Stephanie Ann Boyd

Sep 17, 2024 | icareifyoulisten.com | Stephanie Ann Boyd |George Lewis

Miller Theatre’s convivial, panoramic Composer Portraits concert series turns 25 this year, and the Sep. 12 season opener celebrating the work of Courtney Bryan was a fitting kickoff. The excitement began prior to the music as audiences were greeted by Akhira Montague’s thoughtfully curated photo exhibit in the lobby.

Aug 21, 2024 | icareifyoulisten.com | Stephanie Ann Boyd

As a conductor who can often be found in the pit of an opera house, many hours of Kazem Abdullah’s life are spent in a magical, alchemical position: being the final siphon through which the printed score flows before coming to life through the musicians and cascading out to the audience. In Kazem’s case, the stakes are often quite high: many of these productions are brought to life for the very first time under his care.

Jun 12, 2024 | icareifyoulisten.com | Stephanie Ann Boyd

When conductor and composer Peter Askim talks about the importance of aligning your values with your music making, he’s serious, and The Next Festival of Emerging Artists concert on June 8 at the Kaufman Music Center was a blazing example. Conducted by Askim and performed by the festival’s string orchestra, five radically different pieces came together in an evening that felt truly tuned into the key of now.

Apr 30, 2024 | icareifyoulisten.com | Stephanie Ann Boyd

As we approach Augusta Read Thomas’ 60th birthday, my memories of her visit to our undergrad composition seminar shortly before her 50th birthday are still quite clear – and it’s that fond, joyful kind of clarity: after all, the ebullience of her physical presence, her intelligence and sense of color, and her incredibly high output of works for a wide range of instrumental combinations have made her a living legend.

Jan 2, 2024 | icareifyoulisten.com | Stephanie Ann Boyd

If you’ve heard music by composer Gity Razaz, you know its power. Gity’s wide, sweeping sonorities are made of those especially vivid in-between colors, and her textures span the spectrum from dry, sharp staccatos to translucent washes of harmonics and overtones, all restlessly undulating from one moment to the next.