One of the most memorable hits and videos of the past half-century was the 1981 single “Once in a Lifetime” by the Talking Heads — in which vocalist David Byrne repeated the mantra of “same as it ever was.” That phrase doesn’t apply to SunFest, Florida’s largest waterfront music and art festival. For its 2024 installment, a floating SunFest Electronic Barge will … [Read more...]
Pianist Geniushene’s ‘Op. 1’ program intriguing, to a point
By Márcio Bezerra The Society of the Four Arts hosted pianist Anna Geniushene on Wednesday in a program of firsts. The young artist, whose career has been growing silver she won the silver medal at the 2022 Van Cliburn Competition, presented a clever program that consisted of several Opus 1 by composers from the classical period to the twentieth century. To be … [Read more...]
The experimental journey of The Dixie Dregs
“Fusion” is a musical term commonly used to describe a mix of jazz influence with electric rock. It's a blend that started in the late 1960s and early 1970s, popularized separately by artists such as trumpeter Miles Davis and guitarist/vocalist Frank Zappa, who created disparate versions and catapulted band members toward future careers — from Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, … [Read more...]
From Russia with horns: Moscow-based band flawlessly re-creates music of Chicago, EWF, Steely Dan
Tribute acts have become all the rage in South Florida and beyond. But it’s safe to say that a tribute act will soon appear in South Florida that’s beyond anything most South Floridians have ever seen. Leonid & Friends is a 10-year-old group that started out as a tribute to the band Chicago, the Midwestern act that was initially called Chicago Transit Authority before … [Read more...]
Superstar soprano Meade makes for memorable ‘Norma’ at PB Opera
By Márcio Bezerra Few operas in the repertoire can claim the same legendary status as Vincenzo Bellini’s Norma. Be it because it can be considered as the masterwork of bel canto, or because all the great divas of the past have tackled the title role with memorable results, Norma sets the standard for what a great soprano should sound like. In general, bel canto operas are … [Read more...]
Zwilich concerto, Stravinsky stand out at SFSO concert
By Robert Croan The South Florida Symphony Orchestra offered a bit of participation in music history in its most recent program [heard March 27 at The Parker in Fort Lauderdale] when guest clarinetist David Shifrin soloed in Ellen Taafe Zwilich’s Clarinet Concerto — a work he premiered at New York’s Lincoln Center in 2003. Adding to the aura of authenticity was the … [Read more...]
Vienna Phil’s Mahler 9 brought Kravis audience to the sublime
By Márcio Bezerra Sublime. Nothing short of sublime. That sums up the concert presented by the Vienna Philharmonic for the Classical Concert Series at Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. Playing for a nearly sold-out audience, the venerable ensemble, in its first-ever appearance in South Florida, gave a heart-wrenching performance of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 9, his … [Read more...]
Multi-genre guitar virtuoso Steve Vai living link to alt-rock history
If you asked fans of 63-year-old guitarist Steve Vai (www.vai.com) what he’s best-known for, you might get a variety of answers. One might be the Long Island, N.Y., native’s recording and touring run within the fusion of styles created by Frank Zappa (1940-1993). Those seeds were sown when Vai — still a student at the Berklee College of Music in Boston — sent him exacting … [Read more...]
Seraphic Fire brings Haydn mass to glorious life
By Robert Croan Haydn’s six late-in-life settings of the Catholic Mass are outpourings of joy, reflecting the composer’s optimism and attitude towards life – even when, as in 1798, he labeled his Mass in D minor, “Mass in Troubled Times.” The “trouble” was Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt, designed to interfere with his enemies’ trade routes, directly or indirectly … [Read more...]
Pianist Trifonov miraculous in Mozart with Rotterdam Phil
By Márcio Bezerra The Kravis Center’s exceptional Classical Concert Series featured the Rotterdam Philharmonic on March 4. Playing to a packed house, the regional orchestra gave a satisfying concert, displaying fine musicianship and a cohesive ensemble. Under the direction of its chief conductor, Lahav Shani, the group started the program with Swansong by Estonian … [Read more...]