Today Max Richter gives us another way to hear Summer from Vivaldi's Four Seasons with his "recomposed" version, featuring violinist Daniel Hope.  Composer, musician, producer, remixer and collaborator extraordinaire, Max Richter has struck a different sort of chord on his highly acclaimed Vivaldi Recomposed. A unique reworking of The Four Seasons for violin, chamber orchestra and moog synthesizer, these remixes include Spring 1 – Max Richter Remix, Summer 3 – Robot Koch Remix, Autumn 3 – Fear of Tigers Remix and Winter 3 – NYPC Remix, along with five newly-composed electronic soundscapes, dubbed "shadows," by Richter, which were constructed for a live performance of the work.  SEE WSHU: CT - E. Long Island NY PAGE p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px}

Any time that a pianist undertakes to record a complete set of anything in classical music, it's bound to be an endeavor taking considerable time and effort.  Take on the 32 piano sonatas of Beethoven, plus all the other solo piano pieces by one of music's giants, and I imagine that it must be daunting.  Enter Llŷr Williams, who has been lauded for his interpretations of the great man's music, who took a different approach than the many who have come before:  rather than arrange them in published order, the Welsh-born pianist paired pieces together by their relative character, and how well they sound together.  As a programmer of a radio station, this is something I can relate to (although for me, the work of performing has already been done!). Williams shares his experiences recording late into the night with a live audience in London's Wigmore Hall, and insight into the composer, who as his deafness increased, retreated into his own world.  As a result, we received the gift of some of the most sublime music for piano ever written. LISTEN TO All Classical Portland SEGMENT

Interview with All Classical Portland's John Pitman

Two eminent avant-garde elders, a chameleonic vocal improviser, and a pioneering community organizer and presenter will make up the 2020 class of NEA Jazz Masters, according to an announcement this morning by the National Endowment for the Arts. The four incoming inductees - saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell, bassist Reggie Workman, vocalist Bobby McFerrin, and jazz advocate Dorthaan Kirk - will officially be recognized next April 2, during a tribute concert and ceremony at the SFJAZZ Center in San Francisco. Since 1982, the NEA Jazz Masters award has been an annual tradition, often described as the highest honor this country bestows on living jazz artists. The award, which comes with $25,000, is determined through a public nomination process, followed by an expert panel review.  Photo: Carol Friedman / Ken Weiss / Richard Kohler / David Tallacksen/Courtesy of the NEA SEE NPR PAGE    SEE WBGO: Newark NJ PAGE

Artists share their wisdom on battling the fear monster, as featured over the last five years of The Strad. Here are 5 tips 1. Concentrate on intention - A great artist by the name of Leon Fleisher once shared a secret with me when I was 18. My bow was shaking while I was playing in a masterclass for him and  he said something that in the moment did not seem very sympathetic: that if I had enough ideas in my mind of what I needed to communicate, then I wouldn't have room to be nervous. I have lived with that piece of advice for forty years. Kim Kashkashian, November 2018 2. Perform for friends - When getting ready to play in public I find it's so helpful to play for my friends and for people who know me really well, because it's actually more difficult to play for them than it is to play for an audience full of strangers. Alisa Weilerstein, December 2016 3. Think positive - To turn around the negativity, I visualise positive scenarios. Sometimes visualising a passage going correctly before it happens can really help – just like a basketball player, as he takes the shot, imagining the ball going through the net. There have been psychological studies, which have found that going through the physical process of making yourself smile actually tricks your body into feeling happiness. It seems like the cart before the horse, but I have read that it works. So by the same token, if you can project an image of confidence on stage, you will start feeling more confident within yourself. Joshua Bell, November 2015 4. Don't pretend - The more sincere we are in our performance, the more we convince our audience, and it's conviction that creates stage presence. Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider, March 2015 5. Breathe deeply on stage - I absolutely love being on stage. Having said that, I don't know any colleague (myself included) who has not had some issue with nerves at some point in their lives. The most important thing is to make sure that stage fright never overcomes you. And you have to know how and when to react if something happens during a performance which you are not expecting. One thing I notice listening to certain students is that they stop breathing freely when they get nervous. I do believe this can make things worse. The more nervous you become, the deeper you should try and breathe, especially while playing. It sends different signals to your brain and your muscles and can help you enormously if the going gets tough. Although stage fright – in my opinion – is mostly psychological, I also believe that the routine on a concert day is worth looking at closely: when you sleep, when you eat, when you practise. All of it can make a difference. - Daniel Hope, April 2014 SEE theStrad PAGE

Veteran director Ron Howard, who also made the documentary The Beatles: Eight Days A Week, takes an intimate approach in telling Pavarotti's story, going beyond the public figure to reveal the man himself. With unique access to the Pavarotti family archives, home videos, behind the scenes and extensive live music footage, audiences will be able to see Pavarotti's personal story emerge, right through from his early days growing up in Italy to the moment he became a global star. Watch the trailer  p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px}

Sensational singer, song writer and producer, Angelique Kidjo, will this week join two other firebrand female musicians on African Voices, a magazine programme of the Cable News Network (CNN) sponsored by telecommunications company, Globacom. Originally Angelique Kpasseloko  Hinto Housinnou Kandjo Manta Zogbin Kidjo, the 58-year-old native of Benin Republic will be on the show with Sandra Suubi, an artiste and song performer from Uganda, as well as Ria Boss, a neo-soul singer and songwriter based in Accra, Ghana. Kidjo is renowned for  her diverse musical talents evidenced in her popular songs including Batonga which she performed in 1992; Agolo, 1994 and Wombo Lombo, a blockbuster released  in 1996. She is also an actress who has featured prominently in several movies including The CEO, Mother of George and People I Know. She won a Grammy Award  for Best Contemporary World Music Album in 2008, having earlier received the Mobo Awards in 2002.  Kidjo is a holder of the Commander of the National Order of Benin and the Afropop Hall of Fame given to her in  Cotonou and the United States of America in 2008 and 2009 respectively. Kidjo new release; Celia (Verve/Universal Music France), is an album that honors Celia Cruz, widely known as "the Queen of Salsa" and the most popular Latin artist of the 20thcentury.    READ THE FULL THISDAY Newspapers ARTICLE

Haruka Fujii and Kaoru Watanabe prepare to open Pauchi Saski's "Elektra" with dueling taiko drums. "Elektra" is one of five pieces that comprise "Heroes Take Their Stands," a new multi-media work from the Silkroad Ensemble about what it means to be fearlessly human. Yo-Yo Ma conceived Silkroad in 1998 as a reminder that even as rapid globalization resulted in division, it brought extraordinary possibilities for working together. Seeking to understand this dynamic, he began to learn about the historical Silk Road, recognizing in it a model for productive cultural collaboration, for the exchange of ideas and tradition alongside commerce and innovation. And in a radical experiment, he brought together musicians from the lands of the Silk Road to co-create a new artistic idiom, a musical language founded in difference, a metaphor for the benefits of a more connected world. Today, these Grammy Award-winning artists seek and practice radical cultural collaboration in many forms, creating and presenting new music, teacher and musician training workshops, and residency programs in schools, museums, and communities. Watch the attached video p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d}

From the filmmaking team behind the highly-acclaimed documentary The Beatles: Eight Days A Week - The Touring Years, PAVAROTTI is a riveting film that lifts the curtain on the icon who brought opera to the people. Academy Award winner Ron Howard puts audiences front row center for an exploration of The Voice...The Man...The Legend. Luciano Pavarotti gave his life to the music and a voice to the world. This cinematic event features history-making performances and intimate interviews, including never-before-seen footage and cutting-edge Dolby Atmos technology. A CBS Films Polygram Entertainment Brian Grazer presentation, PAVAROTTI is an Imagine Entertainment and White Horse Pictures production.  WATCH THE SocialNews.XYZ VIDEO p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px}

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} Playing one piano with four hands – but a unified artistic mind – is about the most intimate form of chamber music there is. Eva-Maria Zimmermann and Keisuke Nakagoshi are ZOFO; a ‘20-Finger Orchestra' who for a decade now, have electrified audiences with their dazzling artistry and outside-the-box thematic programming for piano-four-hands. They commissioned a ‘Pictures at an Exhibition' - seeking out composers from 14 countries and asking them to choose a piece of visual art from their own culture, and then write a short piece inspired by it. The result is ZOFOMOMA – an unforgettable multimedia concert experience; a celebration of marvellous pianism set against an enthralling background of international artworks, creating an imaginary tour of a brilliant modern gallery to intrigue and engage the ears and eyes. ZOFO is spending the whole month of May in Australia with 9 dates in 9 cities. Musica Viva Australia spoke with ZOFO on the communication techniques they use while playing, tips for piano four-hands beginners, the origins of their ZOFOMOMA concert experience and what audiences can expect from their performance. Watch the attached video

Watch Alex DePue perform live, opening for Jefferson Starship at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, California on May 11th, 2019.               a few words from Alex.....Just a glimpse into the incredible weekend I had opening for Jefferson Starship at the Belly Up in San Diego, CA, as seen here through the eyes of China... you might recognize her from such hits as, "HER MOM IS Grace Slick" ! Add to that her character, just as sharp and accurate as can be... I owe this band a full-on blog, and I AM GONNA DO THAT.

Ólafur Arnalds believes that travelling the world playing music is an inspiring experience. "Travel is an influential part of my life," says the Icelandic multi-instrumentalist and composer. "It feels like your mind gets slowly pushed open, because you are seeing new things, learning new things and you are breaking down prejudices. That feeling induces a lot of creativity. When you come home from a trip to the Middle East, for example, you feel that you just want to create. You feel like your mind has expanded." It's this sense of adventure that Arnalds brings to the Peaceful Music playlist, which he has just started guest-curating in partnership with Universal Music Group and Apple Music. Arnalds is currently travelling the globe for his new album, re:member, with a tour that takes him from America to Australia and then back to Europe. The 32-year-old Arnalds says he intends to find some time amid his own hectic touring schedule for some composing. "Creating is definitely a mind-set. At the moment, I am on tour and we have a new setlist, new band and production crew. For now, I am in the mode of trying to improve the show every day. Later on the tour, when things fall into a rhythm, I can write. I have packed my mobile studio just for that."   Photo: Benjamin Hardman p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} READ THE udiscovermusic. Q&A         Listen to the Peaceful Music playlist exclusively on Apple Music

Australian-born, London-based Sarah McKenzie writes original songs that pay tribute to lots of people. On her list are Wayne Shorter, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Johnny Mercer, Cole Porter, Michel Legrand and George Gershwin. This makes her hard to categorize. She also admires a number of women musicians, and includes the legendary Marian McPartland as an early inspiration. McKenzie was a scholarship student at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and says she was really intimidated by the skill and talent she encountered when she first arrived. She worried the school had made a mistake giving her a scholarship. But she quickly hit her stride and hasn't looked back. By her own admission, McKenzie says she simply loves making music. She enjoys the composition process and, she says, her extensive international travel is a significant inspiration for her lyric writing. At the same time, she loves being with her family. Living in England makes it hard to get home a lot, but she tries. She joins Insight and CapRadio's Gary Vercelli to talk about her new album; 'Secrets of the Heart' and her upcoming performance at the San Francisco Jazz Festival. LISTEN p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px}

Interview with CapRadio's Gary Vercelli