Piedmont Arts Podcast

10 Episodes
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By: WDAV Classical Public Radio

Interviews with artists, performers and community arts leaders.

Professor Jennifer Stasack on Davidson’s Digital Composers
Last Monday at 4:00 PM

Traditionally, composers have written music with a group of musicians in mind, painstakingly transcribing or notating their ideas as sheet music. But these days, many work on a computer loaded with a digital library of instruments and sounds. That’s the case for the next generation of composers in training at Davidson College. We visit with music professor Jennifer Stasack and some of her students who talk about using digital tools to bring their ideas to life. We also hear some of their compositions. Pictured: Jennifer Stasack by Josh Matushak/Davidson College WDAV · Davidson’s Digital Composers Amira McCormick: Courses Malik...


Dr. Scott MacLeod on Piedmont Opera
03/18/2024

The Marriage of Figaro considered one of the greatest operas of all time, is billed as a comic opera but addresses serious themes such as tension between the social classes. Find out more about this masterpiece, and its important place in history by listening to a conversation with Dr. Scott MacLeod, associate professor of music and director of High Point University's vocal division, who is singing the role of Bartolo. Learn more about Piedmont Opera’s performance of The Marriage of Figaro Pictured: Dr. Scott MacLeod/Facebook


Micah Deer on One Voice Chorus
03/18/2024

One Voice Chorus was founded in Charlotte in 1990 to bring together lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and LGBTQIA+ affirming people to celebrate their lives through song. Since that time the chorus has grown in membership from 25 to more than 90 singers. Executive Director Micah Deer fills us in on the organization's history, purpose, and program called "Mindful Music". Learn more about One Voice Chorus’ Mindful Music Pictured:  Micah Deer, Executive Director/onevoicechorus.com


Thorgy Thor on the Thorchestra
03/11/2024

Thorgy Thor, a classically trained musician who first came to national prominence on the television series RuPaul’s Drag Race , is the guest on this episode of Piedmont Arts. After a recent appearance at Davidson College, she spoke to us about how she developed the concert program Thorgy and the Thorchestra which has been performed with orchestras in Canada and the U.S. including the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra last season. She has also performed as an instrumentalist at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York City.


Michelle Di Russo on the Salisbury Symphony
02/26/2024

The Salisbury Symphony is auditioning candidates for music director. Michelle Di Russo, a candidate for the position, will conduct their "Enchanting Sounds" concert in Keppel Auditorium. She'll lead a program of music by Piazzola, Saint-Saens, and Rimsky-Korsakov. Di Russo is from Argentina, and currently the Associate Conductor in her second season with the North Carolina Symphony. She talks about the music on the program and shares her approach to working with an orchestra for the first time. Learn more about "Enchanting Sounds" with the Salisbury Symphony Pictured: Michelle Di Russo by Roy Cox


Jake Runestad and Kenney Potter on Charlotte Master Chorale Unity Concert
02/19/2024

Each year, Charlotte Master Chorale presents a "Unity Concert" with the goal of building bridges in the community through the shared experience of choral music. This year's concert is called "Unity: Earth" and is Saturday, March 9 at 4pm at First United Methodist Church in Charlotte. The ensemble will perform the North Carolina premiere of Jake Runestad's EMMY® Award winning Earth Symphony which presents a view of humanity from the point of view of Mother Earth. Jake Runestad and Charlotte Master Chorale Artistic Director Kenney Potter are guests on this episode of the Piedmont Arts podcast where they talk about the c...


Denyce Graves on Opera Carolina
02/12/2024

One of the most extraordinary figures in American classical music is someone you may never have heard of. Mary Cardwell Dawson, born in 1894 in Madison, NC, was a musician, teacher, and founding director of the National Negro Opera Company, the longest-running, all-Black opera company which helped launch the careers of many singers. Now her story is being told in a 'play with music', The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson , which is being produced by Opera Carolina and stars internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves. In this episode, she tells us about Dawson’s determination and accomplishments. Learn more about Opera Carolina's pr...


Eric Boruff on Cornelius Youth Orchestras
02/05/2024

Research suggests there are significant neurological and academic benefits to children who learn to play a musical instrument. However, most school systems wait until 6th grade to offer band or orchestra programs, and many kids simply do not have access to instrumental instruction until it's offered at school. Cornelius Youth Orchestras wants to change that and has launched “Musical Pathways Initiative,” a groundbreaking program designed to provide access and opportunities for elementary aged students in the Lake Norman region to learn an instrument. Cornelius Youth Orchestras executive director Eric Boruff talks about the Initiative and how kids in the area can...


Burnt Reeds on Homegrown Melodies
01/29/2024

Burnt Reeds is a reed quintet of local professional instrumentalists. Their concert called "Homegrown Melodies" features newly commissioned works by local composers. It's a project that brings together not only composers but also music producers, local independent mixed media artists, and of course musicians -- from a variety of backgrounds. Three members of Burnt Reeds—Dr. Dylan Lloyd, Dr. Jessica Lindsey, and Teil Taliesin—talk about their interest in creating opportunities for local artists to collaborate and share their creations with the community. Learn more about the Burnt Reeds "Homegrown Melodies" Concert at Free Range Brewery Pictured: Burnt Reeds after thei...


Jocelyn Hagen & Kenney Potter on the Charlotte Master Chorale
01/29/2024

The Charlotte Master Chorale's Chamber Singers will present concerts called "Art & Science" at Christ Episcopal Church in Charlotte and Davidson College Presbyterian Church in Davidson. The centerpiece of the concerts is a multi-media symphony, The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci , by composer Jocelyn Hagen. The work uses the latest video syncing technology to bring Leonardo's words and drawings to life and provides an immersive, multi-sensory experience very different from a typical concert performance. In this episode, hear Hagen talk about her creation and its inspiration. Charlotte Master Chorale artistic director Kenney Potter joins her. Learn more about the Charlotte Master...