Avi Avital is one of the world's leading classical mandolinists, gracing concert halls from Tel Aviv to Munich to New York. But the young Israeli says he discovered the mandolin only by coincidence.
"When I was a kid, I had a neighbor who played the mandolin — the neighbor from upstairs," Avital tells NPR's Guy Raz. "It was one of those buildings where all the doors are open and all the neighbors are friends and more close than relatives. It was like one big family.
Author Michael Charry is a conductor who worked with Szell. His biography of Szell draws on decades of interviews with the conductor and his family and associates.
Michael Charry was the "sorcerer's apprentice" to celebrated 20th-century conductor George Szell. For the last decade of Szell's tenure at the Cleveland Orchestra, Charry was an assistant conductor.
Now, Charry has captured the power of Szell's artistry — as well as his tempestuous personality — in a new biography called George Szell: A Life of Music.
Charry vividly recalls Szell testing him on how many notes he could find in a chord when he first auditioned for the job.
Calle 13 was formed by stepbrothers Eduardo Jose Cabra MartiÂnez, who calls himself Visitante, and Rene Perez Joglar, who calls himself Residente.
Credit Ryan Muir for NPR
The set included newer material, as well as classics such as "Atrevete-te-te" and "Cumbia De Los Aburridos."
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Calle 13 was formed by stepbrothers Eduardo Jose Cabra Martinez, who calls himself Visitante, and Rene Perez Joglar, who calls himself Residente.
Credit Ryan Muir for NPR
Martinez and Joglar's sister Ileana, a.k.a. PG-13, sang and was a dynamic presence on stage.
Credit Ryan Muir for NPR
Puerto Rican flags waved throughout the crowd.
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The showcase was a highlight of the annual Latin Alternative Music Conference, at which Calle 13 gave a keynote speech earlier in the week.
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The performance was broadcast live by NPR's Alt.Latino. Hosts Jasmine Garsd and Felix Contreras were joined by KEXP's DJ Chilly.
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More than 7,000 fans packed the Prospect Park Bandshell to hear the Puerto Rican rap duo Calle 13. Organizers estimated that just as many people were turned away after the venue reached capacity.
By the time Calle 13 hit the stage as part of the 2012 Latin Alternative Music Conference showcase at Celebrate Brooklyn, the crowd was ready to explode. Prospect Park was packed from one end to another, with as many people left outside due to capacity limits. Puerto Rican flags waved in the air and expectations were high. As usual, the Caribbean rappers didn't disappoint.
Originally published on Wed July 11, 2012 12:32 pm
American soprano Evelyn Lear — whose roles ranged from title role in Berg's Lulu to Mozart to Sondheim — died at age 86 Monday at a nursing home, though the cause was not announced. (Her late husband of more than fifty years, the bass-baritone Thomas Stewart, died six years ago.)
