By Robert Croan Victor Santiago Asuncíon, himself a first-class pianist with a busy touring schedule, brings worthy and interesting guest collaborators to his splendid chamber music series in the Community Church at Lauderdale-By-the Sea. The fifth and last concert of his 2026 season, on May 23, featured Beijing-born Qing Li, principal second violin of the Baltimore Symphony … [Read more...]
If it’s a Florida summer, it must be Dave Matthews time
Like sands through the hourglass, so are the South Florida summer-adjacent tour dates for the Dave Matthews Band (davematthewsband.com). Of course, summer unofficially starts early here in the Sunshine State. So let’s just say that singing guitarist Matthews’ touring ensemble has included the iThink Financial Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach between the months of May and … [Read more...]
Jazz titan Herbie Hancock keeping his music young and vital at 86
If you were looking to crown the current greatest living jazz artist, the short list of contenders would include alumni from the ensembles led by trumpeter and band leader Miles Davis (1926-1991) from the 1960s and 1970s. Which would still only narrow it down to an impressive list of luminaries including Keith Jarrett, John McLaughlin, Ron Carter, and Billy Cobham. Yet … [Read more...]
Young violinist makes impressive showing in Lauderdale concert
By Robert Croan Featured guest soloist on Chamber Music at Lauderdale-by-the Sea’s April 11 concert was Sameer Agrawal, a 21-year-old violinist currently studying with Midori Goto at Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music. Performing at The Community Church with the series’ founder and artistic director Victor Santiago Asunción at the piano, the Chicago native lent a … [Read more...]
Guitar heroes of the 1980s set for South Florida show
Music in the 1980s largely involved hearing with one’s eyes as much as ears, all due to a waterfall of on-screen pop stars like Madonna, Michael Jackson, Culture Club, Milli Vanilli, Lionel Richie, Duran Duran, and Cyndi Lauper. The decade’s MTV and VH1 music videos also featured the sounds of synthesizers, electronic drums, programming, overproduction, and … [Read more...]
Jazz bass titan McBride brings Ursa Major band to Arts Garage
One of my first experiences as a journalist with bassist Christian McBride (www.christianmcbride.com) wasn’t an interview with him, but rather one that partially turned out to be about him for Jazziz magazine in 2002. Keyboardist/vocalist George Duke (1946-2013) had recently released his 26th studio album, Face the Music (Big Piano Music). Duke’s lengthy solo career had … [Read more...]
Freshened-up ‘Turandot’ at FGO is largely successful
By Robert Croan In her first two seasons as general director of Florida Grand Opera, Maria Todaro has been particularly successful in enhancing the visual quality of her productions. Noteworthy were her opening Magic Flute in October 2024, a high-tech re-thinking by Jeffrey Marc Buchman of a standard classic; an updated Carmen staged by Todaro, once a successful … [Read more...]
A splendid ‘Creation’ at Symphony of the Americas
By Robert Croan An overture representing Chaos, as dissonant and murky as anything written by the 20th-century’s 12-tone composers, settling quietly into three C minor triads. Then, after a few words from a bass soloist representing the archangel Raphael, “there was light,” and the orchestra bursts into a magnificent C major fortissimo statement. And The Creation is on … [Read more...]
Jazz pianist Miwa spreads the musical wealth at sold-out Arts Garage show
For the past five years, Japanese jazz pianist Yoko Miwa (www.yokomiwa.com) has led her trio on annual trips to South Florida to perform at the Arts Garage in Delray Beach, gaining a growing following there in the process. Feb. 21 was Miwa’s latest installment, as the 55-year-old, classically trained pianist entertained a sold-out crowd during a two-hour show with … [Read more...]
Cellist Hersh stunning in Fauré sonatas
By Robert Croan Chamber music concerts are too infrequent in this area, cello recitals even rarer, and a program showcasing the two sonatas for cello and piano by French composer Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) is quite extraordinary. Just about everything in the March 7 concert of Chamber Music at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, at the Community Church on Bougainville Drive, was in … [Read more...]