written by
It’s been a minute, hasn’t it? When the pandemic hit, our lives became a surreal mixture of Rip Van Winkle and a psych lab deprivation experiment. I’m proud that NYFOS managed to keep producing concerts with a new video series, NYFOS@Home. Reaching out to colleagues...
I won’t bury the lede: the concert went beautifully. Sam and Nicoletta sang with a sheen and a sophistication far beyond their years, and they have stunning voices. At intermission we had a visit from a Parisian audience member, who gave the concert his blessing and...
Friday is usually the most uncomfortable day of a one-week rehearsal period. By now we’ve done our serious work on the songs, we’ve confronted some obstacles, we’ve had our breakthroughs. Friday isn’t a good day to make any big changes—it’s too close to performance...
I have encountered—and mostly overcome—three pitfalls this week as I prepare the concert. The first was a familiar one from other rehearsal periods where I am filling the dual roles of pianist and coach/artistic director. As I devote myself to preparing the singers...
In a week-long rehearsal period, Wednesday is usually the last calm day before the wind-up to the Sunday performance. The concert still seems far off, and you feel you can still explore and experiment with no pressure to have a final result. That was not true today....
It is a pleasure to work with artists as sophisticated as Nicoletta Berry and Sam Kidd. Each of them has a precociously strong understanding of their voice, a technical toolbox allowing them a wide range of colors and dynamics. With a flick of a larynx they have the...