Every weekday, WPR host Norman Gilliland shares his midday with WPR listeners on the
News & Classical Music Network and WPR's 24 hour Classical Network stations.
Norman plays music, interviews musicians, and holds the popular Midday Quiz at about 12:30pm CT.
Jazz pianist Johannes Wallmann and saxophonist Eric Koppa join Norman in WPR's Buck Studio for live music and conversation. Wallmann is the director of the UW-Jazz Orchestra and Koppa is lead alto-saxophonist in the Madison Jazz Orchestra. Both performers were involved in the Isthmus Jazz Festival on June 21 and 22.
Ron Jarret, president of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and Jonathan Gochberg, a bass in the choir, join Norman on the Midday. The Choir performed at the Overture Center on Tuesday, June 18. The pair talked about the Choir's Midwest tour and the logistics of traveling with nearly 600 people.
Due to their size, the group travels in 11 buses and required three different airlines to fly to the start of their tour and again to get back home. To audition for the choir, applicants must be at least 25-years-old and can stay in the choir for 20 years or until they turn 60-years-old.
Norman welcomes three ensembles from the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras to the WPR studios before a live audience. He talks to Karl Lavine, director of WYSO's chamber music program. Then we hear a piece from each group:
- Maynie Bradley, violin; Spencer Koscik, cello; Isabella Wu, piano, play the first movement from the Mendelssohn Piano trio in d minor.
- David Cao, Mae Leigh Patchin, violins; Julia Tibbetts, viola; Emily Schmidt, cello, play the Beethoven String Quartet in F major, Op. 18 No.1.
- Jamie Warner, violin; Ross McElroy, cello; and Sophia MuSacchio, piano, play Beethoven's Piano Trio in D major, Op. 70 No. 1.
Violinist Andrew Dunlap and pianist Wayne Wildman join Norman for live music in Buck Studio. Dunlap is one of the 2013 Final Forte winners and Wayne Wildman is the Music Director of the Manitowoc Symphony Orchestra.
Dunlap is finishing his senior year at Lincoln High School in Manitowoc. He plans to either attend college at Lawerence University or at Eastman School of Music. This summer, Dunlap plans to attend the Castleman Quartet program in Fredonia, New York, to study under violinist Charles Castleman.
Harpist Chloe Tula, one of the 2013 Final Forte winners, joined Norman in Buck Studio for live music and discussion of the inner workings of the modern harp.
Tula was first introduced to the harp when she was 9-years-old while attending a festival. By the time she was 10 she started taking lessons and her love of the instrument was cemented. In addition to playing the harp, Tula also plays the piano. Tula is currently finishing high school and will be attending Rice University in the fall.
Violinist Heather Wittels and pianist Craig Terry join Norman on the Midday for live music and conversation. Heather Wittels has served as concert master such groups as the New World Symphony, the Pacific Music Festival, and the Chicago Beethoven Festival Orchestra.
Wittels works permanently with the Chicago Lyric Opera. When the Chicago Lyric Opera is not in session, Wittels works as associate concert master at the Glimmer Glass Opera Festival and also plays chamber music.
Pianist Jeremy Denk joins Norman on the Midday to talk about his upcoming solo performance at Mills Concert Hall on April 11th at 8pm. His blog, Think Denk, has received high praise and is frequently cited by many in the music industry.
Denk graduated from Oberlin College and Conservatory in piano and chemistry, he also earned a master's degree in music from Indiana University and a doctorate in piano performance from the Juilliard School.
Norman welcomes soprano Susanna Phillips to the WPR studios. She will be singing with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra at the Capital Theater in Madison as part of their Masterworks series. Included in the performance will be Mozart's "Non mi dir, bell'idol mio" from Don Giovanni and Bella mia fiamma, addio - Resta, oh cara.
Ms Phillips is the recipient of the Metropolitan Opera's 2010 Beverly Sills Artist Award. She regularly performs at the Metropolitan Opera and Carnegie Hall.
Oboist Marc Fink joins Norman on the Midday to celebrate his retirement from teaching for 40 years with UW-Madison. Fink will be playing a farewell concert on April 14th at 2:00pm at Mills Concert Hall on the UW campus; admission is free.
Fink has taught oboe and has coached chamber music for the last 40 years. After his retirement, Fink still plans to retain his role as principal oboe with the Madison Symphony. On May 5th, Fink will also be performing on Live from the Chazen.
Conductor Robert Gehrenbeck joins Norman on the Midday to discuss his upcoming performance with the Wisconsin Chamber Choir on April 13th and April 14th. The April 13th performance will be held at the Luther Memorial Church at 7:30pm in Madison, and the April 14th performance will be held at the Young Auditorium at 3:00pm in White Water.
Gehrenbeck is the Director of Choral Activities at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and has been conducting the Wisconsin Chamber Choir since 2008.
UW Band directorMike Leckrone visits the WPR studios to talk about the upcoming spring concert taking place at the Kohl Center from April 18th to the 20th at 7:30pm.
Leckrone received his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Butler University and has been the director of the University of Wisconsin Marching Band since 1969. He has composed or arranged many pieces, and over 200 of his compositions for marching and concert bands have been published.
Violinist and concert master Naha Greenholtz and pianist Vincent Fuh join Norman on the Midday for live music and conversation. Greenholtz will be performing with the Madison Symphony Friday, April 4th at 7:30pm, Saturday at 8:00pm and Sunday at 2:30pm.
Greenholtz studied under concert master Bill Preucil, who is currently with the Cleveland Orchestra. A concert master's duties include ensuring rehearsals go smoothly and are intricately involved in the process and collaboration between the different artists and the pieces they are playing.
Pianist Martin Kasik joins Norman in the studio to talk about his upcoming performance at Farley's House of Pianos. He'll be performing on Saturday, March 23 at 7:30 pm.
Kasik started playing the piano at age 4, and has become one of the foremost Czech pianists of his time. He studied at the Jan cek conservatory in Ostrava with Monika Tugendliebova, and also with Ivan Kl nsk at the Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Prague.
Pianist Ariela Bohrod joins Norman on the midday for live music. Bohrod will be finishing her fourth year at the Interlochen Arts Academy, where she attends high school, and intends to attend college in the fall.
Bohrod was the winner of the 2011 Bolz Young Artist Competition and was also the winner of the 2011 Interlochen Arts Academy Concerto Competition.
Violinist Henning Kraggerud joined Norman in the studio to discuss his upcoming performance with the Madison Symphony, and work with Mozart's Concerto No. 4. Kraggerud will be playing with the Madison Symphony at the Overture Center for the Arts on Friday, March 8 at 7:30pm, Saturday at 8pm, and Sunday at 2:30pm.
Norman sits down with Alice Bartsch, Concert Master of the Middleton Community Orchestra, to talk about their Winter Concert performance on Wednesday, February 27th at the Middleton Performing Arts Center.
The Winter Concert begins at 7:30 pm and general admission is $10, students enter free. The concert features 20-year-old Bartsch on violin. She is a member of the first violin section in the Madison Symphony and studies with Felicia Moye, Professor of Violin at UW Madison
Tasmin Little joined Norman to discuss her project, The Naked Violin, to introduce a wider variety of people to music, as well as to listen to some of her recordings. Little played with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra on February 22.
The Naked Violin is Tasmin Little's side project; it's a website where she hosts a variety of different violin solo pieces intended to introduce people of all ages to the beauty of violin music. It's aim is to grow a greater appreciation of orchestral and violin music by allowing people to download violin music for free.
_lg.jpg "Click to enlarge image")
