Frederica von Stade News

A memorial service has been set for American conductor and musical theatre archivist John McGlinn. The public service will take place at Merkin Hall (129 West 67th Street) at 2pm on McGlinn's birthday, September 18.

On June 26, 2009, Chicago Opera Theater (COT) was awarded a $500,000 multi-year grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. This grant, to be used in the 2010, 2011 and 2012 Seasons, will support three contemporary and three Baroque opera productions.

New York Festival Of Song (NYFOS, www.nyfos.org), founded by Steven Blier and Michael Barrett, who 'redefined the song recital with daring and dramatic programming,' (The New Yorker) announces its 22nd Season for 2009-2010 with performances at Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center and at The Juilliard School.

Elena Reinert was named by General Director Brian Dickie as Chicago Opera Theater's new Director of Development. She replaces Marla Krupman, currently the Director of Individual Giving at Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art.

Houston Grand Opera (HGO) continues its 54 th season with Verdi's haunting and tragic tale Rigoletto. Rigoletto, which was last performed at HGO in 2001, returns to the Wortham Theater Centerwith a powerful new staging of Michael Yeargan's classic production that was inspired by Italianpainter Giorgio di Chirico.

General Director Brian Dickie announces Chicago Opera Theater's 2010 Spring Festival Season: Jake Heggie's Three Decembers, featuring Frederica von Stade; the 2008 People's Opera winner: Rossini's Mosè in Egitto; and the Chicago professional premiere of Francesco Cavalli's Giasone.

Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center and New York Festival of Song (NYFOS) present a special non-subscription program, Songs of the Irish Poets, on Tuesday, March 17 at 8 PM at Kaufman Center's Merkin Concert Hall.

CAROL HALL'S 'HALLWAYS: The Songs of Carol Hall' WINS 2009 BISTRO AWARDS'ASCAP AWARD FOR OUSTANDING CD The 2009 BISTRO AWARDS have been announced. This year's ASCAP Award for Outstanding CD has been given to composer/lyricist CAROL HALL'S 'HALLWAYS, The songs of Carol Hall' which LML Music released nationally in stores and online at iTunes and Amazon.com on March 11th, 2008.

Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center and New York Festival of Song (NYFOS) present a special non-subscription program, Songs of the Irish Poets, on Tuesday, March 17 at 8 PM at Kaufman Center's Merkin Concert Hall.

Various reports have indicated the sad news that American conductor and musical theatre archivist John McGlinn passed away today, Saturday February 14th, 2009.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) continues its 2008-09 season Koret Visiting Artist Series with 'The Inner 'I': How Artists See Themselves,' a conversation with Lotfi Mansouri, celebrated opera director and the general director emeritus of the San Francisco Opera; Judy Kaye, the Tony Award-winning star of A.C.T.'s Souvenir; and the internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade. Moderated by A.C.T. Artistic Director Carey Perloff, the conversation will focus on the different ways artists view themselves and how these self-images affect their work. 'The Inner 'I' is presented in conjunction with A.C.T.'s production of Stephen Temperley's Souvenir, which tells the story of Florence Foster Jenkins, a New York socialite and tone-deaf diva who thought she was a great soprano. The conversation will be followed by a Q&A session with the audience. The hour-long event is free and open to the public and takes place on the A.C.T. stage on Monday, February 23, 2009, at 5:30 p.m. Doors will open at 5 p.m. For more information, please visit www.act-sf.org/koret.

Kaufman Center and New York Festival of Song (NYFOS, www.nyfos.org), will present Voices of the Jewish Diaspora on Tuesday and Thursday, February 10 and 12, at 8 PM at Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center. It is the third subscription program this season for the New York Festival of Song, whose 2008 CD Spanish Love Songs, featuring Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, Joseph Kaiser, Steven Blier and Michael Barrett (Bridge Records) was named one of the 'Best Of the Year' by Opera News. The program features songs in many languages celebrating the culturally diverse Jewish communities that flourished as the tribes of Israel spread out across the globe: Sephardic melodies arranged by Roberto Sierra; Second Avenue specialties by Irving Berlin and Abraham Ellstein; art songs by Ravel and Mahler; plus music by Gershwin, Bernstein, and Harold Rome.

LML MUSIC released HALLWAYS, The Songs of Carol Hall on Tuesday, March 11th, 2008 nationally in stores and online at iTunes and Amazon.com. The CD's critical and popular success has led to a second printing which was shipped Tuesday, January 20th nationally. The CD also remains available online at iTunes and Amazon.com. The first person ever to record one of Carol Hall's songs was the young Barbra Streisand. Subsequently, her songs were performed by such extraordinary singers as Tony Bennett, Barbara Cook, Margaret Whiting, Julie Wilson, Chita Rivera, Michael Feinstein, Mabel Mercer, Amanda McBroom, Lari White, Olivia Newton-John, Maureen McGovern, RuPaul, Miriam Makeba, David Campbell, Frederica von Stade, Kermit the Frog and Big Bird. Among others. She's also one of the few songwriters to have a hit Broadway show. Her classic musical The BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS entertained Broadway audiences for almost five years, received a Grammy nomination for its cast album, and became a popular film starring Burt Reynolds and Dolly Parton. Dolly's recording of Carol's song 'Hard Candy Christmas' won an ASCAP Most Performed Country Song Award, and the film generated an ACADEMY AWARD nomination for Charles Durning, singing 'The Sidestep' as the slippery Governor of Texas.

Music arranger Angela Morley, who won Emmys for arranging two of Julie Andrews television specials has died at 84 in Scottsdale, Arizona. She's said to have passed away from complications of a fall and a subsequent heart attack. The three-time Emmy winner, also received Oscar nominations for adaptaing the songs in the musicals 'The Little Prince' and 'The Slipper and the Rose' This prolific woman also wrote her own official bio for her web site, which we reprint below. A very full life! Our thoughts and prayers go out to her partner Christine Parker, along with her son, grandchildren and great-grandchildren during this difficult time.

Kaufman Center and New York Festival of Song (NYFOS, www.nyfos.org), will present Voices of the Jewish Diaspora on Tuesday and Thursday, February 10 and 12, at 8 PM at Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center. It is the third subscription program this season for the New York Festival of Song, whose 2008 CD Spanish Love Songs, featuring Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, Joseph Kaiser, Steven Blier and Michael Barrett (Bridge Records) was named one of the 'Best Of the Year' by Opera News. The program features songs in many languages celebrating the culturally diverse Jewish communities that flourished as the tribes of Israel spread out across the globe: Sephardic melodies arranged by Roberto Sierra; Second Avenue specialties by Irving Berlin and Abraham Ellstein; art songs by Ravel and Mahler; plus music by Gershwin, Bernstein, and Harold Rome.

Nationally acclaimed award-winning singer/songwriter/pianist, Johnny Rodgers will open his highly anticipated special performance at JIM CARUSO'S CAST PARTY at BIRDLAND (315 West 44th Street) on MONDAY, DECEMBER 29th with composer/lyricist CAROL HALL'S ?Big City Boogie' which he will then follow with her ?Change In

Nationally acclaimed award-winning singer/songwriter/pianist, Johnny Rodgers will open his highly anticipated special performance at JIM CARUSO'S CAST PARTY at BIRDLAND (315 West 44th Street) on MONDAY, DECEMBER 29th with composer/lyricist CAROL HALL'S ?Big City Boogie' which he will then follow with her ?Change In

The Huffington Post reports that Barbra Streisand got an awkward kiss on the cheek from the president, and yes, she gave him a smooch back, Streisand, a vocal critic of President George W. Bush, was a guest Sunday at the White House just before one of Washington's few A-list events: the Kennedy Center Honors.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts selected the individuals who will receive the Kennedy Center Honors of 2008. Recipients to be honored at the 31st annual national celebration of the arts are: actor Morgan Freeman, singer George Jones, actress and singer Barbra Streisand, choreographer Twyla Tharp, and musicians Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey of The Who. They were given personal kudos by some of their talented peers in Variety.

EOnline.com is reporting that amongst those paying tribute to Barbra Streisand on December 7 at the Kennedy Center Honors will be Queen Latifah, Ne-Yo and Beyonce Knowles.