In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Edvard Grieg. He is joined by soprano Liv Redpath. Edvard Grieg 1843-1907 Edvard Grieg was a beloved Norwegian composer, pianist, and conductor. He began taking piano lessons at age six from his talented mother and… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Amy Cheney Beach. Amy Cheney Beach 1867-1944 The pioneering composer Amy Cheney Beach was the first American woman to compose large-scale concert music and find widespread success. Born in Henniker, New Hampshire, Beach demonstrated outstanding… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Percy Grainger. Percy Grainger 1882-1961 Australian-American composer and pianist Percy Grainger was best known for his work as a collector and arranger of folk music. Grainger’s mother taught him from their home in Melbourne until… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Richard Rodney Bennett. Richard Rodney Bennett 1936-2012 English composer and pianist Sir Richard Rodney Bennett was known for his compositions for both concert and film music. He began composing at a young age and studied… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer John Tavener. John Tavener 1944-2013 English composer Sir John Tavener was best known for his sacred choral works that mesmerize choirs and audiences around the world. He began improvising and composing from the piano at… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Adolphus Hailstork. Adolphus Hailstork b. 1941 The music of the accomplished composer Adolphus Hailstork is frequently performed and commissioned by acclaimed ensembles throughout the United States. Hailstork studied at the Manhattan School of Music under… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Julio Morales. Julio Morales b. 1987 Julio Morales is a Mexican choral conductor, composer, arranger, pianist, and music educator. His current engagements include serving as the choral conductor in the Community Choir Program of the… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Jake Runestad, featuring a performance by the composer himself. Jake Runestad b. 1986 The prolific Minnesota-based composer Jake Runestad composes for virtually all types of classical genres and ensembles and is especially praised for his… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Florence Price. Florence Price 1887-1953 The trailblazing composer and teacher Florence Price was the first Black American woman to gain widespread acclaim for her work as a symphonic composer. Price was born in Little Rock,… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Hector Berlioz. Hector Berlioz 1803-1869 During his lifetime, the music of the innovative French conductor and composer Hector Berlioz was highly controversial. The son of a doctor, Berlioz defied his parents’ wishes for him to… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Nathaniel Dett. Nathaniel Dett 1882-1943 Canadian-American composer, educator, and conductor Nathaniel Dett not only wrote over one hundred works for choirs, solo voice, instrumental ensembles, and piano, but also played an important role as an… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Gerald Finzi. Gerald Finzi 1901-1956 British composer Gerald Finzi was born in London and moved to Harrogate, North Yorkshire at age 7 after the death of his father. He studied music with Ernest Farrar from… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Leonard Bernstein. This episode features tenor Bradley Greenwald. Leonard Bernstein 1918-1990 Bernstein was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, and educated at Harvard University, the Curtis Institute of Music, and Tanglewood, a summer institute where he later… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Timothy Takach. Timothy Takach b. 1978 Inspired by captivating narrative, speculative fiction and making better humans through art, the music of Timothy Takach has risen fast in the concert world. Applauded for his melodic lines,… Read More →
In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Antonio Vivaldi. Antonio Vivaldi 1678-1741 Italian Baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi found the greatest acclaim in his lifetime for his works for strings, but today, he is regarded as a master composer of opera and church… Read More →
