All Classical Radio

Where We Live: Olivenbaum by All Classical Radio

The State of the Arts: Cynthia Fuhrman by All Classical Radio

Violinist Niv Ashkenazi plays one of a handful of restored violins that survived the Holocaust, and his debut recording, "Violins of Hope" (Albany Records) is a document of the perseverance of the instruments' original owners. Mr. Ashkenazi, along with pianist and fellow Juillard student, pianist Matthew Graybil, breathe life into music that, in some cases, was written and played in the camps on these very violins. The styles and moods of the music is of wonderful variety: heartfelt, melodious, modern, and sometimes humorous. The recording ensures that the story, the very lives of these human beings, will never be forgotten.

Suzanne Nance interviews Dr. Ethan Sperry; Artistic Director, Oregon Repertory Singers.

All Classical Portland is committed to giving our arts leaders and performers a platform throughout the year, and during this unique and difficult time, it is especially important to understand what’s happening in our local arts ecosystem. Through a series of written articles and on-air interviews, we will share the mic with our arts partners and friends and ask them to tell their story highlighting current joys, challenges, and innovations. This week, Suzanne Nance interviews Abigail McKee, Executive Director of Portland Baroque Orchestra.

Donald Nally is the artistic director of one of this country's most adventurous and creative choirs, The Crossing. John Pitman talks to the conductor about Michael Gordon's Anonymous Man, a 65-minute choral work in 7 movements, which is a memoir of Gordon's life with his family on Desbrosses Street in lower Manhattan in the 1980s. New York, especially Tribeca, was very different then: the legendary lofts that artists could afford to live in were in that area, since replaced through gentrification. But one constant has been the presence of houseless people, and Gordon's work shares his personal interactions with two men who lived on the street in his neighborhood then. A compelling document of a specific time and place, but which could really be anyplace, including here.

The State of the Arts: Niel DePonte Cognizart by All Classical Radio

The State of the Arts: Sue Dixon by All Classical Radio

The State of the Arts: Scott Showalter by All Classical Radio

The Miró Quartet, who visited Portland in February hosted by Chamber Music NW, are celebrating the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth with the release of the complete string quartets. They began around 2005 with the Opus 18 (Beethoven’s first published set), recording them at the same age the composer was when he wrote them, in other words their late twenties.

While they realized it might not be practical to wait until they were in their 50s and 60s to finish the Opus 135, violinist Daniel Ching and violist John Largess do share the story of how they went about recording the complete set, as well as shedding light on America’s early encounters with the string quartet repertoire through several trailblazing groups of the early 20th century.