Listen: The Appalachian Children's Chorus on WVPB

The choir director of the Appalachian Children’s Chorus has some heartwarming goals for her choir and for their upcoming concert this December. Artistic and Founding director Selina Midkiff says, “One of the things I want to do in my space is to create, first of all, a safe place for children–they are safe here. And then I want us to spread the joy and spread that feeling wherever we go.” Mrs. Midkiff says that these goals are accomplished not necessarily because of her but because of the atmosphere the children create. “Its been decades of these children building this environment.”

They have an upcoming concert exploring these ideas called “Peace, Joy, and Harmony” on December 8th at 4 PM at Charleston Baptist Temple. They’ll be singing beautiful selections such as “See Amid the Winter’s Snow” and fun songs like “Joy in Jerusalem”. Tickets are still available on their website.

Lalena Price, WVPB
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A behind the scenes look at the ACC on WVPB

They also recently came to our studios here at WVPB to sing for us and talk to us about what they do to help gear us up for the holiday season. Mrs. Midkiff walked us through several great pieces and we got to hear from a couple of choristers about their experience in the Appalachian Children’s Chorus. Click the player below to check out the segment.

Nissman Releases New "Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, and Ramey" CD

World-renowned West Virginia Pianist Barbara Nissman recently released her latest project from Three Oranges Recordings. Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Ramey is the 26th recording collaboration among Nissman, piano technician David Barr, and producer Bill Purse. This newest CD features the dazzling pianism of Rachmaninoff Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, the short fragment and possibly last notes of Prokofiev in the Piano Sonata No. 10 in E minor, the adventurous Ramey Piano Sonata No. 10, and the beautiful Rachmaninoff Six Moment Musicaux. 

Cover of Nissman’s latest CD: Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev and Ramey

The Lewisburg, WV resident, Nissman, brings her incredible technique and nuance to the piano in this recording, and brings these great pieces to life in a recording that sounds like you’re in the concert hall with her. Take a listen to this interview with Nissman along with selections from the CD. You can also purchase the CD here.

Andes Manta Performs at WVPB Studios

South American quartet Andes Manta graced us with their presence at the studios of West Virginia Public Broadcasting. With large drums, guitars, and a myriad of flutes, the four Lopez brothers performed a few of their favorite selections in the Andean tradition. The four Brothers, Fernando, Luis, Bolivar, and Jorge, also spoke of their Ecuadorian upbringing, their instruments, and the uniqueness of their Andean music. 

Andes Manta made the trip to West Virginia to put on shows for area schools and for a concert presented by Footmad on Saturday, April 6th at 7:30 PM at the Culture Center in Charleston. You can order tickets here.

Click the link below to check out the performance and interview from here in our studios at WVPB.

Lindsey Goodman: Returning to Heights Unseen

WVSO principal flutist, Lindsey Goodman, returned to the WVPB studios this week to share with us her new album "Returning to Heights Unseen: New Music for…

WVSO principal flutist, Lindsey Goodman, returned to the WVPB studios this week to share with us her new album “Returning to Heights Unseen: New Music for Flute”. In our interview she tells us about her time recording the album at Tuff Sound Recording in Pittsburgh and her interactions with different composers. “Some composers were really hands on… and some of the composers, were like, after the first take–‘Great, we’re done!'” 

She also performed tracks from her album live for us. One of them, Roger Zahab’s “suspicion of nakedness” was for solo flute. The other, David Stock’s “A Wedding Prayer” used a recorded flute while Goodman performed the other part live. 

The album will be released on May 11th and will be available on iTunes, Amazon, and her website: www.lindseygoodman.com

Take a listen to our live interview below: 

East Meets West at the Wheeling Symphony

All this week, Maestro André Raphel and the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra are hosting the East Meets West Festival and Concert in Wheeling. This includes…

All this week, Maestro André Raphel and the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra are hosting the East Meets West Festival and Concert in Wheeling. This includes events like “The Art and Tradition of Storytelling”, which took place on Wednesday (3/14); “A Musical Journey Through Chinese and Western Culture”, which will take place Thursday evening (3/15); and a WSO concert, which is happening Friday evening (3/16).

Thursday’s “Musical Journey” will feature violinist Jennifer Frautschi performing on violin and Lu-Han Li performing on Pipa, which is the Chinese equivalent of the Western Lute or Mandolin. It will take place at 6:30 PM at the Stifel Fine Arts Center in Wheeling.

On Friday, Maestro Raphel will be conducting a concert with the Wheeling Symphony which will include Tan Dun’s Symphonic Poem of 3 Notes, Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade.  Jennifer Frautschi will be joining the orchestra for the iconic Beethoven Violin Concerto. During Tan Dun’s Symphonic Poem, Raphel says you’ll hear all sorts of interesting sounds including brake drum, stones, and symphonic rapping. Scheherazade is a piece where the Western style of Korsakov meets the Eastern influence of Arabia. 

Listen to the full interview here: 

You can find out more information on the East Meets West Festival and Concert here.

LISTEN: A Mead Across the Globe

"I'm home again." That was a declaration by world-renowned Euphonium player, Steven Mead, following his 5-week journey across the world. Mead found…

“I’m home again.” That was a declaration by world-renowned Euphonium player, Steven Mead, following his 5-week journey across the world. Mead found himself performing in several different countries this summer including the Netherlands, Italy, Lithuania, South Korea, and China.

Mead does all his own booking, and joked, “As my wife says, ‘if someone else was organizing it, they wouldn’t make a schedule like that.'”

During the tour, he teamed up with all sorts of musicians including his wife Misa Mead and the brass ensemble, Palencia, from Spain. He also participated in many festivals including adjudicating the World Music Competition (sort of like the Olympic Games of music) in the Netherlands and directing the Jeju International Wind Ensemble Festival; and, he performed in a broadcast for all of Qingdao, China. 

Steven Mead and Misa Mead performing on Euphonium for a TV show for Qingdao, China.

Along the way, Mead also experienced many cultures, met a plethora of new people, ate a variety of delicious foods, performed in a cave and even on a moving cable car. He even tricked his airlines into thinking he was bringing a cello along in the largest box available. 

Steven Mead’s “Cello” in the largest box he could possibly find.

After all that, Mead tells us that when he finally got home he, “fell inside [his] front door…literally,” because he was so exhausted. He reflects, though, “It’s a small price to pay, really, for those experiences,” and that he  “loved every minute of it.” Now, Mead is relaxing and practicing Euphonium at home before he goes on the road once again. 

Check out or extensive interview with Euphonium extraordinaire, Steven Mead… 

Celebrating the end of warm-ups in Trakai, Lithuania.

If you like Steven Mead’s playing, you can find more at his website euphonium.net.  

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