Maria Schneider’s composition Winter Morning Walks has won four Grammies this year for the composer, the soprano soloist Dawn Upshaw and production team. The recording features one of Australia’s finest ensembles, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, who will perform this song cycle in its upcoming Sydney season. Schneider has recently moved from working in jazz to composing classical music.
Here’s what she has to say about her work:
Check out this video of Jessical Pratt singing O luce di quest ‘anima from Donizetti’s opera Linda di Chamonix. This week Jessica Pratt was awarded La siola d’oro an accolade given in Italy to outstanding coloratura sopranos, previously won by Joan Sutherland and Sumi Jo.
Opera Australia has just anounced an outstanding cast for its winter production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific. Baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes moves from the opera stage to the musical as Emile de Becque, playing alongside four time Gold Logie award-winning actress Lisa McCune as Nelie Forbush. In the supporting roles are Kate Ceberano as Bloody Mary who…
Australian electric viola da gamba ensemble Elysian Fields launches it debut album. Check out the music. More information.
The late maestro Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducts his ensemble Concentus Musicus Wien, led by concertmaster Alice Harnoncourt.
This Saturday, ARIA award winning pianist Sally Whitwell teams up with soprano Allegra Giagu for an evening of music at Laguna Hall, Wollombi, just a short drive north of Sydney. Allegra and Sally have been friends for years and this, their first concert together will feature them as soloists as well as in ensemble. In this video/soundtrack, Sally…
When Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau died last week, his career as a singer was dissected and analysed in meticulous details. The loss of his once incomparable voice was rightly lamented. However, as with many individual of prolific talent and intellect, a rare voice was not his only gift. As well as being a writer, (he wrote…