When the jazz pianist Don Shirley died on April 6, his passing was not widely reported.
A New York Times obituary noted that the Jamaican born virtuoso pianist was trained in the classical repertoire. Later, the impresario Sol Hurok advised Shirley “to pursue a career in popular music and jazz.” Hurok warned Shirley that “American audiences were not willing to accept a ‘colored’ pianist on the concert stage.”
Classical music fans who like a little visual to go with their orchestra may enjoy this video featuring an animated graphical score of Igor Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, Part 1: Adoration of the Earth.
Missouri culture might be better known for glittering Branson shows, down home fiddle music and hip-hop from our state’s urban centers, but a local performance organization aims to add classical music to the list of artistic creations born in the Show-Me State.
If a classical musician wishes to replicate a sound from a specific period then the musician needs a period instrument. KBIA's Trevor Harris recently interviewed Vienna-based pianist Rudolf Buchbinder.
