Posts by Ken Herman
Mark Morris Dance Group Soars at SummerFest 2019
Eye, ear, and imagination have never been so simultaneously deluged in SummerFest’s 33 years of programming as they were Wednesday, August 21, with the Mark Morris Dance Group taking center stage at The Conrad.
Read MoreTimo Andres’ Impressive Piano Trio at La Jolla SummerFest
Composer David Lang returned to the La Jolla SummerFest stage Sunday, August 18, to introduce his second installment of fresh contemporary music for this year’s festival. Featured were composers Ted Hearne, Nina Young, Timo Andres, and Julia Wolfe.
Read MoreMusic Performance and the Visual Arts Collide Creatively at SummerFest
Thursday’s SummerFest 2019 theme at The Conrad-–Music at an Exhibition—explored the connection between the visual arts and music performance. Zach Smithey’s bold brushstrokes moved to the music of Biber, Ravel, and J. S. Bach in one hall, while in the main concert hall Inon Barnatan gave a thrilling performance of Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition.”
Read MoreSmart Contemporary Chamber Music at La Jolla SummerFest
In his opening remarks to Sunday’s La Jolla SummerFest concert, composer David Lang explained that he chose the evening’s program to demonstrate how certain contemporary composers were showing their respect for music’s past. He gave us a helpful insight to Caroline Shaw’s 2011 work “Entre’acte,” noting that the composer set to work on this piece…
Read MoreRare Francesco Cavalli Opera Sighted on Stage in the Golden Triangle
Opera NEO’s last offering of its 2019 Summer Festival, Francesco Cavalli’s 1651 “La Calisto,” opened in a smart production Friday at the Four Flowers Theater at La Jolla Country Day School.
Read MoreOpera NEO’s Compelling ‘Eugene Onegin’ Soars in the Golden Triangle
Opera NEO’s production of Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin” at La Jolla Country Day School’s Four Flowers Theater revealed consistently polished singing coupled with a compelling, well-focused dramatic arc.
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