Embracing Americaby Ed Dorsch Night after grueling night, Richard Danielpour went to sleep at 11:00 p.m., only to wake up at 2:00 a.m. “I tried everything I could think of,” said the Grammy-winning composer. “My doctor prescribed sleeping pills. I tried melatonin, magnesium, this, that. Nothing would do it.” It was March, and COVID-19 was …
Conductor Eric Jacobsen (photo credit: Dario Acosta) The University of Oregon School of Music and Dance is proud to announce that conductor and cellist Eric Jacobsen has been named as a finalist for the artistic director position at the Oregon Bach Festival. Jacobsen will join previously announced candidates Miguel Harth-Bedoya and Julian Wachner as a …
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Julian Wachner, Miguel Harth-Bedoya and Craig Hella Johnson (from left to right) UPDATE 02/05/20: Craig Hella Johnson has withdrawn as one of the three finalists for the Oregon Bach Festival’s artistic director position and will no longer be conducting at the 50th anniversary season this summer. Johnson cited a series of difficult personal losses, culminating with …
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University of Oregon Associate Professor of Dance Shannon Mockli makes sure to engage her body on a daily basis, taking time to reflect and appreciate nature. “Walking offers me wonderful reflection time where I contemplate just about everything from teaching to art to finding more balance and happiness in my life,” she says. This has …
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A major event during the 2019 Oregon Bach Festival has been a year in the making. When OBF Executive Director Janelle McCoy spoke with Mobility International USA CEO and co-founder Susan Sygall, the two came up with an idea to combine music, movement, and awareness that is centered on Bach. Bach in Motion was born …
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American singer and radio personality Peter van de Graaff surrounds himself with music, whether it is singing with his wife, Kathleen, or hosting for KWAX at the University of Oregon or Beethoven Satellite Network. “Two things are a constant in my life: concert attendance and listening to recorded music. Whenever I’m engaged in either activity I’m always thinking …
Despite growing up in a non-musical family in a small town in southwestern Pennsylvania, organist Paul Jacobs became a prodigy, and at 15 years old was appointed head organist of a parish of 3,500 in his hometown. “I was fortunate to have excellent musical training and mentors during those formative years. I remain indebted to my …
Building New York Polyphony has been a labor of love for the artists, including bass baritone Craig Phillips. “It’s been a twelve-year entrepreneurial adventure and has required a lot of care and attention to the business side of things—marketing, budgeting, scheduling, networking, etc.,” Craig says. “It may not sound very exciting, but it’s very satisfying …
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It isn’t fancy recital halls or big-name collaborations that mezzo-soprano Elizabeth DeShong remembers as her most cherished accomplishments. These are actually conversations with other artists, moments of mutual appreciation and intrinsic artistic understanding. “That said, I would have to say that having [Supreme Court Justice] Ruth Bader Ginsburg attend my recital at the Kennedy Center …
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Pianist Darrell Grant has used his musical talent for over two decades in service to his community as an educator and leader in the arts. Grant’s multi-faceted creative projects and innovative initiatives reflect a belief in the extraordinary power of art to communicate, inspire, provoke, inform, and move others to transform society and themselves. Music …
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