During my first week at All Classical Portland, I was able to experience multiple aspects of how the station functions, especially during one of its major fundraisers. Putting faces to the voices I heard during many late nights... More
6/8/2015 by Jonathan Williams
I recently interviewed Peter Christ, founder of Crystal Records, based north of Camas, WA. With him, Oregon Symphony’s Principal Horn, John Cox, who has participated in two recent recordings. Mr. Christ founded Crystal in Los Angeles in 1966,... More
5/8/2015 by John Pitman
Until now, all of the “audio blogs” that I’ve posted have been either about CDs by established artists and ensembles, or interviews with established musicians on their latest recording. In this case, it’s a review of a new... More
4/17/2015 by John Pitman
On the heels of her Grammy-winning “In 27 Pieces: The Hilary Hahn Encores”, the American violinist releases her first orchestral CD in five years with “Mozart 5/Vieuxtemps 4”. Ms. Hahn, who has been dazzling audiences with her artistry... More
4/8/2015 by John Pitman
Our trip to Cuba with Earthbound Expeditions was a success. The only complaint that I heard was that we were overfed. I have heard worse. Of course, Cuba is not like Puerto Rico or St. Martin, or any... More
4/7/2015 by Ed Goldberg
This Naxos release (Nov. 2014) appeared very near the centennial of the beginning of World War I, or “The Great War” as it is known in Britain, from where the composers of this compelling recordings hailed. All of... More
4/1/2015 by John Pitman
He recently won the Grammy for “Play” as Best Instrumental Solo, and was also in Portland in the fall for a solo recital with Portland Classic Guitar. She has a Grammy-nominated CD titled “Air”, and next season, will... More
3/26/2015 by John Pitman
Last summer, we introduced you to Avi Avital with “Between Worlds”, Mr. Avital’s second CD for Deutsche Grammophon, where the Israeli-born mandolinist sought to bridge classical and folk genres, and effortlessly navigated between those “worlds”. Now making Berlin... More
3/16/2015 by John Pitman
Pianist Simone Dinnerstein first gained notice with her recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, a recording which she funded herself, and which launched her international career. Not long after, Ms. Dinnerstein recorded other works of Bach, the contemporary composer... More
3/2/2015 by John Pitman
When I think of Beethoven’s 15 string quartets, which are works that represent the whole of the composer’s adult life, I liken them to taking a long trek up a mountain. If Opus 18 is the trailhead and... More
2/19/2015 by John Pitman
