Matt Jackfert, Author at West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Amernet String Quartet Joins the WVU Orchestra in Concert

Thursday Oct. 1st at 7:30 PM, world renowned string quartet, Amernet, and the WVU Orchestra will follow the direction of Mitchell Arnold on stage at the…

Thursday Oct. 1st at 7:30 PM, world renowned string quartet, Amernet, and the WVU Orchestra will follow the direction of Mitchell Arnold on stage at the Lyell B. Clay Theater in Morgantown. The concert is free to all WVU students who have a student ID to give exposure to all the students and faculty have to offer at the School of Music.

The WVU Orchestra will join forces with the Amernet to perform Bohuslav Martinů’s Concerto for String Quartet. This concert will mark the end of the quartet’s week-long residency at WVU. Arnold says the piece has a “double dynamic” where the string quartet and orchestra work as separate groups and as one complete group.

The orchestra will also be performing Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9: From the New World — a classic piece with possible influences of American music and literature. Arnold says it doesn’t matter what the inspiration is behind the music as the music is such a powerful statement by itself.

Arnold and the WVU Orchestra will open the concert with Zhou Long’s The Rhyme of Taigu a piece that uses the ceremonial drumming of the Tang Dynasty. The Chinese Dagu or Large Drum makes an appearce in this piece as does an array of standard percussion instruments.

For concert tickets and information, call the WVU Box Office at (304) 293-SHOW.

Live Without a Net: Julian Schwarz

Cellist Julian Schwarz performed live in our radio studios at WVPB this Friday. He stopped by to preview his performance of the Dvořák Cello Concerto with…

Cellist Julian Schwarz performed live in our radio studios at WVPB this Friday. He stopped by to preview his performance of the Dvořák Cello Concerto with the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra (9/19 at 8 PM). Maestro Cooper joined Schwarz to discuss the Cello Concerto as well as Beethoven’s 7th and Suppé’s Light Cavalry Overture, which he will be conducting on this Opening Night Concert.

Schwarz masterfully performed excerpts from the Dvořák on his cello, which dates back to 1743. He and Cooper dug into the nuts and bolts of the piece with a discussion on many of the elements and contrasting themes that come together in the Concerto. Schwarz says that the cello, “is the hero in this piece,” as it boldly contrasts the ominous music of the orchestral introduction.

Check out the whole segment. Then go to the concert Saturday 9/19 at 8 PM at the Clay Center in Charleston.

Tickets and more information: http://wvsymphony.org/

Cellist Julian Schwarz Live in Studio

Cellist Julian Schwarz will join us live on radio during Classical Music with Matt Jackfert starting at 2:06 PM this Friday (9/18).Schwarz will discuss…

Cellist Julian Schwarz will join us live on radio during Classical Music with Matt Jackfert starting at 2:06 PM this Friday (9/18).

Schwarz will discuss his upcoming performance of the Dvořák Cello Concerto with the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra as well as his career that’s been skyrocketing in the short time since his orchestral debut at age 11.

Schwarz made that debut with the Seattle Symphony while playing the Saint-Saens Cello Concerto under the direction of his father, renowned conductor, Gerard Schwarz.

Tickets for the concert can be purchased at wvsymphony.org.

Here is an overview of his schedule with the symphony this weekend:

Friday, September 18

NOON Lunchtime Lecture: Where Music Meets the Humanities–Music of Dvorak

Clay Center, featuring Maestro Grant Cooper and Guest Soloist Julian Schwarz

Saturday, September 19

9:30 a.m. OLLI class session: How an Orchestra Works

7:00 p.m. Preludes pre-concert lecture

7:40 p.m. Champagne Toast to kick off the season!

8:00 p.m. OPENING NIGHT CONCERT
featuring Julian Schwarz, cello

All events are at the Clay Center in Charleston. More at wvsymphony.org.

Montclaire String Quartet Live Without a Net

Today the Montclaire String Quartet shared with us some of their talents by performing Johan Halvorsen's Pasacaglia for Violin and Viola after JF Handel's…

Today the Montclaire String Quartet shared with us some of their talents by performing Johan Halvorsen’s Pasacaglia for Violin and Viola after JF Handel’s Harpsichord Suite No. 7 in G minor live in studio. They also brought along Scott Woodard, Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities of West Virginia State University to discuss their new partnership with WVSU.

Check them out Sept. 3rd, 2015 at 7:30 PM at the Davis Fine Arts Building at WVSU.

Also, they’re performing Sept. 6th at 3:00 PM at the Erma Byrd Gallery at the University of Charleston campus.

More at: http://www.wvstateu.edu/mobile/news.aspx#p1287
http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20150831/GZ06/150839864

Current MSQ members include:
Anton Shelepov — Violin I
Cristian Fatu — Violin II
Bernard DiGregorio — Viola
Andrea DiGregorio — Cello

Listen: How to Make an Album with the Company Stores

Have you ever wondered how to create your own album? Or maybe were just curious as to how a band goes from their garage to professional recording studio? Let Matt Jackfert take you through a 10-step process of creating your very own album by following Charleston-based group, The Company Stores, as they went from playing in basements and garages in 2013, to releasing a full album in 2014 called Rollin’ In.

Intense clapping session during “Street Corner Blues”

The first step may be simplest and the most difficult: Get off the Couch and Start Playing Music. Once you start playing real music with a regular group and go about it in an active, passionate way, things can start to happen–like getting a phone call to headline the Bramwell Beer Festival as the Company Stores did in 2013.

Electro Voice interviewing mic from the early 60s. Did I mention that Don is really old school?

Discover the other 9 steps and listen to the album by clicking the play button at the top of the page.

Band Members:
Casey Litz — Lead Singer
Matt Marks — Guitar
Joseph Cevallos — Violin, Trumpet, Harmonica, and a whole bunch of other stuff
John Query — Percussion
Grant Jacobs — Bass
Joey Liegel — Former Bassist

To find out more about The Company Stores and to buy Rollin’ In, visit: thecompanystores.com

How to Make an Album with the Company Stores

Ever wondered how a band makes it from garage to professional studio? Join us this Memorial Day on radio as we go inside the making of an album. We track…

Ever wondered how a band makes it from garage to professional studio? Join us this Memorial Day on radio as we go inside the making of an album. We track Charleston-based band The Company Stores as they create their first album Rollin’ In. On Monday night at 8 PM, Matt Jackfert will walk you through each step and will give you a behind-the-scenes tour as we listen in on the planning and recording of the album.

You’ll get to meet each member of the band, and you’ll hear from Don Dixon, who has produced gold records and has worked with bands like R.E.M. The mad scientist was able to run his equipment like no other to record a masterful album.

Only Don Dixon can understand what is going on in this mess.

Many aspects of the album took serious work and planning. But some were spontaneous and whimsical, including the photoshoot at a log cabin in Charleston, where a Candy Feast took their Willy Wonka cover song “Pure Imagination” to a much more hedonistic level. It also served as a theme for the album as a 5-pound gummy bear adorns each CD cover.

Other aspects were surprising as the band was at first denied from playing at the 2013 Bramwell Beer Festival, but was then later was asked to headline. This is one of the many venues The Company Stores has played in its short existence.

Don Dixon on the Air Guitar as Matt, Casey and Joey look on.

Hear all of these stories and more, plus the steps to making your own album on How to Make an Album with the Company Stores. Monday night at 8 on radio.

Band Members:
Casey Litz — Singer
Matt Marks — Guitar
Joseph Cevallos — Violin, Trumpet, Harmonica, and a lot of other stuff
John Query — Percussion
Grant Jacobs — Bassist

Joey Liegel — Former Bassist

More on their music visit thecompanystores.com.