Watch Pittsburgh Symphony Live in Lucerne!
Wednesday, September 6th, 3pm EST the Lucerne Festival will broadcast the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony! This is an incredible opportunity to experience the orchestra on an international stage and to be a part of the experience of a live performance of one of the works on their critically-acclaimed Tchaikovsky/Dvořák recording. Bookmark the RR Facebook page where we’ll share the feed and join an estimated 100,000+ people from around the world! Lucerne…
WQED Reports from Pittsburgh European Tour
With a day off in Salzburg before back-to-back concerts at the Grafenegg Festival, we’re catching up with the Pittsburgh Symphony via WQED’s Symphony Tour Podcast: Post-Concert Report from Salzburg WQED-FM’s Jim Cunningham checks in with Bryan Sejvar to report on the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s performance in Salzburg to close out the Salzburg Festival. Jim chats with trombonist James Nova to get his impressions of the concert and the tour so far. https://www.wqed.org/podcasts/pso_tours/pso_2016_europe_tour_2/170829_pm.mp3 A Day…
BBC Radio Three Record Review for Shostakovich/Barber
“…it’s impossible not to be impressed by the quality of the orchestral playing and the immersive depth and dynamic range of the recording.” —Andrew McGregor, BBC Radio 3 Summer Record Review Listen via BBC Radio 3 Order Now Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5; Barber: Adagio for Strings Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Pittsburgh LIVE! Reference Recordings proudly presents Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 and Barber’s Adagio for Strings in definitive interpretations from Manfred Honeck and…
Fiona Boyes Wins Blues Blast Music Award!
The Blues Blast Music Awards announced their 2017 Winners this weekend and Fiona Boyes’ Professin’ The Blues won Acoustic Blues Album of the Year! Congratulations! See the full list of winners Fiona Boyes: Professin’ The Blues Order Now Professin’ The Blues proclaims Fiona Boyes passion for the Blues as she celebrates the unique contribution of recording and mastering engineer ‘Professor’ Keith O. Johnson, Reference Recording’s Technical Director and audio legend. In her self-penned and illustrated…
Manfred Honeck lifts Lord Haydn’s Cup!
Order Now The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is adding to the excitement of the Pittsburgh Symphony and Manfred Honeck’s European Festivals Tour by imagining what a ticker-tape parade might look like upon their return: “It was a spectacle with which Pittsburghers have become quite familiar: this city’s beloved champions proudly rolling down Grant Street in resplendent victory after another successful season. Even as the cheers and chants from last year’s parade were still reverberating, the time had…
Break The Chain Live!
Enjoy a look at Doug MacLeod performing the title track from the new Break The Chain release at a recent concert in Texas: Order Now Doug MacLeod: Break The Chain In this release, his third album for Reference Recordings, Doug MacLeod continues to explore the breadth and depth of the human condition. Recorded by Reference’s Grammy-winning engineer ‘Prof.’ Keith O. Johnson at Skywalker Sound in Marin County, California, Break The Chain brings twelve new MacLeod…
Now Available: Shostakovich Symphony No. 5; Barber Adagio for Strings
Order Now Reference Recordings proudly presents Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 and Barber’s Adagio for Strings in definitive interpretations from Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, in superb audiophile sound. In his fascinating and scholarly music notes, Maestro Honeck gives us great insight into the history of both pieces, and describes how he conducts and interprets each. He reminds us that Joseph Stalin’s Soviet government was offended by Shostakovich’s previous works. Under threat of arrest…
Pittsburgh Symphony 2017 European Festival Tour
Saturday, August 19th, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Manfred Honeck will perform a sold-out European Tour Send-Off Concert (and feature their brand new Shostakovich & Barber recording). See the schedule for the tour below: 2017 European Festival Tour Concerts Wiesbaden, Germany – Mon, Aug 28 Rheingau Music Festival Salzburg, Austria – Tue, Aug 29 Salzburg Festival Grafenegg, Austria – Thu, Aug 31 Grafenegg Festival Grafenegg, Austria – Fri, Sep 1 Grafenegg Festival London, England –…
Dallas Winds Asphalt Cocktail Recording Sessions
A look back at the past weekend’s Asphalt Cocktail recording sessions with the Dallas Winds:
Break The Chain is a “Simply Cool Release”
Order Now “I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Break The Chain, from Doug MacLeod and it’s a cool, textural documentary of contemporary observations. Opening with boogie rocker, Goin’ Down To The Roadhouse, Doug gets into a real nice groove with slide on resonator joined by Denny Croy on bass and Jimi Bott on drums. On Lonesome Feeling, Doug really gives his National steel body a rough workout. His wailing and…
Audiophilia Review for Break The Chain
Order Now “Break the Chain does not do musically what the title implies. We have brilliant consistency. Here, you’ll find eleven songs and a ‘holler’ (story). Audiophiles will especially like the spoken voice track as they are so difficult to get right on recordings. … As the Reference team was together in Marin County’s Skywalker Studios, including recording engineer marvel Prof. Keith O. Johnson and diva dynamo producer, Jan Mancuso, the sound on all twelve…
Doug MacLeod on KPFA Blues By The Bay
Doug MacLeod’s Break The Chain recording continues to make moves on the radio charts – #8 on the latest Living Blues chart – and this past weekend he was interviewed on KPFA’s Blues By The Bay program. Listen to the full broadcast on KPFA.org and skip to the 01:03:17 mark for Doug’s interview. Order Now Doug MacLeod: Break The Chain In this release, his third album for Reference Recordings, Doug MacLeod continues to explore the…
HRAudio Gives Pittsburgh Shostakovich/Barber Five Stars
HRAudio.net has an advance ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review for our upcoming Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Manfred Honeck Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5/Barber: Adagio for Strings recording: Order Now “The inevitable question of ‘do we really need another Shostakovich 5’ must be answered with a clear and unequivocal YES. … Recorded in the autumn of 2013 it is only now, almost four years later that…this further example of the extraordinary marriage between Honeck and the Pittsburghers comes to light.…
Doug MacLeod in Blues Matters
The August 2017 issue of the UK’s Blues Matters magazine has a fantastic new interview with Doug MacLeod titled “I’m an Entertainer Not An Artist.” I hadn’t seen acoustic- bluesman Doug MacLeod play for a while when I caught up with him on the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise of the Caribbean earlier this year; then I was able to hear him three times in four days! Californian-resident Doug is no stranger to the UK,…
Free Pittsburgh Symphony Concert August 19!
Order Now The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Manfred Honeck invite the public to a free concert at Heinz Hall on August 19 at 8 p.m. The program will include highlights from the tour repertoire and their new Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5/Barber: Adagio for Strings recording will be available at the performance! The Pittsburgh Symphony’s 2017 European Festivals Tour will take the orchestra to Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Romania. Highlights include…