The Father of the Rossini Crescendo
Among the many composers who have left their infallible marks in music, the father of the Rossini crescendo rates high. This unique sound was originally created by several musical devices…
The Henry Mancini Songs That Forever Marked a Hollywood Era
Every human with access to cable television has heard at least a dozen Henry Mancini songs over their lifetime. Many of us have heard hundreds of his songs countless times.…
Viva Virtuoso Ep. 4 “Drama Queen” Premieres March 23rd
And we’re back, folks!
After a three-month winter break, Viva Virtuoso is back this Spring, with dramatic soprano Shayne Dalva joining us.
Nicolo Paganini, by Richard James Lane (died 1872), published 1831. See source website for additional information. This set of images was gathered by User:Dcoetzee from the National Portrait Gallery.
The Devil’s Violinist and His One String
Nineteenth century composer and violinist Niccolò Paganini remains one of the most influential composers and musicians in history. Paganini was more ‘fondly’ known as the ‘Devil’s violinist’, for both his uniquely brilliant skills and his appearance. (more…)
What in the world is Philip Glass up to?
While we like nothing better than looking back on the musical marvels of yesteryear, we also frequently wonder why so many contemporary composers and musicians get so little attention in the online world. To remedy that, at least in part, we’ll be sharing what some of our contemporaries are up to here on the blog and in a weekly digest that we’re launching in a couple of weeks. (more…)
From Pearl City to the City of Angels: A Casual Colloquy with Cellist Tao Ni
From China’s Anhui Province to Los Angeles, California, by way of Indiana, Ohio and Alberta, Tao Ni has meticulously molded himself into one of the most talented cellists of our time. Now at home with the L.A. Phil, Tao is a virtuoso in his own right and as versatile as such young talents tend to come.
Viva Virtuoso YouTube Musical Picks of the Month October
Some 10,000 hours of video content is uploaded to YouTube every month. Obviously, the majority of that content isn’t original content created by the uploaders. Long story short – no one will ever be able to watch all of it and there’s hours of digging to be done to find genuine, interesting content.
One of the reasons that Viva Virtuoso was created on YouTube and for the platform’s global audience is that most of us on the creative team appreciate the mindboggling access to new, original content that YouTube has been offering us as viewers and listeners over the past decade. The platform is accessible to viewers and creators alike, and we’ve found plenty of our own new and old musical favorites on YouTube over the past several years. (more…)