From the category archives:

Pushing Musical Boundaries

Sepultura Collaborates with Orchestra to Raise Awareness about Endangered Brazilwood

April 15, 2011

Brazilian extreme metal band Sepultura will perform with Brazil’s Orquestra Experimental de Repertório to bring attention to the plight of brazilwood, which is in danger of extinction due to its popularity as a material for violin bows and other stringed instruments. According to a post on Noisecreep.com, the two unlikely partners will be playing a [...]

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Hits and Misses from Dancing with the Stars Classical Night

April 12, 2011

The Dancing with the Stars Classical Week April 11 episode featured classical crossover violinist David Garrett and mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins, backed by a 46-piece orchestra. The show included some great performances despite a few musical mishaps. One musical highlight of the evening was David Garrett’s outstanding display of virtuosic classical chops mixed with rock sensibility. [...]

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Violinist David Garrett to Perform on Dancing with the Stars

April 7, 2011

I was intrigued to hear that classical crossover violinist David Garrett will be performing on April 11 and 12 as part of a Classical Theme Week on Dancing with the Stars. According to TVGuide.com, the two spiral ballroom staircases will be removed to make room for a 38 piece orchestra. Executive producer Conrad Green said, [...]

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Violinist Hahn-Bin Melds Lady Gaga Style with Classical Virtuosity

March 29, 2011

I recently came across an interview with Hahn-Bin on Latimes.com. The young violinist has been turning critics’ heads with his unique melding of classical music, performance art, and pop culture. Check out Hahn-Bin’s videos, and you’ll see formidable classical chops and outfits which would make Lady Gaga proud. In the “Classic Young Stars” video (click [...]

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FUSE Violin Duo Creates World Record with Swarovski Crystal-Encrusted Violins

March 13, 2011

Electric violin duo FUSE has partnered with Swarovski Crystal to create a world record for the most expensive pair of electric violins ever made. Each of the instruments, valued at over $1,500,000, is one-of a kind and will never be repeated.  The duo consists of Linzi Stoppard, former model and daughter-in-law of Sir Tom Stoppard [...]

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The Dueling Fiddlers to Crash SXSW

March 9, 2011

Rock violin duo The Dueling Fiddlers (Adam DeGraff and Russell Fallstad) will be crashing SXSW with four unofficial shows which are open to the public. If you haven’t seen them yet, run, don’t walk, to check them out (and you can read our review of their album here). Here’s a list of concerts: 3.16.2011 – [...]

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Trans-Siberian Orchestra Mark Wood Rocks out with Mineola Student String Band

February 11, 2011

Bravewords.com and MineolaPatch‘s Jacqueline Kendrick have posted that electric violinist Mark Wood, one of the founding members of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, joined forces with Mineola’s middle and high school string orchestras this past Tuesday. Wood conducted workshops with the students during the day and then joined the orchestra in the evening as part of the Mineola [...]

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Album Review: The Dueling Fiddlers’ ROCK VIOLIN – A Melodious Mashup of Popular and Classical Music

January 21, 2011

I’ve listened to quite a few classical crossover albums, and several of them have been cheesy enough to melt over a plate of nachos. The Dueling Fiddlers’ Rock Violin is the first album I’ve come across which marries pop and classical music into a respectable mashup. Adam DeGraff (former concertmaster of the Richmond Symphony) and [...]

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Indie Art Music – the Alien Love Child of Classical and Popular Music?

January 12, 2011

The more time I spend writing this blog, the more I become fascinated with the convergence between classical and popular music. While browsing the blogosphere, I’ve come across classical artists doing rock music (Renée Fleming’s Dark Hope) and pop artists going classical (Sting’s Symphonicities). Then there are the classical performers who take their music into [...]

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Rachel Barton Pine and Earthen Grave Nominated for Chicago Music Awards

December 20, 2010

Classical/metal violinist Rachel Barton Pine has racked up two nominations in the 30th annual Chicago Music Awards (CMA). As a solo violinist, she has been nominated as Best Classical Entertainer. Barton Pine’s metal band, Earthen Grave, has been nominated in the category of Best New Entertainer. You can vote for Barton Pine and Earthen Grave [...]

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