Yo-Yo Ma stopped by an elementary school in Anacostia this morning for two classes and a performance.
Sitarist Anoushka Shankar has always sought to infuse her classical Indian music with a more international sound. On Friday, she will perform at Lisner with an ensemble that combines her ancient traditions with Spanish flamenco.
Like this nation of immigrants whose disparate cultures converge to create something new, jazz also constantly evolves, in part by the infusion of hitherto unrelated styles of music. Latin jazz is a prime example of this musical melting pot, beginning with Dizzy Gillespie’s seminal collaborations with percussionist Chano Pozo and trumpeter Mario Bauza in the 1940s. But while this fusion tends to be with world music that has a more broad appeal, a recent…
There’s no way to deny that dancers are athletic. All of that leaping, turning, jumping – it’s a lot of work. The performers of AEROS, however, are literally athletes from the prestigious Romanian Gymnastics Federation who blend acrobatics, modern dance, theater and original music to create something entirely original. Developed in 1998 by choreographers David Parsons, Moses Pendleton and Daniel Ezralow, who also collaborated with the creators of the tap sensation “Stomp”, Luke Cresswell and…
Washington Performing Arts Society inaugurated its relationship with the brand-new downtown venue, Sidney Harman Hall, with a recital by Venezuelan-American pianist Gabriela Montero on Saturday afternoon. Although you may have heard about her abilities as an improviser on NPR last year, this was her first appearance in the area since she had to cancel her 2005 recital at the Corcoran. As you would expect of someone who took a Bronze Medal at the 1995 International…
At this point in December, holiday concerts and Handel’s Messiah have completely hijacked the classical music schedule. Here are a few other events, not all of which avoid the spirit of the season. After this post, the Classical Music Agenda will take its end-of-the-year hiatus, to return in the New Year. >> On Tuesday, the final concert sponsored by Washington Performing Arts Society this calendar year features young violist Jennifer Stumm and Finghin Collins at…
The swell of holiday concerts and Messiah and Nutcracker performances has reached a deafening level this week. Still, there are some excellent concerts to hear, if you just need to get away from the tinselly, Santa-hatted madness. HEADLINES: >> Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero will give a nearly sold-out Washington Performing Arts Society recital on Saturday (December 15, 2 p.m.), Sidney Harman Hall. This new downtown venue, if an article in The Economist is to be…
MONDAY >> The Library of Congress Mary Pickford Theatre in the James Madison Building kicks off 5 weeks worth of free Monday night rock and pop films with a rare showing of the 1966 documentary, The Big T.N.T. Show. David “Man from Uncle” McCallum hosts Ray Charles, Petula Clark, the Lovin’ Spoonful, Bo Diddley, Joan Baez, the Ronettes, Roger Miller, the Byrds, Donovan, the Seeds, the Modern Folk Quartet, and Ike and Tina Turner taped…
After a weekend full of concerts, there is not much to mention this week, for obvious, turkey-related reasons. Still, if you find yourself in town this week, there will be a few things to hear, although tickets may be hard to find. >> On Monday (November 19, 7:30 p.m.), French violinist Nicolas Dautricourt will be hosted by his country’s embassy, La Maison Française. The attractive, all-modern program is bookended by the Poulenc and Debussy violin…
As Washington Performing Arts Society President Neale Perl pointed out, Monday evening’s recital at the Kennedy Center was cellist Yo-Yo Ma’s 23rd appearance sponsored by the organization. WPAS returns again and again to someone like Ma, not only because one can be reasonably assured that he will deliver a fine recital but also because he can sell out a space like the Concert Hall, even though it is arguably too large for the sort of…
