Another Austin, Texas arts organization has lost its NEA grant.   However, the Tapestry Dance Company is taking it, in as much stride as possible.   Instead of their annual 3 day tap extravaganza, the Soul 2 Sole Festival, they are holding a one-day event.       Acia Gray, the Executive Artistic Director and Co-Founder of the Tapestry Dance Company, says they are treating the Tap Jam as a fundraiser for 2026 including their silent auction.  They are also hoping the event on June 18th will act as a salve for the tap-dancing community.   

This is a very exciting time for the Texas State International Piano Festival.  They are holding this year’s event in Seoul, South Korea.  It is the first time they will be “off campus” for the 15 year old competition.

 It’s usually held at Texas State University in San Marcos, but it’s always been a dream of the co-founder Dr. Jason Kwak and some of his colleagues,  Dr. SungEun Park and Dr. Martin Kesuma to hold the competition in Seoul. 

 The Texas State International Piano Festival gets underway June 24th and runs until July 6th.

An increasing number of orchestras are taking it upon themselves to ensure the health of their musicians. They’re setting up a program called physio toolkit. The latest is the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic in the UK.   Dr. John Chong, one of the founders of the Performing Arts Medicine Association or PAMA, in Canada says musicians face a number of specialized ailments.    This comes just as HAAM The Health Alliance for Austin Musicians is celebrating its 20th anniversary annual member event. They’re offering free health and wellness services and other perks.  It’s on June 17th.  

The firings and resignations continue in all parts of the American universe.  National Endowment for the Arts grants have been slashed, leaving arts and music organizations scrambling for funds.   

With memories of Memorial Day still with us, two new albums have been released honoring the fallen. A Symphony For Vietnam Veterans tells the musical tale about the trauma and some joy in that war.  The opera An American Soldier spotlights the suicide of a Chinese American soldier after weeks of daily beatings by members of his own unit.  

There’s a quick reminder to all professional women conductors to apply for a competition that’s already considered prestigious:  The La Maestra International Competition for Women Conductors.

There will be many honors this Memorial Day week for the military men and women who lost their lives while serving their country.  Music will be a large part of that.   

One of them is the world premiere recording of the opera An American Soldier.  It’s the true story of the young Chinese-American Army Pvt. Danny Chen who committed suicide because he  was beaten every day by his fellow soldiers and a superior officer during his service in Afghanistan.  

There is also a new version of  Symphony For Vietnam Veterans.   Composer and retired U.S. Army Captain James Kimo Williams has released a string orchestra version of his orchestral piece about his time in war.

In Part Two of Summer Music Camps for Adults we focus on musicians. 

There are more than a few camps all over the country.  Some with a focus on your instrument.  There’s the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan  and the Austin, Texas Chamber Music Center has several Workshops. 

Many of Austin’s music groups are ending their 2024-2025 seasons this month.    One is ATX Chamber Music and Jazz.  It’s closing the season with a performance of the Julliard String Quartet.  Co-Artistic Director Anna Petrova says it’ll be like old home week for her and a friend.    Prepare for your summer by attending the season closer of the  Austin Gay Men’s Chorus.  They want you to help them Shake The Rafters.  It’s called a full-spectrum extravaganza of emotion, community, and vocal cords working overtime in the best way possible.  

How about spending part of your summer elevating your skills at a music camp for adults?  There are plenty of choices, here in Austin, in Texas and all over the US.  There is, of course, the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan.  Gary Gatzke Associate Director of Continuing and Community Education says there’s a wait list for many of the camps they offer.  There’s also Berkshire Choral International, a summer choral camp offering performances in some of the most prestigious places in the world.  In Austin, there’s the summer program for Alumni of the Texas State University's Choral Program. Stay tuned for Part Two of Summer Music Camps for Adults.  The focus will be on camps for musicians and their instruments. Listen for it during the week of May 18th.

There’s a young woman in the Dallas area who is introducing at risk and low-income kids to classical music through a program called Miles for Music.  Emma Fossum, a 17-year-old high school student says the idea for the free program started with her youngest sister, who is autistic.  Fossum, a pianist and a beauty queen has been traveling to schools in North Texas presenting the program for the last 8 months.  She’s hoping to expand the program statewide and maybe nationally.