Congratulations to the 2013 Knight Foundation Arts Challenge!  Here is a list of projects of specific interest to the classical music community.  Some involve classical music in a direct way, others offer programs that offer unique ways of presenting classical music, some offer general programs that may prove useful in supporting organizations.  You might want to…

It's a rare treat for me to attend a concert only a few minutes drive from my house, so I was eager to learn more about the "Music at Monica's" series at the Church of Saint Monica's in Berwyn, Pennsylvania.  The church also has an older…

Piffaro, The Renaissance Band, has developed a loyal following over many years by presenting a variety of programs focused on early music performed by talented musicians.  The audience returns because they've learned to…

This was my first time to the Esperanza Center in North Philadelphia and I was looking forward to a concert that included a number of familiar musicians and a Latino theme.  The theater was comfortable but the extremely dry acoustic of the room was better suited for movies or small groups of amplified musicians.  An…

The theater was pitch black and when the spotlights lit up the stage area it was clear that this would be a unique and deeply personal experience.  Centered around the memories of lost loved ones, the evening was not only a cause of reflection but of celebration, too.  Brief but touching thoughts were spoken by…

Commonwealth plaza was swarming with large groups of teens and young adults, and many appeared wide eyed at possibly their first visit to the Kimmel Center.  The source of all these groups became clear as we waited patiently for the musicians to arrive on stage.  A man with a binder in the third row stood up, faced the…

The Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA) 2013 is scaled down significantly from the original festival held in 2011, but that doesn't mean there aren't events with great potential in the lineup.  The Kimmel Center asked me (Sharon Torello) to be a social media ambassador for the event and I scrambled to find bloggers so we could cover all the classical music events in the…

Flexible seating is one of the attributes that draws ensembles to perform in the beautiful Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral in University City.  I knew there would be dancers at this new presentation by the Crossing Choir so I was not surprised by the large open space in the front that appeared to be dedicated to that…

The houses grew fewer and farther between as fields filled in the gaps forming ever larger expanses of open land.  I was headed west, perhaps beyond the official "Greater Philadelphia Region" coverage of LocalArtsLive, but it didn't matter because I wanted to see "Jack in the Beanstalk" by…

I've cringed in the past when people question the safety of center city Philadelphia when deciding whether or not to go to a concert, but the tables were turned Saturday night.  Would I be safe going to a concert in Camden by myself?  Rest assured, the answer was a resounding "yes!".  The concert was held in Gordon…

In yet another collaboration this weekend, the Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia, Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra, and pianist, Ching-Yun Hu came together to present an evening of Beethoven and Gill.  The concert began with a rousing performance of Beethoven's "Overture to Fidelio".  The Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra…

The moment I heard about the concept of this concert I was intrigued.  Billed as "The Winds of Yore...and Now!", the program squared off Piffaro, the Renaissance Band with …

I'm quite sure this wasn't planned, but the combination of creative concerts and collaborations in the world of classical music in Philadelphia makes this my most anticipated weekend of the season.  The selections are so interesting that I thought it would be good to provide a mini-guide and encourage those who attend to comment on their experiences here.  

There was only one way for me to schedule all the events I wished to attend, but some of these concerts are available on…

Detailed information can sometimes backfire.  Such was the case Saturday night when I was looking forward to a leisurely drive in the country instead of my usual chaotic and unpredictable slog down the Schuylkill "Expressway" (which locals know first hand, is rarely "express" in any way) towards Philadelphia.…

I was reluctant to write about Choral Arts Philadelphia: Petite Messe Solennelle by Rossini because it defied categorization.  I thoroughly enjoyed the experience but my brain was doing flips trying to find a slot in which to file the…

In the past, those who wished to comment on blogs were required to be signed into LocalArtsLive.  This discouraged conversation, so I replaced those comments with Facebook comments, but this was problematic as well.  There was no way to see if anyone was leaving comments, and no way to…

In only a few concerts, William Way LGBT Community Center has established a growing reputation for high quality concerts in a friendly and intimate space.  A personal appearance by contemporary classical music composer and Pulitzer Prize winner, Jennifer Higdon, resulted in a standing room only concert January 12th. After a very warm welcome by the community center's executive director, Christopher Bartlett, pianist Ching-Yun Hu took the stage to perform Higdon's "Secret @ Glass Garden…

So many musicians rely on Facebook that I thought a that a quick note about this major change could prove to be useful  A search engine called "Graph" (really? Graph??) was announced yesterday.  It will be implemented over time to users in North America and, eventually, worldwide.  You may sign up for a Beta release to get an earlier upgrade.  Here is an introduction.

Way back "when", you might not have…

Showcases presented by LocalArtsLive are known for their wide variety of classical music, and the third concert in the series, scheduled for January 25, 2013 will be no exception.  The evening will include the ancient instruments of the harp, the voice, and percussion.  OK, well the kitchen utensils that…

The new year is a great time to review what's happened and recognize people and organizations who have been helpful in the success of LocalArtsLive.  My focus since I launched the website in March of 2011 has been to raise awareness and build a membership base.  I'm pleased with the results and I'll supply some numbers below.  The new year will bring an emphasis on tending to business details in order to build a sustainable organization.  …