Fri, 22 May 2009  MARNI NIXON - A Portrait and Conversation "AIR DATE: 21 May 2009 (to be repeated on 4 June 2009)
DOWNLOAD THE PROGRAM ON MARNI NIXON HERE BUY A COPY OF MARNI NIXON'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY HERE READ MORE ABOUT MARNI NIXON ON WIKIPEDIA
Comments[0] |
Fri, 22 May 2009  NAIDA COLE as featured on OFFBEAT CHABRIER- Bouree Fantasque, Naida Cole, Piano CONVERSATION WITH NAIDA COLE DOWNLOAD ENTIRE PROFILE AND CONVERSATION WITH NAIDA COLE Cross posted from the Ceoil Blog - by Karishmeh Felfeli-Crawford Articulate. Intelligent. Incredibly gifted. Humble. Genuine. Honest. These are just some of the words that come to mind when I try and describe the impression Naida Cole made on me first as a pianist (both as a live performer and through her stunning recordings), and now more recently in conversation for OFFBEAT. For those of you who are not familiar with her work, Naida Cole was one of the few young artists on the concert circuit in the late 1990s and early 2000s, who was acclaimed and widely popular as a live concert pianist and a recording artist. Canadian-American Cole was the second youngest pianist to receive the ARCT of the Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto (the youngest being Glenn Gould), and she went on to study with the legendary Leon Fleisher, who she cites as one of her greatest influences and mentors. However, about two years ago, despite having an incredibly successful career as a concert pianist and both her records making it to Editor's Choice lists for all major publications, she decided to give up the career, so to speak, and go back to college and study medicine. Part of the change of direction in Naida's life has also involved having a more balanced life, getting married, starting a family. I cannot imagine what incredible determination and strength of character this must take, especially as she was such a dazzlingly polished pianist, and one with so much musicality and intellect in equal measure. Listen to her debut disc, or indeed her follow up album. Whether it is Ravel or Bartok, in fact anything she performs has the most indescribable sound, and she displays such a stunning palette of colours without the slightest hint of any over the top vulgarity. When I spoke to her, she was so gracious (despite the fact that thanks to time zones and the like, I ended up calling her an hour earlier than she expected), and so open and sincere. I wanted her to realize that while I was interested in talking about her, and talking to her for the radio program, I was also someone who admired her at so many different levels (not to mention her phenomenal piano playing), and at the very least I was also a gushing fan (best not to admit to these things, but then again, I'm no dour music critic!). I found her thoughts, comments and insights particularly revealing and fascinating, as I often find myself thinking about similar things, particularly when faced with life choices. I cannot thank Naida enough for giving up her time, from a very demanding schedule at Brown University's Med School to talk to me. You can listen to the entire profile, including some of her best playing (Chabrier, Ravel, Bartok) on the changingtherecord.com website or just click here. I could not resist reading a translation of the text to Ondine, so I do hope Naida forgives my poetry reading impulses!! DOWNLOAD ENTIRE PROFILE AND CONVERSATION WITH NAIDA COLE Comments[0] |
Fri, 22 May 2009  Comments[0] |
Fri, 22 May 2009  MAX LEVINSON IN CONVERSATION ON OFFBEAT Conversation with Max Levinson "The pianist's quietly eloquent conceptions, formidable technique and lovely touch left little else to be desired.” - THE NEW YORK TIMES "The questioning, conviction and feeling in his playing invariably reminds us of the deep reasons why music is important to us, why we listen to it, why we care so much about it.” - THE BOSTON GLOBE American Pianist Max Levinson came to recognition here in Ireland after winning the 1997 Dublin International Piano Competition. He then received overwhelming critical acclaim for his two solo recordings on N2K Encoded Music, and was awarded the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant in March 1999. Max Levinson is a graduate of Harvard and the New England Conservatory, receiving an Artist Diploma and the Gunther Schuller Medal. His teachers include Patricia Zander, Aube Tzerko and Bruce Sutherland. He is Artistic Director of the San Juan Chamber Music Festival in Ouray, Colorado, and is on the faculty at Boston Conservatory and Brown University. Max Levinson lives in the Boston area with his wife, cellist Allison Eldredge, and their daughters Natalie and Jessica. Following his 1997 success here in Dublin, he has gone on to perform as soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, St. Louis Symphony, Detroit Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Oregon Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Colorado Symphony, New World Symphony, Utah Symphony, Boston Pops, San Antonio Symphony, Louisville Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, and in recital at New York's Alice Tully Hall, Washington DC"s Kennedy Center, London’s Wigmore Hall, Zürich’s Tonhalle, the Musee d’Orsay in Paris, Jordan Hall in Boston, and throughout the US, Canada, and Europe. Listen to Max in Conversation with Karishmeh, as he talks about life since winning the competition, the realities of being a virtuoso concert artist, the importance of music education and teaching, and why amateur pianists can get to a very high standard. Final Track : "Kirchner - There Came a Wind" - performed by Max Levinson, taken from the album " Leon Kirchner - Works for Solo Piano" Comments[0] |
Mon, 11 May 2009  Twenty Six year old French Pianist Emmanuel Christien talks to Karishmeh on OFFBEAT, hours before his semi-final performance as part of the AXA Dublin International Piano Competion. Described as an "inspired virtuoso" and a pianist who "summons up a wonderfully lavish sound from such a comparatively plain looking score", Christien performed the music of Schumann, Liszt, Mozart, Schubert and Ravel in the first two rounds of the Competition. Le Pianiste Français de vingt-six ans Emmanuel Christien parle à Karishmeh sur OFFBEAT. Karishmeh avait une chance de rattraper le jeune musicien qui était incroyablement gracieux avant sa performance suivante à la compétition. Download the conversation with Emmanuel Christien Visit Emmanuel Christien's Website REPERTOIRE Round 2
Comments[0] |
Thu, 7 May 2009 AXA DUBLIN INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION on OFFBEAT 2006 Winner Romain Descharmes performs the first movement of Brahms Sonata in F minor after the interview with Fiachra Garvey.
Listen to Cliodna Shanahan on OFFBEAT in conversation with Karishmeh
Comments[0] |
Wed, 6 May 2009  ROMAIN DESCHARMES 2006 AXA DUBLIN INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION WINNER Born in 1980, Romain Descharmes was awarded First Prize in the Dublin International Piano Competition in 2006, leading him to perform recitals on such prestigious stages as Wigmore Hall in London, National Concert Hall in Dublin, Minato Mirai Hall in Yokohama, Hakuju Hall in Tokyo and Salle Cortot in Paris. In 2008 he will perform for the first time at Carnegie Hall in New York, before embarking on a series of concerts in Japan (Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya). Listen to Romain Descharmes in conversation with Karishmeh on OFFBEAT, in advance of his performance at the NCH on 8th May 2009. Comments[0] |
