February 20, 2020
Hindsight has a funny way of making past successes seem effortlessly inevitable. But when Tchaikovsky wrote his Fifth Symphony, he had no way of knowing whether the work would be popularly received at its premiere (it was), or that it would still be performed over a hundred years later and adored by audiences around the
February 20, 2020
The first Russian to achieve international renown as a composer, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is also often considered the most Romantic of composers. He was also a deeply tormented and sensitive soul. By California Symphony If Tchaikovsky felt it, it found a way into his music.”—Prof Robert Greenberg Growing Up Tchaikovsky Born May 7, 1840 in
February 20, 2020
Even the legendary Russian Romantic composer struggled with writer’s block, self-doubt, and the occasional lack of inspiration. By California Symphony I am written out, my head is empty, my time is past…”—Tchaikovsky While composing his Fifth Symphony, Tchaikovsky consistently doubted his ability to write. He began working on the piece in the spring of 1888
February 20, 2020
By California Symphony Music Director Donato Cabrera. I suppose I could wax philosophically, in maestro-like fashion, and list all of the incredible opportunities our Young-American-Composer-in-Residence residency affords our chosen composer over the three years that they are with us. And while I believe all of these opportunities to be true and worthwhile, I’ll leave other
February 19, 2020
The New York Times has called his music “alluring” and “wildly inventive” and his compositions have already been featured in concerts at Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center. We sit down with our newest Composer-in-Residence Viet Cuong, whose three-year residency begins August 1, 2020, to talk marching band, his compositional style, and connections to former
February 21, 2020
Young American Composer-in-Residence Katherine Balch is about to complete her final World Premiere of her residency with the California Symphony. Katherine sits down with friends and upcoming featured artists to talk about vocal music, their shared history, and their weirdest performance moments. Kelly Guerra (mezzo-soprano), Molly Netter (soprano), and Alexandra Smither (soprano) are each incredible
February 21, 2020
Katherine Balch connects texts to celebrate women in Illuminate, the final commission and world premiere of her three-year tenure as California Symphony Young American Composer-in-Residence. This summer, I had a few days in between projects to do some hiking in Swiss Alps. During these few solitary days trekking around and over snow-covered summits, I had ample
January 30, 2020
By California Symphony Concertos usually offer a single soloist the chance to shine at center stage—to work in partnership with the conductor and orchestra, and put on a show that wows the audience with their virtuosic skills. So why did Brahms deviate from the norm and complicate things by adding a second soloist? In conceiving
January 22, 2020
By California Symphony Instantly recognizable, Brahms’ Hungarian Dance No. 5 has provided the soundtrack to some memorable pop culture moments, including a Charlie Chaplin skit, a Looney Tunes cartoon, and a routine performed by two naked Frenchmen with a couple of towels. Would Brahms have approved? 1. A CLOSE SHAVE “Make your work a pleasure.
January 22, 2020
Within his Hungarian Dances, Johannes Brahms captured the rich and vibrant soul of Hungary’s beloved tradition of dance. Perhaps one of his most well-recognized works, Brahms’ Hungarian Dances is a set of 21 dances inspired by Hungarian folk music, a diverse genre home to the colorful blend of the aural histories of Hungarians and Hungarian-minorities