The Germans are here and ready to rumble in the World Cup of Composers. This group has several contenders who could take it all. This bracket is brimming with rivalries and they’re not friendly. We’re …

I’m going to admit that the American bracket, here in The World Cup of Composers, is boring me to tears so let’s just get it over and done with so we can get on to …

The San Diego Symphony is back from China and ready to continue the Jacobs Masterworks season this weekend. They program the are performing is strong. For starters, the strings will be featured in Sir Edward …

I caught a performance of The Most Happy Fella at Point Loma Nazarene University on Saturday night the 16th of November. It was good. What stood out to me the most in this production was …

How much would you pay to run a family friendly 5K in order to support St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital? On Saturday, November 23rd there will be a 5k at De Anza Cove for St. …

Charles Ives was a New England insurance actuary and executive. He worked for a few companies before founding Ives & Co., which later became Ives and Myrick. Ives structured life insurance policies in such a …

The Most Happy Fella by Frank Loesser may not officially be an opera but it was staged in 2006 by the now-decaying corpse that was once New York City Opera. The still-young and alive Point …

Let’s do a match in the World Cup of Composers. The next match for the Americans is George Gershwin versus John Cage. I think we all know George Gershwin but John Cage is another story. …

While I was fuming about Lang Lang during the intermission, I saw my old friend Gerry two rows over. We chatted a bit about the trumpets sounding better this year. He mentioned how tight and …

I waited with anticipation for Saturday night’s concert at the Jacobs Music Center. It was sold out. There is nothing I love more in this world than a sold out concert at the symphony. The …

I haven’t done a formal seeding for composers so far in the World Cup of Composers but I think it will help with the American bracket. Here they are 1-16 with their matchups. Aaron Copland …

With all the American composers at the San Diego Symphony this month, it is obviously time to start the American leg of the World Cup of Composers. Here’s the challenge: find 16 American composers. We’ve …

The theme of the Opus Gala at San Diego Symphony was "The Roaring '20s." The concert started with John Harbison. Harbison is a fairly well known American composer. He's one of those names that crops …

At of 8:00 pm on Friday, the 11th of October, the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Music Center was opened at Symphony Hall. At the Opus Gala on Saturday night, the Jacobs’ were brought onstage to …

There was a good reason for Augustin Hadelich to join the audience for Prokoviev's 5th Symphony. I was at the Saturday night concert which meant Augustin had already heard the Prokofiev on Friday. He knew …

When I saw the size of the orchestra on the stage at Symphony Hall for David Bruce’s Night Parade, I knew we were in for a rumpus. I love, love, loved, this piece of music …

It’s finally here, the opening of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra Masterworks Season. This weekend, October 4th, 5th, and 6th at Symphony Hall, the orchestra will be performing with renowned violinist Augustin Hadelich. The Concert …

Everyone's best buddy Shamu, the killer whale, is raising money for The Rady Children's Hospital. The name of the the event is the Shamu and You Walk. I’m not sure how much walking Shamu is …

And here we are at the conclusion of the first round for England. The final two players are Finzi and Elgar. Believe it or not, I used to know a baritone who was so enamoured …

The final two matches for the English first round are Tippett versus Vaughan Williams and Elgar versus Finizi. Michael Tippett was a contemporary of Benjamin Britten and William Walton. Tippett, as with Britten, was an …

If we want to improve our running gait to be less prone to injury, where do we start? Posture, posture, posture. If we want to improve our posture where do we start? Hips, hips, hips. …

When’s the last time you heard a piece of music by Vincent d’Indy? Never is a perfectly acceptable answer. What if I told you there was a chance to hear this overlooked French composer on …

“I am the very model of modern major-general, I’ve information vegetable, animal, and mineral...” Who hasn’t heard this before? The text is from the Major General’s patter song in Gilbert and Sullivan’s *The Pirates of …

Who is going to prevail between Arnold Bax and Henry Purcell? While Purcell isn’t a household name, there isn’t a mezzo-soprano alive who’s escaped her undergraduate studies without singing When I Am Laid in Earth. …

When the sole remaining founder of the Tokyo String Quartet, Kazuhide Isomura, announced his intention to retire along with second violinist, Kikuei Ikeda, the two remaining players began to accept auditions to fill those spots. …

Here we go, I’m about to cure plantar fasciitis. Well, at least help prevent it. There is no agreement as to what causes plantar fasciitis but the only way to fix it is rest. If …

Plantar fasciitis. The mere whisper of these words will make a runner tremble. Maybe you think runners are too delicate and fragile. How about Eli Manning? He’s a tough football player. Yes, but he’s a …

Let’s get on with England. Ethel Smyth versus Holst doesn't appear to be much of a contest except for the fact that Ethel Smyth is one of only two women who will be competing in …

This World Cup of Composers is a much larger undertaking than I first imagined. With that in mind I think it is wise to review where we are in the process. This is a single …

I went back to S10 Fitness but this time I took my kids. My daughter Emma is nine years-old and when she runs her feet kind of swing out to the sides. We could say …

I wrote about the evolution or deterioration of the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon from a marathon event to a half marathon event with a marathon option. RunBlogRun broke the news on the continued popularization of …

I continue to be surprised at the number of runners who haven't heard of Chi Running and of those who have, how few of them do it. Chi Running is a system of running developed …

San Diego’s Stone Brewery has issued a Götterdämmerung IPA. Those dudes must have stones if they’re going to name an India Pale Ale after a German opera which depicts the end of the world. I …

Pimp Daddy Delius aka Mr. White Folks is making his debut here in the World Cup of Composers. Maybe pimp daddy is the wrong moniker. Since this is classical music I will say that Delius …

I overheard a conversation at the gym recently. The conversation was about Monday being national leg day. Before long the conversation took a dark turn toward Monday being national chest day. Is Monday national leg …

With all the themed running events, I was so excited when I first saw this one because for a split second I thought this was The Greatest American Hero 10K and 5K. Believe it or …

I heard that S10 Fitness had a new location so I went down to Rosecrans to check it out during their open gym. Open gym is on Saturdays at noon. I asked David Sten and …

The big bang finale of the pops season is coming up on Labor Day Weekend. The program is ALL Tchaikovsky. That is to say the program is nothing but Tchaikovsky with just a hint of …

The end of summer. Is it really? Beings how I haven’t even come close to a heat stroke yet it feels as though we’ve had more of a five month spring instead of a summer. …

The Eric Sears Memorial 5K is this Saturday at 10:00 am in Carlsbad at Poinsettia Community Park, Carlsbad, California. Eric Sears was a popular member of the Carlsbad High School cross country team. He died …

Wild Duck 5K sounds like a version of that Winter Olympics thingy where they cross country ski and then shoot stuff. That might be cool to have a cross country run paired with marksmanship. However, …

As the second week of preseason NFL games concludes, my thoughts are turning toward autumn. I love this time of year, late August is pregnant with possibilities. The summer has yet to fade but when …

The first round is now complete for France, Italy, and Russia. Which country is up next? Great Britain. Thomas Tallis versus William Walton William Byrd versus Frederick Delius Ethel Smyth versus Gustav Holst Henry Purcell …

It’s time to wrap up the first round for the Russians. Glinka has been given a second chance to advance to the second round of the Russian draw. His opponent is Dmitri Shostakovich. As explained …

The La Jolla Music Society’s Summerfest is scheduled to end with a grand finale on August 23rd. Maestro James Conlon was to be the conductor for this concluding concert. Conlon is a major figure in …

What is Violetta fighting for when Alfredo’s father, Germont, confronts her in Act II of La Traviata? Remember, we’re talking about adding depth to a character in opera by using the guideposts from the book …

Can Prokofiev overcome a composer who believes he can write the end of creation?

The La Jolla Music Society is taking its Summerfest to a new level of intimacy with a concert at The Loft on the campus of UCSD. Audience members will be practically sitting on the musician’s …

The San Diego Track Club is holding it 59th annual three and eight mile run in around and through Balboa Park. As we might expect, there are two distances to choose from. This event is …

Pushing ahead with the Russians we get to Khachaturian versus Borodin. Khachaturian was a Soviet composer while Borodin was a Russian composer--there’s a difference. Even during the Soviet period we can divide composers such as …