Most conductors follow the classic symphonic and operatic repertory, some focus on a specialty like choral music or orchestral pops. But Anthony Parnther is a kind of conducting Renaissance man, who has cut a wide swath across the musical landscape, from helming the San Bernadino Symphony Orchestra to working with vocal sensations like Rihanna, Common, and Jon Batiste to leading myriad film soundtracks. “Disney in the morning, Dvořák in the evening,” the busy conductor said breezily.
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photo: Sam Burriss
The Lawrence Siblings Don’t Lose Sight Between Stage and Studio
To those already in the know, brother-sister duo Lawrence is one of today’s most relatable, unshakable, soulful pop tastemakers, who’ve spent the last decade steadily building a fan base one college basement party and online follower at a time. For folks just finding out about vocalist/pianist Clyde and co-singer Gracie Lawrence, chances are the connection will be equally immediate, if not already unconsciously familiar thanks to their smash single “Don’t Lose Sight.”
Lawrence has since been seen on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, as well as mega-festivals Coachella, Bonnaroo, and Outside Lands, along the way to their Ravinia debut on June 16, appearing in between British jazz/R&B giant Jacob Collier and burgeoning folksy pop trio Tiny Habits. However, the troupe’s meteoric rise is far from an overnight success story, but rather a slowly marinating journey stocked with exponential artistic development every fascinating step of the way.
Read MoreMeryl Streep triumphs and nauseates as Florence Foster Jenkins!
As a classical musician, there is nothing I hate more than people ridiculing my art. When the only representations of opera singers in the media are fat, sweaty tenors and sopranos the size of battle cruisers, you tend to be pessimistic as to whether or not it is possible to portray a passion for classical music in a way that a modern audience would find inspiring.
In the most unorthodox way, Florence Foster Jenkins proves that classical music, though often seen as stuffy and alienating, stems from a burning adoration for the art of bringing music to life.