William Bolcom News

Pacific Symphony and Classical KUSC 91.5FM have joined forces to launch a new classical music series of three Friday-night concerts designed to trim some of classical music's longhair image to present shorter, engaging programs in a casual and unstuffy atmosphere. Audiences are encouraged to dress casually. Each concert features fun, knowledge-enhancing activities before and after the program, making a complete experience of the evening. The series targets 25- to 45-year-olds who would like to know more about classical music, but these concerts can be enjoyed by everyone.

Nicole Cabell and Alyson Cambridge, celebrated American sopranos and close friends, record together for the first time on 'Sisters in Song,' a new Cedille Records album of opera duets and specially commissioned duet arrangements of classical songs, African-American spirituals, and a folk tune, accompanied by the Lake Forest Symphony conducted by Vladimir Kulenovic.

The world-renowned Emerson String Quartet celebrates the 80th birthday of American composer and pianist, winner of the National Medal of Arts, Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award, William Bolcom at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall on Sunday, October 21, 2018 at 5 PM.  Joined by the acclaimed pianist Shai Wosner, the Quartet performs Bolcom's Piano Quintet No. 1.

RTE has announced today that it will livestream at this year's Wexford Festival Opera for the first time, as part of its collaboration with European public service channel, ARTE. The collaboration will see Wexford Festival Opera's production of Saverio Mercadante's Il bravo (The Assassin) livestreamed internationally on RTE's online Culture platform, RTE.ie/culture.

The Chicago-based Blue Violet Duo of violinist Kate Carter and pianist Louise Chan makes its recording debut with American Souvenirs, an album of jazz, blues, and dance-influenced classical works from the mid-to-late 20th century by American composers Norman Dello Joio, William Bolcom, John Adams, and Paul Schoenfeld.

Returning to New York after his recital series of Schubert sonatas last spring, pianist Shai Wosner takes the stage with friends and colleagues in four chamber performances across the city-one each month from October to January. Throughout his career, he has embraced chamber music as an essential aspect of his artistry, to be pursued alongside performance as a soloist in recital or with orchestra. Now, this season, New Yorkers have the opportunity to experience his passion for chamber music over several different programs, all within a short window of time this fall and winter. The music of Gabriel Faure (1845-1924) is featured most prominently, including works written for duo, trio, quartet, and quintet ensembles. Additional composers on the programs are Cecile Chaminade, Schumann, Mozart, and contemporary American composer William Bolcom, who this year celebrates his 80th birthday.

Cincinnati Opera and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) are pleased to announce that their groundbreaking joint program, Opera Fusion: New Works, will host two new operas in November and December of 2018.

With just a little over ten weeks until the 67th Wexford Festival Opera kicks-off, some updates to the artistic programme have been announced.

The Dallas Opera is proud to announce the names of the twelve distinguished professionals (six conductors, two administrators, and four observers) selected to participate in the fourth annual residency of the Linda and Mitch Hart Institute for Women Conductors at The Dallas Opera taking place Oct. 28 - Nov. 10, 2018 in Dallas, Texas:

Following immense backlash on social media over whitewashing of the role of Maria, meant to be Puerto Rican, Boggess took to Facebook to announce that she was withdrawing from the production.

The Anchoress, a new monodrama by composer David Ludwig, "a composer with something urgent to say" (Philadelphia Inquirer), will have its world premiere on Wednesday, October 17, 2018 at 7:30 PM at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia under the auspices of the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society. The next evening, Thursday, October 18, the New York premiere will take place at DiMenna Center for Classical Music. Set to texts by Katie Ford, whose poetry "possess[es] the veiled brilliance of stained glass windows seen at night" (The New York Times Book Review), The Anchoress is based on the medieval mystic tradition called anchorism and its relationship to contemporary society. It will be performed by soprano Hyunah Yu, the early music ensemble Piffaro: The Renaissance Wind Band, and all-saxophone PRISM Quartet.

The second annual San Francisco International Piano Festival will present 14 concerts in nine Bay Area venues, featuring ten pianists in programs offering a mix of solo piano along with instrumental and vocal chamber music.

The Rally Cat, a new, energized performing arts company based in New York City, launches its inaugural season on July 21st with a concert of new music by award-winning composer Aferdian Stephens at the National Opera Center at 1:30 PM.

In the video below, Mirga Gražynit?-Tyla leads the Met Orchestra in the finale of Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony in preparation for the ensemble's May 18 performance at Carnegie Hall. 

Pacific Symphony today announced the details of its first-ever tour to China and first international tour since the Symphony toured European capitals in 2006. The five-city tour launches May 9, 2018 with a concert at the Shanghai Poly Grand Theatre, followed by performances in Hefei (capital of Anhui province), Wuxi (Jiangsu province), Chongqing (a major city in southwest China) and Beijing. The final concert takes place at the National Centre for the Performing Arts, colloquially known as The Giant Egg due to its distinctive dome-shaped, titanium and glass architecture. The Symphony's tour will include works by Leonard Bernstein in celebration of his centennial, as well as Ravel's Daphnis and Chloe, Suite No. 2; Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky (arranged by Ravel); and Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 3, featuring soloist Pinchas Zukerman. The visit to China follows another important tour this season to New York City for the Orchestra's Carnegie Hall debut on April 21, 2018.

SFCM presents a chamber opera double bill Friday, May 4 and Sunday, May 6 with performances of John Musto's Bastianello and William Bolcom's Lucrezia, both featuring libretti composed by Mark Campbell. This production of Lucrezia will serve at the world premiere of a new orchestration--a chamber orchestra instrumentation--by William Bolcom, commissioned by SFCM.

Red Hen Press is thrilled to announce, as an encore to last year's triumphant Red Hen produced sold-out LA premiere at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica, that Imagination Dead Imagine, a music/theatre piece for string quartet, recorded voices, and laptop, will come to Pasadena for an exclusive two-day event, the first musical presentation in the new Red Hen performance space, the Hen House!

The University of Central Arkansas (UCA) Wind Ensemble from Conway, Arkansas, will make its second appearance at Carnegie Hall on Monday, April 23 at 8 pm as part of MidAmerica Productions' 35th annual concert season.

The Music Critics Association of North America (MCANA) is pleased to announce that its second annual award for Best New Opera has been given to composer David Hertzberg for The Wake World, which received its premiere on September 18, 2017, commissioned by Opera Philadelphia in a co-presentation with The Barnes Foundation. The award was created to honor musical and theatrical excellence in a fully staged opera that received its world premiere in North America during the preceding calendar year. The inaugural award went to  Breaking the Waves, composed by Missy Mazzoli with libretto by Royce Vavrek.

Opera Saratoga's Artistic and General Director Lawrence Edelson announced the complete casting and programming for the company's 2018 Summer Festival, which will feature new productions of four operas at The Spa Little Theater in Spa State Park, along with a wide variety of free and ticketed concert events from May 26th through July 15th at venues throughout the region. Single tickets, as well as subscription packages, are on sale now at www.operasaratoga.org.