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Vivacious, technically flawless, and elegantly effortless, violinist Tai Murray builds a special bond with audiences through her musical intelligence and warm presence.

In March, Tai Murray performs the Dvorak Violin Concerto, March 3-5 with the Houston Symphony Orchestra led by Osmo Vänskä, and March 16-17 & 19 with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra led by Michael Balke.

The wonderful Marc-André Hamelin kicked off his February recital tour at Chamber Music in Napa Valley with a uniquely Hamelinian program including his own Suite à l’ancienne. The program also featured works by Prokofiev, Scriabin and Beethoven’s monumental  “Hammerklavier” sonata.

Marc-André Hamelin has a marvelous, curious mind. While we chatted before his Tiny DESK concert, he snooped around the CD shelves near my desk, commenting on a few rarities and sharing his own eclectic tastes, including a crazy YouTube mashup of all 15 Shostakovich symphonies stacked on top of each other.

The Boston-based Montreal native is regarded as one of his generation’s most technically astounding pianists, but he’s no empty virtuoso. His interpretations are probing, precise and warm — keen to bring out humor when necessary. He routinely performs the world’s most treacherous repertoire with his characteristic ease. I’ve witnessed him practically reduce a concert grand to matchsticks, and I’ve heard him tenderly caress a late Schubert sonata.

Read the rest of the article and view his concert here.

Or view Colbert’s highlight of his concert here.

Violinist Timothy Chooi performs Bruch with the Liverpool Philharmonic!

Embark on a pastoral journey with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestre under the baton of Domingo Hindoyan and virtuoso violinist Timothy Chooi!
The evening begins with Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy for violin and orchestra. In this 1880 work, the composer seeks inspiration in Scottish folklore and popular melodies to create a musical adventure through the Highlands. The piece’s inclusion in the program includes a reference to the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra’s history, which premiered the work in 1881 with Bruch himself at the helm! The evening continues with Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4, also known as the “Romantic”, whose movements evoke medieval scenes and landscapes that transport the listener not only in space, but also through time…

Read more about this concert here.

Last week, the wonderful violinist Esther Yoo released her latest recording on Deutsche Grammophon, performing the Barber and Bruch concertos with conductor Vasily Petrenko and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The album is available on all streaming platforms.

Last week, conductor Ken-David Masur wrapped up a critically-acclaimed three-week festival with the Milwaukee Symphony exploring and celebrating our relationship with earth’s most precious natural resource, which the city of Milwaukee is surrounded by.

As the centerpiece of Masur’s 22-23 season with the Symphony, which explores the natural world and its relationship to humanity, the MSO Water Festival included performances of music by Tan Dun, Takemitsu, Debussy, Rameau, Handel, Britten, Hailstork, Ellen Grime, David Ludwig and others, and also highlighted local community partners whose work centers on conservation and education.

Read the full article here.