Pianist Simone Dinnerstein is, if you will, the anti-Lang-Lang. When at age five, he was giving his first public recitals, she would not approach the piano for another couple years. When he fast became a global celebrity, she toiled in relative obscurity for a while, paying her dues in smaller concert halls. Yet, both of them will play around civic center within this week: Lang-Lang just performed his concerto for iPad this past Monday at Davies Symphony hall, and Simone will return for a piano recital at Herbst Theater on Saturday at 8pm. She also rejoined Lang-Lang at the Sony label (her first release with Sony is an all-Bach recording due this fall), even though we can't confirm she received the same $3 million he did. more ›

This past Wednesday was New-Yorker night in Civic Center: the classical music critic, Alex Ross was promoting his new book at Herbst theater, and we attended the production of the Magic Flute designed by Gerald Scarfe, who regularly illustrates the magazine. Scarfe toned down his usually acidic satirical pen (see the sample from his website that we put after the jump) to cook up sets that are humorous, and respectful of Mozart’s intent. more ›

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We were super-excited when we got the chance to talk with Alex Ross, the New Yorker's resident classical music critic (and blogger). Ross's writing has profoundly affected the way we think about music and music writing in all its genres and forms, and his twin enthusiasm for new classical music of the 21st century along with his deep love of the profoundly musical Icelandic pixie that is Björk always liven up our weekly periodicals reading list. (Thanks for helping set it up, M.C-!) more ›

So we've finally recovered from the mayhem that goes along with grabbing up calendars at Pendragon Books on January 1 (our haul -- the Alex Ross Mythology wall calendar, the Anne Taintor 2006 Engagement Calendar and the Black Ball 2006 wall calendar -- cost all of $10, or about 1/4 of what we'd have paid if we hadn't braved the sale. The bruises were worth it!) and are now ready to face the world around us. more ›