A Few Minutes with Steve Lippia

Posted: May 9, 2012 11:09 AM | Posted By : North Carolina Symphony Staff

Meet Steve Lippia, joining us for Simply Sinatra, May 18 & 19, 2012 at 8pm. There is no better modern interpreter of the Frank Sinatra songbook!

Tell us a little about yourself: where did you grow up, go to school and so on.

I grew up in the small town of Southington, Connecticut with my parents and four siblings. My mom sang professionally for a few years in her later teens. When she and my dad got married, she didn’t pursue her interest in singing, but sang around the house and I guess that is where I first grew to love the “Standards” – through her early influence.

After graduating from St. Paul Catholic High School, I earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a concentration in English literature at Central Connecticut State College (now “University”).

Following my graduation from CCSU, I attended Western New England College, School of Law for two years.

After WNEC, I worked in the financial services industry, primarily as a stock broker for Kidder Peabody. After several years in the financial services industry, I started my own contracting business, since I was very familiar with that industry after having worked for my father’s contracting business, in between high school, college and my foray into the financial world.

From a music standpoint, I was virtually always involved in music, in some form. I sang in elementary school glee club, in church choir, in high school chorus, was selected for the All National Catholic Chorus, All State Chorus, performed with our high school acting troupe and was featured in my high school variety show.

After high school, I started working with a Hartford, CT. based regional big band, the Bobby Kaye Orchestra. During the years I performed with this band, I developed a greater appreciation and deeper understanding of “Standards,” also referred to as “The Great American Songbook.”

It’s kind of a long story, but after having moved to South Florida to start a new contracting business, and after a long hiatus from music, I began singing again (around 1995)….mostly with big bands in the area. Soon, I was invited by the famous Woody Herman Orchestra to perform in the U.S. and Europe. About that time, I was also invited to perform in my first symphony show, with the Boca Pops Symphony (since closed).

By the late 90s, I had a big break and some very important people in the national entertainment scene got behind me and helped launch my career on a national basis. Within a year, I was contracted in a long term engagement with the Rio Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, with a 21-piece orchestra, conducted by Vincent Falcone, Jr., Frank Sinatra’s former music director and conductor.

When did you become interested in singing? Were you involved in singing in any formal way growing up?

I think my life has been like that of most singers: I don’t remember a time when I first became interested in music; the interest was always there. I have had very little formal training in music and singing. While I have been very fortunate to make a good living doing what I love, I still wish I had invested more of my time in learning more about music theory and arranging…but, frankly, I never thought I was going to pursue singing for a career. Singing was a serious hobby between and during other entrepreneurial pursuits of mine.

How did you discover you could sing like Sinatra and how did this aspect of your career develop?

Because my voice is naturally similar to that of Frank Sinatra’s and because so many people “do” Sinatra or do some kind of impersonation, impression or “tribute” to his music, a lot of people are very mistaken as to just what I do. I am a singer. I don’t do any impressions or impersonate anyone. I don’t try to act or look or sound like anyone.

Just like Celine Dionne, Keely Smith, Michael Bolton, Tony Bennett and Michael Buble, I sing a lot of different types of music but I also have one of several shows where I focus on the music of Frank Sinatra. I just naturally sound like more like Mr. Sinatra, than, say, Celine Dionne. When these artists sing Sinatra songs, they aren’t impersonating him…even a little bit; same thing for me.

What music do you like to listen to in your free time (assuming you have free time!)?

I like to listen to classic rock, the music of my generation: Blood, Sweat and Tears, Chicago, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Marvin Gaye, Pink Floyd, the Four Tops, Temptations, James Taylor, Eagles, America, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Steely Dan, Moody Blues. I also like classical chamber music…especially Vivaldi, a capella music, classical choral music, techno, jazz, R & B.

What are your five favorite Sinatra songs?

“All The Way”

“I’ve Got You Under My Skin”
“I Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out To Dry”

“The Way You Look, Tonight”

“Come Fly With Me”

“Simply Sinatra” is just one of several shows I perform. I sing a lot of NON-Sinatra songs, now in another show the I present titled “Simply Swingin.” In it I perform songs made famous by artists such as Tony Bennett, Vic Damone, Bobby Darin, Nat King Cole and Sammy Davis, Jr.

Do you have any performance rituals or superstitions?

No. I just show up and sing. I spend a little time, of course, focusing and mentally preparing by going over the list of songs (I change my music program, a lot) and peek out at the audience, from the wings, to kind of “get my show head on.”

What is your idea of a perfect day?

I can think of a lot of “perfect day” scenarios but being in our beautiful back yard on a sunny afternoon, with my wife, son and dogs, lounging in our pool, listening to golden oldies Rock ‘N Roll, barbecuing on our grill sounds pretty close to perfect to me.

What is your fantasy career?

Lucky for me, I embarked on my fantasy career, thirteen years ago, when I decided to pursue singing.

Most recent book read?

“1776” by David McCulloch.

You must travel a great deal. Any tricks you’ve learned to make it easier?

Fly on one airline as much as possible so you can get free first class upgrades, bring good reading materials, keep an open mind about meeting interesting people along the way, buy a cool smart phone that allows you to surf the web, catch up on emails and amuse yourself with games (I’m hooked on Scrabble)…the bigger the screen, the better.

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On the Road with the NCS

Posted: April 30, 2012 3:21 PM | Posted By : Bob Anderson, Associate Principal Double Bass

The North Carolina Symphony recently finished its Western Tour, a five-day trip to communities in the western part of the state. Double Bass Robert Anderson filed this report from one of those towns:

There we were in Lexington at a Days Inn, off the road, sort of in the woods and not near much. We had to take a bus to dinner. Afterwards, with 45 minutes to kill, I took a walk. Behind the motel was a narrow paved road in the woods. Fifty yards up the road I spotted a dirt road, unused for ages, heading into the trees. It couldn't go too far, since the interstate highway could be heard behind the woods. Ten yards into the woods there was a narrow break and an old cemetery visible, all overgrown with trees.

There were 15 graves recently marked with slabs of rough cut slate, perhaps evidence of some history buffs marking old graves. In one corner two stones still stood: "BARBARA Wife of John Cox, born Aug. 18, 1810, died July 2, 1855, Age 44 years, 11 months, 18 days." Next to Barbara was a tiny stone: "HENRY C., Son of J & B Cox, Feb. 8, 1829, Feb 18, 1829," poor little guy.

Most amazing was the only other standing marker, 3 feet tall, 18 inches wide, with this inscription:

WILLIAM KINNEY
PVT. NORTH CAROLINA TROOPS
REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
Born in Scotland, about 1733
"Tradition"
He fired the first shot at the
Battle of Guilford Courthouse.
The bullet moulded from a
pewter plate in his home
near this spot. Killed a
British sentry.

That night at our concert I asked the policeman about this. He said there was a plaque in downtown Lexington about Kinney, and this event. Sometimes wandering can be interesting.

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We say "Viva Italia!" And for good reason.

Posted: April 26, 2012 10:00 AM | Posted By : William Henry Curry, Resident Conductor

One of my favorite vacations was to Italy, about ten years ago. During that trip, I visited all the locations that are described in Respighi's Roman triptych; The Fountains of Rome, The Pines of Rome and The Festivals of Rome, all of which I performed with the North Carolina Symphony. Respighi was a Roman native writing musical valentines to his place of birth. I thought it would be fun to construct a program of musical mementos by some of the famous composer/tourists that visited Italy.

For centuries, especially for people of the North, Italy has represented an almost a mythical land of bright sun, vivid colors and uninhibited emotions. All of the composers on this concert visited Italy and were charmed by what they heard and saw and created these brilliant musical post cards which became some of their most popular works.

Within the Italian theme I wanted to have as much variety as possible, so the program includes a symphony, an overture, a waltz, a work for chamber orchestra (Wolf), a piece originally written for six solo strings (Souvenir de Florence), and one of the great orchestral sonic spectaculars of all time (Capriccio Italien). Within this variety, there are similarities. For instance, four of the five pieces feature the characteristic quick triple meter of the popular Neapolitan folk dance called the Tarantella. (According to popular legend, the dancing of which would cure the victim of the poisonous bite from a tarantula spider.)

Johann Strauss Jr. wrote his "Where the Citrons Bloom" for a concert in Italy. The original title was "Bella Italia" (Beautiful Italy). When he later performed and published it in Vienna he changed the title to its present one. The title is a quotation from Goethe's “The Sorrows of Young Werther" that describes Italy.

Italy was Tchaikovsky's favorite escape from Russian winters and gloomy personal situations. On one occasion he was staying in a hotel next to an army barracks and was prematurely awakened every morning by a military bugler. However, there was a positive outcome; he realized the bugle call was the perfect melody to begin his Capriccio Italien.

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New Music Raleigh: A Personal Perspective

Posted: April 25, 2012 3:11 PM | Posted By : Karen Strittmatter Galvin, Assistant Concertmaster

It's really hard for me to believe, but it was five years ago this month that I won my position with the NC Symphony. I was reminded of that this past weekend as I listened to young violinists compete for an open position with the orchestra. The memories of my audition came flooding back to me. Of course, I remembered clearly the nervousness during the audition and the elation when I was named the winner, but I found myself thinking mostly of our curiosity of what it would be like to live in North Carolina.

My husband Shawn and I drove away from Raleigh that day wondering what our new life would be like. Would we like North Carolina? Would there be as many exciting arts offerings and opportunities as we had in Washington D.C.? Were we making the right decision?

The answer is yes, we love it here. We found in the Triangle an arts community that is so vibrant that we were inspired to begin our own project. New Music Raleigh had its first concert in September 2009, and from its inception, the goal has been to perform music that is hard to classify into genres, featuring composers that are living. We've partnered with organizations like Burning Coal Theatre Company, holding most of our concerts in their beautiful theatre; we performed a show at King's, a rock club on Martin Street; our next concert is a collaboration with the new Contemporary Art Museum of Raleigh and the Mallarme Chamber Players of Durham; this summer, we'll work with the Cross Currents Festival in Cary; and, of course, many of my colleagues from the NC Symphony are kind enough to spend their free time playing more music with New Music Raleigh.

The Triangle has a rich arts scene because its arts organizations are willing to collaborate and support each other. There is no sense of competition - we are all united by the desire to bring beauty and culture to as many North Carolinians as we can.

I am proud to call Raleigh my home. I'm proud of the vastly talented artists of all mediums that are my friends and neighbors. And I'm extremely grateful to live in a state that values and supports the arts.

I'm so glad I won my job with the NC Symphony! I hope our new violinist finds as much artistic fulfillment here as I have.

New Music Raleigh will perform at CAM Raleigh on April 30, at 7:30 pm. Tickets are available at the door or from CAM Raleigh's website. The program will be repeated on May 6, at 7 pm, at Motorco Music Hall in Durham.

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News You Can Use: New Music Raleigh Coming Up Monday, April 30

Posted: April 24, 2012 4:00 PM | Posted By : Jeannie Mellinger, Director of Communications

New Music Raleigh is a collective of dynamic musicians dedicated to presenting outstanding performances of music by living composers. North Carolina Symphony assistant concertmaster Karen Galvin and her husband, percussionist Shawn Galvin are its curators. Here's news about their next concert.

New Music Raleigh will present an exciting program of contemporary music at
Raleigh's home for contemporary art, CAM Raleigh on Monday, April 30th at 7:30PM. “NMR and CAM Raleigh share a fundamental commitment to contemporary art, and we're excited to present a program that will highlight that shared mission,” said Shawn Galvin, Curator of New Music Raleigh. The program will feature a
performance of Workers Union by the celebrated Dutch composer, Louis Andriessen. Andriessen is often ompared to Steve Reich and Philip Glass because of his advancement of minimalist principals in music composition. The program will also include works by two Duke University Professors Scott Lindroth and John
Supko as well as works by Judd Greentein and David Stock. Tickets are available in advance through the CAM Raleigh website or at the door on the day of the show.
Performers will include: Karen Strittmatter Galvin, Violin; William Robin, Saxophone; Eric Hirsh, Piano; Marc Faris, Guitar; Keith Miller, Bass; and Shawn Galvin,Percussion. This show is presented in partnership with the Mallarme Chamber Players of Durham, NC.

Workers Union (1975), written for "any loud sounding group of instruments," is an assault of repetition anddynamics. Andriessen replaces the pretty hypnosis of American Minimalism with jerky rhythms and dissonance. His music springs from his political idealism, his challenge of the status quo, his belief in struggle. He takes the
influences of Stravinsky, the obsessively rhythmic form of Boogie Woogie jazz, and early Minimalism to create his own style; his music sounds like Steve Reich with his hand in a meat grinder. The score of Workers Union gives performers specific rhythms without specific pitches; the challenge of choosing their own notes for the 15-
20 minute duration is part of the way the piece acts out his political intensity.
- Jessie Rothwell

Louis Andriessen - Born into a musical family (1939), Louis Andriessen received the early influences of Stravinsky and jazz from his older brother Jurriaan. He studied with Luciano Berio in the mid-’60s and wrote pieces that drew on the styles and techniques of European modernism, before he began responding to American
minimalism in the 1970s. He creates music of great energy and unusual color from spare materials, often exploring political and social issues, as well as aspects of physics, such as time and velocity. He began to teach composition at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague (his alma mater) in 1973, and also has lectured widely in
the U.S.

New Music Raleigh is a collective of dynamic musicians dedicated to presenting outstanding performances ofmusic by living composers. NMR fills a gap in Raleigh’s vibrant music scene, serving as a catalyst for creation and presentation of new music. Whether its through offering works of well established composers, up-andcoming
composers, or cross-genre collaborations, NMR creates concert experiences that challenge tradition, engage and inspire diverse audiences, and give voice to today’s most innovative and relevant modern music. Since its founding, NMR has presented music by Steve Reich, John Luther Adams, Missy Mazzoli, Paul Lansky, Sarah Kirkland Snider, Judith Shatin, Belinda Reynolds, and has collaborated with the celebrated indie rock artists, Lost in the Trees and Shara Worden. NMR's Curators are Karen Strittmatter Galvin and Shawn Galvin.

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Seen Through a Lens: John Dancy's Look at the NCS

Posted: April 24, 2012 3:31 PM | Posted By : Jeannie Mellinger, Director of Communications

When former NBC correspondent and anchor John Dancy retired after 27 years of reporting the events of the world from London, Berlin, Moscow and Washington, DC, he and his wife, Ann, decided to make their home in Durham. Luckily for the NC Symphony, the Dancys soon discovered the orchestra. We hope you have followed John's wonderful pieces about the NCS that have aired on WUNC-TV's "North Carolina Now' over the past few years. If you haven't seen them all, or just want to watch again, you can find them here: ncsymphony.org/media/social.cfm. In this blog, John tells us about his experiences following the North Carolina Symphony and what he learned about us.

To the casual symphony-goer, who attends once or twice a season, the North Carolina may seem like a group of talented strangers. Maybe the right analogy is a public utility…there when you need it. As a retired journalist and full-season subscriber to the symphony, I have always been curious about who these people are, from tuba to tympani, bassoon to bass. How do they do what they do? What are their routines? What do they do other than rehearse and perform?

When the Great Recession hit in 2009, I proposed to the orchestra management and to the players themselves, a series of television feature stories under the umbrella title of “backstage at the North Carolina Symphony.” I wanted to put faces on the players for symphony-goers and viewers of UNC-TV’s “North Carolina Now.” The pieces would also go on the symphony’s website for Internet visitors.

Music Director Grant Llewellyn and members of the orchestra were enthusiastic supporters of the idea, and gave me and a UNC-TV cameraman great freedom to hang around during rehearsals, and get to know the players.

What I discovered is that this orchestra is wonderfully diverse and talented. As Resident Conductor William Henry Curry told me, “American orchestras can play anything, from rap to rock to Rachmaninoff. It comes from the music in the schools programs all across America.”

Indeed, I found it so. Over the last three years, UNC-TV and I have produced pieces featuring the orchestra and a talented troupe of circus performers, the “Cirque de la Symphonie,” gone along on a trip to Wilmington to chronicle the long, long days of your orchestra members when they travel to North Carolina cities to play for audiences there. We detailed the exquisite and detailed preparation that goes on in the schools before classes visit Meymandi Hall for education concerts. We saw the inner workings of the orchestra members and staff as they all – from Grant Llewellyn to the stage managers -- agreed to take salary cuts to keep the orchestra playing a full season despite the recession.

Because the cameraman and I were in rehearsals so often, the players and their conductors probably forgot we were there. Once, when Sarah Hicks was new as Associate Conductor, I was shooting a profile of her at rehearsal. When there was a musical bobble at one point, one of the players asked Sarah about it. “Yeah,” she said. “That was my fault. I screwed that up.” Everyone laughed, and the rehearsal went on.

The one story I always wanted to do was an audition for an empty position in the symphony. Orchestra positions are highly sought, and attract a mass of talented musicians – some secretly trying to jump from other orchestras. They must first play for a committee of sharp-eared orchestra staff and players. The auditions themselves are cloaked in secrecy. Candidates play behind a screen, so members of the audition committee cannot determine their age, gender, or ethnic background. The floor of the stage is even carpeted so the candidate-players footsteps won’t give the committee any information about the prospective players. With all this passion for maintaining confidentiality, it was no wonder to me that the orchestra did not agree to my repeated requests to do the story.

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How a Harp is Like a Bicycle and a Word about Catrin Finch

Posted: April 17, 2012 3:36 PM | Posted By : Leigh Stringfellow, Audience Development Coordinator

In the earliest stages, the harp had just a few strings strung on an open-bowed frame. We call it a “bow harp.” Somewhere in Ireland, a post was added to the frame. This triangular shape can withstand more pressure allowing additional strings to be added. These early models were diatonic—meaning a harp could only play the “white keys” on the piano without re-tuning. Over the next few hundred years, inventors all over the world attempted to fix this problem. We have cross-string harps, double strung harps, triple strung harps, dials, digits, and levers to make the harp a chromatic instrument. In 1811 in Paris France, piano-maker Erard introduced the double-action pedal harp and the first truly chromatic harp made its way into the orchestra with 47 strings. Over the next 200 years the harp stayed largely the same.

In the 1990s the harp was re-born, once again, in Paris, France. Camac produced the first ever electric harp with a collaboration between harpist Deborah Henson-Conant and harp maker Joel Garnier. Later, they worked with bicycle enthusiasts to make improvements. Harpists strap electric harps to their bodies to support the instrument and the first model was quite heavy at a whopping 22 pounds! Using carbon-fibre, the same material used for light weight bicycles, reduces the weight of the electric lever harp to 11 pounds. So now you know, harps and bikes are made from the same material.

Electric harps are gaining in popularity. Walking and dancing while playing the harp, incorporating loops pedals, synthesizers and amplification are a few new techniques that harpist Deborah Henson-Conant and this weekend’s guest soloist Catrin Finch enjoy exploring. Click here to check out a performance of Catrin playing the electric harp and come to Meymandi Concert Hall to hear her perform live.

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VIDEO: Grant Llewellyn's 'Two Days in Wales'

Posted: April 16, 2012 7:47 AM | Posted By : Grant Llewellyn, Music Director

Earlier this year, we gave our music director, Grant Llewellyn, a camera to take on his next trip home to Wales. See what catches his eye during "Two Days in Wales," as he takes you to his childhood hang outs in Saundersfoot, Wales, introduces you to his family and catches a rugby match in Dinas Powys.

[More]

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Five Things Music Man Director Peggy Taphorn Wants You to Know

Posted: April 11, 2012 9:21 AM | Posted By : Jeannie Mellinger, Director of Communications

Don't miss this weekend's concerts: Friday and Saturday, April 13 & 14 at 8pm and April 15 at 3pm.

1. The orig. Music Man won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and the cast album won the first Grammy Award for Best Original Cast Album.

2. After years of development, a change of producers, almost 40 songs (22 were cut), and more than 40 drafts, the original Broadway production was produced!

3. In the 1987 revival, Christian Slater played Winthrop!

4.Meredith Willson was inspired by his boyhood in Mason City, Iowa to write and compose his first musical, The Music Man.

5. I have really enjoyed working with Maestro Bill Curry & collaborating on this hybrid evening of songs and scenes for the NC Symphony!

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How a North Carolina Harp Met a British Descendent of Its Original Owner in Canada

Posted: March 28, 2012 9:10 AM | Posted By : North Carolina Symphony Staff

This intriguing story of a harp belonging to NC Symphony harpist Anita Burroughs-Price appeared in The U.K. Guardian recently.

Extraordinary story of the Nonsuch harp

By Sophia Sleigh

A chance meeting in Canada has revealed the extraordinary story of a 200-year-old harp once housed in Nonsuch.

The harp was bought two centuries ago by Samuel Farmer, the original owner of Nonsuch Mansion House, for his wife Elizabeth.

Mr Farmer, a wealthy merchant, began a period of 130 years of Farmer history at the mansion.

However, this ended in 1936 when the Nonsuch Estate and the Mansion House were sold to the local authorities for use by the public.

Meanwhile, the harp had made its way across the Atlantic.

At the World Harp Congress in Canada, in July 2011, Catherine Dunlop, 84, a professional harpist and a descendent of Samuel Farmer went for dinner with some friends.

Mrs Dunlop got into conversation with Anita Burroughs-Price; an American woman who owned an Erard harp.

It emerged that Mrs Burroughs-Price had the original bill of sale for her harp and the provenance showed it had been bought by an English gentleman called Samuel Farmer of Nonsuch in the early 19th century.

Mrs Dunlop, said:"[Mrs Burroughs-Price] has been in touch ever since.

"It’s really extraordinary - I think it was meant to happen."

Mrs Burroughs-Price said: "I had done research and was amazed and thrilled that my harp was purchased by her family only 5 generations ago.

"Out of over 900 harpists at the World Harp Congress, I believe that God's grace brought us together.

"I have played many concerts on this lovely harp, often in stately homes in the US."

After the meeting Mrs Dunlop telephoned one of the trustees from the Friends of Nonsuch to tell her story.

The Friends of Nonsuch arranged for Mrs Dunlop and Mrs Burroughs-Price to come to the mansion for a special harp performance.

However, due to flight cancellations and time constraints, Mrs Burroughs-Price cannot make the event.

She said: "I am very disappointed but plan to return to England to play or visit Nonsuch as soon as possible."

Members of the Farmer family will still return to the mansion, harps will be played and the story of the Nonsuch harp will still be told.

The event will take place on Tuesday, May 1, doors open at 7pm and the performance starts at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £15, call Joyce Shaw on 0208 642 2845.

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