Tchaikovsky Biography

Peter Tchaikovsky is the famous Russian composer who created the Nutcracker Suite That is the Tchaikovsky remembered by the world. But did you know that before he studied music, he first studied the law? Did you know that he had an odd friendship with a wealthy widow - a friendship to which he consented knowing of the stipulation that they never meet? Did you know he died because he drank unboiled water? These are the lesser known facts about the well known musician.

Even as a boy, Peter Tchaikovsky was said to be emotional, intense, and complex. From his earliest years, Peter's emotions spanned the gamut from extremely happy to intensely depressed. History recalls that Peter Tchaikovsky was a headstrong, impetuous youth. The complex boy became a complex man.

Biography of Vladimir Horowitz

Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz (Russian: Владимир Самойлович Горовиц, Vladimir Samojlovich Gorovitz; Ukrainian: Володимир Самійлович Горовiць, Volodymyr Samiylovych Horovitz)  (October 1 [O.S. September 18] 1903 – November 5, 1989) was a Russian-American classical virtuoso pianist and minor composer. His technique and use of tone color and the excitement of his playing were and remain legendary. He is widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century.

Vladimir Horowitz was born in Kiev in the Russian Empire (now the capital of Ukraine). Some sources erroneously claim that Horowitz was born in Berdychiv, however Horowitz's birth certificate unequivocally states Kiev as his birthplace.

Horowitz was the youngest of four children of Samuil Horowitz and Sophia Bodik, who were assimilated Jews. Samuil Horowitz was a well-to-do electrical engineer and the distributor of electric motors for several German manufacturers. Horowitz's grandfather Joachim was a merchant (and an arts-supporter), belonging to the 1st Guild. This status gave exemption from having to reside in the Pale of Settlement. Horowitz was born in 1903, but in order to make him appear too young for military service so as not to risk damaging his hands, his father took a year off his son's age by claiming he was born in 1904. The 1904 date appeared in many reference works during the pianist's lifetime.

Flight of The Bumblebee

"Flight of the Bumblebee" is an orchestral interlude written by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov for his opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan, composed in 1899–1900. The piece closes Act III, Tableau 1, during which the magic Swan-Bird changes Prince Gvidon Saltanovich (the Tsar's son) into an insect so that he can fly away to visit his father (who does not know that he is alive). Although in the opera the Swan-Bird sings during the first part of the "Flight", her vocal line is melodically uninvolved and easily omitted; this feature, combined with the fact that the number decisively closes the scene, made easy extraction as an orchestral concert piece possible.

Although the "Flight" does not have a title in the score of the opera, its common English title translates like the Russian one (Полёт шмеля = Polyot shmelya). Incidentally, this piece does not constitute one of the movements of the orchestral suite that the composer derived from the opera for concerts. 

The Chromatic Scale

This scale divides the octave into twelve semi tones.Therefore the distance between each note of the scale and its neighbor would be half a step. Usually each scale could be transposed to all different keys, but since the scale contains only half steps it doesn't really matter where you start playing the scale. It all sounds the same. In other words there's only one chromatic scale.

The scale is often used in music to express drama. Moving from one semitone to other creates a dramatic effect. The leading tone is just a half tone under the tonic. It is named so since the semitone movement is very dominant. Now imagine a whole scale moving only in half steps.

The "flight of the Bumblebee", a famous orchestral interlude written by Nikoli Rimski-Korsakov is a wonderful piece which demonstrated the power of the chromatic movement.

The Next Mozart ~ Emily Bear

Emily Bear is 9 years old and began piano studies at the age of five with Emilio del Rosario at The Music Institute of Chicago. She currently studies classical piano with Mary Sauer, Principal Keyboardist for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and jazz improvisation with Alan Swain. Additional mentors include Yoheved Kaplinsky, head of the Juilliard Piano Department. Emily is equally comfortable playing jazz, classical, or her own compositions.

Emily made her professional debut performing a solo concert at the Ravinia Music Festival in July of 2007, when she was five years old. She played a solo 40 minute program mixing classical, jazz, and her own pieces. She is the youngest performer in Ravinia’s more than 100 year history. She was asked back to perform solo concerts in 2008 and 2009 as well.

She most recently made her Carnegie Hall, debut, performing original music solo, and with orchestra, including the world premiere of her composition, "Peace - we are the future" with 100 piece orchestra,