Mezzo-soprano Laurie Rubin has been blind since birth. However, this hasn’t stopped her from becoming not only a successful singer, but an author and arts administrator. In this segment, Laurie talks with Eugenia Zukerman and Emily Ondracek-Peterson of http://notedendeavors.com about the birth of Ohana Arts, an organization Laurie started with her wife, Jenny Taira. It’s a great story. Watch for Laurie’s other segments, too – she’s such an inspiration!
Joan Tower refused to be defined by competition and institutional committees; instead, she started her own ensemble, the Da Capo Chamber Players. In this segment with Noted Endeavors’ Eugenia Zukerman and Emily Ondracek-Peterson, Ms. Tower talks about composers (and performers) making music on their own terms rather than waiting for validation from others.
Joan Tower is widely regarded as one of the most important American composers living today. During a career spanning more than fifty years, she has made lasting contributions to musical life in the United States as composer, performer, conductor, and educator. Her works have been commissioned by major ensembles, soloists, and orchestras, including the Emerson, Tokyo, and Muir quartets; soloists Evelyn Glennie, Carol Wincenc, David Shifrin, and John Browning; and the orchestras of Chicago, New York, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and Washington DC among others. Tower was cofounder and pianist for the Naumburg Award winning Da Capo Chamber Players from 1970-1985.
