The arts are nothing without the people create, nurture, promote and consume the results. These are the folks making an impact of some sort.
Alexander Frank Ruggieri was a man of talent, passion and presence. With a keen mind, a sincere and abiding love of great music, and a booming bass voice, he was an imposing figure that housed sharp wit and a kind heart. He was well-known in Southern California and well beyond, as his tenacity and deep knowledge … Read more
[From guest blogger and Lister, Lisa Wall-Urgero] It’s true, I am absolutely biased. I hold an unfair prejudice for California Lutheran University’s Summer Vocal Institute – affectionately referred to by its faculty and alum as CLUSVI (and pronounced “CLUES-vee”). But as a charter faculty member and principal pianist, I have, you see, earned the right … Read more
Sometimes a work stands out so well that it deserves its own category. That was the decision of the folks who dole out the 2012 American Prize for Orchestral Composition 2012, when they reviewed Trotzky’s Train by our own David Avshalomov. David has been awarded a Special Judges’ Citation for Unique Artistic Achievement and Distinctive … Read more
Pazzi Bohnenkamp was a longtime Lister and friend, soprano (who also sang alto), cantor for Catholic mass, choral contractor for Wise Temple, baseball junkie, pet sitter extraordinaire, and Giver in general. After a tough battle with skin cancer several years ago, Pazzi appeared to have been in remission, but a recent recurrence resulted in her … Read more
Father of modern art song performance, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau dies at 86 His recordings are still the starting point for the study of many German song cycles. He is one of the major players in the resurrection of art song in the 20th century. Thank you, sir, for your inspiration and commitment to artistic excellence. The … Read more
We occasionally provide a sort of link round-up of memoria and obituaries when the online press is particularly focused on the loss of one prominent musician. Recent episodes of this have included eminent composers Milton Babbitt and Peter Lieberson, and although we choose the subjects of these round-ups based on ever-evolving criteria, this incident is quite unusual in … Read more
It only happened Sunday night, but the press is already in a tizzy. Polish pianist Krystian Zimerman took a quiet stand before his Disney Hall performance, announcing that his debut in that space may also be his last performance there: he is boycotting US performances due to his frustration with our country’s military actions overseas. … Read more