Blog
An update from our music students
Now, more than ever, we need moments that make us smile and appreciate the power of community. Few things fit that bill more than music, and especially when it involves illuminating the joy of music with children. Earlier this month we were forced to postpone our...
Michael Christie’s letter to New West Symphony musicians
Dear Colleagues, By now you’ve received numerous updates from so many of the organizations you work for and those who play an important part of your social and/or personal life. Whether it has been urging us to wash our hands, avoid all but those in our homes or each...
Streaming performing arts
Live performances across the world are put on hold, but there are great new opportunities to enjoy classical music and other performing arts while we're at home! Take advantage of the many wonderful entertainment that orchestras, theaters and others are making...
Health and safety update – March 18
Violins of Hope postponed Earlier this week, we shared with you the disappointing news that we were forced to postpone both the Laby Harmony Luncheon and our Symphonic Adventures. Now, as the coronavirus continues to play havoc on our daily lives, we must sadly report...
Newcomer’s Guide to the Symphony
Welcome! We’re so glad you’re here. If this is your first time to one of our concerts or to a live orchestra performance, here are ten tips to enhance your enjoyment of the performance. Don’t worry, it will be fun, we promise! You might think...
A stolen Strad is back on stage
You may have heard Nina Totenberg. She's a legal affairs correspondent for National Public Radio. You may also have heard Roman Totenberg. https://youtu.be/sgVEHITy-9U?t=1204 He was Nina's father, and a world-renown violinist and educator. He enjoyed...
Sing your heart like Sylvia
After years of singing with world-famous orchestras and opera companies in the US and Europe, Sylvia McNair faced a turning point. Two stacks of music sat on the piano before her. One, a pile of towering opera roles she needed to master. Next to it, tunes from the...
He brought the Gershwin family to tears
Kevin Cole garnered a reputation as a masterful Gershwin interpreter on the piano. So much so that he performed for the Gershwin family and George’s close friends. Kevin says, “About halfway through, I noticed that one by one, they were getting up and leaving the...
She thought opera was ridiculous. Then she sang opera for a living.
As a violin major at Wheaton College, Sylvia McNair couldn’t stand opera. She told BBC Magazine, “My first experience of opera was playing in the orchestra . . . I just couldn’t believe how ridiculous it was. I thought, what a ludicrous art form this is!” But when an...
You haven’t heard Rhapsody ’til you’ve heard the 1924 recording
Here’s a bit of fun history: the Rhapsody in Blue we know today is a far cry from the performances of the 1920s. How do we know? Just check out this 1924 recording with George Gershwin himself on the piano part! https://youtu.be/NIr_WPcVDt8 Some notes: You’ll...