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!)

My grammy luck

Seems I have talked to a few nominees about their albums!

Joyce DiDonato about Diva/Divo: http://www.tpr.org/classicalspotlight/2011/01/cs1101202.html

Eric Whitacre about Light and Gold: http://www.tpr.org/classicalspotlight/2010/11/cs1011182.html

Yuja Wang about Rachmaninoff: http://www.tpr.org/classicalspotlight/2011/04/cs1104142.html

Naughty or nice?

Join me as Santa!

HOLIDAY POPS
December 16 & 17 at 8 p.m. at the Majestic Theatre
Ken-David Masur, conductor
San Antonio Symphony Mastersingers, Dr. John Silantien, director
Stiletto, vocalists
John Clare, Santa Claus

HOLIDAY FAMILY CELEBRATION
Sunday, December 18 at 1:30 p.m. at Laurie Auditorium

And while I won't be Kris Kringle at this concert, you should go!

SPECIAL CONCERT TO AID THE FOOD BANK
Monday, December 12 at 7:30 p.m. at Coker United Methodist Church
The members of the San Antonio Symphony are offering a varied program that will include Handel’s Concerto Grosso, Op. 6, No. 1; Beethoven’s Octet in E flat for Winds; Allain’s “A Christmas Carol” with narrator, Deirdre Saravia from Texas Public Radio; and, the Brass section will be playing a selection of Holiday favorites to conclude the concert.

The purpose of the concert will be to help the Food Bank restock its shelves at a time of year when their stocks become most depleted due to the proximity of the two biggest Holidays of the year. This will be accomplished through the donation of non-perishable items as well as free will offerings made by our audience. 100% of the collection, food and money, will be given to the Food Bank.

For Symphony tickets call (210) 554-1010 or visit sasymphony.org.

GTOC: update Tokyo

We are delayed in Tokyo and will head out Friday morning on our #greattourofchina. It has been very long, but grateful to be in a hotel and confirmed for the morning flight. I celebrated with a Rocky Patel cigar in the hotel bar on the top floor.

GTOC: Bon voyage concert

It was a delightful sendoff for YOSA at Convenant Presbyterian Church last night. The first group heads out today and the rest of us leave tomorrow, meeting up in Beijing on Thursday night!

China behind the scenes

Here we are in San Antonio talking about next week's concert of YOSA before we head out to China. Troy Peters is here and I'm behind the camera along with YOSA's marketing person, Nicte Hayes.

Just 'nother mornin'

Enjoying the morning in Bastrop

John Clare's Composing Thoughts: Dan Welcher

Composer Interview: Dan Welcher from John Clare on Vimeo.

On the scene

This amuses me to no end...emcee-ing the CCSA Gala.

A Bounty Of All Things Musical

A great 08

Information about ClassicallyHip dot com:
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83 Personalites interviewed by John from January to December 2008:
Joseph Polisi
Anastasia Khitruk
Alex Shapiro
Gail Archer
Ed Rieke
Drew Stephen
Brent Watkins
Doc Severinsen
Owen Duggan
Kimball Gallagher
Nathaniel Stookey
Lee Trio
Andrea Bocelli
Ken Metz
Timothy Kramer
Diane Persellin
Yizhak Schotten
David Finkel
Charles Yang
Eric Owens
Chris Brubeck
JoAnn Falletta
Jennifer Higdon
Leonard Slatkin
Kurt Anderson (son of Leroy)
Eugene Drucker
Glen Roven
Ittai Shapiro
Rachel Barton Pine
Joshua Bell
James Galway
Peter Schickele
Stephanie Sant’ Ambrogio
David Heuser
Richard Danielpour
Philippe Entremont
Christopher Seaman
Ken David Masur
Christoph Campestrini
Alondra de la Parra
Scott Yoo
Jean-Marie Zeitouni
Orli Shaham
Ken Freudigman
Stephanie Key
Carolyn True
Ertan Torgul
Ruth Moreland
Irma Taute
Marguerite McCormick
Anya Grokhovski
Steven Stucky
Emmanuel Borok
Angela Maleek
Christopher O’Riley
Gene Scheer
Paul Phoenix, Kings Singers
David Hurley, Kingers Singers
Anne-Sophie Mutter
Michael Gordon
Sergio Assad
Carlos Alazraqui (officer James Garcia, Rocko, Lazlo)
Amanda Stewart
Augusta Read Thomas
Cynthia Lawrence
Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR)
Nicole Narboni
Gabriela Montero
Jay Dunahoo
David Mairs
Peter Bay
Jessica Mathaes
Miguel del Aguila
Prazak Quartet
Rachel Ferris
Stephen Payne
Simone Pedroni
Stephanie Teply Westney
Sam Almaguer
Thomas Steigerwald
Mark Ackerman
Warren Jones
Leila Josefowicz

Begin with a laugh

I thought I'd ring in the new year with a post that will make you laugh! Here is my unedited (raw if you will!) interview with Carlos Alazraqui (Officer James Garcia on Reno911) while he was in San Antonio.

MP3 file

Parts of this interview will air next week on Classical Spotlight, as UTSA prepares for its 4th International Conference on the Physiology and Acoustics of Singing.

Hair of the dog

With my new haircut (its not really new I got it cut 4 months ago!) I get lots of looks and comments. A mohawk (or eskiMOHAWK as I like to refer to it) is different, and as I have found out, alot of work to keep it from being a fauxhawk...what I save in shampoo I spend on shaving cream and gel, ah life's rich pageant.
So these days I am used to getting stopped in the grocery store and being asked if I am the last of my kind, at the dry cleaners asking what punk band I play in, and general stares of, oh my gosh, that guy has a mohawk, he must be a punk. Little do they realize I am a classically trained musician, who specializes in the music of our time.
So yesterday at lunch with a coworker I was asked by a complete stranger if I was in a motorcycle gang. Now mind you, I was wearing a suit (my closet remains full of clothes of a "Kansas College professor", and on most days recently, all black!) and still was asked seriously if I was in a motorcycle gang.
I replied, no, and without a beat the lady asked if I wanted to be in one, that her husband was right over at another table. Gee, I don't even own a motorcycle, could I still join a gang?!
The eskiMOHAWK is way fun, I get looks (even last night at the excellent recital of SOLI's pianist Carolyn True) whereever I go, and no doubt comments. I now am able to reply that my favorite author IS James Fennimore Cooper. Next, I need to start my own classical gang. Wanna join?

Fiddle Fanboy

Happy Birthday Elliott!

Happy 100th Elliott Carter from John Clare on Vimeo.

Serious music making

I'm trying to stay healthy, but am feeling the effects of the flu - which figures as I am trying to practice violin, work and get ahead before my trip and recital next week.

I did interview and have the Prazak String Quartet in the studio last Saturday night. See and hear them here.

When we finished I got a picture with them...here's my fave, I had no idea what they were doing behind me!

Visiting San Antonio

It's been a blast having my friend Maggie visit from Las Vegas. She has hung out at the apartment complex, enjoying coffee and grilling; met my folks, and then we've been to concerts, concerts and some concerts.





We've also hit the Riverwalk, and some of my favorite restaurants including Alamo Cafe and Liberty Bar.

Sunday I heard from my friend Lonnie (right), who came to town to hear the Texas State High School Marching Band competition, and was joined by his family too.

It's been way cool to share friends and my new town with folks - come on by and stay awhile!

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

John Clare, age 5.
From the collection of Warren and Mary Ann Clare, sketched in Anchorage, AK 1975.

Catching up personally

Hey there! I'm enjoying a smoke out by the pool area, and thought I'd blog a bit.
Things have been wonderful and busy, as you can see online at the KPAC Blog. Be sure to watch the interview there with Alondra de la Parra - she was a real treat to hear with the San Antonio Symphony. They really should hire her right now, and make a big splash in the media about it. The audience was thrilled and the orchestra sounded fabulous. Her ideas about audience building, programming, marketing and music making showed in the pre-concert talk, the concert itself, and at a talk-back afterwards. While I've NEVER really gotten anything from a talk back, having one with Music Director candidates is a no brainer and fab idea. Of course, they should just hire Alondra and not worry about talkbacks...but I digress.
I just finished making a birthday cake for someone very special in my life. Pardon me if I don't kiss and tell, but I'll tell you I've never been happier. It happened rather unexpectedly and my life over the last three weeks is even more amazing than I thought possible. You'll know more later.
I completed my first pledge drive at work, and it went well. This financial world we live in doesn't make it easy on public broadcasting, but San Antonio stepped up to the plate - thank you so much!
I also am playing alot these days, prepping for a violin recital in Madison next month. As I mentioned I've met a special someone, I am writing a solo violin rhapsody in her honor. Its' coming along, and I'll pen some more tonight. Scales and practice fill hours between caring for my parents.
Speaking of which, we had a great time yesterday with a Catholic disability group, and I wound up playing violin for a service afterwards, and met a nice guitarist Chris. He wants me to play on his next album, which was flattering, but I barely know the guy. Besides, I have two close friends wanting some tracks for a Dylan cover album, and one who is putting togther his own contemporary Cuban music cd, which I've already said yes to both!
Modern music continues to have some great projects, with a trip to NYC after my Madison recital, doing some filming...more on that soon too!
My latest culinary success includes bacon sloppy joes, broccolli cheese potato soup, spice cake and corn fritters. That latter item is an old family favorite, basically its corn pancakes.
My folks continue to have good days and bad, with it seeming to have more bad than good - but I have faith that things will be ok.
I'm also very excited that my friend Maggie is coming to visit San Antonio the end of this week. I suspect I'll get to know downtown even better! No doubt we'll have pictures and posts with her here or on facebook - or both!
I'm sure I'm missing something, but that's all I can think of off the top of my head.

Pretty happy

I like being able to share this with you...

Chris O'Riley at TPR from John Clare on Vimeo.

The next video is better technically with another Chris - Christopher Seaman conductor! There won't be a microphone in front of his face on the video...what can I say, I'm a radio guy...

Return

I'll be back in the midstate this week for violinist Maria Bachmann and her recital at Gretna Music. Come to my pre-concert talk at 7 and stay for the performance at 8pm on August 8, 2008.

You might recall some of the previous performances I've been at with Maria:

http://classicallyhip.blogspot.com/2007/04/five-things-about-maria-bachmann.html

http://classicallyhip.blogspot.com/2006/12/klap-ur-handz.html
http://classicallyhip.blogspot.com/2006/11/5-things-about-lark-quartet.html
http://classicallyhip.blogspot.com/2006/02/hairy-weather-and-chamber-of-secrets.html

Playing

Tomorrow night my friend Paul and I are playing at Eckels in Mechanicsburg. Come out, its one of my final appearances in the midstate as a Pennsylvanian!

Listen to us on an original tune by Paul Zavinsky, What More Can I Do?

Here are some shots of us playing last week for volunteers.