This Week in Classical Music-June 6, 2010

by: Randy Kinkel

June 06, 2010

Eric Whitacre

( Phoenix, AZ )
•Ozawa cancels European tour
•Whitacre signed to Decca
•Anderson: Music for Dogs

It's KBAQ’s “This week in classical music” --- an update on what’s happening in the classical music world… I’m Randy Kinkel.

Japanese conductor Seiji Ozawa has cancelled a series of concerts in Europe on his doctor’s advice. The 74-year-old maestro of the Vienna State Opera Orchestra announced he had esophageal cancer in January; he was to have led performances in Prague, Vienna, Berlin and Paris this December; a December 14th Carnegie Hall date is still scheduled.
The Decca label has signed American Composer Eric Whitacre to what is termed a “Long term exclusive contract”. His debut album, “Light & Gold”, with Whitacre conducting choral works including three world premieres, is due for release on October 18. Best known for his choral music, Whitacre’s style has been called at once contemporary and accessible. He is new-media savvy and recently used it to engage a wide audience, as seen in his recent virtual, online choir, which drew on 185 singers from around the world to perform one of his works. The YouTube clip has attracted over nearly a million views. Whitacre said: “I appreciate the respect that the team at Decca holds for me as one of their 'core classical' artists. Importantly, we have a shared vision, drive and passion to develop the extraordinarily wonderful opportunities that technology offers to our world.” Dickon Stainer, managing director of Decca, said “Decca shares his vision to reinvent classical music for a new digital generation.”
Multimedia artist Laurie Anderson is going to the dogs. Well, her latest project is, anyway… “Music for Dogs” scheduled for June 5th at the Sydney Opera House in Australia, is a 20-minute piece, written and performed by Anderson, will be played at high frequency like a dog whistle. The inspiration for the canine performance came while she was backstage before an event and thought: "Wouldn't it be great, if you were playing a concert and you look out and you see all dogs?” And so I said, 'If I ever I get the chance to do something like that I would do it'." People and their dogs will be invited to the concert free of charge.

For more information on these and other items and events, go to the KBAQ website at KBAQ-dot-org.… be listening every week at this time for another update, and join me at noon every weekday for the Mozart Buffet, an hour of music by Mozart and his contemporaries, … I’m Randy Kinkel, for “This week in Classical Music” on 89-five KBAQ Phoenix, a service of Rio Salado College and Arizona state university.

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