All Classical Radio

John Pitman, director of Music and Programming at All Classical Portland interviews Portland composer Kenji Bunch about an important world premiere happening a few states away, at the Moab Music Festival in Utah, on September 4.

Inspired by the autobiographical accounts of the incarceration of United States citizens – Japanese-Americans, in World War II – “Lost Freedom: A Memory” is a chamber music piece that is woven with words spoken by a man who, as a boy, was one of those citizens forced from their homes and made to live in desolate camps thousands of miles away from where they had lived: Actor George Takei (Star Trek) will take part in the premiere at Moab Music Festival, reading his own words to Kenji’s newly-composed score. Both Kenji Bunch and George Takei join John for this special Arts Blog conversation about the premiere:

The Austin, Texas-based choir, Conspirare, give voice to poets and writers from across the spectrum of nationality and gender in their latest recording, The Singing Guitar. Founder and director, Craig Hella Johnson, commissioned new works from composers such as Reena Esmail, Nico Muhly, and Kile Smith that highlight the words of the Sufi poet Hafiz, pioneer and indigenous women in the 1880s; and of the Bengali poet, Rabindranath Tagore.

Giving “The Singing Guitar” an added literal and figurative quality are no fewer than three guitar quartets: the Los Angeles, Texas and Austin quartets are heard most fully in How Little You Are, by Nico Muhly. Cellist Douglas Harvey joins Conspirare for The Dawn’s Early Light, and Craig Hella Johnson’s The Song that I Came to Sing. Listen to John Pitman’s conversation with Johnson to learn more.

ICAN Host, Producer, and Program Manager Sarah Zwinklis chats with Suzanne about the International Children’s Arts Network – All Classical Portland’s second station for children, their families, caregivers, and educators. She reflects on the growth of ICAN, which just celebrated its second birthday.

Founded in 2017 at Portland State University, Queer Opera is dedicated to providing a safe stage for LGBTQIA singers and allies to tell queer stories through the traditional genre of opera. Using unconventional casting methods, roles are matched with individuals based on how they identify, rather than the gender of the role or their voice type.

Oregon ArtsWatch Executive Director Laura Grimes and Senior Editor Bob Hicks talk about exciting projects headed our way this summer, as well as the state of the arts here in Portland and beyond.

Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, cellist John Henry Crawford has already made strides in the field of classical music, in one case as First Prize winner of the 2019 International Carlos Prieto Competition; and more recently with this debut release, Dialogo. Crawford chose the title after the unaccompanied cello work by Hungarian composer, György Ligeti. In it, the cello portrays both voices, of the composer and the woman he’d fallen for, hence the “dialogue” depicted in the music.

Mr. Crawford also shares the fascinating history of the cello he plays, which has been in his family for over a century. His grandfather, Dr. Robert Popper, saw “the writing on the wall” as Nazism was on the rise in Austria, made a decision that saved both his life and kept the instrument safe. Crawford shares the full story, as well as insight into the cello sonatas of Brahms and Shostakovich, in his conversation with John Pitman. Love seems to flow through each of the pieces that this American cellist plays and makes the voice of the cello a true treasure, rescued from almost certain

Jaren Hillard, Artistic Operations Manager of Chamber Music Northwest, joins Suzanne Nance to talk about their upcoming Reflect & Rejoice Summer Festival! With both live and at-home performance, this festival will feature a thrilling and moving repertoire.

John Pitman Review: Balkan guitarist Miloš debuts new guitar concertos by All Classical Radio

John's latest conversation with American pianist Simone Dinnerstein on her second recording made at home during the pandemic: An American Mosaic. The title is for the multi-movement piece written for her by Richard Danielpour who, finding himself isolated during lockdown, found solace in Ms. Dinnerstein's recordings. Each movement is a portrait of groups of people who responded to the pandemic, both in helpful and obstructive ways. An American Mosaic was commissioned by the Oregon Bach Festival and debuted (online, understandably), by Dinnerstein, and is now available on disc. John's recorded chat with Simone sheds more light on this timely, moving and very personal

Chris Ayzoukian Executive Director of The Patricia Reser Center for the Arts, The Reser, and Lani Faith of the Beaverton Arts Foundation discuss the their 100k in 100 days campaign, and look ahead to The Reser opening to the public, hopefully in early 2022.