In the Knoxville Mercury: Most Memorable Knoxville Classical Music Performances

Looking for my annual list of Most Memorable Classical Music Performances in Knoxville for 2015? Head on down to your nearest Knoxville Mercury stand or box and pick up this week’s copy***. And, while you are at it, please patronize the Mercury advertisers who make independent journalism in Knoxville possible.

Thanks for reading and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

***If your stand is out of the Knoxville Mercury, it’s on the website here.

Review in the Knoxville Mercury: Lucas Richman’s Final Concert with the KSO

In this week’s Knoxville Mercury, I review last weekend’s concert of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra—a concert that was the final one forLucas Richman as the orchestra’s music director and conductor. The concert included Beethoven’s Overture to Egmont, the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with soloist Gabriel Lefkowitz, Mahler’s Adagio from the Tenth Symphony, and Maurice Ravel’s La Valse.  You can read the review online here.

2015 Big Ears Festival is Here!

The 2015 Big Ears Festival, Knoxville’s burgeoning grouping of international avant garde, indie-classical, and other genre-busters, arrives this weekend, March 27-29, in a host of venues in downtown Knoxville. The Kronos Quartet are the artists-in-residence joined by a huge array of other artists including Laurie Anderson, Terry Riley, Max Richter, Tyondai Braxton, Ben Frost, tUnE-yArDs
, Jamie xx, A Winged Victory For The Sullen, Bryce Dessner, Jim Jarmusch and SQÜRL, Demdike Stare, Wu Man, the Bad Plus, Bill Frisell & Bill Morrison, Hildur Guðnadóttir, and more. There’s also a huge film component in the festival, as well, curated by Jim Jarmusch.

If you can’t make it to the festival—and especially if you are coming—check out the special section in this week’s Knoxville Mercury. (There’s a special pull-out-and-carry section for readers of the print addition).

The Knoxville Mercury’s First Classical Music Column

Knoxville’s newest alt-weekly, the Knoxville Mercury, launched on Thursday, March 12, much to the relief of Knoxville readers…and certain writers. You can read my inaugural column in the online version here. Upcoming issues will contain a lot of coverage of the Big Ears Festival on March 27-29, so check back often.

2015 Met Opera Mid-South Region Audition Winners

Rich Copley at Copious Notes has the story on the 2015 Mid-South regional Metropolitan Opera competition.

2015 Met Opera Mid-South Region Finals on Saturday

Update: Winners

A field of 12 singers emerged from the district competitions in the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions for the Mid-South Region–4 sopranos, 1 mezzo-soprano, 1 countertenor, 3 tenors, 1 baritone,   1 bass-baritone, and 1 bass. The regional competition is being held  Saturday, February 21, 2015, at Memorial Hall, University of Kentucky, in Lexington, KY.  The district winners competing in the regionals are:

Arkansas District
Ray Chenez, countertenor
Cody Luan, tenor
Huanhuan Ma, soprano

Kentucky District
Rebecca Farley, soprano
Christopher Kenny, baritone
Matthew Turner, bass

Middle/E. Tennessee District
Todd Barnhill, tenor
Stephen Martin, tenor
Amanda Palmeiro, mezzo-Soprano

West Tennesee District
Laetitia Grimaldi, soprano
Josh Quinn, bass-baritone
Amanda Walden, soprano

At Arts Knoxville: Most Memorable Classical Music Performances (Knoxville) of 2014

What a year! My list of the Most Memorable Classical Music Performances (in Knoxville, that is) for 2014 is online at Arts Knoxville.

Thanks for reading.