Symphony Spotlight
The countdown is on to our American Music Festival! This week, our spotlight shines on one of this year’s featured composers, Nina Shekhar, who challenges the idea that “classical music” is a one-size-fits-all genre. Plus, your first chance to watch a highlight from our most recent concert featuring violinist Melissa White, and a look back at a conversation with composer Viet Cuong about his 2017 AMF premiere, Re(new)al. Enjoy!
Watch Melissa White perform a nuanced and enthralling section from the third movement of George Tsontakis’ Violin Concerto No. 2 with us last month at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs.
Albany Symphony Hour
Start off your weekend with the Albany Symphony, WMHT, and Stravinsky! Tune in via 89.1 FM Albany, 88.7 FM Poughkeepsie, or online at wmht.org/classical on Friday 5/7 at 6pm!
AMF Flashback: Viet Coung’s Re(new)al
In this interview from 2017, Viet Cuong and members of Sandbox Percussion talk about how Re(new)al went from an idea to a premiere at that year’s American Music Festival! The composer returns this fall with a new concerto to be premiered as part of our 2021-22 season. Re(new)al was commissioned by Albany Symphony’s Dogs of Desire in partnership with GE Renewable Energy.
Getting Above the Fray with Nine Shekhar
We are thrilled to have had a chance to talk to Nina Shekhar, one of several composers featured at this year's American Music Festival! When asked about the festival she was thrilled to be working with live musicians again saying "it will be the first live large ensemble performance I’ve had since the pandemic began..." Her piece Above the Fray, challenges the idea that "classical music" is a one size fits all genre "....and asserts that we each have infinitely unique identities that morph differently under different circumstances, and that art itself is not a static monolith, but rather something dynamic that we can allow to breathe, reshape, decompose, and reincarnate into new lifeforms over time." Nina also talked about being diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder at a young age. Though her physical compulsions have somewhat subsided, she is aware her brain will always work differently. With love and support from her family and friends, she found comfort and embraced her neurodivergence. Be sure to hear the premiere of Nina Shekhar's piece this June at AMF!
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