The prize

I was delighted to hear my friend Kevin Puts won this year's Pultizer in Music. I asked if he was the youngest, and he immediately said, "No, I'm 40! There have been younger, oh no, not me. Copland or someone." And it made me wonder WHO was the youngest.

Charles Wuorinen (and kitty)

Turns out, back in 1970, Charles Wuorinen was only 32 years old when he was awarded the prize (for Time's Encomium, an electronic composition written on commission from Nonesuch Records).
Next is Wynton Marsalis at age 36, and when they were 38, composers Gail Kubik (in 1952) and Aaron Jay Kernis (in 1998) were awarded the Pulitzer Prize.
There you have it.

Contribute to SOLI

There is still time to make a difference with SOLI Chamber Ensemble and their commission, Prelude to the End, by Steven Mackey. But there are just nine days to go!


Here are "the top ten" reasons to become a Sound Investor! (from the home office in San Antonio)
10. Limited Edition T-shirt (Limited edition, folks, limited edition!)
9. It's a SOUND investment! (double entedre!)
8. Bragging rights that you helped the 25th commission for SOLI!
7. Tax deductible - and it's never too early to start for taxes, this year the deadline for 2011 is April 17th!
6. Still three chances to get Ertan to cook and Dave to pair vino, THREE chances!!!
5. Helps expand the mixed quartet repertory!
4. Multimedia baby!
3. Meet SOLI, Steven and Mark!
2. It's "shot of energy, wave of euphoria, spiritual transcendence, transported beyond yourself as a human being!"
and the number one reason to give to SOLI's kickstarter campaign...
1. You will make a difference and help with the creation of a new work!

Happy 42!

Lancaster International Guitar Festival Saturday Night

Lunch in Lancaster

Punny on so many levels

Enjoy this spoof for JNC's The Walking Delius

Exclusive Listen

Check out the latest from Roxanna Panufnik, and her new project, Love Abide.

You might remember our first encounter back in Philly a few years ago.

The Big Cultural Apple

“New York has long been considered the cultural capital of America. Is it still? If not, where?”

View from the old WNYC bathroom

The simple answer is yes. "The Muppets took"? Manhattan. "How do you get to _______ Hall? joke" - Carnegie (deli too, there is no Disney Deli [of fame anyway!]) is the answer...and The Horowitz Nail wasn't in the Kennedy Center or Sydney Opera House (although I am sure they were accommodating if and when the famed pianist had played there).
New York City happens to have a lot of great musicians, writers, dancers, chefs, performers, etc. Certainly in the past Vienna and Leipzig were musical capitals for a long time, and I might even argue that the Berlin Philharmonic may be the greatest orchestra on earth, but dollar to donuts - bagels if you will - New York is America's cultural capital.
I've written about some of my time in NYC, and certainly interviewed quite a few folks there. I love it, and have to admit I am a bit biased. When Paris, je t'aime came out, I said, you know, that last clip is how I feel about New York! Woody Allen of course did a great job in this clip:

John in "Upstate Manhattan" Inwood

I have lived in NYC for two short stints - in college I took a break and stayed 3 months in midtown Manhattan and split a sublet, and more recently in late 2007/early 2008, renting a room in what I called "Upstate Manhattan" - Inwood is the official title. (See me at a famous corner there on the right side of this column.)
I treasure my time there and look forward to returning again and again, perhaps one of these days to actually reside.

I will play devil's advocate for just a second and say that with the internet, and technology, having a geographical "cultural" capital is a bit old fashioned. Europe has a cool project where the city changes every year, and with equality in funding from the NEA and NEH, there are cities just as worthy as NYC to be called the cultural capital - San Francisco, Chicago, LA are easily part of this fabric!
(This is my first entry for the Spring4Music Blogger Challenge!)

Worth the wait, even while on vacation

John Adams and Mason Bates speaking about creativity

MTT speaking American Mavericks

Hersant speaks before his "magical" Third Quartet

Santa Clare in Santa Clara

SOLI Chamber Ensemble plays Hersant

Why I love Thursdays

This is my week so far:

Wednesday

10:30am Ruth Moreland

Tuesday

10am Vadim Gluzman

10:15am Alexandre DaCosta

11am Ryu Goto

11:30am Mark Richter Opera Piccola

12:30pm Allison Balsom

Monday

11:45am Mariko TAO

Still waiting on two more potential interviews - for this week!

I love talking to musicians. But could they spread out their concerts a little here in South Texas?

Soloist change

LH-R is not coming

Following her doctor’s advice, violinist Latica Honda-Rosenberg is unable to travel to San Antonio for her solo appearances with the San Antonio Symphony on March 2 and 3, 2012. Violinist Vadim Gluzman will perform in her place, and the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto will replace the Shostakovich Concerto originally programmed. He will also teach the Russell Hill Rogers Strings Master Class on Thursday, March 1 at 7 p.m. at the Majestic Theatre.

The complete Symphony program is now:
March 2 and 3, 2012 at 8 p.m. Majestic Theatre
Sebastian Lang-Lessing, conductor Vadim Gluzman, violin
Wagner Overture to The Flying Dutchman 
Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D major, Op.35 
Britten Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, Op.33a 
Debussy La Mer
You can hear my interview with Gluzman the last time he was in town here.

Looking Bach to Beethoven

Check out some of my writing and videos over at TPR: http://kpac883.blogspot.com/2012/02/beethoven-recapitulation.html

Lupins?!

I was talking with friends last night at the final Beethoven Festival concert of Piano Sonatas and somehow I mentioned Dennis Moore to them - neither of them had heard of this Monty Python sketch! (and I could not for the life of me remember what the flowers were called - Lupins!)

Copperleaf Quintet rehearsal at Mission San Jose

SOLI composers