http://www.kusc.org/blog Keeping Score of Classical Goings On Tue, 23 Feb 2010 23:19:25 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I was super excited to be a part of a bicycle ensemble yesterday evening. It was part of the Monday Evening Concerts' performance of Eine Brise: Transient Action for 111 Bicyclists. This music/conceptual art piece, by composer Mauricio Kagel, is entirely written out on sheet music. A ... http://www.kusc.org/blog/?p=180 That would be me! In fact, I’m so excited that my hair is literally standing on end. But it’s not just the end of the KUSC Winter Membership Drive that I’m excited about. It’s the incredible support I’ve seen from each of you over the past ... http://www.kusc.org/blog/?p=178 Last night I got to be the Master of Ceremonies at the 14th Annual Grammy Salute to Classical Music.  The invitation-only event at the intimate Broad Stage in Santa Monica was a concert/tribute honoring the one-and-only Placido Domingo.  As is usually the case with this affair, the place was jammed ... http://www.kusc.org/blog/?p=175 KUSC listener Gershon Hepner frequently responds to our musical selections in poetic form. I mentioned on the air that Arthur Fiedler drew 400,000 people with his July 4, 1976, concert with the Boston Pops on the banks of the Charles River. Mr. Hepner has graciously permitted me to share ... http://www.kusc.org/blog/?p=173 This week on Arts Alive it’s a feast for the eyes as well as the ears, as we feature some stunning visual art.  And since the view through your radio speakers or headphones probably isn’t so hot, we’ve posted images here on the KUSC blog.  Here, in the order of ... http://www.kusc.org/blog/?p=170 For a number of years I participated in the Grammy’s Classical Music Selection Committee.  Don’t get excited, it’s pretty dry stuff.  A group of classical folk gather in a hotel suite and decide which entries go in which category for consideration.  Is a pop singer appearing in a recording of ... http://www.kusc.org/blog/?p=169 At about 12:52p today, 12/20, I'll play "The Christmas Star," from John Adams' nativity oratorio El Nino. The texts Adams uses--in Spanish, Latin, and English--are taken from poems by a diverse array poets ancient to modern and also include passages from the Bible, The New Testament Apocrypha, and The ... http://www.kusc.org/blog/?p=167 This weekend I'm speaking on the LA Philharmonic's Upbeat Live! series, introducing a concert that includes The Four Seasons. For the occasion, I've brought out a poem I wrote in the last century (inspired by the song "Tchaikovsky" in which Danny Kaye rattled off a lengthy list of Russian composers). Vivaldi by Alan ... http://www.kusc.org/blog/?p=166 As the year comes to an end it's always a good time to look back on one's favorite moments, both personal and professional.  In 2009 I experienced both at once.  It happened on November 8th, immediately following the Metropolitan Opera National Council Western Regional Auditions Finals (kinda rolls off the ... http://www.kusc.org/blog/?p=165 Somewhere around the second week of November, a sign-up sheet appears at the KUSC front desk.  Bearing the headline “KUSC THANKSGIVING POTLUCK” that sheet is the first sign that it’s nearly time for one of the most anticipated events at KUSC.  Every year, employees from each department arrive at work ... http://www.kusc.org/blog/?p=164