by Steven Blier | Jun 13, 2019 | Song of the Day
It was crucial to include Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) in Manning the Canon. He was not only one of the twentieth century’s most significant musicians, but also one of the first out-gay composers in history. He lived with his longtime partner, the tenor Peter Pears,...
by Steven Blier | Jun 12, 2019 | Song of the Day
I am delving this week into the playlist of Manning the Canon: Songs of Gay Life. Much of the program focuses on scenes from contemporary life, but I also wanted to give some airplay to gay composers from the past. Many of them had to keep their same-sex affairs on...
by Steven Blier | Jun 11, 2019 | Song of the Day
Having just finished the NYFOS season in New York with our Lorca program, tossed off a Gershwin concert for our gala a couple of weeks later, and presided over my twentieth-fifth anniversary concert at Wolf Trap with music ranging from German Lieder to Cuban rumba, I...
by Five Boroughs Music Festival | May 24, 2019 | Song of the Day
This week’s Song of the Day is hosted by Jesse Blumberg and Donna Breitzer, the Artistic Director and Executive Director, respectively, of Five Boroughs Music Festival. Upcoming Birthday Boy Walt Whitman simply looms too large to appear only one day this week. ...
by Five Boroughs Music Festival | May 23, 2019 | Song of the Day
This week’s Song of the Day is hosted by Jesse Blumberg and Donna Breitzer, the Artistic Director and Executive Director, respectively, of Five Boroughs Music Festival. Are you ready for Walt Whitman’s birthday next weekend? We hope you got him something...
by Five Boroughs Music Festival | May 22, 2019 | Song of the Day
This week’s Song of the Day is hosted by Jesse Blumberg and Donna Breitzer, the Artistic Director and Executive Director, respectively, of Five Boroughs Music Festival. Every five years or so, we at 5BMF like to go all out and commission twenty composers to write a...
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