AHA Classical

“Chanticleer-ed’

It’s the only way I can describe it. . .’Chanticleer-ed.’ It happened to me earlier this month when I had the privilege of attending ‘A Chanticleer Christmas’ presented at St….

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I’m as mad as Hell. . .

I’m not actually “mad as Hell” – although, who among us who saw the 1976 film Network can ever forget the incredible scene in which we are urged by fictional…

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Mickey Mouse Projection behind Orchestra performing Mozart

Mickey Mouse & Mozart

. . .one of my longer rants. Professional symphony orchestras in the United States face an annual challenge that we refer to in jest, belying the utter seriousness of the…

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Vibration

Can You Feel the Vibes?

When I was in high school it was common to hear someone say: “That person has good vibes.” It was a compliment. ‘That person’ was emitting positive energy that could…

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Secrets of Conducting

We know what you’re thinking! Who is “we?” We conductors know what many audience members are thinking when you attend our performances. From your perspective, it looks like a lion…

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Open Sesame

Do you remember the first time you encountered that phrase? Perhaps you saw it in an English translation of Antoine Galland’s Les Mille et une nuits (One Thousand and One…

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Your “listening guide” amazes me, in that it is a means of illustrating the role of various instrumental sections in communicating and “telling” a story. My background is science and technology so the 1 -1 ½ hours listening to a symphony with your presentation was an exciting learning experience I was not expecting.You are an exceptional talent and personality to be able to introduce someone like myself to the very complicated language of a symphony.

— Outreach Program Attendee