Blog
In Memory of Jerry Robbins
It is with sadness that I share the news of the passing of one of our dear friends, Jerry Robbins. Jerry was a league member for 15 years. He was a musician at heart and loved coming to the Symphony. Please join me in sharing your memories of Jerry below. His story is...
In Memory of Pat Croner
I am heartbroken to share news of the passing of one of the most beloved and respected members of the NWS family, our dear Pat Croner. Pat served the symphony in numerous capacities (including President of the NWS League) and was known for her bountiful energy,...
Dr Wyant Mortan – Director of the New West Symphony Chorus
Dr. Wyant Morton is Professor of Music at California Lutheran University and is in his 31st year as conductor of the Cal Lutheran Choral Ensembles, which includes the Cal Lutheran Choir, Cielo (treble choir), and Areté Vocal Ensemble--a chamber choir he founded in...
Natasha Kislenko: The excitement and the challenge of Mozart
When Natasha Kislenko sits at the piano on April 15 and 16 to perform two selections by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with New West Symphony, she will be in her element --- even if that element is a bit more stress-laden than others.“You can talk for hours on Mozart,” says...
JOSHUA RANZ: ‘It all comes back to singing’
There is, says Joshua Ranz, a key to playing Mozart well. It’s called singing. “There is a grace and a nuance to Mozart,” says Josh, principal clarinet for New West Symphony who will perform Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto during NWS’ “Binging on Mozart” concerts April 15...
Cedric Berry: ‘Enjoy the experience’
Cedric Berry has sung everything from classic opera to modern opera, and sung it well. But regardless of what he’s singing, this Midwest-raised, Los Angeles-based baritone keeps one thought at the front of his mind: Enjoy what you’re doing.“That’s what I share with...
An interview with GRAMMY®-award winning composer, Mason Bates
“The orchestra,” declares Mason Bates, “is one of mankind’s greatest creations.” Spoken, you might say, like a true composer of symphonies and operas --- a Grammy-winning composer at that. But for Bates, creator of “Philharmonia Fantastique” which will be presented by...
Enluis Montes Olivar: Living the Dream, and More
At age 6, Enluis Montes Olivar attended his first concert in his native Venezuela and was immediately enthralled, particularly by the percussion instruments — tympani, cymbals, all of it.
But when he was asked, “What instrument would you like to play?”, Enluis had a much different answer: “I want to conduct!”
Ifetayo Ali-Landing: “Making Music Brings Me Joy”
She exited her teen years only last August, but in a very short time Ifetayo Ali-Landing has established herself as one of America’s finest young cellists and, at age 20, a veteran performer with symphony orchestras all over the United States.
Ryan Board, Ode to Joy | The Challenge and Joy of ‘Understanding Beethoven’
As one who holds a Master’s in Music from Westminster Choir College, one of the nation’s leading choral institutions, it stands to reason that Dr. Ryan Board — at some point in his career as an internationally acclaimed conductor and singer — would have performed one of classical music’s milestone choral works, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.