Blog

On the eve of our Thanksgiving holiday, today’s Beautiful Music focuses on the “feasting” part of the occasion. French musician Michel-Richard Delalande composed several hours of music for his patron’s dining entertainment. This is the complete collection of Symphonies pour les Soupers du Roy (Symphonies for the King’s Suppers) played by La Symphonie du Marais, […]

Byron Schenkman and Friends is a wonderful concert series, and I’m pleased to feature a recent addition to the growing archive of terrific performances. This November 13, 2022 performance is called A ROMANTIC PORTRAIT: LUISE ADOLPHA LE BEAU. Violinist Rachell Ellen Wong, cellist Nathan Chan, and pianist Byron Schenkman. The German composer lived from 1850-1927,

To kick off your week, today’s Beautiful Music is an upbeat, exotic, and interesting variety of music from a recent performance by Aquila Altera ensemble.

Václav Vodička was a Bohemian composer who lived from c.1715-1774. Today’s Beautiful Music is a performance of his Flute Sonata #7 op. 2 by flutist Anežka Wacławik, harpsichordist Barbara Maria Willi, and cellist Petra Machková Čadová.

Evgeny Sviridov and Anna Dmitrieva play baroque violin. Today’s Beautiful Music features their performance of the Vivace movement from Duo IV op.12 by French Baroque composer Jean-Marie Leclair. It’s a special treat to see the elegant choreography of their collaboration

We’re living “La Vida Bona” with today’s Beautiful Music! This joyful CHACONA A LA VIDA BONA by Juan Arañés, a Spanish baroque musician who lived from 1580-1649, is performed Conjunto de Música Antigua Ars Nova.

I first saw one of these performances a few years ago and it BLEW ME AWAY!! I was amazed by the complexity, virtuosity, and precision. Today’s Beautiful Music is an example of Konnakkol, which the presenters describe as, “the most traditional, classical & ancient vocal percussive art form of India; the mother of all percussive

Didgeridoo is an ancient wind instrument. Aboriginal people in Australia first played them approximately 40,000 years ago. They have a distinctive sound, created by blowing into the instrument — a piece of hollowed-out wood — while vibrating the lips. Today’s Beautiful Music illustrates what happens when a didgeridoo meets an orchestra! William Barton is the

Kevin Olusola is such an extraordinary musician — he not only has amazing technical skills, he has an imaginative and broad approach to everything he plays. Today’s Beautiful Music is Grammy-winning Yale graduate Kevin Olusola playing a piece I love — Julie-O — with his unique approach as a virtuoso instrumentalist and beat-boxer. I have

Fortunato Chelleri was a composer who lived from 1690 until 1757. He was from a family of professional musicians, and he started composed operas was he was still a teenager. Today’s Beautiful Music is Fortunato Chelleri’s Sinfonia #3 in Bb major played by Orchestra Atalanta Fugiens conducted by Vanni Moretto.