Category Archives: Classical Music
UK sends two singers to Met Auditions semi-finals
University of Kentucky bass Matthew Turner won the Mid-South Regional Round of the Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions Saturday at UK’s Schmidt Vocal Arts Center, and has advanced to the audition’s national semi-finals, March 15 on the stage of the Metropolitan … Continue reading
Notebook: Kayoko Dan makes a dramatic return to Lexington
Former Central Kentucky Youth Orchestras director Kayoko Dan returned to the Bluegrass Friday night, directing the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra in a cinematic concert that highlighted several of the group’s principal players. Dan said Monday that the program was completely chosen … Continue reading
Notebook … ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ Live
In 2012, the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra celebrated its 50th anniversary with a movie music concert that included John Williams’ theme from Star Wars. I am not exaggerating when I say that I have probably heard that theme more than 1,000 times, but … Continue reading
Parks and Rec shows it can revive Downtown Arts Center
When the Lexington Department of Parks and Recreation took over management of the Downtown Arts Center in July, new director Celeste Lewis was prepared for a getting-to-know-you period before arts groups and presenters bought into the new era. But quite … Continue reading
Former UK viola professor Deborah Lander, an advocate for CPR training, has died
Deborah Lander, the world-renowned violist who brought an Australian accent to the University of Kentucky’s string program and became an advocate for CPR training after her own cardiac arrest, died Friday in England. She was 49. Her sister, Sara Allsopp … Continue reading
Philharmonic management and musicians agree on contract
While the 2013-14 Lexington Philharmonic season started in the midst of a labor dispute, the 2014-15 season will open Saturday with a new agreement in place between the orchestra management and musicians union. The two parties were expected to sign a … Continue reading
Chamber Music Festival of Lexington opens with game-changing performance
Photos: See a gallery from Wednesday’s concert. Even if you missed all of the prelude concerts in this year’s Chamber Music Festival of Lexington, it was fairly obvious there were some big changes this year from the downbeat of the … Continue reading
Chamber Music Festival of Lexington blows into town
The Chamber Music Festival of Lexington started Thursday, embarking on the biggest overhaul of the event since it started in 2007. Two years ago, the festival began to be preceded by impromptu concerts by a chamber group in addition to … Continue reading
Singletary Center announces 2014-15 lineup
The Singletary Center for the Arts has announced a 2014-15 season that includes several artists who previously had big shows in the area, plus another classical music superstar to collaborate with the University of Kentucky Symphony Orchestra. As in recent … Continue reading
Philharmonic cellist hit by truck seeks funds for prosthetics
Many artists go to funding websites such as Kickstarter to raise money to make albums, films or put on shows. Lexington Philharmonic cellist Lisa M. Schaeffer has launched a campaign for prosthetic legs after a tragic accident in November. Schaeffer, … Continue reading
