  And at the end, how could I miss the 1980’s classic “Back to the Future” that was shown following the concert?

This was a free, family friendly event, encouraging donations to assist with orchestra expenses. It was the second of a series. I definitely recommend attending their next performance!

Here’s a short video clip featuring an orchestral version from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack:

Halloween at the Symphony!

~posted by Holly Algreen, KMFA’s Director of Individual Giving

On Sunday, October 23rd, I had the opportunity to attend the Austin Symphony Orchestra’s Halloween Children’s Concert at the Long Center. With a 4-year-old, a 3-year-old and a 2-year-old in tow, we made our way to the Long Center on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. We had Snow White, Pinkalicious and Yoda with us, and once we arrived we saw lots of princesses, Tinker Bells, ninjas, and ghosts in attendance.

The concert started out with Marco Perella as the Master of Ceremonies (dressed in a clown costume of course) by greeting everyone and explaining each section of the orchestra with guest conductor Irwin Wagner. As he announced each section they would play something familiar. The kids seem to love hearing the wind section, but the percussion section received the greatest applause. Then we heard The Smurfs March and enjoyed life-sized Smurfs dancing on stage! As the show went on we heard the ET theme-song and were amazed by skeletons and spiders coming down from the ceiling. All the kids screamed and laughed in surprise. Before the main event, “Peter and the Wolf,” we enjoyed a sing along of “My Pumpkin Lives Right Here in Austin,” which all three kids have been singing for days since. It’s now become a theme song in our home. And then we enjoyed a narrative, with music and pictures on the big screen of Peter and the Wolf.

The Concert was a wonderful introduction for kids to the symphony. They loved all the costumes, the spooky decorations throughout the Long Center and of course the music. It was a wonderful way to celebrate Halloween with music and fun for kids! I highly recommend this annual treat for any family with kids!

A Festival of Organ Concertos

Posted by Sara Hessel, KMFA Music Director

Organist Keith Womer couldn’t have given his recent concert a more fitting title than “A Festival of Organ Concertos.” The whole thing felt like a celebration — not only of the sonorous pairing of organ and strings, but also of St. Austin’s lovely neo-Baroque pipe organ! The concert was in fact in honor of the 10th anniversary of the dedication and installation of the Laukhuff-Bier Organ at St. Austin’s, an instrument built in the style of an 18th century south German organ.

Keith Womer on the St. Austin's organ

Keith and his gallant band of string players from La Follia Austin Baroque treated us to music by Mozart, Haydn, Vivaldi, and Handel, along with the famous Adagio for Organ and Strings by Tomaso Albinoni Remo Giazotto.

Hey, wait a minute…

Yes, it’s true! As Keith told us in his entertaining and informative remarks, that famous Adagio was in fact composed by the musicologist responsible for cataloging Albinoni’s works, Remo Giazotto. At first, Giazotto claimed it was a newly rediscovered work by Albinoni. But as time went on, the truth emerged: it was an original work by Giazotto, based on a scant 2-3 measure bass line by Albinoni.

Another musical illusion shattered! But regardless of who wrote it, it sounded magnificent in that space. Concertmaster Go Yamamoto’s solo work was especially moving—the plaintive solo violin contrasted beautifully with the measured intensity of the organ.

The neo-Baroque organ at St. Austin's church

The program concluded with Handel’s beloved F Major Organ Concerto, subtitled “The Cuckoo and the Nightingale.” This was definitely the high pointof the evening—the organ absolutely sparkled! In Handel’s time, an organist was expected to improvise parts of a work like this, and being the talented instrumentalist he is, Keith did ol’ George proud with his effervescent performance.

If you get the chance, please go hear the lovely Laukhuff-Bier Organ at St. Austin’s! You can see a list of upcoming events here: http://www.staustin.org/

For more information about future performances by Keith Womer and La Follia Austin Baroque, please visit their website: www.lafollia.org.

Texas Early Music Project’s “El Mundo Nuevo” (The New World)

Posted by Alison @ KMFA  🙂

Last weekend I had the great pleasure of attending my very first Texas Early Music Project (TEMP) performance. I know, I’m way overdue, but to be fair, I thought I was getting adequate early-music fulfillment with KMFA’s wonderful Sunday show, Ancient Voices.

Well, the performance I attended proved to me that there is more than great music involved in a TEMP performance. Of course I expected the beautiful vocal pieces, some haunting, some playful. The piece “El Palomo” (called a Tonadilla, i.e., a little Tonada) seemed like it was created just for soloist Stephanie Prewitt to sing, which of course is impossible, since it dated back to the 17th century. And the rousing percussion piece, labeled simply as Zarambeques, coupled with the wholesome harp, was one of my favorites.

The overall theme of the concert (named “El Mundo Nuevo: 18th-Century Music from Latin America”) was music from  the city streets, Indian villages, and missions and cathedrals of 18th-century Peru and Bolivia. (Hah! I’ll bet you thought all early music was from the courts and monasteries of old England, didn’t you? Another presumptive stereotype dashed.) One of the most interesting aspects of the performance was the brief description of the history of the percussion instruments, including the shipping crate that became a drum, and the drumstick on the alms box that changed pitch when the hinged lid is raised and lowered. There was an early-music harp featured as well, and other instruments that I didn’t get a chance to scrutinize from the back of the audience, but they all sounded so wonderful…. Guest artist Tom Zajac shared most of the historical insights between pieces, and was such an amazing performer. And because I know no one else will say it (early music people are so polite), he’s pretty good-looking, too.  😉

I highly recommend attending the next TEMP event…. this was the season opener, and after perusing their website, they have a wonderfully diverse offering this season.

Here’s a little slideshow of my surreptitiously taken snapshots:

~ posted by Alison @ KMFA