Miramar’s musical knowledge is staggering. Over the course of an hour, pianist Marlysse Simmons Argandona and singer Reinaldo Alvarez cover classical, salsa, reggae, tropicalia and bossa nova. But what they really want to talk about is boleros.
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Tad Malone on October 31, 2018
Stanford Live’s newest show is a spellbinding blend of music, history and humanity, all manifested through Jordi Savall’s engrossing tones. The celebrated Catalan composer and historian brings together a litany of dancers, musicians and singers for his program, The Routes of Slavery. Sponsored by UNESCO, the production pays homage to musical traditions…
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Wallace Baine on October 25, 2018
The first time Evan Ziporyn heard David Bowie’s album Blackstar, it was from the other side of a wall. The Boston composer was at an artists retreat in Florida when he heard his neighbor in the next room playing music way too loud.
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Julia Canavese on October 18, 2018
The Bay Area-based Kronos Quartet is known for its innovative approach to string music. In this concert, Kronos uses its powers to break down barriers by taking aim at Donald Trump’s 2017 executive orders restricting travel from predominantly Muslim-majority countries. Drawing from the musical traditions of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria…
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Kaylee Lawler on July 12, 2018
Despite her rising popularity, Grammy Award-winning Spanish rapper Mala Rodriguez is keeping it real—insisting on continuing to spit in her native language rather than make a play for a wider English-speaking audience. Favoring beats that incorporate elements of flamenco music, Rodriguez uses the mic to champion feminist ideals. She’ll be joined at…
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Dominoe Ibarra on June 9, 2018
For 10 years now, the Stanford Laptop Orchestra—aka SLOrk—has been reimagining orchestral music. Instead of playing strings, woodwinds and brass, the ensemble builds its arrangements with laptops and new computer-generated instruments. In celebration of a decade of composing on computers, SLOrk is holding a concert. Directed by Ge Wang, an associate professor…
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Yousif Kassab on May 2, 2018
Some of Silicon Valley’s most talented percussionists will be pounding on very big drums this weekend as a part of the Stanford Taiko Spring Concert. The university’s 18-piece resident taiko ensemble has prepared a brand new show to celebrate the season. Titled “Wavebreak,” the concert will feature new arrangements from the group’s…
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Avi Salem on February 22, 2018
At just 21, Kweku Collins has done a lot more in the world of hip-hop than many do in a lifetime. Just four years ago, he was like any other senior at Evanston Township High School in Evanston, Illinois—making any excuse to get out of class.
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Stephen Perez on February 2, 2018
Singer-songwriter and playwright Stew—along with his band, The Negro Problem—will be performing a dynamic rock & roll song cycle. Titled “Notes of a Native Song,” the performance is a tribute to legendary artist and activist James Baldwin. Known for works like his 2008 Tony-winning musical Passing Strange and his 2016 single, “Klown…
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Lorin Sklamberg wasn’t too shocked when pop culture finally caught on to just how explosive Eastern European music could be—especially when combined with contemporary genres, like punk, electronic and hip-hop. The scene Sklamberg has been working in since the mid-’80s long predates bands like Gogol Bordello and Beirut. Sklamberg is a founding…
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