Musician and Vocalist Artist Interviews

Melody Moore: The World Premiere of Heart of a Soldier

On September 10, 2011, one day before the 10th anniversary of 9/11, composer Christopher Theofanidis' first opera, Heart of a Soldier, has its world premiere at San Francisco Opera. A modern day hero's journey / love story, the opera tells the tale of Rick Rescorla, a multi-decorated Vietnam war hero who, years later, rescued over 2700 people from the World Trade Center before perishing in the Twin Towers collapse.

An Interview with French Countertenor Philippe Jaroussky

In a relatively short amount of time, Philippe Jaroussky, 33, has built an international reputation as a leading countertenor. Jaroussky came to prominence in 2004, when his first solo recording for Virgin Classics caught fire. Since then, his light, soprano-like sound, facility with coloratura, boyish looks, and rare dynamic flare have made him equally popular on stage and YouTube.

An Interview with Violinist Christian Tetzlaff

Seventeen years into their founding, appearance by the Tetzlaff Quartet remain extremely rare. One glance at the schedule of the quartet's founder, renowned violinist Christian Tetzlaff, and the reason becomes clear. In the months preceding the quartet's seven-city U.S. tour in April, Christian Tetzlaff will perform orchestral, small chamber, and solo concerts in Berlin, Salzburg, Miami, Strasbourg, St. Petersburg, Lübeck, Zürich, Boston, New York's Carnegie Hall (one of three Carnegie appearances this year), London, Paris, and several other European cities.

An Interview with Jazz Drummer Eric Harland

Drummer and composer Eric Du'sean Harland, 34, was all of 17 when Wynton Marsalis heard him perform and encouraged him to study in New York City. After graduating from the Manhattan School of Music, and pursuing ministerial studies at Houston Baptist University, Harland launched a drumming career that has now spawned over 80 recordings with the likes of Terence Blanchard, Stefon Harris, McCoy Tynor, Charles Lloyd, Dave Holland, and Ravi Coltrane. Currently active in four major ensembles, he has received 1st Place in the last three DownBeat “Rising Star Drums” polls.

An Interview with Conductor Alondra De La Parra

Less than nine months after her dynamic 2009 San Francisco Symphony debut conducting the symphony's annual Day of the Dead concert, conductor Alondra de la Parra, 29, returned to lead four consecutive concerts with the orchestra. Her wide-ranging repertoire â€" two nights of American and America-associated music, one all-Russian eve, and a refreshing Dolores Park afternoon that mixed Dvorak's New World Symphony with some of Mexico's finest compositions â€" was as diverse as her roster of top-flight soloists.

Communing with the Great Jazz Saxophonist Charles Lloyd – An Interview

Ever since he emerged a half century ago as music director of the Chico Hamilton Quartet, saxophonist Charles Lloyd has been at the forefront of jazz innovation. One of the first jazz artists to sell a million copies of a recording, which he made with a quartet that included a young Keith Jarrett, and two other legendary artists, drummer Jack DeJohnette and bassist Cecil McBee, Lloyd has done everything from jam with the Doors, The Grateful Dead, and the Beach Boys to birth a new music from diverse cultural and spiritual traditions.