Here are some links to various music groups and music website. The observant reader will notice that I tend to like music that is not quite mainstream. It is my opinion that most people do not partake of all the wonders that this world offers us. This is especially a pity with the advent of the Internet, where one can explore the vastness of human creation while sitting in one's armchair.
Enough rambling. On to the music...
Rosa and I saw Tania Libertad in concert at Krannert Center in 2004. We enjoyed it immensely and hope she and her group will return to Krannert to perform again.
I am not sure how to characterize Tania Libertad's music; I believe she does Afro-Peruvian and other musica latina as well. The songs are varied and her style unique. If you get a chance to see her in concert, do not pass up on the opportunity.
The premiere brass ensemble of the world, the "fabulous five" are probably the best known classical music group. Their sound and style are unique. If you play a brass instrument, these guys are required listening.
These guys are amazing. What the Canadian Brass is to brass, these guys are to guitar. I had the pleasure of hearing them on National Public Radio once. I didn't know listening to guitar could sound so good.
Sisai sings traditional music from the Andes Mountains. Their music has a very real life feel to it, and one can imagine oneself living the humble, quiet life in a small village in the Andes, away from the hustle and noise of this life.
Rosa gives me a CD of theirs every now and then, but she still won't reveal to me where she found this group.
The Imani Winds is a wind quintet. They attempt to fuse several styles of music into their compositions, and it leads to some very interesting music.
The Rebel Baroque Ensemble performs music from the baroque and classical eras with their own unique style. I listened to a performance they gave for Performance Today, and I was astonished. I have never heard music come alive like that. Like everything else here, definetly worth checking out.
Matthias Maute is a recorder player that plays with both the Rebel Baroque Ensemble and Ensemble Caprice. He breathes life and energy into his performances. The first time I heard him talk on NPR's Performance Today, I thought he was crazy. Then he played, and I realized he knew exactly what he was talking about.
Michala Petri is the one of the world's best recorder players. Her agility is nothing short of amazing.
For those of you who watched PBS growing up, you may remember the Boston Pops Orchestra. The Boston Pops plays both classical and contemporary music.
Okay, so I haven't heard this group play yet. But they look cool, and their photos are really great.
I haven't heard these guys either, but I thought I'd list them since they are local to the Champaign area.
This is a brass quintet from Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The tuba player is Jim Dorschner, my high school band director.
Antonio Vivaldi is one of the classical composers of the Baroque era. He wrote music for a variety of instruments, including strings, trumpet, recorder, and flute. He is best known as the composer of The Four Seasons.
Gustav Holst is one of my favorite composers, although I would not technically consider him classical (he and I both lived in the twentith century; ergo, he's contemporary). He wrote The Planets (of which Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity is my favorite) and several marches (Suites One and Two). I've played all of the aforementioned pieces in high school.
John Williams (former conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra) has composed many pieces for movies, including the theme music for Superman, Star Wars, and the Indiana Jones trilogy. He's the man that you've never heard of, but you've almost definetly heard his music.
Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote the music to several popular musicals, including Cats and Phantom of the Opera.