This weekend’s winter concert celebrates Russian Christmas music and features a world premiere. :: While it might be obvious from a meteorological standpoint, there is something about Russian culture that’s inextricably linked with the moods and celebrations of winter. From nutcrackers to nesting dolls, the Russian folk realm is awash in tales, symbols and sounds…
C.S. Lewis defined “Joy” as “an unsatisfied desire which is itself more desirable than any other satisfaction.” As the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra played Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony on November 13, that notion was at the forefront of my thoughts. In the sprawling oeuvre of Ludwig van Beethoven, there are three themes that are so culturally all-encompassing…
The work blends live performance with Jean Cocteau’s 1946 film version of ‘Beauty and the Beast.’ :: Catholic philosopher G.K.Chesterton once wrote, “There is the great lesson of Beauty and the Beast that a thing must be loved before it is lovable.” Such a sentiment could apply equally to the widely beloved but no less…
The DeKalb Symphony Orchestra’s November 4 concert was, first and foremost, a triumph of architecture. It’s doing the majority of its current season at First Baptist Church of Decatur, and the acoustics are a far cry from orchestra’s usual haunt at Georgia State University’s Marvin Cole Auditorium, where even the most lush and majestic of…
The Atlanta choral ensemble’s new artistic director talks about a new season, which begins October 18. When I last spoke to Mercer University associate dean and professor of choral conducting Dr. Stanley Roberts, he was preparing to appear as guest conductor at Coro Vocati’s May performance of Two Rivers: A Journey Through Life’s Contrasts. At…
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra kicked off its 2025-26 season, its fourth with conductor Nathalie Stutzmann, on Friday, October 3, with an evening of Aaron Copland, Edward Elgar and Richard Strauss. It was, on the whole, an electrifying evening and one that ranks high among the ASO’s seasonal openers. Stutzmann took the stage to a standing…
The orchestra’s season opener demonstrates the ensemble’s crowd-pleasing accessibility and internal cohesion. :: “Imagine” is the one-word thesis statement behind the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra’s 2025-26 season. It’s a bold but simple invitation that opens itself up to a smorgasbord of possibilities. In the case of the orchestra’s September 20 concert at Mount Pisgah Church,…
Players with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Talent Development Program converged Sunday, September 14, at Spivey Hall for a recital showcasing the program’s top talent. Conceived in 1993 as an initiative to boost Black and Hispanic participation in classical music, the program has become a mainstay of music education in the Atlanta area. All students, except…
There is a scene in the film Blade Runner in which the artificial human Roy Battey learns that his laboratory engineered lifespan is almost at an end and cannot be extended. His creator, the eccentric Eldon Tyrell, offers a simple consolation: “The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long. And you have…
The drummer and vocalist’s sophomore album with the synth-driven Arcadea is out on August 22. :: In Mastodon, Atlanta’s progressive metal juggernaut, drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor is one of four alchemical chefs that serve up swirling, nightmarishly ethereal journeys into the human psyche and the nature of reality and consciousness. With Arcadea, his collaboration with keyboardist/guitarist…
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