by Steven Blier | Mar 8, 2022 | Blier's Blog
I was at Caramoor two years ago just as we were becoming aware of the scale of the Covid pandemic. March of 2020 was still the dawn of the quarantine era. While we were not yet wearing masks, the threat of a marauding virus outside the protective walls of Caramoor...
by Steven Blier | Aug 2, 2021 | Blier's Blog
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...
by Steven Blier | Jul 31, 2021 | Blier's Blog
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...
by Steven Blier | Jul 30, 2021 | Blier's Blog
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...
by Steven Blier | Jul 29, 2021 | Blier's Blog
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....
by Steven Blier | Jul 28, 2021 | Blier's Blog
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...
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