by Kile Smith | Mar 9, 2026 | Chamber Music, new music
In the Ratskeller (2026). A mash of traditional and original tunes for violin, clarinet, and tuba, 7′. Commissioned by Orchestra 2001 for A More Perfect Union, celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary. Premiered May 2026. Tunes used: Der Franklinville-Schwarzwald...
by Kile Smith | Jul 25, 2014 | American music, new music, Now is the Time, Radio, WRTI
New music hears old tunes on Now Is the Time, Saturday, July 26th at 9 pm at wrti.org and WRTI-HD2. George Crumb has a way—like no one else—of investing the simplest gesture with mystery and grandeur. He fills his seventh American Song Book, Voices from the Heartland,...
by Kile Smith | Jul 7, 2013 | Brass Quintet, Chamber Music, New Compositions, new music
Delighted to report that the Philadelphia Brass has been playing the newest version of Red-tail and Hummingbird, just finishing up two festivals where they featured it. On June 29th they played it at the Sam Maitin Summer Chamber Music Festival in Cape May, N.J., and...
by Kile Smith | Mar 12, 2013 | Chamber Music, Early Music, new music
Michael Caruso reviews the Orchestra 2001/Piffaro concert in which Red-tail and Hummingbird was played twice, adding a beautiful word about Vespers. The two most interesting portions of the program came on either side of its intermission. Prior to the interval,...
by Kile Smith | Feb 28, 2013 | Chamber Music, New Compositions, new music
Sharon Torello is an active observer of Philadelphia’s music scene, a great booster for all things music here. She points out that this is not a “critical review,” but rather “the viewpoint of a ‘regular member’ of the audience. I...
