Tagged: Classical

Program has rarities from Chabrier and Ives

While this weekend's program is setup traditionally as an overture, concerto and symphony, the music is more than just everyday. "If anything is typical, it's the concerto that we're playing, the Lalo Symphonie Espagnole, which itself isn't typical, but it's the one where people might know the melodies," says Karen Kamensek.

The return of this former Houston Opera conductor to Texas also welcomes an American gem, Charles Ives' Symphony No. 2.

Researchers in London claim that listening to classical music makes for unsafe driving — in fact, that it caused more erratic driving than hip-hop, heavy metal or not listening to music at all.

In many ways, KPAC and the Cuarteto Latinoamericano have lived parallel lives over the past 30 years. San Antonio's cultural profile would be quite different today if not for KPAC's dedication to providing great music around the clock for the greater San Antonio area. For these same three decades, the Latin American String Quartet has emerged as the essential champion of Latin American music for string quartet. Long may both these cultural institutions survive.

A wave of great young pianists crashes into the Alamo City every three years to compete in the San Antonio International Piano Competition. Last October 11, aspiring artists arrived and prepared themselves to impress the judges at the usual venue - the Ruth Taylor recital hall. Luckily for all of us it was all recorded by John Coker.

• After a five-year search that encompassed some 50 contenders, the Houston Symphony has announced its new music director: Andrés Orozco-Estrada. The 35-year-old Colombian trained in Vienna and will take over from the retiring Hans Graf, who is departing at the end of this season.