Music
American Music Festival 2007
An annual showcase of the great music of our land
Saturday, May 26 - Saturday, June 2 2007
WNYC presents The American Music Festival, an annual showcase of the great music of our land. This year, WNYC turns its attention to the current American musical vernacular and its many accents.
Every night on Evening Music, listeners will enter the landscape of contemporary musical expression through a variety of unexpected pathways. Conversations will center around everything from the most American of instruments -- the electric guitar, to American music by recent immigrants, to the innovative ways the two youngest generations of composers are incorporating technology and global influence in their work.
American Vernacular
Evening Music
May 26, 2007
Airs Saturday, May 26 and Monday, May 28 at 7PM on 93.9 FM
Conductor Robert Spano has specialized in reaching new audiences with new repertoire as music director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. The three-time Grammy award winner weighs in with a survey of the American contemporary scene. Also, George Preston talks with conductor Michael Tilson Thomas about American concert music and its groundbreaking composers.
The Electric Guitar as Concert Instrument
Evening Music
May 28, 2007
Airs Monday, May 28 at 7PM on 93.9 FM
A founding member of the Bang on a Can All-Stars, Mark Stewart not only uses traditional instruments in new ways, but he also creates his own. Stewart sits down with WNYC's John Schaefer to explore the concert music of composers Glenn Branca, Nick Ditkowsky, Steve Mackey, and Scott Johnson—side by side with the guitar gods and source material that inspired them, from Hendrix to Zappa.
Spotlight on: Brandon Ross
Evening Music
May 28, 2007
Airs Monday, May 28 at 10PM on 93.9 FM
Guitarist Brandon Ross chats with David Garland about what inspires his compositional process and about his latest recording. Ross has been Cassandra Wilson’s musical director and guitarist, and has worked with artists ranging from Henry Threadgill to Jewel. He also has several highly acclaimed recordings as a leader, as well as a member of the trio Harriet Tubman.
That Voice
Evening Music
May 29, 2007
Airs Tuesday, May 29 at 7PM on 93.9 FM
What makes a voice sound great? Singer/performance artist Helga Davis joins Brad Cresswell to compare notes and swap recordings of their favorite female American singers, with performances by Meredith Monk, Cathy Berberian, Diamanda Galas, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, Leontyne Price, Abby Lincoln, and Nina Simone.
Transient Glory VI
Evening Music
May 29, 2007
Airs Tuesday, May 29 at 8:30PM on 93.9 FM
Since 2001, the Young People's Chorus of New York City has presented important premieres through their Transient Glory concerts. In the sixth of these broadcasts, founder Francisco J. Nunez leads the chorus through the first performances of works by Bruce Adolphe, Michael Gordon, Meredith Monk, and Tarik O'Regan.
The New Americans
Evening Music
May 30, 2007
Airs Wednesday, May 30 at 7PM on 93.9 FM
Osvaldo Golijov's music is hard to pin down: a combination of arab and jewish influences, it also often incorporates elements of Spanish flamenco and of course, Golijov's native Argentinian tango. There's no doubt, however, that his unique style has struck a chord with the public; the recording of his opera "Fountain of Tears" hit the top of the classical music Billboard charts and won two Grammy awards for both Golijov and the conductor Robert Spano. In this segment, Spano talks with Golijov about the music of newly-naturalized Americans, including Tan Dun, Bright Sheng, Esa Pekka Salonen and Golijov himself.
Spotlight on: Arlene Sierra
Evening Music
May 31, 2007
Airs Thursday, May 31 at 10PM on 93.9FM
David Garland chats with composer Arlene Sierra about her creative process, inspirations, and upcoming performances. An American living and working in the UK, Sierra explores the interplay between structure and atmosphere in her works, which have been performed by some of the world’s foremost orchestras, chamber ensembles and soloists.
Turning 40 with George Steel
Evening Music
May 31, 2007
Airs Thursday, May 31 at 7PM on 93.9FM
George Steel has been an important advocate for new music as director of the Miller Theater. In this segment of WNYC's American Music Festival, Steel talks with composers who recently joined the ranks of those in their 40s (a group Steel belongs to as well). Derek Bermel, Jennifer Higdon and Jason Eckardt join Steel to examine how pop forms such as punk, hip hop and '80's rock informed the musical dialect of their generation.
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