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89.7WCPE talks with Anne Sofie von Otter
Posted At : November 18, 2020 12:00 AM
The Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale (PBO) breaks new ground as a pioneer in bridging new music with old instruments-in a collection of commissioned works composed by GRAMMY- and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw. "PBO& Caroline Shaw", the 12th release on the Philharmonia Baroque Productions label, coincides with the launch of the "PBO&" imprimatur, created to record and showcase vital contemporary composers who are committed to composing for the unique sounds of period instruments. The recording will be released on April 3 and reflects the range and versatility of Philharmonia's programming with music spanning the 18th to the 21st centuries. The recently released recording of commissions features song cycle with Anne Sofie von Otter and a major work for chorus and orchestra with Avery Amereau & Dashon Burton.
Anne Sofie von Otter spoke with 89.7WCPE: Wake Forest NC - Rob Kennedy from her home in Sweden about the new recording. Listen to the attached file.
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Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen discusses career and PBO's recording of Handel's SAUL with 89.7WCPE: Wake Forest
Posted At : October 19, 2020 12:00 AM
Acclaimed as a "young star" and "complete artist" by the New York Times and "extravagantly gifted... poised to redefine what's possible for singers of this distinctive voice type" by the San Francisco Chronicle, 26-year-old American countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen is one of the classical vocal world's most promising rising stars. Aryeh's first commercial recording project - the world premiere recording of Kenneth Fuchs' Poems of Life with the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by JoAnn Falletta - won a 2019 GRAMMY® Award in the Best Classical Compendium category, which honors albums with multiple soloists and multiple works. Winner of a 2019 William Matheus Sullivan Musical Foundation Award, and Third Prize Winner in the 2019 edition of Placido Domingo's Operalia, he was also First Prize Winner and Audience Choice Award recipient at the 2018 Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition. In his breakout 2016-2017 season, he was named Grand Finals Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and was the recipient of a Sara Tucker Study Grant from the Richard Tucker Music Foundation. He was First Prize winner of the Houston Grand Opera Eleanor McCollum Competition, and winner of the Irvin Scherzer Award from the George London Foundation.
Philharmonia Baroque Productions released the live audio recording of Handel's Saul, the award-winning performances from April 2019, led by Handelian expert and outgoing PBO Music Director Nicholas McGegan. With an all-star cast featuring the rising star countertenor as David, alongside the Orchestra & Chorale, this June 5 digital-only release marks the 14th on Philharmonia's recording label, and Nicholas McGegan's final recording with the ensemble he has led for 35 years.
ANC discussed his career to date and the PBO recording with 89.7WCPE: Wake Forest NC - Rob Kennedy. Listen to the attached interview.
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Caroline Shaw discusses PBO recording with 89.7WCPE
Posted At : October 12, 2020 12:00 AM
Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale (PBO) breaks new ground as a pioneer in bridging new music with old instruments-as PBO announces a collection of commissioned works composed by GRAMMY- and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw. "PBO& Caroline Shaw", the 12th release on the Philharmonia Baroque Productions label, coincides with the launch of the "PBO&" imprimatur, created to record and showcase vital contemporary composers who are committed to composing for the unique sounds of period instruments. The recording will be released on April 3 and reflects the range and versatility of Philharmonia's programming with music spanning the 18th to the 21st centuries.
89.7WCPE: Wake Forest NC - Rob Kennedy spoke with Shaw about her music and this new recording. Listen to the attached interview.
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Caroline Shaw discusses her new album, Carl Sagan, and working with Kanye West / capradio
Posted At : September 22, 2020 12:00 AM
Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw recently collaborated with San Francisco's Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra which led to a new album. She sat down with CapRadio Classical Host Kevin Doherty to talk about the award, being inspired by Carl Sagan, and what it was like working with Kanye West.
Shaw's recent album with PBO also contains the song cycle "Is A Rose" which features mezzo-soprano Anne Sophie von Otter. When I asked Shaw how she's coping in this time of COVID, she said at the beginning she slowed down and didn't feel the need to be too productive, and now she says she is reemerging, writing more, and embracing the new world.
READ & LISTEN TO THE capradio SEGMENT
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Caroline Shaw asks us to listen on recording with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra / New Classical Tracks
Posted At : September 16, 2020 12:00 AM
When it comes to Baroque music, very little is written on the page, so it's up to the musicians to imagine and bring their own ideas to light. That's one reason Caroline Shaw was so excited to write her first oratorio for chorus and period instrument orchestra. It's titled, "Listeners," and it's one of two new works featured on a new recording with Nicholas McGegan, the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and chorale. Mezzo-soprano Anne-Sophie Von Otter is also the featured soloist in a song-cycle composed just for her titled, "Is a Rose."
Caroline Shaw is probably best known for being the youngest recipient ever to win a Pulitzer-Prize back in 2013. "And now it's been seven years or so and quite a lot has changed. So I'm really grateful for a lot of the opportunities to work with musicians that I never thought that I would ever meet like Anne Sophie von Otter and Renee Fleming and people that I'm just really lucky to get to work with them and and a chance to grow. And I feel like with every piece that I've been able to, you know, have the opportunity to write since then, I've learned a lot and grown a lot. And I'm really grateful for that.
LISTEN & READ THE New Classical Tracks SEGMENT
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Central Michigan University Radio discusses new PBO recording with Caroline Shaw
Posted At : August 25, 2020 12:00 AM
Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale (PBO) breaks new ground as a pioneer in bridging new music with old instruments-as PBO announces a collection of commissioned works composed by GRAMMY- and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw. "PBO& Caroline Shaw", the 12th release on the Philharmonia Baroque Productions label, coincides with the launch of the "PBO&" imprimatur, created to record and showcase vital contemporary composers who are committed to composing for the unique sounds of period instruments. The recording will be released on April 3 and reflects the range and versatility of Philharmonia's programming with music spanning the 18th to the 21st centuries.
WCMU Radio's David Nicholas spoke with Shaw about her music and this new recording. LISTEN
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Shaw, Sagan, and Searching: 'The Listeners' / 98.7WFMT - Chicago
Posted At : August 20, 2020 12:00 AM
"For centuries, millennia, we humans have looked at the stars and wondered about our place in the universe and what's beyond. That's what I wanted to dig into," reflects musician-composer-producer Caroline Shaw on her latest work, The Listeners, a commission by the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra. "It's a piece about the wonderment of the human condition and actually looking inward at ourselves as people and thinking about whether we are truly kind to each other."
In Shaw's greatly accomplished career, she has been commissioned by Carnegie Hall and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, collaborated with rapper-producer Kanye West, and won a Pulitzer Prize for Music for her piece Partita for 8 Voices. But some of Shaw's most recent work has come from her fruitful collaborations with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, which form the new album PBO & Caroline Shaw. The record features both of Shaw's PBO commissions to date. The first, entitled Is A Rose, sets poems from the 18th and 21st centuries to music, bridging the Baroque and contemporary eras.
READ THE FULL WFMT: Chicago ARTICLE
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Caroline Shaw's 'And So,' performed by PBO with ASVO makes CapRadio - Ear To Ear
Posted At : August 5, 2020 12:00 AM
No doubt, you've heard some new music in rotation lately on KXPR - music that seemingly stands a bit outside of what you are used to hearing on the classical station. There's no question that the standard European repertory that we've come to associate with classical music is important. The music is beautiful, powerful, and well, classic. But there's a whole world of amazing and unique classical music either rarely presented or being created right now across the globe. On KXPR, we want to bring you examples of the diverse face of classical music today. Among our few examples of the broad classical music reach we're spinning, from Manhattan (New York OR Kansas) to Mumbai is....
Caroline Shaw - "And So" - Performed by the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Anne Sophie von Otter. I just love how this song begins: A harpsichord and a voice, that's all. The way that something so simple can command your attention is a testament to how great a composer Caroline Shaw is.
She utilizes the rest of the orchestra very carefully as they pluck their way through the second verse, all the while momentum builds in the stunning mezzo-soprano voice of opera star Anne Sophie von Otter. Caroline Shaw is an expert at writing gorgeous melodies that weave through unique textures in the ensemble. "And So" is part of a larger song cycle called "Is A Rose" that juxtaposes 18th and 21st-century poetry and music.
SEE THE FULL CapRadio - Ear To Ear PAGE
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Caroline Shaw chats with WVIA: Public Media - Art Scene
Posted At : July 30, 2020 12:00 AM
Caroline Shaw, Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Music in 2013, speaking about her oratorio, "The Listeners," commissioned by the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale, in connection with the recent release of a recording of the work and a song trilogy titled, "Is a Rose" with Anne Sofie Von Otter. The soloists for "The Listeners" are contralto Avery Amereau and bass-baritone Dashon Burton, who is from Williamsport, PA.
LISTEN TO THE interview with CS and WVIA: Public Media - Art Scene host Erika Funke
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Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen discusses his role of David on PBO's recording of Handel's SAUL with Sunday baroque aryeh interview
Posted At : July 22, 2020 12:00 AM
Countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen sings the role of David in Philharmonia Baroque's 2020 recording of George Frideric Handel's oratorio SAUL. Still in his 20s, the young American musician is a rising star with numerous awards and ambitious projects already under his belt. He chatted with Sunday Baroque's Suzanne Bona about his path to becoming a professional musician.
LISTEN
Sunday Baroque is heard on radio stations from coast to coast and beyond, and we are THRILLED! Here is a state-by-state list of stations, with links to their websites. If your local station does not broadcast Sunday Baroque and you would like to hear the program, please contact the station management and suggest they consider it. Meanwhile, you can hear the latest Sunday Baroque program using the online stream from this website, downloading the app to listen from your mobile device, or by listening to the live web stream from many of the stations that do broadcast the program.
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Caroline Shaw talks PBO with FM91WGTE
Posted At : July 21, 2020 12:00 AM
In 2013 Caroline Shaw became the youngest person ever to win the Pulitzer Prize in music, which established her as one of America's foremost living composers. Now she has a new album release which represents a team-up with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and opera star Anne Sofie von Otter, among others. Caroline joins FM91WGTE: Toledo OH to talk about her music on the disc, which has ties not only to the far-flung past, but also to modern events: namely, the so-called "Golden Record" that was launched into deep space on the Voyager spacecraft in the 1970s.
LISTEN
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Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen chats with 89.1WMHT: Schenectady about PBO's 'Saul'
Posted At : July 17, 2020 12:00 AM
As part of the organization's ongoing efforts to bring recorded music to audiences the world over, and especially during the COVID-19 crisis, Philharmonia Baroque Productions unexpectedly releases the live audio recording of Handel's Saul, the award-winning performances from April 2019, led by Handelian expert and outgoing PBO Music Director Nicholas McGegan. With an all-star cast featuring rising star countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen as David, alongside the Orchestra & Chorale, this June 5 digital-only release marks the 14th on Philharmonia's recording label, and Nicholas McGegan's final recording with the ensemble he has led for 35 years
Originally from New York, Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen spoke with 89.1WMHT: Schenectady's Rob Brown about the role and the recording. LISTEN
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Caroline Shaw chats with New York City's 89.9WKCR about new PBO recording
Posted At : July 15, 2020 12:00 AM
The Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale (PBO) breaks new ground as a pioneer in bridging new music with old instruments-in a collection of commissioned works composed by GRAMMY- and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw. "PBO& Caroline Shaw", the 12th release on the Philharmonia Baroque Productions label, coincides with the launch of the "PBO&" imprimatur, created to record and showcase vital contemporary composers who are committed to composing for the unique sounds of period instruments. The recording will be released on April 3 and reflects the range and versatility of Philharmonia's programming with music spanning the 18th to the 21st centuries. The recently released recording of commissions features song cycle with Anne Sofie von Otter and a major work for chorus and orchestra with Avery Amereau & Dashon Burton.
Caroline Shaw spoke with 89.9WKCR: New York City. Listen to the attached interview
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Anne Sofie von Otter chats with 89.1WMHT about PBO&Caroline Shaw
Posted At : July 15, 2020 12:00 AM
The Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale (PBO) breaks new ground as a pioneer in bridging new music with old instruments-in a collection of commissioned works composed by GRAMMY- and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw. "PBO& Caroline Shaw", the 12th release on the Philharmonia Baroque Productions label, coincides with the launch of the "PBO&" imprimatur, created to record and showcase vital contemporary composers who are committed to composing for the unique sounds of period instruments. The recording will be released on April 3 and reflects the range and versatility of Philharmonia's programming with music spanning the 18th to the 21st centuries. The recently released recording of commissions features song cycle with Anne Sofie von Otter and a major work for chorus and orchestra with Avery Amereau & Dashon Burton.
Anne Sofie von Otter spoke with 89.1WMHT: Schenectady's Rob Brown from her home in Sweden about the new recording. Listen
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Anne Sofie von Otter, in her own words on Hollywood Soapbox
Posted At : July 13, 2020 12:00 AM
Anne Sofie von Otter is one of the most celebrated singers working in the realm of classical music today. She has performed live for audiences around the world, and her mezzo-soprano voice can be heard on many acclaimed recordings, including the new album PBO & Caroline Shaw, which finds von Otter offering a song cycle of Shaw's compositions alongside the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale (PBO).
The operatic roles over her 30-plus years of musical dominance are almost too many to summarize. Some of her recent ones include Leocadia Begbick (Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny) at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Countess Geschwitz in Christoph Marthaler's production of Lulu at Staatsoper Hamburg, Madame de Croissy (Dialogues des Carmélites) at Royal Swedish Opera, Geneviève (Pelléas et Mélisande) for Opéra National de Paris and The Old Lady (Candide) at Komische Oper Berlin in Barrie Kosky's new production, according to her official biography.
Her discography is even more voluminous, with recent titles A Simple Song, So Many Things and Douce France attracting more and more listeners to her carefully measured and ever-strong vocal talents.
During the coronavirus pandemic, which continues to rage around the world, von Otter finds herself at home in Sweden awaiting news of when she can go back on the road and connect with her fans. Concert halls and opera houses have been closed in almost every country, and the delays in production look like they will extend well into 2021. Still, von Otter is looking for the silver lining.
"It was the right time of year to be in one place, in Sweden, because I really enjoy watching spring before my very eyes for the first time in many, many years," von Otter said in a recent phone interview. "But, of course, in other ways it's been terrible. I must say that for me at this point in my career, to be at home for three months was OK, and everyone around me has been safe and healthy - my family and friends. So I have not personally been badly affected by it in that way, but for the whole culture sector, of course, it's terrible. The theaters and the concert halls and the opera houses are suffering, and all the artists without work and with no income, it's terrible, of course, really, really horrible. And we can only hope that we can find a solution very soon."
READ THE FULL Hollywood Soapbox ARTICLE
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Caroline Shaw chats with the 'Rio Grande Guardian podcast'
Posted At : July 13, 2020 12:00 AM
In our latest music album review we interview Caroline Shaw about her new work with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale. Shaw is a Grammy and Pulitzer prize-winning composer. The new album is titled "PBO and Caroline Shaw." PBO Is an ensemble based in San Francisco and has been around for a few decades. "They are known for performing baroque music on period instruments. But, interestingly, instead of performing music from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, they are now commissioning new works from this century. Which is very exciting," Shaw said. (Photo credit: Kaitlynns Moreno )
LISTEN TO THE Rio Grande Guardian PODCAST
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Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen shares some great experiences with All Classical Portland
Posted At : July 10, 2020 12:00 AM
Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, at 25, has already made a strong impression in the world of Baroque opera and beyond, with his powerful yet supple voice. The American countertenor, who has made several recordings (including contemporary music, such as by Kenneth Fuchs), specializes in 18th-century music when the male singer known as the Castrato reigned supreme. Nowadays a specially-developed voice technique, countertenors are prominent parts of productions such as in Handel's Saul, recorded recently by Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra under Nicholas McGegan. Mr. Cohen shares some great stories about his experiences singing onstage, the history of countertenors, and his almost-Portland debut in "Bazajet" before the pandemic brought that opportunity to a standstill.
All Classical Portland Host John Pitman shares his interview, along with selections featuring this prominent young singer. LISTEN
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PBO's 'Saul' is a perfect fit for Nicholas McGegan / San Francisco Classical Voice
Posted At : July 6, 2020 12:00 AM
Nicholas McGegan may no longer be the artistic director of Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, but the record of McGegan's inimitable touch - unmistakable, in the case of Handel's Saul - remains to savor. Everything about his artistry, including the buoyant and sprightly tempos, sly humor, deep reverence for beauty, and capacity for sincere emotional expression come through on this, his final live recording with PBO.
Although Saul's covers and liner notes shockingly fail to give him credit, the recording was superbly produced, recorded, edited, mixed, and mastered by PBO's former recording engineer, David v.R. Bowles of Swineshead Productions, LLC. Set down in Berkeley's First Congregational Church in April, 2019, this digital-only release shows the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Philharmonia Chorale, under Bruce Lamott, in fine form. Auditioned in 24/192 high-resolution, Bowles's achievement captures all the nuance and color that were transmitted by First Congregational's uniquely live, resonant, and spacious acoustic, and leaves me deeply regretting both his departure and that of his husband, McGegan.
The recording is available on various streaming/download services, including Qobuz, Amazon, and others. If you download or stream this recording and discover yourself without libretto, biographies, and Lamott's introduction, you can find them at philharmonia.org/saul., Make sure to access them because they'll help you understand just how wonderful this performance is. Having said that, there are many times when the sound and music are so captivating that you may find yourself closing your eyes as your relish their beauties. PHOTO: Laura Barisonzi
READ THE FULL San Francisco Classical Voice REVIEW
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Anne Sofie von Otter discusses new PBO & Caroline Shaw recording with NYC's 89.9:WKCR
Posted At : June 28, 2020 12:00 AM
Philharmonia Baroque Productions has released a pioneering recording of commissions by Pulitzer Prize winner Caroline Shaw. The collection features song cycle with Anne Sofie von Otter and a major work for chorus and orchestra with Avery Amereau & Dashon Burton."PBO& Caroline Shaw", the 12th release on the Philharmonia Baroque Productions label, coincides with the launch of the "PBO&" imprimatur, created to record and showcase vital contemporary composers who are committed to composing for the unique sounds of period instruments.
WKCR: NYC host Simon Cohen sat down with the internationally-renowned mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter about the recording, her approach to choosing repertoire, and her favorite singers.
LISTEN
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Anne Sofie Von Otter & Caroline Shaw discuss new PBO recording with 'All Classical Portland'
Posted At : June 28, 2020 12:00 AM
Host John Pitman chats with the great Swedish mezzo-soprano, Anne Sofie Von Otter about her performance of a new work by American composer, Caroline Shaw. Title "Is a Rose", the three-movement song cycle is sung by Von Otter with San Francisco's Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, as Shaw has written the work with Baroque ensembles – and Ms. Von Otter – in mind. Next, John talks with the composer herself, touching on the song cycle and her first oratorio, The Listeners, which was inspired by the gold record created for the Voyager spacecraft. Music from Shaw's new works are interwoven with the conversation.
LISTEN
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Harmonious World interviews Anne Sofie von Otter for new PBO recording
Posted At : June 23, 2020 12:00 AM
The Philharmonia Baroque Productions pioneering recording of commissions by Pulitzer Prize winner Caroline Shaw features a song cycle with Anne Sofie von Otter and a major work for chorus and orchestra with Avery Amereau & Dashon Burton. This 12th release on the Philharmonia Baroque Productions label, coincides with the launch of the "PBO&" imprimatur, created to record and showcase vital contemporary composers who are committed to composing for the unique sounds of period instruments. The recording will be released on April 3 and reflects the range and versatility of Philharmonia's programming with music spanning the 18th to the 21st centuries.
Hilary from Harmonious World interviews the hugely successful soprano, Anne Sofie von Otter. With Anne Sofie in Sweden and me in the UK, this was a great privilege. I had heard the PBO and Caroline Shaw album we talk about several weeks ago, and I was delighted to have this opportunity to interview the star soloist. LISTEN
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Philharmonia Baroque announces the release of 'PBO & Caroline Shaw' / The Violin Channel
Posted At : May 6, 2020 12:00 AM
Philharmonia Baroque Productions has this week announced the release of ‘PBO& Caroline Shaw‘ – a new recording of commissions from acclaimed GRAMMY and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw. Recorded with conductor Nicholas McGegan, the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale, mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter, contralto Avery Amereau and bass-baritone Dashon Burton, the disc features live 2019 performances of ‘Is a Rose‘ and ‘The Listeners‘.
"The starting point for 'The Listeners' was actually the Voyager Golden Record, the collection of sounds and music from around the world that Carl Sagan and NASA included with the 1977 launch of the Voyager spacecraft …" Caroline has this week told The Violin Channel.
"The piece is all about how we look up and wonder at the sky, and how we might, from the perspective of the stars, view Earth and the borders we've constructed …" she has said.
‘'The Listeners‘ is about us … how we look and listen to the world around us … it is ultimately about why we make music, and about why we choose to continue to wonder about the world beyond ours."
SEE The Violin Channel PAGE
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As you continue at home, OPERAWIRE recommends you listen to PBO & Caroline Shaw
Posted At : April 17, 2020 12:00 AM
This week as you continue at home, there are a number of new albums that you can check out. Among the latest releases we recommend you listen to is PBO & Caroline Shaw.
The Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra releases a collection of commissioned new works by Caroline Shaw. The new release marks the 50th recording for the orchestra and showcases the orchestra's rich repertory bridging the music of the 18th century with that of the 21st century. The album is comprised of the "Is a Rose" trilogy and features soloists Anne Sofie Von Otter, Avery Amereau, Dashon Burton, and conductor Nicholas McGegan.
READ ALL OPERAWIRE REVIEWS
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PBO & Caroline Shaw, "The Listeners" No 8 makes NPR: 'The Best New Songs You've Missed During Quarantine'
Posted At : April 16, 2020 12:00 AM
Music still moves. While some musicians have decided, reasonably, to delay albums during the coronavirus pandemic, many more are choosing to create, inspire and uplift by moving up release dates or surprising us with unannounced songs. We're all overwhelmed with the news and retreating to creature comforts, and you might not have made time to find or listen to new songs and albums in a while. Press Pause, a playlist updated daily, keeps track of new music released during the quarantine, as selected by the NPR Music staff. As is the NPR Music way, we skip across genres from track to track: pop, hip-hop, R&B, classical, punk, ambient, jazz, rock, urbano and whatever else offers an escape or reckons with our current condition.
PBO & Caroline Shaw, "The Listeners: No. 8, Sail Through This to That" makes NPR: 'The Best New Songs You've Missed During Quarantine'
This month, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale (PBO) breaks new ground as a pioneer in bridging new music with old instruments-as PBO announces a collection of commissioned works composed by GRAMMY- and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw. "PBO& Caroline Shaw", the 12th release on the Philharmonia Baroque Productions label, coincides with the launch of the "PBO&" imprimatur, created to record and showcase vital contemporary composers who are committed to composing for the unique sounds of period instruments. The recording will be released on April 3 and reflects the range and versatility of Philharmonia's programming with music spanning the 18th to the 21st centuries.
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Guest conductor Nicholas McGegan puts on an enthusiastic 'Baroque Brass' show at the Sheldon / St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Posted At : March 5, 2020 12:00 AM
International conducting star and Baroque specialist Nicholas McGegan is a regular visitor to St. Louis, usually doing a gig at the St. Louis Symphony and dropping by the St. Louis Chamber Music Society, where he directs musical experiences with members of the symphony, Charles Metz at the harpsichord and special guests.
A McGegan date is not merely an appearance - it is more like an event. He is always the enthusiastic host, giving witty oral program notes and generally inviting both audience and performers to have a good time. And that was the case Monday at the intimate Sheldon Concert Hall & Art Galleries space for an evening of "Baroque Brass" music, including one horn and two trumpet concertos.
READ THE FULL St. Louis Post-Dispatch REVIEW
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Nicholas McGegan, Philharmonia Baroque have been great for each other / The Mercury News interview
Posted At : January 22, 2020 12:00 AM
Nicholas McGegan is back in the Bay Area this week, preparing an innovative, gender-fluid production of Handel's "Aci, Galatea, e Polifemo." Innovative isn't a word often used to describe early music performance, but McGegan, the acclaimed music director of the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, has been expanding the boundaries of the form for more than three decades.
A co-production with the New York based venue and arts presenter National Sawdust, "Aci" opens Jan. 24 at ODC following a bracing 2017 run in New York. Handel's experimental early opera is directed by Christopher Alden and stars countertenor Anthony Roth Costanza, who recently conquered the opera world in the title role of "Akhnaten" at the Metropolitan Opera.
In a recent interview at the Berkeley Hills home he shares with his husband, producer and recording engineer David Bowles, the English conductor said the timing was right. "I'm very proud of how Philharmonia has grown and changed during my tenure," said McGegan. "I think the orchestra is in a very good place right now. It's a tribute, really, to our tremendous musicians. They're a wonderful bunch." PHOTO: Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group
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READ THE FULL Mercury News ARTICLE
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PBO-MD Nicholas McGegan discusses Rameau with 89.3WQED - Pittsburgh
Posted At : December 23, 2019 12:00 AM
In order to appease the somewhat provincial tastes of King Louis XV, composer Jean-Philippe Rameau and his librettist Voltaire altered the original version of Le Temple de la Gloire, and for centuries it was lost. The manuscript was discovered-at the University of California, Berkeley's Jean Hargrove Music Library and was brought to the attention of Philharmonia Baroque conductor Nicholas McGegan. For decades, maestro McGegan dreamed of reviving the original work-a dream realized in April 2017 through a partnership between the PBO, Cal Performances at UC Berkeley, Centre de musique de Versailles in France and New York Baroque Dance Company.
Maestro McGegan sat down with 89.3WQED: Pittsburg PA, MD: Jim Cunningham to discuss the recording. Listen to the attached file
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Nicholas McGegan interviews with Classical Classroom
Posted At : November 4, 2019 12:00 AM
Conductor Nicholas McGegan, of San Francisco Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra fame (and so much more) is an expert in conducting Baroque music. To some of us at the podcast, this sounds as obscure as being a modern day village cobbler or ironing one's hair with an actual iron. But in this episode, McGegan explains his love for this music and why it – and other kinds of music – will continue to be relevant for centuries to come. He illustrates his point by teaching about an opera by the composer Rameau with a snarky text (aka, libretto) by Voltaire which is still making audiences laugh today.
Ch-check it out. Photo by Randy Beach.
All music in this episode from Rameau: Le Temple de la Gloire, released July 2018 on Philharmania Baroque Productions.
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PBO conductor Nicholas McGegan interviews with NetNebraska
Posted At : November 4, 2019 12:00 AM
In order to appease the somewhat provincial tastes of King Louis XV, composer Jean-Philippe Rameau and his librettist Voltaire altered the original version of Le Temple de la Gloire, and for centuries it was lost. The manuscript was discovered-at the University of California, Berkeley's Jean Hargrove Music Library and was brought to the attention of Philharmonia Baroque conductor Nicholas McGegan. For decades, maestro McGegan dreamed of reviving the original work-a dream realized in April 2017 through a partnership between the PBO, Cal Performances at UC Berkeley, Centre de musique de Versailles in France and New York Baroque Dance Company.
Maestro McGegan sat down with NetNebraska's Gen Randall to discuss the recording. Listen to the attached file
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Philharmonia Baroque - Joseph and his Brethren is the KDFC 'Download of the Week'
Posted At : June 11, 2019 12:00 AM
Handel's late-career oratorio Joseph and his Brethren, though popular during Handel's day, eventually became one of the composer's most neglected large-scale works. As such, Joseph had only been recorded once before Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale decided to take it on for its latest recording project, the 11th on the Philharmonia Baroque Productions label. With a cast of early music specialists led by noted Handelian Nicholas McGegan, PBO makes a strong case for Joseph to regain its place among Handel's most often-performed oratorios such as Samson, Judas Maccabaeus, and Israel in Egypt.
Grab a track from this new 3-CD set now for free from the Bay Area's own world-renowned early-music ensemble and KDFC: San Francisco.
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Philharmonia Baroque - Joseph and his Brethren is the KUSC 'Download of the Week'
Posted At : June 11, 2019 12:00 AM
Handel's late-career oratorio Joseph and his Brethren, though popular during Handel's day, eventually became one of the composer's most neglected large-scale works. As such, Joseph had only been recorded once before Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale decided to take it on for its latest recording project, the 11th on the Philharmonia Baroque Productions label. With a cast of early music specialists led by noted Handelian Nicholas McGegan, PBO makes a strong case for Joseph to regain its place among Handel's most often-performed oratorios such as Samson, Judas Maccabaeus, and Israel in Egypt.
Grab a track from this new 3-CD set now for free from the Bay Area's own world-renowned early-music ensemble and KUSC: Los Angeles.
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Nicholas McGegan Interview 89.7WCPE
Posted At : May 29, 2019 12:00 AM
In order to appease the somewhat provincial tastes of King Louis XV, composer Jean-Philippe Rameau and his librettist Voltaire altered the original version of Le Temple de la Gloire, and for centuries it was lost. The manuscript was discovered-at the University of California, Berkeley's Jean Hargrove Music Library and was brought to the attention of conductor Nicholas McGegan. For decades, maestro McGegan dreamed of reviving the original work, a dream realized in April 2017 through a partnership between Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Cal Performances at UC Berkeley, Centre de musique de Versailles in France and New York Baroque Dance Company.
This live album was recorded during a critically-acclaimed performance at UC Berkeley in April of 2017. This two-disc set captures the original intent of both Rameau and Voltaire with a stellar who's-who cast of baroque performers joining Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale, vocal artists who never sacrifice musicality and drama while still hewing to the creators' original intentions, all heroically led by Nicholas McGegan, who has himself a long-storied career creating recordings that are both definitive and possessed of thrilling vitality. The chorus is masterfully prepared for this performance by choir director Bruce Lamott.
89.7WCPE: Wake Forest classical host - Rob Kennedy sat down with McGegan to discuss the recording. Listen to the attached interview
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Nicholas McGegan realizes a dream with 'Le Temple de la Gloire' / All Classical Portland
Posted At : May 23, 2019 12:00 AM
British-born Nicholas McGegan has been directing San Francisco's Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra since the 1980s (about the time that this interviewer started in radio), and has had many sweet successes during that time in bringing great Baroque works to audiences around the world. One of the sweetest for McGegan happened just a few years ago, when he mounted a production of Jean-Philippe Rameau's opera, Le Temple de la Gloire (The Temple of Glory). What made this production remarkable, besides the exquisite performance, is that the original manuscript had been in UC Berkeley's archives during the time that McGegan was busy with the Philharmonia. The music is dazzling, and full of life, humor and emotion. Maestro McGegan shares the story with program director John Pitman.
LISTEN TO All Classical Portland INTERVIEW
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Nicholas McGegan chats with Spokane Public Radio
Posted At : May 6, 2019 12:00 AM
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In order to appease the somewhat provincial tastes of King Louis XV, composer Jean-Philippe Rameau and his librettist Voltaire altered the original version of Le Temple de la Gloire, and for centuries it was lost. The manuscript was discovered-at the University of California, Berkeley's Jean Hargrove Music Library and was brought to the attention of conductor Nicholas McGegan. For decades, maestro McGegan dreamed of reviving the original work-a dream realized in April 2017 through a partnership between Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Cal Performances at UC Berkeley, Centre de musique de Versailles in France and New York Baroque Dance Company.
PBO: Music Director - Nicholas McGegan Interviewed with Spokane PR Classical Music host - James Tevenan and discussed the recording. Listen to the attached file.
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Nicholas McGegan & PBO in their element for Handel's 'Saul' / Los Angeles Times
Posted At : April 11, 2019 12:00 AM
The nation's petulant leader is consumed by self-destructive envy. He appears to listen to reason from his children, but then he goes and does what he likes anyway. He has it in for a war hero. He views the enemies of his enemies as his friends, even when they are clearly Philistines. He creates chaos in the Middle East. Before you draw any conclusions, it is the Israelite/Philistine conflict we're talking about and the failed biblical king of Judah, as depicted in Handel's oratorio "Saul," which Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale brought to Walt Disney Concert Hall on Wednesday night. This odd oratorio, an early example of a genre created by Handel when opera went out of fashion for a while in 18th century London, is not what you would expect this time of year, which is to say, it is certainly not "Messiah." (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
READ THE FULL Los Angeles Times REVIEW
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Handel's epic 'Saul' oratorio gets heroic treatment from Philharmonia Baroque / San Francisco Examiner
Posted At : April 11, 2019 12:00 AM
Throughout his tenure as music director of the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Nicholas McGegan has excelled in the large-scale works of Handel. He did it again Saturday evening at Berkeley's First Congregational Church, leading a spectacular concert performance of the composer's "Saul." Saturday's performance, which repeats Friday in San Francisco and Saturday in Palo Alto to close Philharmonia's 38th season, found McGegan and ensemble in top form, powering through the two hour, 50-minute score with brisk, unflagging energy. The orchestra played heroically, and the cast was first-rate. Robust bass-baritone Daniel Okulitch thundered appropriately.
It's impossible to overstate the brilliance of Bruce Lamott's Philharmonia Chorale, but suffice it to say that this 25-member mixed chorus sounded tremendous as the Chorus of Israelites. From gentle laments to scornful outbursts despairing over the future of their nation, they serve heroically as the conscience of "Saul."
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READ THE FULL San Francisco Examiner REVIEW
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New PBO recording brings Rameau's 'Temple of Glory' to life as originally envisioned / New Classical Tracks
Posted At : April 10, 2019 12:00 AM
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New Classical Tracks with Julie Amacher is a Syndicated Feature airing nationally on Classical 24 and Statewide via Minnesota Public Radio. For Wednesday April 10, Rameau: Le Temple de la Gloire - Nicholas McGegan, Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorale (Philharmonia Baroque Productions)
Four years after the San Francisco-based Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra was formed, Nicholas McGegan was hired to be its first music director. 35 years later, he's still finding ways to keep the musicians and the audience on their toes. "We have a whole series of new music written for old instruments, so we have composers who come in and work with us to play music that's fresh off the page, and that keeps our musicians on their toes. It gives them a chance actually to work with live composers, which normally we wouldn't do. Normally we're just good at working with the dead ones."
LISTEN TO New Classical Tracks SEGMENT
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Nicholas McGegan chats with WVIA:artscene
Posted At : March 14, 2019 12:00 AM
In order to appease the somewhat provincial tastes of King Louis XV, composer Jean-Philippe Rameau and his librettist Voltaire altered the original version of Le Temple de la Gloire, and for centuries it was lost. The manuscript was discovered-at the University of California, Berkeley's Jean Hargrove Music Library and was brought to the attention of conductor Nicholas McGegan. For decades, maestro McGegan dreamed of reviving the original work-a dream realized in April 2017 through a partnership between Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Cal Performances at UC Berkeley, Centre de musique de Versailles in France and New York Baroque Dance Company.
PBO: Music Director - Nicholas McGegan Interviewed with WVIA: Pittston PA - artscene Listen to the attached clip
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Disparate works spanning centuries, fit together at Philharmonia Baroque First Congregational concert / Berkeley Daily Planet
Posted At : March 13, 2019 12:00 AM
It might seem at first glance a strange mix when Philharmonia Baroque presents a program of music by Handel along with contemporary music. Yet over the weekend of March 6-10, newly commissioned songs by American composer Caroline Shaw and short pieces by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt were offered side by side with works by George Frideric Handel and Henry Purcell. And strange to say, these disparate works spanning the centuries fit together extremely well at the concert I attended Saturday, March 9, at Berkeley's First Congregational Church.
READ THE FULL Berkeley Daily Planet REVIEW
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Philharmonia Baroque uses old sonorities and new ideas at Stanford Bing / San Francisco Chronicle
Posted At : March 8, 2019 12:00 AM
When you're an early-music ensemble devoted to playing on period instruments, like the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, you've largely circumscribed the repertoire that is going to form the basis of your musical endeavors. Largely, but not entirely. One of Philharmonia's more exciting side endeavors under longtime music director Nicholas McGegan has been its occasional forays into the world of contemporary music, sometimes even commissioning new work from living composers.
The orchestra's rewarding concert program on Wednesday, March 6, in Stanford's Bing Concert Hall shone a spotlight on the latest such commissioning project. It included two recent songs - one brand new, one just a few years old - written for Philharmonia and the great Swedish mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter by the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw, and came as a demonstration of how much is possible with old sonorities and new ideas. Photo: Ewa-Marie Rundquist
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READ THE FULL San Francisco Chronicle ARTICLE
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95.5KHFM Albuquerque sits down with Nicholas McGegan to discuss 'Le Temple de la Gloire'
Posted At : March 4, 2019 12:00 AM
In order to appease the somewhat provincial tastes of King Louis XV, composer Jean-Philippe Rameau and his librettist Voltaire altered the original version of Le Temple de la Gloire, and for centuries it was lost. The manuscript was discovered-at the University of California, Berkeley's Jean Hargrove Music Library and was brought to the attention of conductor Nicholas McGegan. For decades, maestro McGegan dreamed of reviving the original work, a dream realized in April 2017 through a partnership between Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Cal Performances at UC Berkeley, Centre de musique de Versailles in France and New York Baroque Dance Company.
This live album was recorded during a critically-acclaimed performance at UC Berkeley in April of 2017. This two-disc set captures the original intent of both Rameau and Voltaire with a stellar who's-who cast of baroque performers joining Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale, vocal artists who never sacrifice musicality and drama while still hewing to the creators' original intentions, all heroically led by Nicholas McGegan, who has himself a long-storied career creating recordings that are both definitive and possessed of thrilling vitality. The chorus is masterfully prepared for this performance by choir director Bruce Lamott.
95.5KHFM Albuquerque sat down with McGegan to discuss the recording. Listen to the attached interview
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Nicholas McGegan interview with WKCR
Posted At : February 26, 2019 12:00 AM
In order to appease the somewhat provincial tastes of King Louis XV, composer Jean-Philippe Rameau and his librettist Voltaire altered the original version of Le Temple de la Gloire, and for centuries it was lost. The manuscript was discovered-at the University of California, Berkeley's Jean Hargrove Music Library and was brought to the attention of conductor Nicholas McGegan. For decades, maestro McGegan dreamed of reviving the original work-a dream realized in April 2017 through a partnership between Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Cal Performances at UC Berkeley, Centre de musique de Versailles in France and New York Baroque Dance Company.
PBO: Music Director - Nicholas McGegan Interviewed with WKCR: New York City - Classical Music Host, Cyril Gilman. Listen to the attached clip
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Nicholas McGegan Interview with RAF: St. Louis
Posted At : February 26, 2019 12:00 AM
In order to appease the somewhat provincial tastes of King Louis XV, composer Jean-Philippe Rameau and his librettist Voltaire altered the original version of Le Temple de la Gloire, and for centuries it was lost. The manuscript was discovered-at the University of California, Berkeley's Jean Hargrove Music Library and was brought to the attention of conductor Nicholas McGegan. For decades, maestro McGegan dreamed of reviving the original work-a dream realized in April 2017 through a partnership between Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Cal Performances at UC Berkeley, Centre de musique de Versailles in France and New York Baroque Dance Company.
PBO: Music Director - Nicholas McGegan Interviewed with RAF: St. Louis - Classical Music Host, Jim Doyle. Listen to the attached clip
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Nicholas McGegan joins WCVE's Mike Goldberg for 'Breakfast Classics'
Posted At : February 26, 2019 12:00 AM
The Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale led by legendary conductor Nicholas McGegan has released a world premiere recording of Jean-Philippe Rameau's "Le Temple de la Gloire" (the 1745 original version). In order to appease King Louis XV, Rameau and his librettist Voltaire altered the original version and for centuries it was lost. The manuscript was discovered at the University of California-Berkeley and brought to the attention of McGegan. For decades, he dreamed of reviving the original work and this live recording was done at UC Berkeley in April 2017.
IdeaStation WCVE Music Classical Music Host - Mike Goldberg, recently had the pleasure of talking with Nicholas McGegan about this rather extensive project. He provided insight to the differences in this opera from the "traditional" opera you may be used to and shared various techniques used by the performers, including period instruments. photo-by-randy-beach
LISTEN TO THE SEGMENT
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Maestro Nicholas McGegan speaks with classical radio about Rameau's 'Le Temple de la Gloire'
Posted At : January 30, 2019 12:00 AM
In order to appease the somewhat provincial tastes of King Louis XV, composer Jean-Philippe Rameau and his librettist Voltaire altered the original version of Le Temple de la Gloire, and for centuries it was lost. The manuscript was discovered-at the University of California, Berkeley's Jean Hargrove Music Library and was brought to the attention of conductor Nicholas McGegan. For decades, maestro McGegan dreamed of reviving the original work-a dream realized in April 2017 through a partnership between Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Cal Performances at UC Berkeley, Centre de musique de Versailles in France and New York Baroque Dance Company. A live album was recorded during a critically-acclaimed performance at UC Berkeley in April of 2017 and released on PBO's label.
In conjunction with this recording maestro McGegan has made himself available today - January 30, to speak with classical radio stations and networks throughout the US. 22 outlets are participating in markets that include, New York, Wash DC, Seattle, Portland, St. Louis, Austin, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Albuquerque. Please watch for our tweets throughout the day.
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PBO&C - Rameau, Le Temple de la Gloire: 'The Making of a Modern Day Premiere' wins 2018 Telly Award
Posted At : January 7, 2019 12:00 AM
In April 2017, conductor Nicholas McGegan and Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale partnered with Cal Performances, Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles, and New York Baroque Dance Company to produce the modern-day premiere of Rameau's original version of his opera, "Le Temple de la Gloire," with libretto by Voltaire. The original manuscript lives at the Jean Hargrove Music Library at U.C. Berkeley. It had not been performed since its original debut in 1745.
This overview video was produced by Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale with Tal Skloot and TriTone Media and was generously sponsored by Rebecca Moyle and Tyler Lange. It won a 2018 Telly Award in the category of non-broadcast music/concert. Watch the attached
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