Yo-Yo Ma News

Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, a dynamic hub for the lively arts and vital community resource, presents a dozen classical, jazz and contemporary music programs featuring some of the era's most compelling musical artists during the 2018/2019 season. World premieres, programs with thought-provoking social commentary and timeless iconic works are among the offerings.

For the opening faculty concert of 2018-2019 at the University of Southern Maine School of Music, faculty clarinetist Thomas Parchman has assembled a chamber ensemble with faculty colleagues Krysia Tripp, flute and Robert Lehmann, violin, guest artists Bridget Convey, piano; John Mehrmann, percussion; Benjamin Noyes, cello, and special guest Zhantao Lin playing the erhu, a traditional Chinese bowed string instrument.

Portland Ovations, the area's leading non-profit performing arts presenter, kicks off their 2018-19 season with a benefit event that highlights what they do best: producing top-notch, one-of-a-kind arts experiences in the heart of Portland. On October 3rd, the organization will create a New York City cabaret experience at Aura, the newly renovated, highly acclaimed venue located at 121 Center Street in Downtown Portland.

The critically-acclaimed revolutionary concert experience, GatherNYC, today announced a dazzling lineup of artists for its upcoming Fall 2018 season, marking their second season as a New York City musical institution. Earlier this year, the progressive organization - which evokes the community and spiritual nourishment of a religious service (but the religion is music), launched its inaugural season, which featured an enviable roster of world- class musicians (Dover Quartet, New York Philharmonic principal clarinetist Anthony McGill, 2018 Grammy Nominee Sara Caswell), to sold-out audiences.

The Martin Hayes Quartet, a new ensemble from one of Ireland's foremost musicians, will release its debut CD The Blue Room in conjunction with their first American tour in October 2018. Kicking off October 11 at New York City's Highline Ballroom, the tour will visit Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music, San Francisco'sFreight And Salvage and other notable U.S. venues along the way. (See below for full tour dates)

For the opening faculty concert of 2018-2019 at the University of Southern Maine School of Music, faculty clarinetist Thomas Parchman has assembled a chamber ensemble with faculty colleagues Krysia Tripp, flute and Robert Lehmann, violin, guest artists Bridget Convey, piano; John Mehrmann, percussion; Benjamin Noyes, cello, and special guest Zhantao Lin playing the erhu, a traditional Chinese bowed string instrument.

Four top-tier post-graduate string musicians from underrepresented communities have been announced as the first class of The Los Angeles Orchestra Fellowship, a program designed to increase diversity in American orchestras. Launched in August 2018, the groundbreaking program was conceived by a partnership of Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (ICYOLA), the country's largest African-American-majority youth orchestra; Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO), one of the world's leading chamber orchestras; and USC Thornton School of Music, one of the country's top music programs. Violinist Sydney Adedamola, violinist Ayrton Pisco, violist Bradley Parrimore and cellist Juan-Salvador Carrasco will receive a 360-degree view of a career as an orchestral musician in this rigorous two-year training program. A key pillar of The Fellowship is artistic mentoring the Fellows receive from LACO musicians and USC Thornton faculty. In turn, Fellows will actively mentor, teach, and guide young ICYOLA musicians. Among the other opportunities provided are extensive performance and rehearsal experience; compensation, benefits, housing; and unprecedented support to prepare participants to win auditions in professional American orchestras. The Fellowship was developed to address the fact that less than 5% of America's orchestra workforce is African American, Hispanic or Native American, according to a 2016 report on diversity issued by the League of American Orchestras. 

Juilliard President Damian Woetzel announced several key initiatives and new projects aimed to advance Juilliard's excellence and impact in his first address to the Juilliard community, on September 4. During the convocation ceremony, which also featured performances by Juilliard students, faculty, alumni, and some of the newly announced Creative Associates, Woetzel outlined his plans to build on Juilliard's tradition of excellence while also focusing on creative enterprise and inclusivity in the arts.

Carnegie Hall launches its 2018-2019 season on Wednesday, October 3 at 7:00 p.m. with a festive Opening Night Gala concert by the San Francisco Symphony under the baton of Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas, with a program to include Gershwin's Cuban Overture and An American in Paris as well as Liszt's Mephisto Waltz No. 1. Mr. Tilson Thomas and the orchestra will be joined on this celebratory occasion by renowned vocalists Renee Fleming and Audra McDonald offering vocal selections by Gershwin, Rodgers, Villa-Lobos, Stephen Sondheim, and others.

Ukulele superstar Jake Shimabukuro, one of the most exceptional and innovative ukulele players in the history of the instrument, will release his newest record, The Greatest Day, on August 31, 2018 via Mailboat Records.

CSO Music Director Rossen Milanov leads the Columbus Symphony, guest violinist Daniel Rowland, guest soprano Jennifer Lynn Cherest, and the Columbus Symphony Chorus in a unique concert celebrating legendary composer, conductor, and educator Leonard Bernstein. This kaleidoscope of Bernstein's most popular Broadway works includes On the Town: Three Dance Episodes, West Side Story: Suite for Violin and Orchestra, and Candide: Overture, "Glitter and Be Gay," and Suite.

Shanghai Isaac Stern International Violin Competition (SISIVC) Organisers today announced two recipients of the Isaac Stern - Human Spirit Award: Kayhan Kalhor and the Xiaoshuijing Miao Farmers Choir.

The BERNSTEIN CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION AT TANGLEWOOD concert was one of the largest and most significant performances taking place worldwide in recognition of what would have been Leonard Bernstein's 100th birthday. The unprecedented and unparalleled event marked the climax of Tanglewood's season-long celebration of the Bernstein Centennial.

Black Violin is a blend of classical, hip-hop, rock, R&B, and bluegrass music performed by classically trained string instrumentalists Wil Baptiste and Kevin "Kev Marcus" Sylvester. Accompanied on stage by their incredible band, featuring ace turntable whiz DJ SPS, Black Violin perform as many as 200 shows a year, showcasing their distinctive sound that melds hard-hitting beats with the lush sounds of strings.

On Saturday, August 25, the 100th anniversary of Leonard Bernstein's birth, Tanglewood pulled out all the stops for The Bernstein Centennial Celebration at Tanglewood concert commemorating the legacy of a man who was one of its most remarkable alumni and one of its most important faculty members and significant champions for half a century.

Analogue, digital, acoustic and synthetic sonorities seamlessly intermingle in this luminous collaboration between Atlanta-based duo vocalist/composer Hanna Benn (Son Lux, Boots) and percussionist/composer/producer Deantoni Parks (John Cale, Sade, T Bone Burnett, Flying Lotus). Procession explores the spiritual and emotional core of ceremonial music in the form of a song cycle, with new arrangements by Benn featuring her ethereal vocal textures elevated by electronic flourishes, and anchored by Park's ceaselessly kinetic rhythms alongside an SPCO string quintet of Maureen Nelson, Nick Tavani, David Auerbach, Rebecca Merblum and Zachary Cohen. This world premiere for chamber ensemble marks the Twin Cities debut of Benn and Parks as a duo. Join us to step into this truly numinous sanctum of sound.

Following an exciting kickoff at Bryant Park, the Carnegie Hall Citywide free concert series continues this fall with a vocal recital and jazz in Manhattan, Cuban son and Greek dance in Brooklyn, Afrobeat and Afro-Cuban music in the Bronx, and honky-tonk and Broadway hits in Queens. The series, now entering its 43rd year, brings leading artists and rising stars to all five boroughs of New York City.

'Feathers of Fire: A Persian Epic' is a visually breathtaking cinematic shadow play for all ages, created and directed by Hamid Rahmanian, a 2014 Guggenheim fellowship-winning filmmaker/visual artist. Inspired by the tenth century Persian epic 'Shahnameh' (The Book of Kings), it dramatizes the origin story from the tale with elaborate shadow puppets, multimedia and live actors. The production, which debuted at BAM in 2016 and was presented at the Metropolitan Museum of Art the same year, returns to New York next month for two days only. It will be presented by Fictionville Studio September 7 and 8 at Kaye Playhouse, 695 Park Ave. (at 68th Street), for three performances only before it travels to China and Paris.

'Feathers of Fire: A Persian Epic,' most elaborate shadow theater experience ever created, comes to Kaye Playhouse September 7-8. Tale from historic epic, 'Shahnameh,' is staged with ingenious design and cinematic wizardry. Exquisite production is a live animation experience for all ages.