This Week in Classical Music w/Randy Kinkel 02/17/19

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mutter, Grandmaster Flash win Polar Music Prize;

Past PSO Conductors win Grammys

 

 It’s “This Week in Classical Music” an update on what’s happening in the classical music world; I’m Randy Kinkel.

 

Hip-hop pioneer Grandmaster Flash, Classical violin virtuoso Anne-Sophie Mutter and the music charity Playing for Change have been named the Laureates for the 2019 Polar Music Prize, to be presented by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden on June 11.

 

Grandmaster Flash, born Joseph Saddler, sent music in a new direction when he discovered the art of manipulating sound by placing his fingers on vinyl albums, perfecting beat looping and discovering many of the iconic beats still sampled today by contemporary rap artists.

 

Four-time Grammy winner Anne-Sophie Mutter is a German musician who has performed the music of traditional as well as modern composers to audiences all over the world, and has world premiered 26 new works over the last 40 years. Mutter is also known for supporting future generations of musicians through her two charitable institutions

 

The Playing for Change Foundation was founded in the U.S. in 2007 by Whitney Kroenke and Mark Johnson, with a mission “to inspire, connect and bring peace to the world through music.” The foundation has created music programs in Bangladesh, Brazil, Ghana, Every week 2,000 young people take classes in dance, musical instruments, languages and musical theory, all funded by the Foundation-- The prizes carry individual cash awards of one million Swedish kronor ($108,030).

 

 

 

Two Conductors who have led the Phoenix Symphony in years past have been awarded Grammys this year for their work with other orchestras and singers..

 

Former Phoenix Principal Conductor Michael Christie was a winner for “Best Opera Recording” for “The ( R ) Evolution of Steve Jobs” by Mason Bates, featuring the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra.  

 

Conductor JoAnn Falletta won for Best Classical Compendium for the recording of Fuchs: Piano Concerto 'Spiritualist'; Poems Of Life; Glacier; Rush with the London Symphony Orchestra -- She shares the award with producer Tim Handley. 

 

Falletta accepted her first individual GRAMMY Award  at the 61st Awards in Los Angeles accompanied by composer and friend Kenneth Fuchs saying, "This is a GRAMMY that truly belongs to a team, including Handley and the exceptional soloists, but mostly the extraordinary composer whose music we did it for because it is so amazing." Recorded in 2017 at London's historic Abbey Road Studios. 

 

 For more on these and other items and events, go to the website, KBAch dot org; be listening each week at this time for another update;  find us on facebook and twitter; and join Linda Cassidy every weekday at noon for the “Most Wanted Hour”  playing your top 100 classical pieces.  Member supported 89-five KBACH, K-B-A-Q Phoenix and HD, a service of Rio Salado College, celebrating 40 years, and Arizona State University.