This morning WFMT received $87,000 from its generous, loyal audience. The station is blissfully quiet this afternoon. The music is sublime. Thank you, WFMT audience.

Pledge Central Goes Dark

(click here) Moscow Cheryo Part 3

Gerard McBurney, Creative Director of the CSO’s Beyond the Score series joins Noel Morris as Guest Host. Gerard discusses his long working relationship with Dmitri Shostakovich’s widow, Irina and his orchestration of the composer’s operetta “Moscow, Cheryomushki” being staged by Chicago Opera Theater.

"Moscow, Cheryomushki" at Chicago Opera Theater

I spent a wonderful long weekend in the Los Angeles a while ago.  It really was old home week – with a reunion with my oldest friend (from Kindergarten onward…but I hadn’t seen her in 30 years!).  Then off to my Alma Mater – Occidental College – for a great celebration of the Oxy Glee clubs from the many years when the great Howard Swan was the director.  since Dr. Swan was was there fromm 1934 to 1971, we had lots of singers from way back, as well as many of my friends from the laste 1960s.  What a great time…singing, reminiscing, laughing and remembering.

Agnieszka Rakhmatullaev (Artistic Operations Manager of the Grant Park Music Festival) is one of just two to be named a 2012 Orchestra Management Fellow by the League of American Orchestras.  I chatted with Agnieszka late last week on-stage at the Jay Pritzker Pavillion about her background and becoming a LAO Fellow.

Two classic Ma Rainey recordings for your enjoyment:

See See Rider Blues (1925)

Deep Moaning Blues (1928)

And here’s Memphis Minnie singing her musical tribute to the “Mother of Blues Music,” appropriately titled “Ma Rainey.”

Laurie Lee Moses from the Center for Black Music Research at Columbia College Chicago shares the Richard Stams Collection..