Olga Kern Performs for Sunday Afternoons of Music

by Lawrence Budmen
Music Critic

When it comes to sheer speed and dexterity, Olga Kern is in a class by herself. The Russian born pianist and Gold Medal winner of the 2001 Van Cliburn Competition presented a program of romantic works by Mendelssohn, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and Liszt on January 15 for Sunday Afternoons of Music at the UM Frost School of Music's Gusman Concert Hall.

In many ways, the classical music world needs more artists like Kern. She is the complete package. Her glamorous appearance and beautiful gowns (one for each half of the concert) rivet attention. She exudes charisma as she embraces the keyboard. Kern really knows how to engage an audience.

Kern opened her recital with a well articulated, sober traversal of Mendelssohn's rarely heard Variations Serieuses in D Minor, Opus 54. This rigorous score should put to rest the image of Mendelssohn as a musical lightweight. It is an audacious technical challenge for any keyboard artist. Kern does not lack ambition. In Rachmaninoff's airy transcription of the Scherzo from Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream incidental music, Kern's rapid fire articulation literally bounced off the keyboard. The music really sparkled and danced.

Kern's approach to Chopin's Sonata No.2 in B-flat Minor, Opus 35 was more problematical. Her exaggerated contrasts of playing very loud and very soft are sometimes overly affected. In the first movement the second subject was too slow. Yet there was no denying Kern's romantic fervor. The Scherzo was demonic indeed and the contrasting Piu lento theme was played with glowing beauty of tone. The famous Marche funebre needed greater repose. Too much focused intensity produced harshness. The extraordinary ìnight winds over churchyard gravesî Presto finale needed greater mystery. There was no denying Kern's feverish intensity. She clearly treasures Chopin.

Five of the Morceaux de Fantasie, Opus 3 by Rachmaninoff were more variable. The famous Prelude in C-sharp minor emerged with steely power and passionate Russian melancholia. The lovely Melodie in E Major wanted greater lightness and charm. Elegie in E flat Minor was barely recognizable. This is brooding, eloquent music that needs finely attenuated attention to detail. The Serenade in B-flat minor would have benefited from more light hearted verve and greater precision.

It was wonderful to hear Franz Liszt's transcription of the Liebestod from Wagner's opera Tristan und Isolde. Liszt's virtuosic treatment of this impassioned aria is a sheer pianistic tour de force. Kern was equal to Liszt's unbelievable demands and more. She played this keyboard gem with throbbing passion. When she relaxes and lets the music speak, Kern is impressive indeed.

Liszt's Mozart pastiche Reminiscences de Don Juan is one of those formidable showpieces that pianists can not get enough of. Kern's version had power aplenty but needed greater lightness of touch. In pursuit of sheer feverish intensity, she tended to skip notes and runs. The Mozartean charm of the Don Giovanni themes did not register. Her over the top performance delighted a large, enthusiastic audience.

In response to repeated standing ovations Kern offered the lilting Spinning Song (Saint-Saens), an invigorating Hopak (Mussorgsky ñ transcribed by Vladimir Horowitz) replete with filigree, and a dashing, lightning paced Flight of the Bumble Bee (Rimsky-Korsakov) as encores. These light pieces were played with abandon and energy. Kern's glamour and red hot intensity may herald the new face of classical music.

For more information about Sunday Afternoons of Music, visit www.sundaymusicals.org .

Listening with Lee Zimmerman

Jon Nolan: When the Summers Lasted Long
(Mill Town Records)

Say Zuzu was an Americana band that found homegrown success in their native New England, but sadly, never saw that acceptance translate into a national following. After six albums the group disbanded, leaving its leader, Jon Nolan , free to pursue solo possibilities. The result is When the Summers Lasted Long , an album as evocative and inspiring as its winsome title implies. For Nolan, it's an admirable accomplishment, not to mention a fine debut. And for those partial to heartfelt back porch narratives, it's a wonderful discovery and one that ought to be considered an instant keeper.

The cover alone ensures the embrace ñ children enjoying a day at the beach under a cloud-covered sky. Once the songs unfold, the appeal is easily enhanced, Nolan's warm, weathered vocals lending a knowing quality to these easy, breezy melodies. From the loping, homespun tempo of opener ìSo Muchî to the down home delivery of ìHope, ARî (a roadway recap along the lines of ìMe And Bobby McGeeî), Nolan's classic country rock style allows for an instant connection. Most of its numbers keep to a low-key lilt, with the upbeat shuffle of ìCupboardî and the rousing ìAll Dried Upî providing the set with its supple sway.  

Albums like this are often overlooked, the soft, soothing ambiance overshadowed by more brazen bids for commercial acceptance. Nevertheless, one gets the sense that this is a album that will linger, a timeless collection as warm and resilient as a well-worn memento of summers gone by.   

Visit www.JonNolan.net .

Various Artists: Between Goodlettsville and Murfreesboro
(Sound Asleep Records)

It may be called Americana but the fact is, it's found a worldwide following. Proof lies in the fact that this 19-song compilation was born, not in Austin, Boston or Nashville as its name implies, but by an enthusiast from Sweden named Jerker Emanuelson . As he explains in his liner notes, Nashville means many things to many people, but for him, the city has a personal connection. He lived there while a college student in the mid ë80s and has returned for visits ever since. And it was his love and admiration for the place that motivated him to put together this collection spanning some of the city's most talented, up-and-coming singer/songwriters.

Indeed, Emanuelson assembled this collection from an insider's point of view. There are a number of illustrious names involved but few that have crept their way into the mainstream. Nevertheless, it's an outstanding selection of down-home tunes, mostly homespun ballads primed with memorable melodies. Out of 19 tracks, it's difficult to name all the standouts (nearly every track qualifies for that distinction) but Bill Lloyd's wistful ìMr. Lucky,î Jeff Finlin's quirky ìMoon Man,î Tim Carroll's caressing ìLived to Tellî and, perhaps best of all, Greg Trooper's ìSlip Awayî qualify after first listen. However, each track provides its own special charm, and more than enough reason to want to check out more of the artists' individual offerings.

Emanuelson deserves special kudos for his admirable efforts to turn the spotlight on these wonderful musicians. Between Goodlettsville and Murfreesboro is fertile turf indeed and there could be no better tour guide than the one he offers here.

For more information, email jerker.emanuelson@mailbox.swipnet.se .

Great Lake Swimmers: Bodies and Minds
(Misra)

What began as essentially a solo effort by Canadian musician Tony Dekker has now evolved into a five-piece ensemble and a sophomore album released within six months of a much-lauded debut. And while some elements remain the same ñ a sense of haunting, ethereal sensuality in the most atmospheric of settings ñ the new work benefits from a more spacious and spectral sound, greater accessibility and a lure that's best described as nothing less than irresistible.

Recorded in a lakeside church in rural Ontario, the Great Lake Swimmers' approach conjures up images of windswept winter nights in gothic settings, while evoking feelings of loneliness, solitude and, ultimately, a sense of being dire with despair. Comparisons to Neil Young, Nick Drake, My Morning Jacket and Iron and Wine litter their critiques. Nevertheless, those references don't begin to convey the sheer grandeur and intimate beauty that Dekker and company deliver. From the celestial reach of the album opener ìSong for the Angelsî to the hushed refrain that pervades the title track and the shimmering sparkle of Falling into the Skyî and ìImaginary Bars,î this is an album that begs repeated listens, if only to fully absorb every supple nuance of its breathtaking grandeur.

Great Lake Swimmers ranks among the top five great discoveries of the year past and Bodies and Minds is the album that merits that distinction. Rarely has a band been so deft at blending a sense of suggestion with melodies that are so gorgeous and engrossing. Suffice it to say, these Swimmers are bound to make waves.  

Visit www.misrarecords.com.

Dranoff International Two-Piano Competition

by Joseph Plon
Music Writer

The finals of the 10th Dranoff International Two-Piano Competition took place at the Lincoln Theater on December 22. The Florida Classical Orchestra, under the direction of Stewart Robertson , provided rich orchestral support. The required repertoire included Bohuslav Martinu's fascinating Concerto for two pianos and the first movement of Mendelssohn's somewhat less fascinating opus for two pianos. Three teams competed for the top prizes. First prize went to Seo & Kate (Japan); second prize to Varshavsky & Shapiro (Ukraine and Russia); and third prize, De Stefano Brothers (Italy).

Deserving mention is the dynamic duo of Yoshie & Takashi (Japan). They performed ñ out of competition ñ the piece that won them the prize for best interpretation of a work specially commissioned for the contest. This year it was Marcel Bergmann's ìUrban Pulse,î an attractive set of three pieces.

The roots of two-piano performance lie in the genre of chamber music with perfectly synchronized ensembles being performed among a small number of players. The art of duo-piano is in a unique one-on-one collaboration that is neither imitative nor competitive. It is an art of compatibility, blending and balancing the playing of two personalities into one harmonizing entity.

All the participants proved to be excellent pianists. As pairs they played with technical brilliance and flawless rhythmic synchronization though, in my opinion, not always with utmost compatibility. Maybe that was one of the criteria determining the decisions of the panel of nine judges.

If the Dranoff International Two-Piano Competition had awarded a grand prize, it would certainly have gone to Loretta Dranoff . She created the competition in 1987 and has sustained it ever since. Her dedication pointed the way to an ever-growing interest in the unique art of duo-piano.

For more information, visit www.dranoff2piano.org .

Listening with Lee Zimmerman

Rick Berlin: Me & Van Gogh
(Hi-N-Dry)

A one-time member of Boston's legendary art-rock ensemble, Orchestra Luna, Rick Berlin's honed his cabaret stylings and theatrical wit into a bold solo album filled with vivid drama and aching confession.   Utilizing no more than his punctured vocals and fluid piano playing, he spins twelve songs that stake out a fertile field of moods and monologues, recalling along the way such indomitable piano men as Randy Newman and Tom Waits, as well as formidable storytellers like Bruce Springsteen and Leonard Cohen.   A rambunctious tour de force, Me & Van Gogh makes quite an impression.  

Even in such minimal circumstances, Berlin has a fluid ability to transpose himself into a variety of cryptic characters.   There's the weary narrator of the album's title track, the forlorn convict confessing his sins in ìA Letter,î the self-deprecating chameleon of ìI'm a Slutî (ìI'm a sinner, I'm a ho/I'm anything you're looking forÖ ì).   Berlin plies his songs with exuberance and intensity; one moment, the music's downcast and despondent (ìBuddhaî), the next it's sweeping itself into a crescendo (ìDon't Talk About Joanî) or skewered as if possessed (ìThe Rideî).   Nevertheless, it's an exhilarating experience, adventurous, daring and completely out of the ordinary.   Considering the lack of embellishment, it's all the more engrossing.

Whether or not Berlin's intensity might prove exhausting after several spins remains to be seen. These are fitful interludes and often quite harrowing. One can imagine seeing him in concert in an intimate setting, becoming transfixed as he plays out theses epochs with bracing abandon. However, like the painter heralded in the album title, the best performers dare to break beyond the safe confines of the conventional. After experiencing Me & Van Gogh , there's no doubt that Berlin too is an artist of that ilk.  

Visit www.hi-n-dry.com .

Various Artists: Transamerica Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
(Nettwerk)

For a film with such an unlikely premise ñ the tale of a transsexual woman (portrayed by Felicity Huffman of ìDesperate Housewivesî fame) who discovers that she fathered a son in her previous life ñ Transamerica comes with a soundtrack made up of music that's surprisingly traditional.   As the aural backdrop illuminating her trek across America to reconnect with her offspring, it gathers an array of country and folk artists and ensembles waxing affectionately about God and country.   Regardless, it radiates wonderfully and stands on its own as a most worthy compilation with or without the storyline as visual reinforcement.

Incorporating telling bits of dialogue, a lovely score by veteran session player David Mansfield and material contributed by such divergent artists as Duncan Sheik , South Africa's Miriam Makeba , Lucinda Williams and Dolly Parton (who contributes a memorable original, ìTravelin' Thruî), Transamerica is nearly as cinematic in suggestion as the film itself. However, the album's most engaging material rarely strays from the back porch variety. Country rock veterans Nitty Gritty Dirt band radiate their usual down-home charm with the goodtime ìFishing Songî and the gospel-infused ìI Find Jesusî while newcomers Old Crow Medicine Show contribute two heartland odes of their own, ìWe're All in this Togetherî and ìTake ëEm Away.î Other inclusions of note include Jim Lauderdale's collaboration with bluegrass master Ralph Stanley ìLost in the Pines,î a pair of solid standards from country traditionalist Larry Sparks and an instantly engaging ìYou're Going to Love One Dayî by singer/songwriter Heather Myles .

Ironically, many of those drawn to these songs of home and hearth will find little to relate to in the unconventional tale that is ìTransamerica.î However, that should not dissuade anyone from fetching a copy of the soundtrack. The music of ìTransamericaî transcends all divides.

Visit www.nettwerk.com .

Jackie Leven: Elegy for Johnny Cash
(Cooking Vinyl ñ Import)

Journeyman musician Jackie Leven has a distinguished career under his belt.   As the former leader of post-punk band Doll By Doll and a gifted singer/songwriter in his own right, he's turned out an ongoing series of intriguing yet introspective song cycles in a Celtic, semi-folk style. His latest, Elegy for Johnny Cash , takes a slightly different approach, but true to its title, these thoughtful, pensive, and reverent series of soundscapes do justice to both the spirit and style of its namesake.

Like Cash's Man in Black persona, Leven's rumblings and reflections have a darkened hue, hushed narratives that reflect an insular beauty and quiet mystique. Its exotic tone may have something to do with where it was recorded; after all, Beirut, Lebanon isn't the most likely locale for generating a rock ën' roll album.   However, aside from the cryptic spoken-word rumination ìWhy Log Truck Drivers Rise Earlier Than Students of Zen,î the ambiance is decidedly grounded and instantly enticing.   Album opener ìBlue Soul Dark Roadî is especially noteworthy, an earnest embrace with a shimmering piano solo that's nothing less than breathtaking. Likewise, the strumming, subdued ìNo Honour in this Loveî sounds like Dire Straits in one of their most cerebral settings, a sound so striking, it's impossible not to listen without becoming totally absorbed.

Leven's had limited release on this side of Atlantic, but why his music hasn't been made available for wider distribution defies any attempt at logic. Elegy for Johnny Cash honors the spirit of an American icon, but it's also tribute to the album's musical mastermind.   

Visit www.cookingvinyl.com .

A Triumphant Return for Billy Joel

by Bill Hernandez
Contributing Writer

Rock / pop rocker and Long Island legend Billy Joel kicked off his 2006 concert tour at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise last Saturday night, after taking a six-year hiatus from touring.

The sold-out crowd was treated to a performance that will long be remembered as one of his best, performing some of his well-known hits along with many obscure selections. Joel played to an energetic audience who danced, cheered, and begged for more, even after the last curtain fell.

In addition to this long awaited tour, Joel, who can now add the title of Tony Award-winner to his list of accolades, has teamed up with award-winning choreographer Twyla Tharp to bring physical life to the lyrics of Billy Joel in the successful Broadway play   Movin' Out . The play continues its run through January 15th at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Ft. Lauderdale. From there, additional performances can be seen at the Jackie Gleason Theatre in Miami Beach beginning January 24th for a six-night run. Movin' Out is a must-see for all Billy Joel fans. In fact, Joel made an impromptu cameo at a recent performance, much to the surprise and delight of those in attendance. Joel performed only one song, but it was enough to garner him a lengthy standing ovation.

Some of the songs played in Saturday night's concert included all-time favorite "Piano Man" along with "New York State of Mind," "Big Man on Mulberry Street," "Big Shot" and many others that can be found in the recently released box set titled My Lives . The collection is the definitive chronicle of Billy Joel's genius, and contains everything and more for the pure at heart Billy Joel fan.

On Sunday, January 15, Joel will return to the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise for one last performance to conclude this leg of the tour.

For further information on Billy Joel and a list of tour dates, visit his official website at: www.billyjoel.com .

PHOTO IDS
1.&2. Billy Joel
Photos by Brent Whitmire

Listening with Lee Zimmerman
 

Honeybrowne: Something to Believe In
(Compadre)
 
There’s no dearth of country-rock bands out there these days, groups that teeter on the edge between these seemingly compatible pop genres. However, the number capable of writing great songs of their own narrows the selection; no matter which style a group chooses, the ability to offer memorable music is the trait that ensures they’ll stand out from the pack.
 
Honeybrowne have no such worries. Their breezy back porch sound is easily accessible, and despite the fact that it straddles the country-rock divide, it doesn’t push the parameters of either.  Nevertheless, Something to Believe In is a terrific debut, one that bodes well for radio airplay and general consumer appeal. Several selections sound like instant hits, even on first hearing – the irresistibly rousing “New Friends,” the hook-filled “8 Roses,” the celebratory “Take Me Home Tonight” and the album’s most poignant ballad, “Never Forget You” chief among them. The latter is especially embracing, its lyric wrung like a tearstained handkerchief: “We’re gonna promise to write everyday/But you know life gets in the way… “
 
Their way with a melody and a talent for evoking universal emotions, then dappling them with hooks aplenty, elevates Honeybrowne to a rarified stature most new groups only attain after their second or third albums. As smooth and suggestive as their name implies, Honeybrowne is this year’s first must-hear.
 
Visit www.compadrerecords.com.
 
 
Paul Weller: As is Now
(Yep Roc)
 
From punk upstart with the mod squad outfit dubbed the Jam, through his ill-fated flirtation with jazz via the Style Council, Paul Weller’s traveled a long way since kicking off his career in the mid-‘70s. Thirty years later, he remains one of the elder statesmen of British rock, still emulating his Anglophile heroes (Traffic, Joe Cocker and others of the ‘60s ilk) but appropriately, tossing those influences back at those who snap at his heels.  Weller’s latest work -- as always, much anticipated –- finds him lounging comfortably in his own skin, still edgy, but clearly reflective of past conquests.
 
As a result, As is Now becomes a rather appropriate title in that it sums up his entire musical evolution. There’s the swagger and aggression of the Jam (“Blink”, “Paper Smile”) coupled with the cocktail-lite serenades that marked the breezy work of the Style Council so soon after (“The Start of Forever,” “Roll Along Summer”). Overall however, Weller seems to have shrugged off the acoustic embrace that’s marked his more recent solo excursions and gotten back to the hunger and vitality that typified his youthful outlays. There’s a confidence, make that a cockiness, that’s all but apparent here -– from the jaunty “Here’s the Good News” to the testy spunk of “From the Floorboards Now” -- and it practically radiates from these grooves. If Weller’s still paying homage to his heroes –- the tip of the hat to Traffic in the slinky shuffle of “I Wanna Make it Alright” and the Cocker-like histrionics of the lovely “Fly Little Bird” make it apparent he still is, at least nominally -– it’s all well and good because that music remain comfortable set within Weller’s repertoire.
 
Years on into his solo career, he seems to have finally found his niche. Here’s hoping As is Now portends the Weller of the forever. 
 
Visit www.yeproc.com.
 
 
Kevin Gordon: O Come Look at the Burning
(Crowville Collective)

Despite a string of accomplished albums and writing credits that include songs cast for such luminaries as Keith Richards, Levon Helm, Ronnie Hawkins and Kate Campbell, Kevin Gordon is hardly what one would describe as a household name. He hasn’t helped his situation any by waiting five years to release a new record, especially after attracting some notoriety for the title track of his last album, “Down to the Well,” a duet with Lucinda Williams.  Fortunately though, O Come Look at the Burning is an effort well worth waiting for, an organic, roots-driven set of songs that sound as authentic as the rural Louisiana countryside he once called home.
 
In fact, the Americana birthright is never in doubt on anyof Burning’s dozen songs.  It echoes through the tangled swamp-infested sound that dominates opening tracks “Watching the Sun Go Down” and “Find My Way,” and then remains intact as the set rambles its way towards its conclusion. That gritty authenticity fuels every outlay, giving the album a sense of down-home deliverance. Gordon sounds like an experienced front porch troubadour, imbuing his material with a weathered yet knowing perspective. The song “Greenwood Girls” is a perfect case in point; a lovely, evocative ballad, it captures the feeling of a hazy Sunday morning as the fog is lifting from the fields and daylight is nudging its way towards dawn. 
 
Gordon borrows liberally from his influences, including a pair of covers by such esteemed bluesmen as Willie Dixon and the late Eddie Hinton. Nevertheless, O Come Look at the Burning ultimately makes its mark as Gordon’s definitive statement, as indelible and intriguing as the imagery it inspires. 
 
Visit www.kevingordon.net.

What better way to celebrate the New Year than with the frothy musical confections of Johann Strauss, Jr. and the Viennese waltz kings? A delightful evening of waltz and polka delicacies (with aural whipped cream) graced the Salute to Vienna concert on January 1 at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach (produced by Attila Glatz Concert Productions). Christian Schulz, an authentic Viennese conductor, led the Strauss Symphony of America in a joyous program of music that spanned the ballroom and operetta stages of the Vienna-Prague-Budapest musical empire.
 
The ebullient Schulz opened the evening with a crisp, incisive performance of Mozart’s Overture to The Abduction from the Seraglio (in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the composer’s birth). The polished playing of the ensemble and Schulz’s lively conducting made the entire program one marvelous party (mostly in three quarter time). Schulz gave Strauss’s Thunder and Lightning Polka the bubbly fizz of good champagne –- perfect for a New Year’s celebration. The Overture to Strauss’s A Night in Venice literally sparkled with Schulz’s lilting evocation of the waltz and the orchestra’s opulent playing. Schulz led a lithe, delightful rendition of Strauss’s Leichtes Blut Polka that was great fun. A veteran opera conductor, Schulz provided beautifully gauged, gleaming support to the evening’s vocal soloists and high spirited accompaniment to the balletic sequences.
 
Canadian-Viennese soprano Ingrid Mankhof, a glamorous blonde beauty, is the perfect operetta heroine. With an effortless light soprano and passionate expressivity, her singing was utterly captivating. She brought Hungarian languor and Gypsy fire to an aria from Countess Maritza by Emmerich Kalman. Her lithe, insinuating manner in the aria Meine Lippen, Sie kussen so heiss from Lehar’s Giuditta was well nigh perfect. Has this evergreen ever been as well sung? She was joined by Viennese tenor Wolfgang Gratschmaier in beguiling duets from Lehar’s The Land of Smiles and The Merry Widow. A pupil of Elizabeth Schwarzkopf and a member of the Vienna Volksoper, Gratschmaier is a seasoned performer and a theatrical presence to be reckoned with – pure showbiz. With a virile voice and schmaltzy manner, he captivated the audience with his renditions of Maxims from The Merry Widow and an aria from Lehar’s Paganini. (Many of Lehar’s operettas were written for Richard Tauber, one of the greatest Viennese tenors of the 20th century.)  
 
Members of the Vienna Opera Ballet joined the festivities for the Sirens of the Ball Waltzes from Lehar’s The Merry Widow and Strauss’s Magyar Czardas and Wiener Blut Waltzes. With colorful, stylish costumes by Pavel Knolle and zippy, witty choreography by David Slobaspyckyj, the dancers brought high spirited abandon and imperial elegance to the stage, abetted by Schulz’s swirling musical background. Indeed the Czardas really had fiery pizzazz.
 
Encores were generous indeed. In the obligatory Blue Danube Waltz, international ballroom champions Jozsef Szepesi and Judit Szepesi and Attila Budai and Szilvia Laszlo swirled joyously to Strauss’s immortal waltz rhythms – an authentic snapshot of the music’s genesis in the ballrooms of imperial Vienna. Mankhof and Gratschmaier sang the Champagne ensemble from Strauss’s Die Fledermaus with verve, lightness of utterance, and idiomatic élan. (Gratschmaier toasted the audience.) Schulz led his excellent orchestra (and the clapping audience) in a high kicking version of Strauss’s Radetsky March. Finally the entire company (led by Mankhof’s soaring soprano) joined in Old Lang Syne.
 
This was a wonderful evening of great Viennese music and the perfect way to say Happy New Year!

Boca Raton Philharmonic Symphonia
Presents Mei-Ting Sun
 
by Lawrence Budmen
Music Critic

The vision of veteran orchestral administrator Marshall Turkin has given South Florida a new, fully professional orchestra. With the demise of the Florida Philharmonic and the lack of any successor organization, Turkin (a former top executive of the Pittsburgh and Detroit Symphony Orchestras and the Cleveland Orchestra’s summer Blossom Festival) formed the 31-member Boca Raton Philharmonic Symphonia. Already an impressive ensemble, the orchestra made a splendid showing at the second concert of its inaugural season on December 18 at the FAU University Theater in Boca Raton.
 
The comfortable, modernist lines and bright acoustics of the University Theater provided the perfect showcase for this highly promising ensemble. Alastair Willis, Resident Conductor of the Seattle Symphony, was a lively presence on the podium. As musical icing on the cake, Mei-Ting Sun (Winner of Miami’s 2005 American Chopin Competition) played impressive Beethoven and a stunning party piece of an encore.
 
Willis commenced the afternoon with a vigorous, crisp performance of the Overture to Beethoven’s ballet score The Creatures of Prometheus. Willis’s brisk; no nonsense manner drew disciplined playing from the chamber orchestra. He vividly delineates a score’s inner voicings. Willis did not neglect Beethoven’s Olympian side. The overture’s opening chords and stately introduction had weight and gravity.
 
A Doctoral Fellow at New York’s Julliard School, pianist Mei-Ting Sun is a dynamic virtuoso and a born showman. Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.5 (Emperor) is one of the most daunting works in the keyboard literature. From the first monumental chords, it was clear that this young pianist was more than up to the challenge. He gave a performance that surpassed the Emperors of many veterans of the keyboard. Mei Ting Sun phrased eloquently and brought grandeur to Beethoven’s heavenly strophes. His razor sharp technical facility and ability to sustain elongated musical paragraphs was always at the service of the music. The crystal like tones of the second theme were balm to jaded ears. The noble Adagio was given space and airiness. Exquisitely nuanced tonal shadings brought grace and poetry to the long breathed musical line. Willis beautifully dovetailed the dialogue between winds and piano with the soloist’s phrasing. The soloist brought Vienesse lilt and brio to the final Rondo. Willis’s buoyant, modernist take on Beethoven’s orchestral writing (a la Roger Norington) enhanced an energetic, vibrant performance and a brilliant solo turn by a gifted young artist.
 
As an encore, Mei-Ting Sun presented his own transcription of Art Tatum’s classic Tiger Rag. His rapid-fire runs and arpeggios dazzled the ear.  Mei-Ting Sun is a sensitive musician and a great entertainer. He played up a storm in Tatum’s sizzling jazz showpiece. The house really rocked and the enthusiastic crowd was on their feet, cheering.
 
Musica Celestis by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Aaron Jay Kernis provided some heavenly sounds for the holidays. The work is beautifully conceived for string ensemble. It owes an artistic debt to Barber’s Adagio for Strings. While Kernis is no Barber, his piece is a lovely vignette. The Boca Symphonia’s strings were smooth as silk under Willis’s subtly nuanced direction. Concertmaster Huigang Chen and Principal violist Scott O’Donnell contributed eloquent, richly burnished solo turns.
 
The Suite from Stravinsky’s 1920 ballet score Pulcinella is a joyous reinvention of themes by Pergolessi. Willis’s rousing view of the opening Sinfonia was prelude to a supple reading that did not ignore Stravinsky’s astringent modes. Flutist Christine Nield’s solos (particularly in the Gavotte and Variations) were a source of continuous aural delight. The brass fugue had pointed wit and double bassist Shigeru Ishikawa was nothing less than brilliant in his difficult solo. The contrasting timbres of visceral brass and silky strings made the rapid fire Finale really glow. Alastair Willis is an imaginative interpreter and a brilliant orchestral technician. This was a splendid concert by a wonderful new addition to South Florida’s cultural crown!
 
For more information, visit www.bocasymphonia.org.

 
 
Atlanta-born rockers, Sevendust, invaded Bicentennial Park in Miami on Friday, December 16, offering their music to those hungry for nothing but pure rock n' roll. Although this rock party was headlined by Korn and featured other such bands as Mudvayne and 10 Years, Sevendust stole the show and electrified the crowd with their unique brand of rock music.
 
"The Masters of Horror Tour," which started it's trek this past November and included stops in Chicago and New York, finally found its way to our backyard here in Miami to rock our city to its very foundation. Originally scheduled to be held at Bayfront Park, it was moved to Bicentennial Park due to overwhelming ticket demand.
 
Local radio station 93 Rock, along with "The Masters of Horror Tour," combined their efforts to bring us the "93 Rock Christmas Khaos" music fest, putting together the prime examples of metal and music for a night of intense rockin' that will surely not be too soon forgotten.
 
Korn performed past hits and cuts from their recently released album, See You on the Other Side. But it was Sevendust who ruled the rock kingdom on this night. Sevendust, also releasing an album this past October titled Next, performed some favorites from their previous three albums and many cuts from their new album. Songs "Hero," "Ugly," and "Pieces" were included in their set end kept the mosh pit pumped. The song "Pieces" was recently featured on the soundtrack for the motion picture Saw II.
 
Sevendust includes Lajon Witherspoon (vocals), John Connolly (guitar), Sonny Mayo(guitar), Vince Hornsby (bass), and Morgan Rose (drums).
 
In a recent interview, guitarist John Connolly said, "Our number one priority is to bring the most massive show possible that we can bring to the people who come to see us." And in keeping true to their words, there were no signs of disappointment anywhere to be found.

Sevendust recently headlined at the House of Blues in Orlando, for New Year’s Eve.

For future updates on Sevendust's tour schedule and everything else happening in their world, fans can log onto their website at: www.Sevendust.info.
 
 
 
PHOTO IDS
 
1. Metal-rock band Sevendust
 
Photo by Fran Strine
 

25 Years of Music and Dance in South Florida

by Lawrence Budmen

Music and dance have undergone a profound metamorphosis in South Florida in a quarter century. In retrospect 1982 proved to be a watershed year for the arts.

The summer of that year brought the ambitious New World Festival, a month long gathering of world renowned artists from multiple disciplines. The Festival was a harbinger of what creative miracles could be accomplished. The project gave Miami its first fully professional ballet company. Under the direction of American choreographer Norbert Vesak (former director of the Metropolitan Opera Ballet) the New World Ballet offered new works. While the company did not endure, the brilliant ensemble and vibrant choreography would prove a fountainhead for the creation of Miami City Ballet four years later. (Perhaps not so coincidentally, New World Ballet’s conductor was Akira Endo who would mount the podium for MCB for seven seasons.)

The 1986 debut of Edward Villella’s superb company would unleash a celebration of world-class dance. Specializing in the masterworks of George Balanchine—an important part of Villella’s artistic heritage—the company immediately fielded a terrific crop of world class dancers. Such audience favorites as Illiana Lopez, Janet Sussman, Franklin Gamero, Yannis Pikiris, and David Palmer lit up the stage with their vibrant performances. The company’s original Resident Choreographer Jimmy Gamonet de los Heros created a series of indelible works that reflected Miami’s vibrant multicultural pulse. The company’s dancers became ambassadors for South Florida as MCB toured the world.

After several seasons Pikiris and Palmer left the company to pursue other projects internationally. In the 1990’s they would return to Miami to create their own company, Maximum Dance. With former Miami City Ballet dancers and gifted artists from other companies, Maximum Dance became a lively chamber ballet that showcased cutting edge choreography by creative artists from the modern dance world. Gamonet also returned to Miami to launch his own 21st century company. In an unpredictable scenario Ballet Gamonet merged with Maximum Dance and Gamonet’s choreographic magic again excited South Florida audiences. Earlier this year Pikiris and Palmer left the new company to return to Miami City Ballet.

The local orchestral situation remains unsettled. In 1980 the old Florida Philharmonic (formerly Miami Philharmonic) was in the last throes of an artistic downward spiral. Once bright with promise (under the charismatic direction of French conductor Alain Lombard) the ensemble produced uneven results under several failed music directorships. In 1982 a bitter strike by the musicians provided the orchestra’s final nail in the coffin. Four years later cultural leaders from Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties conceived a new regional ensemble. The new Florida Philharmonic was launched with high hopes and great fanfare. James Judd, an ambitious young British conductor (and former assistant to Lorin Maazel and Claudio Abbado) was named Music Director in 1987. Memorable performances of symphonies by Beethoven and Mahler promised great things to come. In 1991 the elegant Broward Center for the Performing Arts opened and provided a beautiful home base for the tri-county orchestra. The early 1990’s even found the Florida Philharmonic with its own short lived national radio broadcast series.

Despite these impressive artistic accomplishments, playing in seven venues in three counties, the Florida Philharmonic lived a nomadic existence. The orchestra never strongly identified with any of the communities. By spring 2003 the Florida Philharmonic filed for bankruptcy.

One ray of hope looms on the horizon. The debut of the new Boca Raton Philharmonic Symphonia heralds a thoughtfully conceived organization under experienced management and artistic direction. One of the chamber orchestra’s founders and prime movers is Marshall Turkin, former Executive Director of the Pittsburgh and Detroit Symphonies. Recently, renowned pianist-conductor Philippe Entremont is Artistic Advisor.

One orchestral project that has taken South Florida by storm is the New World Symphony. Founded in 1987 by Carnival Cruise magnet Ted Arison, the training ensemble brings gifted musicians from the nation’s top conservatories for two year residencies. The NWS extends the educational and training mission of such part time, summer ensembles as the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra (in Lenox, Massachusetts). Arison astutely hired the brilliant American conductor Michael Tilson Thomas (protégé of the legendary Leonard Bernstein), as Artistic Director. Arison purchased and renovated the Lincoln Theater in Miami Beach as a home for the orchestra. Tilson Thomas’s innovative programming and world class guest conductors and soloists have brought excitement to the Lincoln Road auditorium.

The greatest orchestral ensembles and musical superstars from around the globe have graced local  stages thanks to the Concert Association of Florida and its indefatigable director Judy Drucker. An extension of the concert series Drucker founded at Miami Beach’s Temple Beth Shalom, the Concert Association has presented a cornucopia of the true greats of the music world.

A new era looms on the horizon as the Miami Performing Arts Center is set to open in the fall of 2006.

The New World Symphony will also play several concerts (with high profile soloists) at the Center. The New World, however, has even greater ambitions. The organization plans to build a campus in Miami Beach to enhance its educational mission and provide a more suitable and flexible acoustical environment for its concerts. The NWS has retained the renowned California architect Frank Gehry to design a new concert hall, with rehearsal space, classrooms, and internet and recording facilities.

The Opera House at the Miami Performing Arts Center will become the home of Florida Grand Opera (as well as Miami City Ballet). The venerable FGO has gone through several changes and upheavals in the past quarter century. The early 1980’s concluded the 20-year reign of the late Robert Herman as General Director. Herman attracted many of the opera world’s superstars.

Herman was succeeded by Robert Heuer. The gifted conductor Willie Anthony Waters (a Miami native) became Artistic Director. Innovation was the order of the day. The American premieres of Rossini’s Bianca e Faliero and Alberto Franchetti’s Christopher Columbus brought music critics from around the world to Miami.

By the mid 1990’s Waters was replaced by the Florida Philharmonic’s James Judd. Judd’s brief but memorable artistic directorship was marked by a stunning production of Benjamin Britten’s Turn of the Screw. A new era looms on the horizon for Miami’s opera company. For the initial season at the PAC Heuer promises Verdi’s truly grand Aida (a great opener), Strauss’s masterpiece Der Rosenkavalier, and a specially commissioned work—a setting of Anna Karenina by American composer Daniel Carlson.

At a time when recital series are disappearing nationally, Sunday Afternoons of Music is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Founded by Doreen Marx at Temple Beth Am in 1980, SAM now presents world class instrumental and vocal recitals and top notch chamber music events at the University of Miami’s Gusman Concert Hall in Coral Gables.

One of South Florida’s most exciting musical events debuted in 1998. The Miami International Piano Festival was to have long ranging artistic resonance far beyond the stage of the Lincoln Theater—its initial venue. Under the artistic direction of Giselle Brodsky, the festival has discovered and presented piano virtuosos from around the globe!

All this artistic activity has dovetailed the founding of the Murray Dranoff International Piano Competition (in 1987) – the only duo-piano competition in the world. The Miami Bach Society was founded in the mid 1980’s as a concert venue for Baroque music. Today its transformed Tropical Baroque Festival turns Coral Gables into a mecca of Baroque performance and scholarship. The Chopin Foundation continues to encourage gifted young American pianists through its competition every five years. Despite problems with the orchestral situation, Giselle Brodsky’s dreams are well on the way to reality.

UM’s Frost School of Music Produces Cool Concerts, Hot Events and Big Plans for the Future

 by Ron Levitt
Executive Editor

It is rare that in a geographical megalopolis anywhere in the United States that a university’s school of music should have a huge community wide cultural impact, affecting several counties. But in South Florida -- with an eight million-plus population -- the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami has done exactly that.

Today, 80 years after it was founded and some 22 years under the guidance of Dean William Hipp, the UM Frost School of Music is known not only in the multi-county area from which its productions draw an audience, but is also recognized nationwide and internationally for its excellence.

Its outreach programs such as Festival Miami and its Stamps Family Distinguished Visitors Series, in particular, have gained special attention, as they reach a growing number of fans. And it is a mecca for students worldwide who are seeking a career in music.

“These programs are more than just community service outlets,” Dean Hipp explains, “These programs provide opportunities for local, national and international visibility.” Hipp himself is considered a UM icon. His fame has spread well beyond South Florida’s geographic limits, He is Immediate Past President of the National Association of School’s of Music, which is the professional accrediting association for music in higher education.

The Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music has been a major cultural and educational resource since its inception in 1926. However, in the past few years its outreach programs have gained additional notoriety and new admirers. The most notable community event is Festival Miami, a month-long international music festival featuring the School’s artist faculty and student performers, along with nationally and internationally known guest artists, conductors and composers. The Festival, heading for its 23rd year, offers more than 20 concerts to a total audience estimated at 13,000. It has been cited by the media as a “celebration of music and education.”

But, its outreach goes well beyond Festival Miami. Such organizations and events such as Friends of Music (providing grass roots support), the Honor Band and Honor Choir (featuring the best music students in Florida in concert) and the Ress Family Hospital Performance Project (at which students perform for ailing children in a hospital setting) help to bring attention to this esteemed music program. The Frost School of Music also initiated the extremely popular MusicTime program for 1,200 children from birth to age eight. The program now offers classes for these youngsters at numerous locations throughout Dade & Broward counties.

In addition, the School of Music engages in international exchange programs—the Buckinghamshire (England) Chilters University College, the Sibelius Academy in Finland, the prestigious Musical Production and Research Laboratory in Buenos Aires, and the Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts at Edith Cowan University in Perth. The University of Miami Frost School of Music at Salzburg is now in its 20th successful year, It is a five-week program that offers private and group instruction in Voice (with emphasis on German Lied and operatic repertoire) and Piano (focusing on Vocal Accompanying). The program has "set the standard" for similar programs from other schools.

Since 2003, the Stamps Family Distinguished Visitors Series has drawn record crowds. The 2005-2006 series has already presented chats with composers Jerry Herman and Marvin Hamlisch, master pianist Russell Sherman and March 1-3 will present lectures by Donald Hodges, PhD, director of music research at the University of North Carolina.

The Frost School of Music has so many distinctive attributes that it is hard to put any milestone marker ahead of any others. Today, it is one of the largest schools of music housed in any U.S. private university and is considered one of the most comprehensive music units in all of higher education. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in 31 programs, and, according to a survey six years ago, it has just under 800 students from 49 states and 43 countries. It is the first school in the nation to offer professionally accredited degrees in music engineering technology and music business. More than 110 faculty members are in the school, many internationally known in their respective fields, conductors, arrangers, composers, etc.

Canes Records is the student-run record label at the University of Miami. Although non-[profit, it is run by students as an actual working recording firm. They produce high quality, professional compact discs, and acts as a wholesaler, retailer and publisher.

The Frost School of Music takes pride in all of its alumni and notes that among its distinguished graduates are Grammy winners Jon Secada and Bruce Hornsby, opera singer Johanna Meier, operatic soprano Marvis Martin, opera singer Curtis Rayam, nationally known trumpet player Samuel Apliaian, Bruce Ferden, music director of the Spokane Symphony Orchestra, and Gary Fry, president of High Touch Music.

The future of music also is realized by a special endowment for the purpose of commissioning a major new work every two years—the Abraham Frost endowment.

The Frost School of Music has some 300 concerts scheduled for 2006 at various locations starting in February. Call 305-284-4940 for a complete list.

FROST UPCOMING CONCERTS

Here is the Frost School of Music upcoming concert schedule:

February

FEB 1, Wednesday 8:00 p.m.
Clarke Recital Hall
Faculty Artist Recital: Dale Underwood, saxophone

FEB 2, Thursday 8:00 p.m.
Gusman Concert Hall
Frost Chamber Players
UM Frost School of Music artist faculty singers, instrumentalists, and pianists

FEB 6, Monday 8:00 p.m.
Gusman Concert Hall
U of M Symphony Orchestra
Annual Concerto Competition Winner’s Concert
Thomas Sleeper, Conductor

FEB 15, Wednesday 5:00 p.m.
Clarke Recital Hall
Music at Twilight
21st Century music performed by School of Music ensembles
Dennis Kam, director

FEB 17, Friday 8:00 p.m. (Festival Miami 2005: MASS postponed concert)
Gusman Concert Hall
Winter Concert
U of M Chorale
Jo-Michael Scheibe, conductor

FEB 18, Saturday 8:00 p.m.
U of M Symphony Orchestra
Thomas Sleeper, Conductor

March

MAR 1-3 (Stamps Family Charitable Foundation Distinguished Visitors Series)
Donald Hodges, Ph.D.

MAR 2, Thursday 8:00 p.m.
Gusman Concert Hall
U of M Opera Theater

MAR 3, Friday 8:00 p.m.
Gusman Concert Hall
U of M Opera Theater

MAR 4, Saturday 8:00 p.m.
Gusman Concert Hall
U of M Opera Theater

MAR 5, Sunday 3:00 p.m.
Gusman Concert Hall
U of M Opera Theater

MAR 9, Thursday, 8:00 p.m.
Gusman Concert Hall
U of M Concert Jazz Band
Dante Luciani, conductor

MAR 15-19 Miami International Guitar Festival
Concerts, lectures, workshops, and master classes
15 Wednesday, 8:00 p.m. à Clarke Recital Hall
16 Thursday, 8:00 p.m. à Clarke Recital Hall
17 Friday, 8:00 p.m. à Clarke Recital Hall
18 Saturday, 8:00 p.m. à Gusman Concert Hall
19 Sunday, 6:00 p.m. à Gusman Concert Hall

MAR 19, Sunday, 7:00 p.m
Clarke Recital Hall
Faculty Artist Recital
Wan Chun Liao, percussion

MAR 21, Tuesday, 8:00 p.m.
Gusman Concert Hall
U of M Jazz Vocal Ensemble I Studio Jazz Orchestra
Larry Lapin, director

April

APR 18, Tuesday, 8:00 p.m.
Gusman Concert Hall
U of M Wind Ensemble
Gary Green, conductor

APR 20, Thursday, 8:00 p.m.
Gusman Concert Hall
U of M Salsa Orchestra
Alberto de la Reguera, director
 
APR 21, Friday, 8:00 p.m. (Festival Miami 2005: postponed concert)
Gusman Concert Hall
U of M Symphony Orchestra
Roberto Sierra Premiere

APR 22, Saturday, 8:00 p.m.
Gusman Concert Hall     
Spring Concert
University of Miami Chorale

APR 24, Monday, 8:00 p.m.
U of M Opera Scenes
Clarke Recital Hall

APR 25, Tuesday, 8:00 p.m.
U of M Opera Scenes
Clarke Recital Hall

For tickets and information, call 305-284-2083 or visit www.miamiguitarfestival.com.

Concert Association has Big Season Planned Starting in January 2006

The Concert Association of Florida is just hitting its stride in January 2006, with only two of its 30 performances behind them, and many of the biggest yet to come.

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will kick of CAF’s New Year on Jan. 9 at the Jackie Gleason Theater, conducted by Charles Dutoit and featuring pianist Barry Douglas. On Tuesday, January 17, soprano Renée Fleming will take the stage at the Broward Center, in the Opening Night performance of the Rowland Schaefer Premier Series in Fort Lauderdale.

Two more fantastic performances will round out the month of January, when The Cleveland Orchestra, led by renowned conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy with violinist Janine Jansen, performs a matinee at the Broward Center on Sunday, January 29; and on Tuesday, January 31, when baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky recreates his now-famous performance in Moscow’s Red Square with Constantine Orbelian and the Philharmonica of Russia.

February begins in grand fashion, as American Ballet Theatre icon Julio Bocca will visit both the Broward Center and the Jackie Gleason Theater on February 2-4 with his own acclaimed company Ballet Argentino, in an unparalleled spectacle of energy and passion. Daniel Barenboim, one of the greatest living conductors and pianists, will pull double duty leading the Staatskapelle Berlin and serving as soloist on February 6 at the Jackie Gleason Theater. Valentines Day will feature the return of Flamenco Festival USA, with a brand new performance featuring Nuevo Ballet Español. Academy of St. Martin in the Fields will make a rare appearance at the Broward Center on February 20, led by violinist and conductor Gil Shaham, and Leon Botstein will lead two performances of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, on February 15 and 22 at the Gleason and Broward Center, respectively.  Grammy Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell will close the month of February on February 27, performing at the Broward Center with pianist Jeremy Denk.

The months of March and April are just as exciting, with performances by Emanuel Ax, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, Lang Lang, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Wynton Marsalis, Pinchas Zukerman with Itzhak Perlman and many more! 

For a complete schedule of performances or to obtain a free brochure, call 305-808-7446, ext. 301, or visit www.concertfla.org. CAF’s 2005-06 season features 30 performers and artists who have garnered a total of 90 Grammy Awards, so this is one season not to be missed!  Call now for tickets, 305-808-7446, ext. 301.

PHOTO IDS

1. Wynton Marsalis
2. Soprano Renée Fleming
    Photo by Decca-Andrew Eccles

Tenth Dranoff International Two Piano Competition Brightens South Florida Musical Climate this Past Week 

With a very deep bow to Loretta Dranoff, the woman whose passion for her art has created one of the world’s most prestigious musical events, the 10th Dranoff International Two Piano Competition, a major highlight of South Florida’s classical musical season, ended this past week after a two-venue showing at the University of Miami Clarke Recital Hall and the Lincoln Theatre.

It was performed with Florida Classical Orchestra under the direction of Stewart Robertson, Musical Director of the Florida Grand Opera.

Born in 1987 when Loretta Dranoff founded The Murray Dranoff Foundation as a tribute to her late husband with whom she had performed as a two-piano team throughout the world, the organization has since become a global mecca for brilliant young artists from as disparate countries as Germany, Latvia, Russia, Bulgaria, Canada, South Africa, Spain, Hungary, Japan, Ukraine, France, Israel, Holland and Romania. All have been welcomed to a climate of music that has additionally produced original compositions from such distinguished composers as Morton Gould, William Balcom, John Corigiliano, Michel Legrand, Ned Rorem, and Fred Kaufman.

Guiding the competition this season (the competition ended Dec 22) was Artistic Directors Elizabeth and Marcel Bergmann, a piano duo who were laureates of the 4th Murray Dranoff International Competition. Having since recorded several CDs including William Balcom’s The Complete Works for Two Pianos for the Naxos label, and the CD of “At the Opera-Paraphrases, Transcriptions and Fantasies” for the Artkos label, the Bergmanns are currently on the faculty of The Mount Royal College Conservatory in Calgary where their extensive repertoire, ranging from baroque to contemporary, has been heard as soloists with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Red Deer and Lethbridge Symphonic Orchestras.

The 10 teams accepted this year as semi-finalists include the Due DeStefano from Italy; Shiramizu & Fuji, and Seo & Kato. from Japan; Chipak & Kushnir, Ukraine; Duo Scarbo, Puerto Rico/Spain; Shapiro & Varshavsky from Israel; Potapova & Nuralieva, Russia; Unison Piano Duo, China; Marzec & Tsalka; Poland/Israel; and  from the United States, which for the first time in the history of the competition had entries, Susan and Sarah Wang.

Hosted by famed classical music commentator, Martin Bookspan, the Semi-Finals featured each team performing works drawn from so diverse a mix of composing giants as Bach, Brahms, Chopin, Debussy, Dvorak, Hindemith, Infante, Liszt, Lutoslawski, Mendelssohn, Milhaud, Mozart, Nancarrow, Ravel, Reger, Poulenc, Rachmaninoff, Schumann, Schubert, Scriabin, Shostakovich, and Stravinsky.

The Grand Finals Concert, performed with Stewart Robertson conducting the Florida Classical Orchestra, included Mendelssohn’s Concerto for Two Pianos in E major; Martinu’s 1943 Concerto for Two Pianos, and the world premier of Urban Pulse, the 2005 Competition commission composition by Marcel Bergmann.

Reflecting the audiences who for the past several years have viewed the competition as a major tourist attraction, and have been traveling to the Miami area from all over the world, the impressive panel of judges included Leslie Kinton, Canada; Shao-Yin Huang, China; Sebastian Euler, Germany; Israela Margalit, Israel; Frank Levy, Switzerland; and Paul Pollei and Leonid Hambro, United States.

Awarded to the three finalists were prizes of $20,000, $15,000, and $10,000 with all three winners receiving concert bookings. Important as well is the commission of a Two Piano composition which this year will be Bergmann’s “Urban Pulse,” the Foundation’s first Jazz and Blues-influenced work. The performance prize for the Bergmann composition is $2,500 with an additional appreciation prize of $1,500 from the audience who voted for their favorite team.

Renate Ryan was Chairman of the December 22 Gala at the Fontainebleau Resort. Gala Committee members included Betsy Kaplan and Marilyn Goldaber.  

For more information, call 305-5782-9900, email mail@dranoff2piano.org or visit www.dranoff2piano.org.

A Phenomenon of the 21st Century
Folk Music: “On the House”

by Ron Levitt
Executive Editor

There’s a musical revival going on – but it has nothing to do with Broadway! 

In fact, it is a renaissance that encompasses the folk music of the Baby Boomers, the legacy of Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Peter Paul and Mary, the individuality of a Woodstock concert, and the rhythm, creativity, and musical philosophy of a new generation that has found a home in the 21st Century.

And, home means just that –“at home.”

Home concerts –with nationally-known folksingers performing in a living room or on a patio and with the added blessing of good desserts and coffee – have become a national phenomenon; and a popular Florida “happening” in recent years.

This marvel in music is simple. A folk music lover offers his living room for a concert. He invites friends and neighbors– usually by e-mail – and charges about $15 as a donation. With these funds, he hires—without a guarantee—an artist, usually a songwriter or musician/singer, for a one-night stand in his home. Most of the business of hiring these artists is handled over the Internet, sometimes with musicians who have a club date a day earlier or later in the same city.

A network of artists, concert givers, organizations pushing folk music such as the Texas-based Folk Alliance, folk music managers and promoters have erupted on the scene.

The person who lends his home for the concert, by the way almost, never makes money.  The admission price – less a small percentage for coffee and dessert – goes to the performer.

The host in most cases does it for the “love of the music” and the camaraderie-- meeting new friends with similar musical tastes… “and the fun of it.”

As for the performers, they love them.

Eric Schwartz, a Boston native now living in New York, is a regular on the house concert circuit. The 36-year-old singer/songwriter who gets rave reviews for his off-color, “courageous compositions,” says he loves the intimacy of a house concert. He compares it to a cabaret, a cozy atmosphere in which he ‘can sing songs to say things that people can’t believe someone would actually say.” Schwartz, as result, has become a popular house concert attraction nationally.

Tom Prasada-Rao, hailed as a “rare and brilliant performer”, is another name which many times shows up in emails touting house concerts. The now Texas--based songwriter/guitarist, born in Ethiopia of Indian parents, has five albums to his credit, and has a huge following from his appearances at folk festivals --  but he still finds the house concert, with its friendliness, a beacon.

There are hundreds of other musicians-songwriters who are sharing their music with crowds from 30 to 100 in the intimacy of a private home. The poetic talents of acoustic guitarist Jack Williams, the popular New Englander Don White, talented Maine guitarist David Mallet, groups such as Ozark stylists Still on the Hill, are only a segment of the billboard crowd at home concerts. Dozens of other artists get their names boosted after appearances at such festivals as the 18-day Kerrville, TX, Folk Festival, Philadelphia Folk Festival, Summerfolk in Canada, Walnut Valley in Kansas, Wings & Strings in Tampa, the South Florida Folk Festival, and the Rocky Mountain Folk Festival. These folk music festivals, and others, plus local home-grown musicians, have been a gusher to support talent for the house concerts.

Many folk artists privately admit that they love house concerts because it is a proven venue for fans.  Club owners, on the other hand, are somewhat hesitant to book folk music concerts, because they are not profitable. That means -- folk music doesn’t sell alcohol. (House concerts normally limit drinks to soda, coffee and tea and are in a non-smoky environment).

Brian Wolfsohn, of Fort Lauderdale, a computer consultant who manages the Web Pages for many artists, says folk festivals are a goldmine of talent for those involved in house concerts. He says many house concert hosts visit nearby festivals to meet the artists with the intent of having them do a house concert. Other potential hosts scour the Internet for information such as on /www.gotfolk.com. Wolfsohn, himself, has earned the reputation as the ‘Breadman ” because he is often baking flavorsome breads to serve during concerts at his Florida home, along with his partner Ellen Bukstel.  

Bukstel, a Miami graphic designer and a performing songwriter with her brother Gary Bukstel, has been hosting concerts with acoustic musicians for almost ten years. She often doubles as host and performer at her sprawling Davie home, large enough to accommodate 120 guests: (her biggest expense was buying 150 Walmart plastic chairs). She says that when she first began the concerts, they were mostly attended by friends. But, just as it did nationally as a grassroots movement, the house concerts in Florida snowballed Bukstel found herself more involved with what was becoming a monthly show. She currently produces only a handful of concerts now with the assistance of close folkie friends David and Leni Engels. They share responsibilities for booking and getting the audience and they hold concerts at Ellen and Brian’s two and a half-acre Sunshine Ranches home. Ellen is performing these days but still loves producing house concerts.     

She is not alone. According to the Internet site -- houseconcerts.com --there are more than 100 homes hosting similar concerts on a regular basis, stretching from coast to coast.

The cozy gatherings did have some initial tests of stamina  – such as neighbors who wanted to know why there were so many cars parked nearby. However, there were never major problems. Bukstel lived on a large property and was always able to accommodate parking.

The success of Bukstel’s house concerts have had a domino effect -- the issuance of her second album “Born To Sing” featuring Ellen and her brother Gary Bukstel and Amy Carol Webb, along with numerous nationally known acoustic folk artists.

Robby Greenberg of Fort Lauderdale. Founder of the Broward Folk Club and a past director of the South Florida Folk Festival, produced the Labrynth Café at the UU church of Fort Lauderdale for a few years and this year passed the torch to Susan Moss of South Miami to take over the booking and producing of concerts at the church.

Bob Singer, of Tamarac, is another “folkies,” the name given to acoustic folk music aficionados. Bob believes in Block Booking”-- booking several successive events in the same geographic area for an artist...  Bob also write music, perform, and according to one guest “has interesting people to meet and serves great desserts:”……adding….”of course. I come for the music."

PHOTO IDS

1. Ellen Bukstel
2. Eric Schwartz

But, a Show Goes On

The South Florida Folk Festival—an annual event in Fort Lauderdale—was cancelled due to the effects of Hurricane Wilma, but some of the performers are getting together on their own to do their own 2006 version of the musical gathering.

It was recently announced that there will be a Super Showcase House Concert on Saturday, January 14 at the huge West Broward home of Ellen Bukstel and Brian Wolfsohn, two of the big names associated with folk music here. Along with David and Leni Engels, they are presenting seven outstanding acoustic acts from around the country. Appearing will be John Williams Davis and Joe Jenks and Michael Troy (all three were winners SFFF Songwriting Contest 2005); and some of the headliners that were going to appear at the cancelled Festival—Eric Schwartz, Steve Seskin, Jack Williams, and Work of the Weavers.

Reservations are a must (954-880-0250) and there is covered seating for approximately 110 people, with overflow seating being uncovered. The event starts promptly at 4:30pm. Dinner is Pot Luck so, everyone, is asked to bring a specialty covered dinner dish to share. Coffee and desserts will be provided. Donation is $25 per person.

For more information, email ellen@bukstel.com.

Jazz Concerts in West Palm at Dramaworks Theatre

West Palm Beach’s only resident professional theatre, Palm Beach Dramaworks in association with Irwin H. Spivak is presenting a new, season long Jazz Series at its downtown Studio Theatre (322 Banyan Boulevard).

"Jazz is America's single homespun and true art form contributed to the world. Now, jazz enthusiasts in South Florida will have the opportunity to experience some of the finest classic jazz artists from around the country," said. Spivak in announcing the inaugural season, which began in November. A portion of the proceeds will benefit The Palm Beach School system in an effort to permit the continuation of jazz education.

The new series has its 2006 dates confirmed, AaronWeinstein, the famed jazz violinist who brought Matt Domber's March of Jazz concert audience to its feet, will perform  with his  quintet  on Jan. 9th. 

Popular New Orleans, clarinetist Evan Christopher and his quintet continues the season on March 13th. The series concludes with the Bucky Pizzarelli six string guitar and quintet on May 22nd. Pizzarelli is internationally recognized. .

The Monday evening concerts begin at 8pm. All reserved seats are $40. For ticket information, contact the box office at 561-514-4042.

Gold Coast Presents Fairytale Characters at Three Locations

The classic clash of Good and Evil takes on a new twist in this theatrical panto performance for the whole family, as the Gold Coast Theatre Company (GCTC) presents MOTHER GOOSE GOES TO MARS in a tour of South Florida, Monday, December 26, 3:00 P.M. at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts (201 SW 5 Ave, Ft. Lauderdale), Saturday and Sunday, January 7 & 8 at the Byron Carlyle Theater (500 71 Street, Miami Beach) and on Saturday, January 14 at Hollywood Central Performing Arts Center (1770 Monroe Street, Hollywood). 

In this performance for the whole family, Mother Goose is cast out of her house in the Village of Happiness and works her magic to make everything on Earth (and on Mars) right again.  Featuring a cast of seasoned professional performers, costumes by legendary designer Barbara Hulanicki and an original story by Mike Winters, this production is sure to become an instant favorite of audiences throughout South Florida!

Gold Coast Theatre Company, established in 1982, performs to over 100,000 people annually in South Florida and overseas.  Led by president and founder Jude Parry, GCTC has become one of the most popular performing arts groups in South Florida in recent years, turning in memorable new productions of classic favorites such as Cinderella and Robin Hood.  Productions are performed in the classic British Panto style, which makes them comedic, over-the-top fairytales with the added sauce of slapstick, topical gags and audience participation, guaranteeing that audiences of all ages and walks-of-life will enjoy and remember it!

Ticket prices for all shows are: Adults - $35, $25; Seniors (over 60) - $22; and Children (under 12) - $12.  The January 7 performance at the Byron Carlyle offers a special gala ticket at $50, which includes priority seating and a post-performance champagne reception with the cast. 

Information and tickets may be obtained by calling the Gold Coast Theatre Company at 305-538-5500.

PHOTO IDS

1. Mother Goose Goes to Mars:  Mother Goose, Little Girl and Fairy Godmother