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.

Far from goldbricking!

Welsh harpist Catrin Finch makes her Detusche Grammophon solo recording debut with her own arrangement of Bach’s masterpiece for keyboard, The Goldberg Variations – arguably the most challenging project of her career. The album will be available exclusively from iTunes on May 26 and receive complete distribution on June 23, 2009.
Catrin’s meteoric rise to fame includes being named the Royal Harpist to H.R.H. The Prince of Wales from 2000 through 2004. This honored position was last held in 1873, making the appointment a truly momentous occasion for the young harpist (she was still at the Royal Academy of Music at the time). “When I re-established the ancient tradition of appointing a harpist to the Prince of Wales, little did I imagine that I would find someone with such a rare and special talent as Catrin” – H.R.H The Price of Wales
Since then, Catrin has traveled the world and worked tirelessly to expand not only the popularity of this ancient instrument but also the repertory. This was the motivation that resulted with her meticulously transcribing Bach’s monumental work, a process that took a year to complete. Though excerpts have been performed before, this is the first recording to feature the complete Goldberg Variations arranged for harp. “My hope is that my Goldberg Variations for the harp will come to occupy a respected place in the harp’s core repertoire, as always happens to good arrangements,” according to Catrin. “I hope they will be accepted by the doubters, by people who say they weren’t expecting to enjoy it, but did. I’m also doing it for my own pleasure – I’ve learned most of the harp repertoire, and my way forward is always to learn new pieces. Bach is one of my favorite composers, and the only way I can play more of him is by putting him onto my instrument.”
Catrin’s virtuoso talent is more than equal to the challenge Bach presents – a challenge that many pianists cannot even surmount. With intricate fingerings and the complexly chromatic 25th variation, there is no shortage of awe-inspiring technical brilliance in Catrin’s performance. She is just as comfortable with the subtle shadings and lyrical moments which allow her harp to sing and resonate in a manner many pianists would surely envy.
“With one touch of the strings – the opening notes of the Bach – Ms. Finch pulverized the stereotype of harpists as pretty, angelic strummers, blowing it away with a big, strong sound.” – The New York Times on a performance of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor