Randall Thompson (1899-1984)
Leonard Warren (1911-1960)
Bruno Maderna (1920-1973)
Locksley Wellington 'Slide' Hampton (1932-2021)
Easley Blackwood (1933-2023)
Lionel Rogg (1936)
John McCabe (1939-2015)
Iggy Pop (1947)
Richard Bernas (1950)
Melissa Hui (1966)
and
Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855)
John Muir (1838-1914)
Sanora Babb (1907-2005)
Elaine May (1932)
Nell Freudenberger (1975)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1937, Copland's play-opera for high school "The Second Hurricane," was premiered at the Grand Street Playhouse in New York City, with soloists from the Professional Children's School, members of the Henry Street Settlement adult chorus, and the Seward High School student chorus, with Lehman Engle conducting and Orson Welles directing the staged production. One professional adult actor, Joseph Cotten, also participated (He was paid $10).
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Monday, April 20, 2026
Today's Birthdays
Nikolai Miaskovsky (1881-1950)
Lionel Hampton (1908-2002)
Christopher Robinson (1936)
John Eliot Gardiner (1943)
Robert Kyr (1952)
and
Pietro Aretino (1492-1556)
Harold Lloyd (1893-1971)
Joan Miró (1893-1983)
Sebastian Faulks (1953)
And from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1928, in Paris, the first public demonstration of an electronic instrument invented by Maurice Martenot called the "Ondes musicales" took place. The instrument later came to be called the "Ondes Martenot," and was included in scores by Milhaud, Messiaen, Jolivet, Ibert, Honegger, Florent Schmitt and other 20th century composers.
Lionel Hampton (1908-2002)
Christopher Robinson (1936)
John Eliot Gardiner (1943)
Robert Kyr (1952)
and
Pietro Aretino (1492-1556)
Harold Lloyd (1893-1971)
Joan Miró (1893-1983)
Sebastian Faulks (1953)
And from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1928, in Paris, the first public demonstration of an electronic instrument invented by Maurice Martenot called the "Ondes musicales" took place. The instrument later came to be called the "Ondes Martenot," and was included in scores by Milhaud, Messiaen, Jolivet, Ibert, Honegger, Florent Schmitt and other 20th century composers.
Sunday, April 19, 2026
Today's Birthdays
Alexandre Pierre François Boëly (1785-1858)
Max von Schillings (1868-1933)
Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983)
Ruben Gonzalez (1919-2003)
Dudley Moore (1935-2002)
Bernhard Klee (1936-2025)
Kenneth Riegel (1938-2023)
Jonathan Tunick (1938)
David Fanshawe (1942-2010)
Murray Perahia (1947)
Yan-Pascal Tortelier (1947)
Natalie Dessay (1965)
and
Sarah Kemble Knight (1666-1727)
Etheridge Knight (1931-1991)
Sharon Pollock (1936-2021)
Stanley Fish (1938)
and from the New Music Box:
On April 19, 1775, William Billings and Supply Belcher, two of the earliest American composers who at the time were serving as Minutemen (militia members in the American Revolutionary War who had undertaken to turn out for service at a minute's notice), marched to Cambridge immediately after receiving an alarm from Lexington about an impending armed engagement with the British.
Max von Schillings (1868-1933)
Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983)
Ruben Gonzalez (1919-2003)
Dudley Moore (1935-2002)
Bernhard Klee (1936-2025)
Kenneth Riegel (1938-2023)
Jonathan Tunick (1938)
David Fanshawe (1942-2010)
Murray Perahia (1947)
Yan-Pascal Tortelier (1947)
Natalie Dessay (1965)
and
Sarah Kemble Knight (1666-1727)
Etheridge Knight (1931-1991)
Sharon Pollock (1936-2021)
Stanley Fish (1938)
and from the New Music Box:
On April 19, 1775, William Billings and Supply Belcher, two of the earliest American composers who at the time were serving as Minutemen (militia members in the American Revolutionary War who had undertaken to turn out for service at a minute's notice), marched to Cambridge immediately after receiving an alarm from Lexington about an impending armed engagement with the British.
Saturday, April 18, 2026
Preview of summer festivals in Chamber Music magazine
Today's Birthdays
Giacomo Carissimi (1605-1674)
Franz von Suppé (1819-1895)
Leopold Stokowski (1882-1977)
Miklós Rózsa (1907-1995)
Sylvia Fisher (1910-1996)
Penelope Thwaites (1944)
Catherine Maltfitano (1948)
and
Clarence Darrow (1857-1938)
Bob Kaufman (1925-1986)
Susan Faludi (1959)
Also this historical tidbit from (the former) Writer's Almanac:
On this day in 1906 an earthquake struck San Francisco. The earthquake began at 5:12 a.m. and lasted for a little over a minute. The world-famous tenor Enrico Caruso had performed at San Francisco's Grand Opera House the night before, and he woke up in his bed as the Palace Hotel was falling down around him. He stumbled out into the street, and because he was terrified that that shock might have ruined his voice, he began singing. Nearly 3,000 people died.
Franz von Suppé (1819-1895)
Leopold Stokowski (1882-1977)
Miklós Rózsa (1907-1995)
Sylvia Fisher (1910-1996)
Penelope Thwaites (1944)
Catherine Maltfitano (1948)
and
Clarence Darrow (1857-1938)
Bob Kaufman (1925-1986)
Susan Faludi (1959)
Also this historical tidbit from (the former) Writer's Almanac:
On this day in 1906 an earthquake struck San Francisco. The earthquake began at 5:12 a.m. and lasted for a little over a minute. The world-famous tenor Enrico Caruso had performed at San Francisco's Grand Opera House the night before, and he woke up in his bed as the Palace Hotel was falling down around him. He stumbled out into the street, and because he was terrified that that shock might have ruined his voice, he began singing. Nearly 3,000 people died.
Friday, April 17, 2026
Review: Vancouver Symphony and McDermott deliver scintillating Beethoven First Piano Concerto
A nearly full-house greeted the Vancouver Symphony on Sunday, April 12, at Skyview Concert Hall, continuing a very positive trend for the orchestra, which is seeing large and enthusiastic audiences throughout the season. But even better news came at the beginning of the concert, when the orchestra’s Director of Development, Hal Abrams, announced a one-million-dollar commitment from one of its patrons, Martin Wolf. That almost took concertgoers breath away – as they realized that the local band is on an upswing. What a terrific way to begin a concert!
Well, such an announcement might be a tough act to follow, but the Vancouver Symphony went local again – this time with “Légendaire” by Nicole Buetti, who is orchestra’s contrabassoonist. The University of Portland Chamber Orchestra had played an earlier version of this piece, but the VSO and Music Director Salvador Brotons gave a the first ever performance of Buetti’s revised version for full orchestra. She introduced the piece by asking the audience to imagine a cinematic action sequence in which a hot air balloon chases a train, and then told listeners to “enjoy the ride.”
The one-movement piece shifted between a gentle melodic theme and a motoric theme that conveyed the sense of moving forward at a rapid rate. An extended solo for viola changed things up a bit before the pace picked up again, and the entire enterprise came to a sharp and solid ending, perhaps suggesting a violent finale for the train and the hot air balloon.
Next came of the nation’s foremost pianists, Anne-Marie McDermott, who teamed up with the VSO for a scintillating performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1. The long opening statement from the orchestra set things up perfectly for the soloist with crisp strings and well-balanced brass. McDermott took over expertly, delivering passages with outstanding articulation and dynamics and her extended cadenza sparkled and glowed.
McDermott and the orchestra also excelled with the stately and noble theme of the second movement – although it was interrupted by a squeaky reed at one point. Excellent exchanges between the McDermott and the principal clarinetist Igor Shakhman created the feeling of lightness and elegance.
The mood changed with McDermott leading the way into the final movement with artistry that was simultaneously fiery and witty. Her cleanly articulated playing created a lively dance with the orchestra, and the piece finished with a spirited joy de vivre.
Thunderous applause and an immediate standing ovation brought McDermott back to center stage several times. She graciously responded with an outstanding encore – the Bourres 1 and 2 from Bach’s “English Suite 2 in A minor.” She generated a stunningly delicious blitz of notes that left the audience awestruck, and it was followed by another standing ovation.
After intermission, Brotons and the orchestra gave a solid performance of Brahms’ Symphony No. 1. I may have been sitting too close to the stage in order to get a full sense of the dynamic volume, but it seemed that most of the sonic output was in the medium to loud range. Overall, the sound of the strings continues to improve. The duet between concertmaster Aromi Park and principal hornist Daniel Partridge highlighted the second movement. The horn section played with gusto, and the woodwinds expressed their passages with elan. Some entrances seemed a bit tentative and there’s still a need to crisp things up a bit more, but Brotons and forces got across the finish line in a way that resonated well with the audience, which gave the performance a standing ovation
Well, such an announcement might be a tough act to follow, but the Vancouver Symphony went local again – this time with “Légendaire” by Nicole Buetti, who is orchestra’s contrabassoonist. The University of Portland Chamber Orchestra had played an earlier version of this piece, but the VSO and Music Director Salvador Brotons gave a the first ever performance of Buetti’s revised version for full orchestra. She introduced the piece by asking the audience to imagine a cinematic action sequence in which a hot air balloon chases a train, and then told listeners to “enjoy the ride.”
The one-movement piece shifted between a gentle melodic theme and a motoric theme that conveyed the sense of moving forward at a rapid rate. An extended solo for viola changed things up a bit before the pace picked up again, and the entire enterprise came to a sharp and solid ending, perhaps suggesting a violent finale for the train and the hot air balloon.
Next came of the nation’s foremost pianists, Anne-Marie McDermott, who teamed up with the VSO for a scintillating performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1. The long opening statement from the orchestra set things up perfectly for the soloist with crisp strings and well-balanced brass. McDermott took over expertly, delivering passages with outstanding articulation and dynamics and her extended cadenza sparkled and glowed.
McDermott and the orchestra also excelled with the stately and noble theme of the second movement – although it was interrupted by a squeaky reed at one point. Excellent exchanges between the McDermott and the principal clarinetist Igor Shakhman created the feeling of lightness and elegance.
The mood changed with McDermott leading the way into the final movement with artistry that was simultaneously fiery and witty. Her cleanly articulated playing created a lively dance with the orchestra, and the piece finished with a spirited joy de vivre.
Thunderous applause and an immediate standing ovation brought McDermott back to center stage several times. She graciously responded with an outstanding encore – the Bourres 1 and 2 from Bach’s “English Suite 2 in A minor.” She generated a stunningly delicious blitz of notes that left the audience awestruck, and it was followed by another standing ovation.
After intermission, Brotons and the orchestra gave a solid performance of Brahms’ Symphony No. 1. I may have been sitting too close to the stage in order to get a full sense of the dynamic volume, but it seemed that most of the sonic output was in the medium to loud range. Overall, the sound of the strings continues to improve. The duet between concertmaster Aromi Park and principal hornist Daniel Partridge highlighted the second movement. The horn section played with gusto, and the woodwinds expressed their passages with elan. Some entrances seemed a bit tentative and there’s still a need to crisp things up a bit more, but Brotons and forces got across the finish line in a way that resonated well with the audience, which gave the performance a standing ovation
Today's Birthdays
Johann David Heinichen (1683-1729)
Jan Václav Tomášek (1774-1850)
Artur Schnabel (1882-1951)
Maggie Teyte (1888-1976)
Harald Saeverud (1897-1992)
Gregor Piatigorsky (1903-1976)
Pamela Bowden (1925-2003)
James Last (1929-2015)
Anja Silja (1940)
Siegfried Jerusalem (1940)
Cristina Ortiz (1950)
and
Karen Blixen aka Isak Dinesen (1885-1962)
Thornton Wilder (1897-1975)
Brendan Kennelly (1936-2021)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1906 - on tour in San Francisco with the Metropolitan Opera touring company, the great Italian tenor Enrico Caruso sings a performance of Bizet's "Carmen" the day before the Great San Francisco Earthquake.
Jan Václav Tomášek (1774-1850)
Artur Schnabel (1882-1951)
Maggie Teyte (1888-1976)
Harald Saeverud (1897-1992)
Gregor Piatigorsky (1903-1976)
Pamela Bowden (1925-2003)
James Last (1929-2015)
Anja Silja (1940)
Siegfried Jerusalem (1940)
Cristina Ortiz (1950)
and
Karen Blixen aka Isak Dinesen (1885-1962)
Thornton Wilder (1897-1975)
Brendan Kennelly (1936-2021)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1906 - on tour in San Francisco with the Metropolitan Opera touring company, the great Italian tenor Enrico Caruso sings a performance of Bizet's "Carmen" the day before the Great San Francisco Earthquake.
Thursday, April 16, 2026
Review: Oregon Symphony shows French flair with Fliter and Markl
In an evening that sparkled like champagne, the Oregon Symphony transported concertgoers into the French musical realm on April 11th at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall with a program that featured works by Camille Saint-Saëns and Maurice Ravel. Guest artist Ingrid Fliter superbly delivered Ravel’s "Piano Concerto in G major" and principal guest conductor Jun Märkl channeled into an awesome innate understanding of Saint-Saëns and Ravel – well, Märkl received the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2012. The result was a exceptional concert that was life-enhancing from beginning to end.
Ravel’s "Piano Concerto" sparkled and glowed with Argentine pianist Fliter at the keyboard. The propulsive drive of the first movement flowed with energy and with a gemlike articulation that connected so well with the audience that it burst into applause right after the movement concluded. For the slow second movement, Fliter shifted gears and created a continuous stream of lovely and relaxed passages that were imbued with elegance and a wistful quality. Her playing offered a sense of intimacy that was extraordinary, and again listeners responded with heartfelt applause. In the third movement, Fliter upped the tempo, generated shimmering moments, and drove the piece to its joyful conclusion.
Märkl and his forces were totally in sync with Fliter the entire way. The soloist and orchestra maintained a terrific sonic balance so that piano could always be heard – with the melodic line more dominant but never in your face. A highlight of the first movement occurred when the orchestra fashioned a passage that had a blurry, mysterious atmosphere – while Fliter executed numerous runs.
The effusive acclamation for Fliter brought her back to center stage a couple of times, and she responded to the audience’s enthusiasm with a lovely rendition of Scriabin’s Prelude Op. 13, No. 3, which she dedicated to the memory of her parents.
After intermission, Märkl and the orchestra topped things off with a spectacular performance of Ravel’s “Daphnis et Choé.” That was a feast of sonic opulence, even without the optional part for wordless chorus. The huge orchestra included an alto flute in the woodwind section, two harps, a celeste, and a percussion battery stocked up with all sorts of instruments like the wind machine – lined up along the back wall. So the stage at The Schnitz was fairly crowded with musicians.
Conducting the 50-minute-piece from memory, it was remarkable how spry and graceful Märkl’s style is. He gave spot-on cues to individuals and sections throughout the work. His understanding of the music enhanced the story-telling aspect. It was easy to visualize the Greek pastoral romance of the shepherd Daphnis and the shepherdess Chloé, the violence of the pirates abducting Chloé, the ensuing rescue, dawn breaking, and the wild celebration at the end.
Märkl and company sculpted superb dynamics, and a continuous wash of orchestral colors that ebbed and flowed effortlessly. Among the numerous highlights was the silky sound of the strings, the rough dance created by the bassoons and brass, the explosive sforzandos, and sonic glow, creating glorious sunshine that broke through the clouds. Concertmaster Sarah Kwak, principal hornist Jeff Garza, principal flutist Alicia DiDonato Paulsen, and the entire percussion section executed their exposed passages superbly.
To open the concert, the orchestra played Saint-Saëns’ “Le route d’Omphale” (The Spinning Wheel of Omphale), a real gem of that depicts the thread-making of Omphale, legendary queen of ancient Lydia. The strings generated a continuous stream of light and airy sound – but that changed to a slightly dark and menacing tone – hinting at the mythological story of Hercules and some violent goings on. A bubbly exchange between principal clarinetist Mark Dubac and DiDonato Paulsen suggested Hercules and Omphale. The gentle spinning sound near the end of the piece conveyed the idea that things settled down and returned to normal.
I don’t think of Portlanders as particularly in tune with a Francophone sound, but Märkl and company just swept up the audience, which embraced the all-French program wholeheartedly. Among the many excellent concerts this season, this concert had to rank up at – or near – the top.
Ravel’s "Piano Concerto" sparkled and glowed with Argentine pianist Fliter at the keyboard. The propulsive drive of the first movement flowed with energy and with a gemlike articulation that connected so well with the audience that it burst into applause right after the movement concluded. For the slow second movement, Fliter shifted gears and created a continuous stream of lovely and relaxed passages that were imbued with elegance and a wistful quality. Her playing offered a sense of intimacy that was extraordinary, and again listeners responded with heartfelt applause. In the third movement, Fliter upped the tempo, generated shimmering moments, and drove the piece to its joyful conclusion.
Märkl and his forces were totally in sync with Fliter the entire way. The soloist and orchestra maintained a terrific sonic balance so that piano could always be heard – with the melodic line more dominant but never in your face. A highlight of the first movement occurred when the orchestra fashioned a passage that had a blurry, mysterious atmosphere – while Fliter executed numerous runs.
The effusive acclamation for Fliter brought her back to center stage a couple of times, and she responded to the audience’s enthusiasm with a lovely rendition of Scriabin’s Prelude Op. 13, No. 3, which she dedicated to the memory of her parents.
After intermission, Märkl and the orchestra topped things off with a spectacular performance of Ravel’s “Daphnis et Choé.” That was a feast of sonic opulence, even without the optional part for wordless chorus. The huge orchestra included an alto flute in the woodwind section, two harps, a celeste, and a percussion battery stocked up with all sorts of instruments like the wind machine – lined up along the back wall. So the stage at The Schnitz was fairly crowded with musicians.
Conducting the 50-minute-piece from memory, it was remarkable how spry and graceful Märkl’s style is. He gave spot-on cues to individuals and sections throughout the work. His understanding of the music enhanced the story-telling aspect. It was easy to visualize the Greek pastoral romance of the shepherd Daphnis and the shepherdess Chloé, the violence of the pirates abducting Chloé, the ensuing rescue, dawn breaking, and the wild celebration at the end.
Märkl and company sculpted superb dynamics, and a continuous wash of orchestral colors that ebbed and flowed effortlessly. Among the numerous highlights was the silky sound of the strings, the rough dance created by the bassoons and brass, the explosive sforzandos, and sonic glow, creating glorious sunshine that broke through the clouds. Concertmaster Sarah Kwak, principal hornist Jeff Garza, principal flutist Alicia DiDonato Paulsen, and the entire percussion section executed their exposed passages superbly.
To open the concert, the orchestra played Saint-Saëns’ “Le route d’Omphale” (The Spinning Wheel of Omphale), a real gem of that depicts the thread-making of Omphale, legendary queen of ancient Lydia. The strings generated a continuous stream of light and airy sound – but that changed to a slightly dark and menacing tone – hinting at the mythological story of Hercules and some violent goings on. A bubbly exchange between principal clarinetist Mark Dubac and DiDonato Paulsen suggested Hercules and Omphale. The gentle spinning sound near the end of the piece conveyed the idea that things settled down and returned to normal.
I don’t think of Portlanders as particularly in tune with a Francophone sound, but Märkl and company just swept up the audience, which embraced the all-French program wholeheartedly. Among the many excellent concerts this season, this concert had to rank up at – or near – the top.
Today's Birthdays
Federico Mompou (1893-1987)
Mischa Mischakov (1895-1981)
Henry Mancini (1924-1994)
Herbie Mann (1930-2003)
Dusty Springfield (1939-1999)
Stephen Pruslin (1940)
Leo Nucci (1942)
Richard Bradshaw (1944-2007)
Dennis Russell Davis (1944)
Peteris Vasks (1946)
and
John Millington Synge (1871-1909)
Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977)
Merce Cunningham (1919-2009)
Sir Kingsley Amis (1922-1995)
Carol Bly (1930-2007)
Mischa Mischakov (1895-1981)
Henry Mancini (1924-1994)
Herbie Mann (1930-2003)
Dusty Springfield (1939-1999)
Stephen Pruslin (1940)
Leo Nucci (1942)
Richard Bradshaw (1944-2007)
Dennis Russell Davis (1944)
Peteris Vasks (1946)
and
John Millington Synge (1871-1909)
Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977)
Merce Cunningham (1919-2009)
Sir Kingsley Amis (1922-1995)
Carol Bly (1930-2007)
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Today's Birthdays
Johann Friedrich Fasch (1688-1758)
Karl Alwin (1891-1945)
Bessie Smith (1894-1937)
Sir Neville Marriner (1924-2016)
John Wilbraham (1944-1998)
Michael Kamen (1948-2003)
Lara St. John (1971)
and
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
Henry James (1843-1916)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1931, Copland's "A Dance Symphony," was premiered by the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Leopold Stokowski. This work incorporates material from Copland's 1923 ballet "Grohg," which had not been produced. The symphony was one the winners of the 1929 Victor Talking Machine Company Competition Prize. The judges of the competition decided that none of the submitted works deserved the full $25,000 prize, so they awarded $5000 each to four composers, including Copland, Ernest Bloch, and Louis Gruenberg, and gave $10,000 to Robert Russell Bennett (who had submitted two works).
Karl Alwin (1891-1945)
Bessie Smith (1894-1937)
Sir Neville Marriner (1924-2016)
John Wilbraham (1944-1998)
Michael Kamen (1948-2003)
Lara St. John (1971)
and
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
Henry James (1843-1916)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1931, Copland's "A Dance Symphony," was premiered by the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Leopold Stokowski. This work incorporates material from Copland's 1923 ballet "Grohg," which had not been produced. The symphony was one the winners of the 1929 Victor Talking Machine Company Competition Prize. The judges of the competition decided that none of the submitted works deserved the full $25,000 prize, so they awarded $5000 each to four composers, including Copland, Ernest Bloch, and Louis Gruenberg, and gave $10,000 to Robert Russell Bennett (who had submitted two works).
Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Today's Birthdays
Jean Fournet (1913-2008)
Paavo Berglund (1929-2012)
Morton Subotnick (1933)
Loretta Lynn (1935-2022)
Claude Vivier (1948-1983)
John Wallace (1949)
Julian Lloyd Webber (1951)
Barbara Bonney (1956)
Mikhail Pletnev (1957)
Jason Lai (1974)
and
Christian Huygens (1629-1695)
Arnold Toynbee (1853-1882)
Anton Wildgans (1881-1932)
Tina Rosenberg (1960)
From the former Writer's Almanac:
It's the legal birthday of the modern printing press, which William Bullock patented on this day in 1863 in Baltimore. His invention was the first rotary printing press to self-feed the paper, print on both sides, and count its own progress — meaning that newspapers, which had until then relied on an operator manually feeding individual sheets of paper into a press, could suddenly increase their publication exponentially.
The Cincinnati Times was likely the very first to use a Bullock press, with the New York Sun installing one soon after. Bullock was installing a press for The Philadelphia Press when he kicked at a mechanism; his foot got caught, his leg was crushed, and he died a few days later during surgery to amputate. His press went on to revolutionize the newspaper business.
Paavo Berglund (1929-2012)
Morton Subotnick (1933)
Loretta Lynn (1935-2022)
Claude Vivier (1948-1983)
John Wallace (1949)
Julian Lloyd Webber (1951)
Barbara Bonney (1956)
Mikhail Pletnev (1957)
Jason Lai (1974)
and
Christian Huygens (1629-1695)
Arnold Toynbee (1853-1882)
Anton Wildgans (1881-1932)
Tina Rosenberg (1960)
From the former Writer's Almanac:
It's the legal birthday of the modern printing press, which William Bullock patented on this day in 1863 in Baltimore. His invention was the first rotary printing press to self-feed the paper, print on both sides, and count its own progress — meaning that newspapers, which had until then relied on an operator manually feeding individual sheets of paper into a press, could suddenly increase their publication exponentially.
The Cincinnati Times was likely the very first to use a Bullock press, with the New York Sun installing one soon after. Bullock was installing a press for The Philadelphia Press when he kicked at a mechanism; his foot got caught, his leg was crushed, and he died a few days later during surgery to amputate. His press went on to revolutionize the newspaper business.
Monday, April 13, 2026
Today's Birthdays
Felicien David (1810-1876)
William Sterndale Bennett (1816-1875)
Milos Sadlo (1912-2003)
George Barati (1913-1996)
Frederic Rzewski (1938-2021)
Margaret Price (1941-2011)
Della Jones (1946)
Al Green (1946)
Claude Vivier (1948-1983)
Mary Ellen Childs (1959)
and
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)
Samuel Beckett (1906-1989)
Eudora Welty (1909-2001)
Seamus Heaney (1939-2013)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1958, American pianist Van Cliburn wins the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, the first American to do so.
William Sterndale Bennett (1816-1875)
Milos Sadlo (1912-2003)
George Barati (1913-1996)
Frederic Rzewski (1938-2021)
Margaret Price (1941-2011)
Della Jones (1946)
Al Green (1946)
Claude Vivier (1948-1983)
Mary Ellen Childs (1959)
and
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)
Samuel Beckett (1906-1989)
Eudora Welty (1909-2001)
Seamus Heaney (1939-2013)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1958, American pianist Van Cliburn wins the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, the first American to do so.
Sunday, April 12, 2026
Today's Birthdays
Pietro Nardini (1722-1793)
Joseph Lanner (1801-1843)
Johnny Dodds (1892-1940)
Lily Pons (1898-1976)
Imogen Holst (1907-1984)
Thomas Hemsley (1927-2013)
Herbert Khaury (aka Tiny Tim) (1932-1996)
Henri Lazarof (1932-2013)
Montserrat Caballé (1933-2018)
Stefan Minde (1936-2015)
Herbie Hancock (1940)
Ernst Kovacic (1943)
Christophe Rousset (1961)
and
Beverly Cleary (1916-2021)
Alan Ayckbourn (1939)
Tom Clancy (1947-2013)
Gary Soto (1952)
Jon Krakauer (1954)
Joseph Lanner (1801-1843)
Johnny Dodds (1892-1940)
Lily Pons (1898-1976)
Imogen Holst (1907-1984)
Thomas Hemsley (1927-2013)
Herbert Khaury (aka Tiny Tim) (1932-1996)
Henri Lazarof (1932-2013)
Montserrat Caballé (1933-2018)
Stefan Minde (1936-2015)
Herbie Hancock (1940)
Ernst Kovacic (1943)
Christophe Rousset (1961)
and
Beverly Cleary (1916-2021)
Alan Ayckbourn (1939)
Tom Clancy (1947-2013)
Gary Soto (1952)
Jon Krakauer (1954)
Saturday, April 11, 2026
Today's Birthdays
Jean-Joseph Mouret (1682-1738)
Charles Hallé (1819-1895)
Karel Ančerl (1908-1973)
Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983)
Gervase de Peyer (1926-2017)
Kurt Moll (1938-2017)
Arthur Davies (1941)
and
Marguerite de Navarre (1492-1549)
Christopher Smart (1722-1771)
Mark Strand (1934-2014)
Ellen Goodman (1941)
Dorothy Allison (1949)
From the New Music Box:
On April 11, 1941, Austrian-born composer Arnold Schönberg became an American citizen and officially changed the spelling of his last name to Schoenberg. He would remain in the United States until his death in 1951. Some of his most important compositions, including the Piano Concerto, the Violin Concerto, and the Fourth String Quartet, were composed during his American years.
Charles Hallé (1819-1895)
Karel Ančerl (1908-1973)
Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983)
Gervase de Peyer (1926-2017)
Kurt Moll (1938-2017)
Arthur Davies (1941)
and
Marguerite de Navarre (1492-1549)
Christopher Smart (1722-1771)
Mark Strand (1934-2014)
Ellen Goodman (1941)
Dorothy Allison (1949)
From the New Music Box:
On April 11, 1941, Austrian-born composer Arnold Schönberg became an American citizen and officially changed the spelling of his last name to Schoenberg. He would remain in the United States until his death in 1951. Some of his most important compositions, including the Piano Concerto, the Violin Concerto, and the Fourth String Quartet, were composed during his American years.
Friday, April 10, 2026
Today's Birthdays
Michel Corrette (1707-1795)
Eugen d'Albert (1864-1932)
Victor de Sabata (1892-1967)
Fiddlin' Arthur Smith (1891-1971)
Harry Mortimer (1902-1992)
Luigi Alva (1927-2025)
Claude Bolling (1930-2020)
Jorge Mester (1935)
Sarah Leonard (1953)
Lesley Garrett (1955)
Yefim Bronfman (1958)
and
William Hazlitt (1778-1830)
Joseph Pulitzer (1847-1911)
Francis Perkins (1880-1965)
David Halberstam (1934-2007)
Paul Theroux (1941)
Norman Dubie (1945)
Anne Lamott (1954)
And from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1868, Brahms's "A German Requiem," was premiered at a Good Friday concert at Bremen Cathedral conducted by the composer.
Eugen d'Albert (1864-1932)
Victor de Sabata (1892-1967)
Fiddlin' Arthur Smith (1891-1971)
Harry Mortimer (1902-1992)
Luigi Alva (1927-2025)
Claude Bolling (1930-2020)
Jorge Mester (1935)
Sarah Leonard (1953)
Lesley Garrett (1955)
Yefim Bronfman (1958)
and
William Hazlitt (1778-1830)
Joseph Pulitzer (1847-1911)
Francis Perkins (1880-1965)
David Halberstam (1934-2007)
Paul Theroux (1941)
Norman Dubie (1945)
Anne Lamott (1954)
And from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1868, Brahms's "A German Requiem," was premiered at a Good Friday concert at Bremen Cathedral conducted by the composer.
Thursday, April 9, 2026
Today's Birthdays
Johann Kaspar Kerll (1627-1693)
Georg Matthias Monn (1717-1750)
François Giroust (1737-1799)
Supply Belcher (1751-1836)
Theodor Boehm (1794-1881)
Paolo Tosti (1846-1916)
Florence Price (1888-1953)
Sol Hurok (1888-1974)
Efrem Zimbalist Sr. (1889-1985)
Julius Patzak (1898-1974)
Paul Robeson (1898-1976)
Antal Doráti (1906-1988)
Tom Lehrer (1928-2025)
Aulis Sallinen (1935)
Jerzy Maksymiuk (1936)
Neil Jenkins (1945)
and
Charles-Pierre Baudelaire (1821-1867)
Gregory Goodwin Pincus (1903-1967)
J. William Fullbright (1905-1995)
Jørn Utzon (1918-2008)
From the former Writer's Almanac:
On this day in 1860, the oldest known recording of the human voice was made — someone was singing Au Clair de la Lune. French inventor Edouard-Léon Scott de Martinville captured sound waves on glass plates using a funnel, two membranes, and a stylus. He made the recording 17 years before Edison made his, but he didn't invent anything to play the recording back.
When researchers discovered these recordings three years ago, they assumed the voice singing was a woman's, so they played it at that speed. But then they re-checked the inventor's notes, and they realized that the inventor himself had sung the song, very slowly, carefully enunciating, as if to capture the beautiful totality of the human voice.
You can hear the astonishing recording at both speeds at firstsounds.org.
Georg Matthias Monn (1717-1750)
François Giroust (1737-1799)
Supply Belcher (1751-1836)
Theodor Boehm (1794-1881)
Paolo Tosti (1846-1916)
Florence Price (1888-1953)
Sol Hurok (1888-1974)
Efrem Zimbalist Sr. (1889-1985)
Julius Patzak (1898-1974)
Paul Robeson (1898-1976)
Antal Doráti (1906-1988)
Tom Lehrer (1928-2025)
Aulis Sallinen (1935)
Jerzy Maksymiuk (1936)
Neil Jenkins (1945)
and
Charles-Pierre Baudelaire (1821-1867)
Gregory Goodwin Pincus (1903-1967)
J. William Fullbright (1905-1995)
Jørn Utzon (1918-2008)
From the former Writer's Almanac:
On this day in 1860, the oldest known recording of the human voice was made — someone was singing Au Clair de la Lune. French inventor Edouard-Léon Scott de Martinville captured sound waves on glass plates using a funnel, two membranes, and a stylus. He made the recording 17 years before Edison made his, but he didn't invent anything to play the recording back.
When researchers discovered these recordings three years ago, they assumed the voice singing was a woman's, so they played it at that speed. But then they re-checked the inventor's notes, and they realized that the inventor himself had sung the song, very slowly, carefully enunciating, as if to capture the beautiful totality of the human voice.
You can hear the astonishing recording at both speeds at firstsounds.org.
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
Preview: Upcoming Project Chamber Music: Willamette Valley concert
In its 10th Anniversary Season, Project Chamber Music: Willamette Valley turns toward intimacy, depth, and human connection with an uplifting spring residency and concert that brings together three artists of international stature: soprano Katharine Dain, violist Caitlin Lynch, and pianist Ieva Jokubaviciute.
This spring residency is part of PCM’s expanded anniversary season, doubling its programming for the first time with a second residency. The April 17 concert, This Love Between Us, explores love not as sentiment, but as a sustaining force that is inherited, tested, remembered, and renewed across generations.
Soprano Katharine Dain brings a searching musical intelligence shaped by a global career spanning the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orchestra of the 18th Century, BBC Symphony Orchestras, and major opera houses and festivals throughout Europe and the U.S. Her acclaimed debut album Regards sur l’Infini received the Edison Klassiek Award and international praise for its emotional clarity and depth. She is joined by GRAMMY Award winner Caitlin Lynch, violist and founding Artistic Director of Project Chamber Music, whose work centers collaboration and mentorship, and Ieva Jokubaviciute, a pianist “riveting in every way” (The Washington Post) and celebrated worldwide for her insight, range, and adventurous musical partnerships. (Full artist biographies are available at pcmwv.org/artists.)
The concert takes its title and guiding philosophy from composer Reena Esmail, who shares:
“Our love, our human connection, goes back so far in time. It is our very foundation. To recognize ourselves in one another is truly to remember that connection.... I wrote This Love Between Us through some of the darkest times in our country and in our world. But my mind always returns to the last line of this piece, the words of Rumi, which are repeated like a mantra over affirming phrases from each religion, as they wash over one another: ‘Concentrate on the Essence. Concentrate on the Light.’”
Her work anchors an evening that moves fluidly between centuries, weaving together music by Brahms, Clara and Robert Schumann, Schubert, Frank Bridge, and Leilehua Lanzilotti, alongside Esmail’s own luminous meditation on connection. The program traces different forms of love and connection, offering a sonic portrait of the beauty and essentiality of our shared humanity: motherly tenderness in Brahms’ Sacred Lullaby; longing and loss in Bridge’s Three Songs; the intricate emotional world shared by Clara and Robert Schumann; and the ache of separation in Schubert’s Shepherd on the Rock. Shaped by texts from the ancient saint-poet Kabir, Friedrich Rückert, Heinrich Heine, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Wilhelm Müller, these pieces offer an intimate and hopeful meditation on connection, listening, and what binds us together. As Lanzilotti writes, “these moments can reveal love: joyful, enduring, always.”
SPRING MAINSTAGE CONCERT: This Love Between Us
Friday, April 17, 2026 | 7:30 PM — LaJoie Theatre, Chehalem Cultural Center, Newberg
Program:
Johannes Brahms, Two Songs for Alto, Viola, and Piano, Op. 91
Reena Esmail, This Love Between Us
Clara Schumann, Six Lieder, Op. 13
Robert Schumann, Adagio and Allegro, Op. 70
Leilehua Lanzilotti, of moments
Frank Bridge, Three Songs for Voice, Viola, and Piano, H. 76
Franz Schubert, The Shepherd on the Rock, Op. 129, D. 965
Meet the artists at a complimentary reception immediately following the concert!
TICKETS: available at pcmwv.org
All ticket proceeds directly benefit need-based scholarships to provide music instruction to local kids; this particular concert supports the financial aid fund of Young Musicians & Artists, a local summer camp with a 60-year legacy.
EDUCATION
The residency includes educational engagement at Willamette University, showcasing PCM’s long- standing belief in meaningful musical experiences through mentorship. These events are open to the public.
April 17 | 9:30 - 11am: Piano Masterclass with Ieva Jokubaviciute
April 18 | 10am - 12pm: Vocal Masterclass with Katharine Dain
Today's Birthdays
Claudio Merulo (1533-1604)
Giuseppe Tartini (1692-1770)
Sir Adrian Boult (1889-1983)
E. Y. (Yip) Harburg (1896-1981)
Josef Krips (1902-1974)
Franco Corelli (1921-2003)
Walter Berry (1929-2000)
Lawrence Leighton Smith (1936-2013)
Meriel Dickinson (1940)
Dame Felicity Lott (1947)
Diana Montague (1953)
Anthony Michaels-Moore (1957)
and
Dionysios Solomos (1798-1857)
Edmund Husserl (1859-1938)
Harvey Cushing (1869-1939)
Robert Giroux (1914-2008)
Seymour Hersh (1937)
Barbara Kingsolver (1955)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1865, American premiere of Mozart's Sinfonia Concertate in Eb, K. 364(320d) for Violin, Viola, and Orchestra took place in New York, with violinist Theodore Thomas and violist Georg Matzka (A review of this concert in the New York Times said: "On the whole we would prefer death to a repetition of this production. The wearisome scale passages on the little fiddle repeated ad nausea on the bigger one were simply maddening.”).
Giuseppe Tartini (1692-1770)
Sir Adrian Boult (1889-1983)
E. Y. (Yip) Harburg (1896-1981)
Josef Krips (1902-1974)
Franco Corelli (1921-2003)
Walter Berry (1929-2000)
Lawrence Leighton Smith (1936-2013)
Meriel Dickinson (1940)
Dame Felicity Lott (1947)
Diana Montague (1953)
Anthony Michaels-Moore (1957)
and
Dionysios Solomos (1798-1857)
Edmund Husserl (1859-1938)
Harvey Cushing (1869-1939)
Robert Giroux (1914-2008)
Seymour Hersh (1937)
Barbara Kingsolver (1955)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1865, American premiere of Mozart's Sinfonia Concertate in Eb, K. 364(320d) for Violin, Viola, and Orchestra took place in New York, with violinist Theodore Thomas and violist Georg Matzka (A review of this concert in the New York Times said: "On the whole we would prefer death to a repetition of this production. The wearisome scale passages on the little fiddle repeated ad nausea on the bigger one were simply maddening.”).
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Today's Birthdays
Charles Burney (1726-1814)
Domenico Dragonetti (1763-1846)
Robert Casadesus (1899-1972)
Billie Holiday (1915-1959)
Ravi Shankar (1920-2012)
Ikuma Dan (1924-2001)
and
William Wordsworth (1770-1850)
Marjory Stoneman Douglas (1890-1998)
Donald Barthelme (1931-1989)
Daniel Ellsberg (1931-2023)
Francis Ford Coppola (1939)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1918, the German conductor of the Boston Symphony, Karl Muck, is arrested and interned as an enemy alien after American enters World War I.
Domenico Dragonetti (1763-1846)
Robert Casadesus (1899-1972)
Billie Holiday (1915-1959)
Ravi Shankar (1920-2012)
Ikuma Dan (1924-2001)
and
William Wordsworth (1770-1850)
Marjory Stoneman Douglas (1890-1998)
Donald Barthelme (1931-1989)
Daniel Ellsberg (1931-2023)
Francis Ford Coppola (1939)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1918, the German conductor of the Boston Symphony, Karl Muck, is arrested and interned as an enemy alien after American enters World War I.
Monday, April 6, 2026
Today's Birthdays
Johann Kuhnau (1660-1772)
André‑Cardinal Destouches (1672-1749)
Friedrich Robert Volkman (1815-1883)
Carlos Salzedo (1885-1961)
Andrew Imbrie (1921-2007)
Edison Denisov (1929-1996)
André Previn (1929-2019)
Merle Haggard (1937-2016)
Felicity Palmer (1944)
Pascal Rogé (1951)
Pascal Devoyon (1953)
Julian Anderson (1967)
and
Raphael (Rafaello Sanzio da Urbino) (1483-1520)
Joseph Lincoln Steffens (1866-1936)
From the New Music Box:
On April 6, 1897, the U.S. government granted Thaddeus Cahill a patent for his Telharmonium, or Dynamophone, the earliest electronic musical instrument. Cahill built a total of three such instruments, which utilized a 36-tone scale and used telephone receivers as amplifiers. The first one, completed in 1906 in Holyoke, Massachusetts was 60 feet long and weighed 200 tons. It was housed in "Telharmonic Hall" on 39th Street and Broadway New York City for 20 years.
André‑Cardinal Destouches (1672-1749)
Friedrich Robert Volkman (1815-1883)
Carlos Salzedo (1885-1961)
Andrew Imbrie (1921-2007)
Edison Denisov (1929-1996)
André Previn (1929-2019)
Merle Haggard (1937-2016)
Felicity Palmer (1944)
Pascal Rogé (1951)
Pascal Devoyon (1953)
Julian Anderson (1967)
and
Raphael (Rafaello Sanzio da Urbino) (1483-1520)
Joseph Lincoln Steffens (1866-1936)
From the New Music Box:
On April 6, 1897, the U.S. government granted Thaddeus Cahill a patent for his Telharmonium, or Dynamophone, the earliest electronic musical instrument. Cahill built a total of three such instruments, which utilized a 36-tone scale and used telephone receivers as amplifiers. The first one, completed in 1906 in Holyoke, Massachusetts was 60 feet long and weighed 200 tons. It was housed in "Telharmonic Hall" on 39th Street and Broadway New York City for 20 years.
Sunday, April 5, 2026
Today's Birthdays
Louis Spohr (1784-1859)
Albert Roussel (1869-1937)
Herbert von Karajan (1908-1989)
Goddard Lieberson (1911-1977)
Carlos Guastavino (1912-2000)
Richard Yardumian (1917-1985)
Evan Parker (1944)
Julius Drake (1959)
and
Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)
Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837-1909)
Booker T. Washington (1856-1915)
Arthur Hailey (1920-2004)
Albert Roussel (1869-1937)
Herbert von Karajan (1908-1989)
Goddard Lieberson (1911-1977)
Carlos Guastavino (1912-2000)
Richard Yardumian (1917-1985)
Evan Parker (1944)
Julius Drake (1959)
and
Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)
Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837-1909)
Booker T. Washington (1856-1915)
Arthur Hailey (1920-2004)
Saturday, April 4, 2026
Today's Birthdays
Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655-1731)
Bettina Brentano von Arnim (1785-1859)
Hans Richter (1843-1916)
Pierre Monteux (1875-1964)
Joe Venuti (1898-1978)
Eugène Bozza (1905-1991)
Muddy Waters (1915-1983)
Elmer Bernstein (1922-2004)
Sergei Leiferkus (1946)
Chen Yi (1953)
Thomas Trotter (1957)
Jane Eaglen (1960)
Vladimir Jurowski (1972)
and
Robert E. Sherwood (1896-1955)
Marguerite Duras (1914-1996)
Maya Angelou (1928-2014)
Bettina Brentano von Arnim (1785-1859)
Hans Richter (1843-1916)
Pierre Monteux (1875-1964)
Joe Venuti (1898-1978)
Eugène Bozza (1905-1991)
Muddy Waters (1915-1983)
Elmer Bernstein (1922-2004)
Sergei Leiferkus (1946)
Chen Yi (1953)
Thomas Trotter (1957)
Jane Eaglen (1960)
Vladimir Jurowski (1972)
and
Robert E. Sherwood (1896-1955)
Marguerite Duras (1914-1996)
Maya Angelou (1928-2014)
Friday, April 3, 2026
Today's Birthdays
Jean‑Baptiste‑Antoine Forqueray (1699-1782)
Edward Elzear "Zez" Confrey (1895-1971)
Sir Neville Cardus (1888-1975)
Grigoras Dinicu (1889-1949)
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895-1968)
Louis Appelbaum (1918-2000)
Sixten Ehrling (1918-2005)
Kerstin Meyer (1928-2020)
Garrick Ohlsson (1948)
Mikhail Rudy (1953)
and
Washington Irving (1783-1894)
John Burroughs (1837-1921)
Herb Caen (1933-1997)
Dr. Jane Goodall (1934-2025)
Edward Elzear "Zez" Confrey (1895-1971)
Sir Neville Cardus (1888-1975)
Grigoras Dinicu (1889-1949)
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895-1968)
Louis Appelbaum (1918-2000)
Sixten Ehrling (1918-2005)
Kerstin Meyer (1928-2020)
Garrick Ohlsson (1948)
Mikhail Rudy (1953)
and
Washington Irving (1783-1894)
John Burroughs (1837-1921)
Herb Caen (1933-1997)
Dr. Jane Goodall (1934-2025)
Thursday, April 2, 2026
Today's Birthdays
Franz Lachner (1803-1890)
Kurt Adler (1905-1988)
April Cantelo (1928)
Marvin Gaye (1939-1984)
Raymond Gubbay (1946)
Richard Taruskin (1945-2022)
and
Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875)
Émile Zola (1840-1902)
Max Ernst (1891-1976)
Camille Paglia (1947)
Kurt Adler (1905-1988)
April Cantelo (1928)
Marvin Gaye (1939-1984)
Raymond Gubbay (1946)
Richard Taruskin (1945-2022)
and
Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875)
Émile Zola (1840-1902)
Max Ernst (1891-1976)
Camille Paglia (1947)
Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Today's Birthdays
Jean‑Henri d'Anglebert (1629-1691)
Ferrucco Busoni (1866-1924)
F Melius Christiansen (1871-1955)
Serge Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)
Dinu Lipatti (1921-1950)
William Bergsma (1921-1994)
and
Edmond Rostand (1868-1918)
Anne McCaffrey (1926-2011)
Milan Kundera (1929-2023)
Francine Prose (1947)
And from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1888, the eccentric Parisian composer and piano virtuoso Alkan is buried in the Montmatre Cemetery. Isidore Philipp, one of only four mourners who attend Alkan's internment, claimed to have been present when the composer's body was found in his apartment and said the elderly Alkan was pulled from under a heavy bookcase, which apparently fell on him while Alkan was trying to reach for a copy of the Talmud on its top shelf. This story has been discounted by some Alkan scholars.
Ferrucco Busoni (1866-1924)
F Melius Christiansen (1871-1955)
Serge Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)
Dinu Lipatti (1921-1950)
William Bergsma (1921-1994)
and
Edmond Rostand (1868-1918)
Anne McCaffrey (1926-2011)
Milan Kundera (1929-2023)
Francine Prose (1947)
And from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1888, the eccentric Parisian composer and piano virtuoso Alkan is buried in the Montmatre Cemetery. Isidore Philipp, one of only four mourners who attend Alkan's internment, claimed to have been present when the composer's body was found in his apartment and said the elderly Alkan was pulled from under a heavy bookcase, which apparently fell on him while Alkan was trying to reach for a copy of the Talmud on its top shelf. This story has been discounted by some Alkan scholars.
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