The United States has a long, rich choral music tradition that extends from the Moravians to William Billings, from spirituals to Morten Lauridsen. And now there are a number of prominent younger composers diligently adding to this repertoire. Minnesota-based Jake Runestad, who is only 29, is among these creators, and his new cantata, The Hope of Loving, had its world premiere … [Read more...]
Miami’s Naked Stage relocating to West Palm’s Clematis Street
It has been a rough year for theater companies in Palm Beach County, with the demise of Boca Raton Theatre Guild, Women’s Theatre Project, Delray Square Performing Arts and the Plaza Theatre, as well as the move away by Slow Burn Theatre from Boca to the Broward Center. Suddenly, though, there is some positive news with the announcement that Miami’s Naked Stage Theatre Co. is … [Read more...]
Miami Summer Music Festival bounces back from no-show with high spirits, strong Mahler
The opening concert of the second-ever season of the Miami Summer Music Festival opened in good news-bad news fashion, with the worst intelligence coming at the very start: No Deborah Voigt. The celebrated soprano, who was to open the season Saturday night at Barry University’s Shepard Broad Performing Arts Center, begged off, citing stomach flu and promising to appear for … [Read more...]
Fine Orff, messy presentation from Master Chorale
Everything about the Master Chorale of South Florida looked professional until the concert began at the Wold Performing Arts Center of Lynn University on Feb. 22. A choir member took the mic to appeal for funds: What the funds were used for was not explained. Better to capture the names and addresses of the packed audience and mail out an appeal and tell the people why. Next, … [Read more...]
Season Preview 2012-13: The Broward-Miami art scene
The visual arts season in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties is as contradictory as ever, refusing to be slotted into any tidy categories. The art soon pouring into museums and galleries gives as much attention to the natural world as it does to the imagined and synthetic realms, and shows by venerable artists open concurrently with exhibits introducing the newly minted and … [Read more...]
Season Preview 2012-13: New leadership at MCB raises dance stakes
Although Ballet Florida is now long-gone, the world of South Florida dance is seeing other big changes, most notably the arrival at Miami City Ballet of a new director following the sidelining and then departure of the company’s founder, Edward Villella. But there are small, scrappy companies hereabouts making their marks in the dance world, and the major area venues are … [Read more...]
Miami City Ballet bringing varied dance quartet to Kravis
For three weeks about three months ago, the Miami City Ballet played Paris to loud, raucous standing ovations. One lasted a full 10 minutes, according to founding artistic director Edward Villella. To Villella, and many of his dancers, this was a defining point in his career. One of the programs that brought down the house at the Paris Opera will be performed Friday at the … [Read more...]
The 2011-12 season in dance: New work for MCB highlight of rich season
The coming dance season couldn’t open any hotter: The world premiere of a new work for the Miami City Ballet by a rising young British star. But there are also plenty of other good things in the local dance world for 2011-12, including the State Ballet of Russia’s Swan Lake, the frenzy of champion ballroom dancers in Burn the Floor, and fresh work from local companies … [Read more...]
Miami City Ballet’s ‘Romeo’ to open at Kravis
Following impressive performances at the Arsht Center, the Miami City Ballet’s production of Romeo and Juliet, which opens tomorrow at the Kravis Center, is quickly establishing itself as the company’s newest, and biggest, hit. The company is mounting legendary South African choreographer John Cranko’s setting of the story, to the 1940 score by Sergei Prokofiev. Part of the … [Read more...]
Art world converges on Miami Beach for Art Basel ‘party’
Beginning Thursday, the contemporary art world will be in Miami Beach and its environs for the second largest art fair in the world: Art Basel Miami Beach. This includes artists, art critics, private dealers, advisers, galleries, curators, collectors, celebrities – and yes, mere lovers of art. The known, the not-so-known, the conservative and the bizarre — all will preen, … [Read more...]