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Bird (Lawrence Brownlee) in Birdland. (Photo by Dominic M. Mercier.)

Opera Philadelphia's 'Yardbird' (third review)

Ill-conceived hagiography

It’s possible to love jazz and classical music; I’ve done so for most of my life, as has Yardbird's composer. He created an intriguing combination of the two genres, but it has problems of another sort.

Steve Cohen

Jun 09, 2015 Articles 3 minute read

Sinatra, with Italian actress Alida Valli, on Armed Forces Radio in the 1940s.

Frank Sinatra: An appreciation

It was a very good life

This year, the world is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Frank Sinatra, who was born to make music using the latest media to bring his performances to the masses. Like all great artists, he was consumed by an ambition that knew no bounds — after mastering the media of his time, he went on to transform them into something no one could have imagined.

Armen Pandola

Jun 07, 2015 Articles 5 minute read

Keep your eye on the guy at the back. (Photo courtesy of Dolce Suono)

Dolce Suono: Música en tus Manos

Trios and boleros

The Dolce Suono Ensemble bounced through a century of Latin-American concert and popular music, with a little help from some Philadelphia public school students.

Tom Purdom

Jun 02, 2015 Articles 4 minute read

James Freeman explains George Crumb to students at West Virginia University. (Photo via orchestra2001.blogspot.com)

James Freeman, Alan Harler, and Margaret Garwood

Thanks for the memories

The music season ends with the retirement of two creative music directors and the death of a leading Philadelphia composer.

Tom Purdom

May 30, 2015 Articles 5 minute read

An angelic shawm: "Assumption of the Virgin," detail, Frei Carlos (1517-40)

On not knowing what to say

Memorial Day

Kile Smith considers becoming a composer by not trying to be important.

Kile Smith

May 26, 2015 Articles 5 minute read

Batiashvili: Almost impossible to play. (Photo: Mat Henek.)

The end of the Philadelphia Orchestra's 2014-15 season

The violin in the drawer

The Russians had the last word for the 2014-15 Orchestra season, with a major concerto and a symphony following an American premiere.

Robert Zaller

May 25, 2015 Articles 5 minute read

Cipriano de Rore: Actually, he's not a fourth-division Italian soccer player.

Piffaro and Laughing Bird celebrate Cipriano de Rore

Who is Cipriano de Rore? And why are we giving him a birthday party?

Piffaro celebrated a 16th-century master who’s been neglected by the early music movement.

Tom Purdom

May 19, 2015 Articles 3 minute read

Philanderer and philanderee: Reyes and Myers. (Photo by Don Valentino.)

Concert Operetta Theater's 'Fledermaus'

The original Batman

An effervescent performance by Philadelphia’s Concert Operetta Theater demonstrates why Fledermaus is the prime example of the comic opera.

Steve Cohen

May 19, 2015 Articles 3 minute read

When Tchaikovsky came to Philadelphia

Tchaikovsky's charm

On May 18, 1891, Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky arrived in Philadelphia to conduct the last performance of his American tour, following his triumphant opening of Carnegie Hall.