Musician and Vocalist Artist Interviews

 

Naxos, which bills itself as “the world's leading classical music label and industry leader in streaming audio and music education,” has launched the Naxos Video Library

World-renowned studio mastering engineer Steve Hoffman is currently working on the re-mastering and re-release of many legendary rock and pop titles including classic Nat King Cole albums on SACD and 45 RPM vinyl for Acoustic Sounds/Analogue Productions and 24 Karat Gold CDs (The Doors, Linda Ronstadt, The Pretenders, Alice Cooper, etc.) for Audio Fidelity (among others).

On June 12, 2009, the English early music choral ensemble Stile Antico made its much-anticipated U.S. debut at the Boston Early Music Festival. The entire concert debut was recorded by NPR, and can be heard online.

After Stile Antico won the 2005 Early Music Network International Young Artists' Competition, the young ensemble's debut disc for Harmonia Mundi, Music for Compline, won the Diapason d'Or, Choc du Monde de la Musique, and a Grammy Award nomination. Their second disc, Heavenly Harmonies, received the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik and another Diapason d'Or. Attention from NPR, and a tour with Sting in Europe and the Far East in support of his Dowland lute song project, Songs from the Labyrinth, elevated them into company rare for an early music ensemble, and helped project their most recent CD, Song of Songs, into the Top 15 of the Billboard Classical Chart.

In anticipation of Stile Antico's U.S. debut, I spoke by phone with one of the group's founding members, towering bass Olly Hunt. Chief among my queries was the genesis of the group's marvelously fresh, oft-sensual sound.

Classical guitarist David Russell was born in Glasgow in 1953, and raised in the town of Minorca. Upon studying the guitar at the Royal Academy of Music, he twice won the Julian Bream Guitar Prize. Wins at the Andrés Segovia Competition, the José Ramírez Competition, and Spain's Francisco Tárrega Competition helped to further propel him to an international career, which continues strong.

On February 8, 2009, the Pacifica Quartet snared a Grammy for Best Chamber Music Performance for their Naxos recording of Elliot Carter's first and fifth string quartets. Three days later, I was on the phone, interviewing the quartet second violinist Sibbi Bernhardsson for a series of articles.

In the spring of 2008, Bay Area resident Frederica von Stade and I had an extended phone conversation. The ostensible purpose was her forthcoming participation in the U. S. premiere of a unique salon, Pauline Viardot and Friends.

If you've never heard of mezzo-soprano Joyce Castle, by all means read on. To say she is a hoot to interview is a major understatement. Castle, long a member of New York City Opera, has of late become associated with leading and character roles in contemporary opera, as well as the French repertoire. She is certainly a character and a half over the phone.