Musings on ballet, classical music, the violin, and life
The Classical GirlI have a new classical-music Halloween fave this year: Carmina Burana. The irony is that it’s been on my Top 10 Halloween classical list for a dozen years, hiding in plain sight. The truth is, I never listened to the whole shebang, only the first four minutes. (I know. Some classical-music expert I am, huh?) … Read more
HAPPY WORLD BALLET DAY!!! Thursday, October 29th mark the return of World Ballet Day, and this year the theme is “How Stories Are Made.” Here’s what the World Ballet Day website has to say about the 2026 event: This year World Ballet Day returns with a celebration of the stories behind the art form of … Read more
Rebirth, at the risk of stating the obvious, is an experience that arises over and over in life. New job. New relationship. A decision to join a gym after years of procrastinating. Finding religion. Finding God (except not through organized religion). For example, finding God in the redwood forests. Oh, wow, that’s me. Specifically, in … Read more
Mark your calendars. Something thrilling is going to happen in St. Burchardi’s church in Halberstadt, Germany on August 5, 2026… Since my original essay on John Cage’s famous — and famously long — composition was written in July 2013, when I’d been blogging for less than six months, odds are high only a few … Read more
Violinist Elina Vähälä made international headlines back in April following a performance of Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with Finland’s Sinfonia Lahti. The headlines, however, weren’t because of what she was playing and how beautifully she was playing it. Actually, I take that back. Because what she was playing on was a 1780 Giovanni Battista … Read more