Play Me I'm Yours, the 1000th piano

In honor of our 75th anniversary, Celebrity Series of Boston is presenting Play Me, I'm Yours, the Boston street piano festival from September 27 to October 14. The event places 75 pianos on streets all over Boston for the public to play at any time.

Boston is not the first city to host Luke Jerram's remarkable project, but among the unique aspects of Boston's festival is that we will host the 1000th Play Me, I'm Yours piano. The video above shows, in just under 8 minutes, the handiwork of  Frank Casazza (Eyeformation) and Michael Crockett (Hazel Eyes Studio) as they turn a baby grand into a work of visual art. The 1000th piano will be available for the public to play on City Hall Plaza during the fesitval.

Street Pianos Boston

Play Me, I'm Yours Celebrity Series page

Celebrity Series of Boston

Liza Minnelli talks and sings on The View

Liza Minnelli chats with the gals and sings I Must Have That Man. Liza comes to Symphony Hall on November 7.

.

Chucho Valdes announces tour lineup

Here is Chucho Valdés' band for his tour, which stops at the Berklee Performance Center on October 28:

The Afro-Cuban Messengers:

Lázaro Rivero Alarcón, bass
Juan Carlos Rojas Castro, drums
Yaroldy Abreu Robles, percussion
Dreiser Durruthy Bambolé, batá drum and vocals
Carlos Manuel Miyares Hernandez, tenor saxophone
Reinaldo Melián Álvarez, trumpet

Chucho Valdés is, of course, on piano.

We couldn't be more thrilled by the Celebrity Series of Boston debut of the great Chucho Valdés!

Preservation Hall Jazz Band is always up to something

Here's the latest from these wildly creative denizens of the Crescent City. The Preservation Hall Hot 4 and Tancotoons present "St. James Infirmary (King Britt Remix."

Preservation Hall Jazz Band comes to Symphony Hall with bluegrass legend Del McCoury on March 19.

AileyCamp Boston to perform at site of 1968 Ailey performance

 


Celebrity Series of Boston is pleased to announce that AileyCamp Boston's 2010 final performance will take place in the John Hancock Hall At Back Bay Events Center, 180 Berkeley Street (corner of Berkeley & Stuart), in Boston's Back Bay on August 5. The then Boston University Celebrity Series first presented
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in John Hancock Hall in 1968 (the start of a relationship that continues today) and now
this beautiful theatre will be the venue for our final performance!



Thank you to the staff at John Hancock Hall, Back Bay Events Center and Tillinger’s for their generous assistance.

Haochen Zhang plays J.S. Bach BWV 848 (video)

Pianist Haochen Zhang plays Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 3 in C-sharp major, BWV 848 at the 4th China International Piano Competition in 2007. Zhang went on to win a gold medal at the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Compeition. Zhang makes his Boston (and Celebrity Series of Boston) debut on December 3 at NEC's Jordan Hall in Boston.

Zhang's interview with BBC Music Magazine

Interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer

Zhang's Wikipedia page

Globe: "Improvising, McFerrin style"

The Boston Globe had a chat with Bobby McFerrin recently and the results appeared in today's print edition, just in time to preview his concert at Symphony Hall this Sunday afternoon. He talked about appearing on the TV program Sing-Off! and the story of VOCAbuLarieS, his upcoming recording, eight years in the making. Here's a snippet:

"I have always played to mixed audiences on every level — age, type of
music, on and on. There are always people who remember 'Don't Worry, Be
Happy,' and I’m happy they remember it, of course. But, like any artist
over 20 years, I've moved on. Fortunately, I’ve moved on in a lot of new
directions, which keep it all fresh and inventive."

Read all of Improvising, McFerrin style.

Check out Bobby McFerrin at Symphony Hall this Sunday at 3pm, brought to you by the Celebrity Series of Boston (ahem).

Violinist Christian Tetzlaff adds György Kurtág to Boston recital

György Kurtág

The German violinist Christian Tetzlaff has added four selections from György Kurtág's Signs, Games, and Messages to his January 31 unaccompanied violin program at NEC's Jordan Hall.

Christian Tetzlaff on Bach's Sonatas & Partitas for solo violin

Christian Tetzlaff performs an unaccompanied concert at Jordan Hall on January 31.

Christian Tetzlaff, sublime Bach

Christian Tetzlaff

Violinist Christian Tetzlaff's program was all J.S. Bach, all of Bach's unaccompanied sonatas and partitas, in fact, so it was not a complete representation of what Boston audiences will hear on January 31 at Jordan Hall. However, according to Allan Kozinn of the New York Times, Tetzlaff's performance (as well as the program) was sublime.

Bach's Sonata No. 3 in C and Partita No 2 in D minor, both of which were on Sunday's 92nd Street Y program and are mentioned in the review, will be played in Boston. But we will also hear Eugène Ysaÿe's Sonata for solo violin and for Paganinni caprices. Hear is a snippet of Kozinn's review to whet your appetite:

"Technique is never an issue with this violinist. The clarity and
solidity he brings to the music’s chordal writing remain among the most
striking characteristics of his Bach playing, as does the sharp
articulation he uses to suggest independent lines of counterpoint. What
has deepened is the intensity of the emotional charge he draws from
this music, in readings that match Bach’s 18th-century ingenuity with
passion and warmth in the here and now."

Read all of Emphasizing Bach's Unity.

Flicka & Kiri's additions & encores

The "TBA" selections and encores have all been sung and a good time was had by all. The two illustrious singers may have had the best time of all ...



Additional selections announced from the stage:



Ambroise Thomas


"Me voici dans son boudoir" from Mignon

Daniel Schmitt & Marc Berthomien


from Jardins de Paris


Jardin d'Albert Kahn


Bois du Boulogne

 



George Gershwin


Summertime

 

Cole Porter


By Strauss

 

Carol Hall


Jenny Rebecca

 

Jake Heggie


A Route to the Sky 



Gioachino Rossini
Duetto buffo di due gatti  



Encores:



Cole Porter


True Love

 



Louiguy


La Vie En Rose

Glenn Close to host The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later Pre-Show

Glenn Close

Actress Glenn Close will serve as host for the pre-show webcast for The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later ... An Epilogue, on October 12. Matthew Shepard's mother, Judy Shepard, will give the welcoming remarks and a post-production Q and A
moderated by National Public Radio Arts and Culture correspondent Neda
Ulabay.

Over 150 theaters will participate in the event on October 12, including, in Boston, a presentation by the Celebrity Series of Boston and Emerson College at the Cutler Majestic Theatre. Tickets are free, you can reserve yours on the Celebrity Series web site.

Emerson College Laramie Project blog

Tectonic Theater Project

ArtsBoston.org, your online arts buddy

For those of you that don't know, ArtsBoston has launched a web site. A comprehensive and attractive web site of arts events happening in Boston (we're on it).

A VERY comprehensive and attractive web site of arts events happening in Boston (ok, we're not the only ones on it).

A VERY comprehensive and attractive web site of arts events happening in Boston that you need to bookmark, gentle reader.

The video above is a bit of testimoniality-ness about the site: the need for it (whew! yes), what an accomplishment something so comprehensive actually is (someone should be taking a bow), how long we have needed something like it (see: whew! yes), etc.



Once you're done watching the video, take a look at the site. You may not go back to whatever online arts information source you're using now...
ever.

Artsboston.org

Remember that bit about bookmarking it. I don't trust your memory.

Berlin Philharmonic excerpt of Brahms Symphony No. 3

Sir Simon Rattle conducts the Berliner Philharmoniker in Brahms' Symphony No. 3 in this excerpt from a November 2008 performance. The full concert is available (for a fee, of course) here.



But I could hardly call myself your special blog friend (blogfreund?) if I didn't also tell you that the Berlin Philharmonic and Sir Simon Rattle will play Brahms' Symphony No. 3 here in Boston on November 15.

WGBH to acquire WCRB 99.5 FM

There are "wows" and there are "WOWS"! This one gets ALL CAPS.

WGBH, our NPR/PBS colleagues over in Brighton have announced plans to acquire classical music station WCRB, at 99.5 FM on your FM dial. WCRB will become non-commerical, "in keeping with our public mission," as the WGBH web site says.

Read more about this remarkable development here.

UPDATE: And here is today's Boston Globe article (9/21).

FURTHER UPDATES: Dan Kennedy weighs in. And Bob Oakes at WBUR.

Every Celebrity Series 2009-2010 performance on sale Monday, September 14!

Every performance in the Celebrity Series of Boston 2009-2010 season is on sale on from 9am to 5pm (regular box office hours 10-4) this Monday morning, September 14. Call (617) 482-6661 or visit http://www.celebrityseries.org anytime. Start your engines!

WBCN radio signs off for good

It's true. WBCN, fixture of Boston radio for 41 years (and originally the classically formatted Boston Concert Network) is going away today. Story.

Artemis String Quartet plays Beethoven quartets Opus 59/ 1 & 95

Artemis String Quartet plays Beethoven quartets Opus 59/ 1 & 95 (video excerpts with interviews).

Visit the official Artemis web site.

The Artemis make their Boston debut on Friday, March 5 at NEC's Jordan Hall with an all-Beethoven program.