Classical Spotlight: US Open & close

This week's Classical Spotlight shines from UT to TLU and from New York to Munich!

47 (harp strings) - 0 (love)
Harpist Kirsten Agresta is used to playing for heads of state like Barrack Obama and Felipe Calderón, Queen Silvia of Sweden, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, and former Vice President Al Gore...besides appearing on Erykah Badu's latest album, New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh. She's charmed audiences internationally since she began study of the harp at the age of five. By the time she was fourteen, she was soloist on a full tour of the British Isles and has since performed extensively throughout the United States, Europe, South America, Israel, Japan, and the South Pacific.
This week, Agresta plays at the US Open, not tennis or even Debussy's Jeux, but as an entertainer at the President's Gate. She spoke to John Clare about playing harp, getting around New York and who she'd like to see in the US Open Finals! (You can see the US Open locally on KENS 5 or on the Tennis Channel.)

MTS opens with pizzazz
The Mid Texas Symphony begins their season with the Silver Medalist of the 2009 Van Cliburn Competition, Yeol Eum Son, playing Mozart's Piano Concerto #21. Here she is playing in the Finals of the Van Cliburn:

David Mairs, who is in his 15th year leading the orchestra, conducts Mendelssohn's Italian Symphony and Berlioz's Roman Carnival Overture. He spoke to host John Clare about the season opener happening this Sunday at 4pm.

MINDing the music
Dr. Richard Kogan visits San Antonio next Tuesday. He will be speaking on "Schumann, Bipolar Disease, and the Creative Process" and "Music and Mood Disorders: Tchaikovsky" at Health Science Center Auditorium.
Kogan has a distinguished career both as a concert pianist and as a psychiatrist. The New York Times praised him for his "eloquent, compelling, and exquisite playing" and the Boston Globe wrote, "Kogan has somehow managed to excel at the world's two most demanding professions."
Dr. Kogan spoke with TPR's Randy Anderson about his upcoming talks.





New Meaning for "Double" Concerto
There was a double release of Julia Fischer this last Tuesday - her Paganini Caprices, Opus 1; plus a DVD release of the Saint-Saens Third Violin Concerto and Grieg Piano Concerto. Yes, you read that right, a violin AND a piano concerto with the same soloist, Julia Fischer!
Fischer spent some time talking with host John Clare about these releases, as well as her solo Bach and future plans.
Fischer has also shared this about the new Paganini release:
There's also some great video here of the new dvd release of Saint-Saens & Grieg:

Learn more about her Paganini 24 Caprices here, and the new dvd of Grieg/Saint-Saens here.