Contrapuntist

Serj Tankian Scheduled to Release Orca and Jazz-Iz Christ this Summer

May 5, 2013

Serj Tankian has been quite busy as of late and as a result is independently releasing two albums this summer through his own Serjical Strike Records. Orca, Tankian’s first true symphony, will be released on June 25 and the collaborative jazz infused album Jazz-iz Christ will be released on July 23. Tankian is continuing his evolution by [...]

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Concert Review: Chicago Opera Theater dramatic performance of Astor Piazzolla’s Maria De Buenos Aires

May 2, 2013

There is dark history in Latin America with “cleansings” and “disappearances” that took place to remove political opposition. Argentina unfortunately experienced this in the 20th century. In Argentina, there was also the exploitation of women. So it makes perfect sense that Astor Piazzolla would use the rich, exoticism of the tango as the foundation for [...]

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The Overdue Conversation Brad Paisley’s Accidental Racist Has Sparked

April 12, 2013

The other day, on my way home from work, I heard about Brad Paisley’s new song “Accidental Tourist,” in collaboration with L.L. Cool J, from his new album, Wheelhouse. As a Texican (Mexican-American raised in Texas), I can’t say I was ever a huge country fan, but curiosity set in and I chose to listen [...]

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Simon Shaheen to Premiere His Oud Concerto with Chicago Sinfonietta

March 12, 2013

This spring the Chicago Sinfonietta, under the direction of Music Director Mei-Ann Chen, examines the common struggle for human dignity by featuring works that reflect the history and beauty of their respective cultures around the globe when they perform concerts in downtown Chicago, April 19, and in Naperville, April 20. The Arab Spring uprisings are [...]

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Remembering Van Cliburn: The pianist the Russians embraced

February 27, 2013

Today, the world lost a classical music legend. American pianist Van Cliburn, who is best remembered as the Texan who awed Russian audiences with exquisitely performed Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff concertos in 1958, died at the age of 78. Cliburn passed away at his home in Fort Worth, Texas, after suffering from advanced bone cancer. During [...]

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Dommin’s New Steamy Song, Desire [Video]

February 22, 2013

After a long hiatus, Dommin posted a video last week covering a Leonard Cohen song last week. Perhaps that was a teaser for the video released earlier today, “Desire.” It’s a bit on the steamy side and it could arguably be used for a Victoria Secret ad. The gents will certainly appreciate the sexy model [...]

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The Significance of Supporting the Artists You Treasure

February 5, 2013

Treasuring the artists we admire and love is extremely important, and yet it’s an issue that is often taken for granted. I sit here listening to the new Mutiny Within album prepping for the first album review I’ve done in several months. But before I get into the album, I’m thinking about the band’s history [...]

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Virtuoso: Finally a Game for Classical Musicians to Geek Out?

January 29, 2013

Well, maybe. The game isn’t available just yet, but Caleb Heisey, the designer behind the game, conceived the idea for a graduate design project. Virtuoso is a music theory board game. Players compete against each other by successfully answering trivia questions about music history, composition, listening comprehension, and theory. Not for the faint of heart, Virtuoso is a [...]

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Three New Christmas Music Videos

December 24, 2012

Fortunately for all of us, another Christmas is here and the doomsayers were wrong about the end of the world. So what a better way to celebrate the season than with some new Christmas music videos from some YouTube favorites. To kick this post off, we begin with a movement of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker. But I’m [...]

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Saturday Night Live Gives New Meaning to Silent Night

December 16, 2012

On Saturday night, Saturday Night Live opened the show with a simple, but moving tribute to open the show. Typically, SNL opens the show with a comedic skit, but chose to open the show with a heartfelt performance by the New York City Children’s Chorus singing “Silent Night” honoring the victims in Newtown, Connecticut. Life [...]