Take 6: Come Unto Me

Take 6: Come Unto Me

Growing up, I was fascinated with the Grammy winning a cappella group “Take 6”. A group of six young black men singing about the power of goodness and Love was an incredible thing for me to look up to. Take 6 was started by singer Claude McKnight and 5 of his...
Punch Brothers: Familiarity

Punch Brothers: Familiarity

The song “Familiarity” by the Punch Brothers spoke to me on a special level when I first heard it a few years ago. It sort of redefined what I expected from popular music. The fact that there are so many musical styles and is set up in a form you usually...
Franz Liszt:  Vallée d’Obermann

Franz Liszt: Vallée d’Obermann

Lizst’s “Vallée d’Obermann” is my favorite piece of music ever written. I fell in love with it as a child, but resonated more with it as I got older and experienced the challenges of life. Before I knew anything about the piece, what I loved most about it, was...
Giuseppe Verdi: Luisa Miller

Giuseppe Verdi: Luisa Miller

A student and I were talking about the operas we’d heard in recent months, as we often do at the beginning of a session. It was a slightly depressing discussion, and one I’ve had several times recently in my studio during a period when there has been a lot of alarming...
Ernest Blanc sings Delibes and Bizet

Ernest Blanc sings Delibes and Bizet

One of the most rewarding parts of my life is my work at Juilliard. There I have met some extraordinary artists and given them projects that let them shine. NYFOS audiences have been lucky enough to hear many of these beautiful singers over the years—Paul Appleby,...