Tag

Lubbock Symphony Orchestra

Conrad Tao and the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra

January 20, 2013

I usually don’t write about the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra’s concerts because I am too close to the performers and managers to be either objective or frank. But last night’s performance by Conrad Tao with the LSO was so out of the ordinary that I have to mention it. Tao is an 18 year old wunderkind . Born in Urbana […]

Lubbock Symphony Opens 2012-13 Season

September 11, 2012

The Lubbock Symphony Orchestra’s new season opened last night at a sold out Civic Center Theater. Maestro David Cho conducted his first concert as the orchestra’s music director. The guest artist was cellist Yo-Yo Ma who performed Elgar’s Cello Concerto. The first half of the evening was devoted to Czech music. The program began with Smetana’s overture to […]

La Traviata Program Notes

March 1, 2012

Below are the program notes I wrote for the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra’s performances of Verdi’s La Traviata March 2 and 3, 2012. La Traviata was Giuseppe Verdi’s 19th opera. Though the composer was dissatisfied with its initial run, the opera rapidly established itself as his most popular work. Indeed, it may be the most popular opera even […]

La Traviata in Lubbock

February 7, 2012

The Lubbock Symphony Orchestra will present two concert performances of Verdi’s opera on March 2 and 3. Amanda Hall is Verdi’s noble courtesan, Tenor Scott Ramsay is her overwrought lover Alfredo, and baritone Ashley Prewett is his father Germont. Thomasz Golka will conduct the LSO and the Lubbock Civic Chorale.

Beethoven in Excelsis

September 25, 2011

He came, he played, and he conquered. Adam Golka played all five of Beethoven’ piano concertos before two dazzled Lubbock audiences on Friday September 23 and on the following Saturday. Actually, he played the cycle twice. There were dress rehearsals Thursday night and Saturday morning. This feat, unique in my experience, requires prodigious doses of stamina, endurance, […]

All Five

August 23, 2011

The Lubbock Symphony Orchestra will open its season next month with a program unique in my experience. The brilliant young pianist Adam Golka will perform all five Beethoven piano concertos. Numbers 2, 3, and 4 will be played on Friday September 23. Numbers 1 and 5 will follow the next evening. The orchestra will be conducted by Golka’s older brother Tomasz […]

The Lubbock Symphony Orchestra – A Look Inside

February 9, 2011

The Lubbock Symphony Orchestra is the city’s premiere arts organization. Under the leadership of its dynamic young conductor Tomasz Golka it performs at a level that would be expected from the orchestra of a city more than ten times the size of Lubbock’s 250,000. Below is a video briefly describing its role in the city’s cultural life. […]

Hallelujah

December 9, 2007

Last night the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra with two combined choruses gave its annual Christmas concert at the First United Methodist Church before a sold out audience. They played real music – no Rudolph, no Santa, no cute kids running amok. The program concluded with Bach’s Magnificat. As an encore conductor Thomasz Golka led everyone in […]