Chanticleer Wins the Chorus America Education Outreach Award

Congratulations to Chanticleer for winning Chorus America's "Chorus America Education Outreach Award."

Each year, Chorus America's member organizations submit nominations for outstanding programming in education outreach. Criteria for the Education Outreach Award vary from year to year, as stipulated by Chorus America’s Education Committee, in order to highlight specific aspects of this important field. Winners receive an engraved plaque and a cash award of $2,500.

The award winner was selected by a panel of judges consisting of the Chairperson of the Chorus America Programs & Education Committee or his/her appointed delegate, a member of the Chorus America Programs & Education Committee, and a member-at-large of Chorus America who is neither a board member nor affiliated with a chorus under consideration for the award. At least one member of the panel is a professional educator.

So congratulations to Chanticleer for winning this wonderful, and prestigious award!

Also, we would like to note that Chorus America's "Louis Botto Award for Innovative Action and Entrepreneurial Zeal" was created in memory of Louis Botto for his artistry, selfless service to the choral art, and entrepreneurial spirit in founding the men's vocal ensemble Chanticleer and bringing it to national prominence as the first professional choral ensemble in the U.S., outside the military, consistently to offer full-time employment to its singers. The award is given periodically to an individual who through his or her work with a member ensemble of Chorus America has demonstrated innovative action and entrepreneurial zeal in developing a professional or professional-core choral ensemble (in operation for at least 5 years).

Wiener Staatsoper Orchester - Don Giovanni

If you recall, on our Syrah Classics album, one of the free download tracks we posted was the Overture to Don Giovanni performed by the Wiener Staatsoper Orchester. So today we thought it would be fun to post a fun video we came across of the Wiener Staatsoper Orchester in a performance of Don Giovanni on a live recording from 1954!

Tomorrow

We just wanted to do a quick blog letting you know of something fun we're going to be doing on Twitter tomorrow in case you're not following us already. Tomorrow for Wine Wednesday we want your suggestions for what wines go best with our other three releases (Chanticleer's Fireside DVD, Christopher O'Riley's "Out Of My Hands," and Maestro Alex Gregory's "Bach On Steroids")

So follow us on Twitter tomorrow and give us your favorite pairing!

So make sure you're on Twitter and following: @WhiteTieRecords

Wine Classics to try

Since we've gone through our seven Wine Classics albums, we thought it would be fun to present some things in the theme "Wine Classics" that aren't musical! So today, we wanted to share a fun article from Food & Wine:

50 Wine Classics You Must Try
Ray Isle devises a 50-bottle introduction to the world's great wines.

By Ray Isle

What is a classic wine? It’s a wine that gives a definitive sense of a region or a style; it’s exemplary, a model of the form, even iconic—a standard-bearer. That doesn’t mean the wine is expensive (though some certainly are), nor that it’s made in extraordinarily limited amounts (though that’s sometimes true). In fact, among the 50 classics on these pages is a $12 cava from a producer that sells millions of cases a year.

We strongly encourage you to check out this site and go through their 50 Wine Classics!

Christopher O'Riley at UC-Irvine

A couple of weeks ago, Out Of My Hands artist, Christopher O'Riley hosted his NPR Program "From the Top" at the University of California - Irvine. Like he usually does during "From the Top" Mr. O'Riley features young musicians, and also plays some music himself. Today we came across a fantastic review of the UC-Irvine event that we just couldn't help but share:

From "Music by Anne-Marie Lynne":

Orange County Register

Pianist Christopher O’Riley’s “From the Top,” the most popular classical music radio show on the air today, is all about breaking the icy ritual of classical performance. Its formula is simple. Find talented young performers, chit-chat with them a bit, then let them play. It overturns the old Victorian admonition; here, children (and young adults) are seen and heard.

O’Riley brought the format, if not the broadcast, to Irvine Barclay Theatre Friday night as part of the venue’s 20th anniversary celebrations. In this iteration, he collaborated with music students from the University of California, Irvine. It all went smoothly, the performances, too, and the audience lapped it up.

The pre-performance interviews are crucial to the show’s success. O’Riley is a calm and composed interviewer, wry at times but never trying too hard. The goal is nothing more than to generate a little small talk and put the performers (and audience) at ease. To the three colorfully gowned, carefully coiffed young women who were his first guests he asked, “Who’s getting married?,” got a laugh, and we were off. We learned, for instance, that cellist Anne-Marie Alexander also studied criminology in addition to music, and enjoyed working on cars. The interviews are rather like Alex Trebek’s contestant interviews on “Jeopardy,” in fact, with the same humanizing result. “Musicians are real people too” is the message...continued on "Music by Anne-Marie Lynne"

We strongly encourage you to read the article in its entirety as the author goes into detail about Mr. O'Riley's performances and includes wonderful reactions from the young artists themselves.

Wine Wednesday Complimentary Download - Cabernet Classics

We have introduced to you our seven "Wine Classics" compilations, and today we finish our series celebrating the weekly Twitter holiday "Wine Wednesday" here on our blog. To celebrate, each week we have posted a couple of tracks from each of our seven "Wine Classics" compilations. Today we present two tracks from Cabernet Classics. It is our hope that you will download these tracks and listen to them while enjoying your favorite Cabernet! If you're following us on Twitter (@WhiteTieRecords), let us know what Cabernet you're drinking and where it comes from. Most of all have a happy Wine Wednesday!

To create a perfect companion to your favorite Cabernet, your two complimentary tracks today are Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-Flat Major: Mvt. 2. Lento, and Mendelssohn's Nocturne from A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 61.

To download these tracks from Cabernet Classics, right-click the track links and save them to your computer!

The complete Cabernet Classics compilation is available on iTunes, Amazon, and practically any other download store.

White Tie Artist Tours

Today we just wanted to take some time and let you know of our artists current tour schedules so that you can check them out live!

Christopher O'Riley:

April 17, 2010: San Jose, CA: recital @ Beethoven Center featuring Diabelli Variations

May 8, 2010: Croton, NY: recital w/Carter Brey, cellist

May 14,15, 2010: Austin, TX Mozart Concerto, K. 595 w/Austin Symphony, Peter Bay, cond,

May 18, 2010: Ames, IA: live taping of From the Top

May 27, 2010: Los Angeles, CA: recital @ LA County Museam of Art

June 18, 2010: live taping of From the Top @ Gettysburg Festival

July 14, 2010: live taping of From the Top @ Young Artists Piano Camp, Minneapolis, MN

July 30, 2010: solo recital @ Caramoor Festival

Chanticleer:

04/10/10 New York, NY Metropolitan Museum of Art, 7:00 PM

04/11/10 Boston, MA Jordan Hall, 3:00 PM

04/13/10 New York,, NY Private Event, TBA

04/15/10 Greenville, NC East Carolina University, 7:30 PM

04/17/10 Bethlehem, PA Educational Residency, 11:00am

04/17/10 Bethlehem, , PA Lehigh University, 8:00 PM

04/18/10 The Plains, VA Grace Episcopal Church, 5:00 PM

04/19/10 Winchester, VA Shenandoah University, 7:30pm

04/21/10 Cookeville, TN Educational Residency, TBA

04/21/10 Cookeville, TN Tennessee Tech University, TBA

04/24/10 Lima, OH Concert TBA, 7:30pm

04/24/2010 Lima, OH Interactive Educational Event, 11:00am

04/25/10 Cinncinnati, OH St. Peter in Chains, 3:00 PM

May, 2010

05/03/10 Portland, OR St. Philip Neri, 7:30 PM

05/04/10 Portland, OR Educational Residency, TBA

05/04/10 Portland, OR Kaul Auditorium, 7:30pm

05/06/10 Madison, WI Union Theater, 7:00 PM

05/07/10 St. Louis, MO St. Louis Cathedral, 8:00 PM

05/08/10 Columbia, MO Missouri United Methodist Church, 8:00 PM

05/10/10 Lincoln, NE First Plymouth Church, 7:00 PM

05/11/10 Omaha, NE St. Cecilias Cathedral, 7:30pm

05/13/2010 Malibu, CA Interactive Educational Event, 2:00pm

05/13/10 Malibu, CA Smothers Theater, 7:30pm

05/14/10 Santa Barbara, CA Campbell Hall, UCSB, 8:00pm

June, 2010

06/02/10 Berkeley, CA First Congregational Church, 8:00 PM

06/03/10 Sacramento, CA St. Francis Church, 8:00 PM

06/04/10 San Jose, CA St. Joseph Cathedral, 8:00 PM

06/05/10 San Francisco, CA Mission Dolores, 8:00 PM

06/14/10 Shanghai, China Expo 2010, TBA

Wine Wednesday Complimentary Download - Chardonnay Classics

We have introduced to you our seven "Wine Classics" compilations, and today we would like to continue our series celebrating the weekly Twitter holiday "Wine Wednesday" here on our blog. To celebrate, each week we will be posting a couple of tracks from each of our seven "Wine Classics" compilations. Today we present two tracks from Chardonnay Classics. It is our hope that you will download these tracks and listen to them while enjoying your favorite Chardonnay! If you're following us on Twitter (@WhiteTieRecords), let us know what Chardonnay you're drinking and where it comes from. Most of all have a happy Wine Wednesday!

To create a perfect companion to your favorite Chardonnay, your two complimentary tracks today are Mozart's Serenade No. 13 in G Major "Eine kleine Nachtmusik", K525 — 2. Romanze, and Schubert's Rosamunde, Op. 27 Ballet Music #2.

To download these tracks from Chardonnay Classics, right-click the track links and save them to your computer!

The complete Chardonnay Classics compilation is available on iTunes, Amazon, and practically any other download store.

Wine of the Week - Chardonnay

Just for fun, since tomorrow is Wine Wednesday, we thought we would give you a heads-up on which wine our free downloads will be from. This way you can make sure you have the right wine for tomorrow! So this week our Wine Wednesday downloads will be from our Chardonnay Classics album.

Please tell us your favorite Merlot here, or on Facebook or Twitter!

And Get the past Free Downloads by Clicking HERE

Wine Wednesday Complimentary Download - Pinot Grigio Classics

We have introduced to you our seven "Wine Classics" compilations, and today we would like to continue our series celebrating the weekly Twitter holiday "Wine Wednesday" here on our blog. To celebrate, each week we will be posting a couple of tracks from each of our seven "Wine Classics" compilations. Today we present two tracks from Pinot Grigio Classics. It is our hope that you will download these tracks and listen to them while enjoying your favorite Pinot Grigio! If you're following us on Twitter (@WhiteTieRecords), let us know what Pinot Grigio you're drinking and where it comes from. Most of all have a happy Wine Wednesday!

To create a perfect companion to a crisp Pinot Grigio, your two complimentary tracks today are Haydn's Symphony No. 104 in D Major"London", HobI/104 — 4. Finale. Spiritoso , and From Holberg's Time, Op. 40 — 3. Gavotte. Allegretto–Musette: Un poco mosso–Gavotte by Edvard Grieg.

To download these tracks from Pinot Grigio Classics, right-click the track links and save them to your computer!

The complete Pinot Grigio Classics compilation is available on iTunes, Amazon, and practically any other download store.

Check out our "Rock Star" Pianist

We just had to share this wonderful write-up of Christopher O'Riley by the Des Moines Register.

Pianist Christopher O'Riley is a sort of rock star classical artist.

"I had been in a rock band in my junior high years while still focusing on classical piano studies, and played jazz professionally in my high school years," O'Riley said in an interview over a three-week span with the Register. The "talk" took place on Facebook, a social networking site the Chicago native is active on.

O'Riley's repertoire includes Ravel, Scriabin and Chopin. But he has also performed pieces by Tori Amos, Nick Drake and Radiohead.

His 2003 "True Love Waits" album, featuring transcriptions of Radiohead's experimental rock songs, reached No. 3 on the Billboard Top Classical Crossover chart...Click to Reda more at the Des Moines Register

Find the full Des Moines Register interview with Mr. O'Riley on his Facebook Page, and make sure to read all of his answers!

Chanticleer & The US Naval Academy Men's Glee Glub

We came across this video yesterday, and even shared it on Twitter, but it's just so good, that we had to post it here as well! If you remember we released a DVD with Chanticleer this last Christmas season, and are working towards doing other things with them in the future. So please enjoy Chanticleer & The U.S. Naval Academy Men's Glee Club performing Ave Maria:

Wine Wednesday Complimentary Download - Syrah Classics

We have introduced to you our seven "Wine Classics" compilations, and today we would like to continue our series celebrating the weekly Twitter holiday "Wine Wednesday" here on our blog. To celebrate, each week we will be posting a couple of tracks from each of our seven "Wine Classics" compilations. Today we present two tracks from Syrah Classics. It is our hope that you will download these tracks and listen to them while enjoying your favorite Syrah! If you're following us on Twitter (@WhiteTieRecords), let us know what Syrah you're drinking and where it comes from. Most of all have a happy Wine Wednesday!

To create a perfect companion to a rich Syrah, your two complimentary tracks today are Albinoni's Oboe Concerto in d minor, Op. 9 No. 2 - 2. Adagio, and Mozart's Don Giovanni, K527 - Overture.

To download these tracks from Syrah Classics, right-click the track links and save them to your computer!

The complete Syrah Classics compilation is available on iTunes, Amazon, and practically any other download store.

Grape Encounters Radio

Today we wanted to share a fun radio program with you that relates a little to what we are doing with our "Wine Classics" series. It's from Grape Encounters Radio, and the program is called "The Music of Wine." White Tie Records's owner Lisa Nauful will be featured on this program in the coming weeks! So make sure you take a listen to The Music of Wine on GrapeEncountersRadio.com

Wine Wednesday Complimentary Download - Merlot Classics

We have introduced to you our seven "Wine Classics" compilations, and today we would like to continue our series celebrating the weekly Twitter holiday "Wine Wednesday" here on our blog. To celebrate, each week we will be posting a couple of tracks from each of our seven "Wine Classics" compilations. Today we present two tracks from Merlot Classics. It is our hope that you will download these tracks and listen to them while enjoying your favorite Merlot! If you're following us on Twitter (@WhiteTieRecords), let us know what Merlot you're drinking and where it comes from. Most of all have a happy Wine Wednesday!

To create a perfect companion to a mellow Merlot, your two complimentary tracks today are Brahms' Variations On a Theme By Haydn, Op. 56a — Variation 7. Grazioso, and Debussy's La Plus Que Lente.

To download these tracks from Merlot Classics, right-click the track links and save them to your computer!

The complete Chablis Classics compilation is available on iTunes, Amazon, and practically any other download store.

Wine of the Week - Merlot

Just for fun, since tomorrow is Wine Wednesday, we thought we would give you a heads-up on which wine our free downloads will be from. This way you can make sure you have the right wine for tomorrow! So this week our Wine Wednesday downloads will be from our Merlot Classics album.

Please tell us your favorite Merlot here, or on Facebook or Twitter!

And Get the past two week's Free Downloads by Clicking HERE

Wine Wednesday Complimentary Download - Chablis Classics

We have introduced to you our seven "Wine Classics" compilations, and today we would like to continue our series celebrating the weekly Twitter holiday "Wine Wednesday" here on our blog. To celebrate, each week we will be posting a couple of tracks from each of our seven "Wine Classics" compilations. Today we present two tracks from Chablis Classics. It is our hope that you will download these tracks and listen to them while enjoying your favorite Chablis! If you're following us on Twitter (@WhiteTieRecords), let us know what Chablis you're drinking and where it comes from. Most of all have a happy Wine Wednesday!

Because the light and joyful music of Dvorak and Rossini create a perfect companion to a delightful Chablis, your two complimentary tracks today are Dvorak's Polka movement (No. 3) from Slavonic Dances, Op. 46, and Rossini's Allegretto movement from his Sonata for Strings (String Symphony) No. 5 in E-flat Major.

To download these tracks from Chablis Classics, right-click the track links and save them to your computer!

The complete Chablis Classics compilation is available on iTunes, Amazon, and practically any other download store.

Christopher O'Riley Review

Recently Christopher O'Riley performed at The Egg in Albany where he performed both traditional classical music, and his rock "imaginations" like those on our "Out of My Hands" release. So today we would like to excerpt a review of that concert from the Times Union.

Pianist O'Riley has rocked covered
By Joseph Dalton

ALBANY -- Best known as the host of the radio program "From the Top," pianist Christopher O'Riley has a distinctive ringing sound at the keyboard and a knack for choosing repertoire that shows off his light, transparent touch. That he's become a specialist in making and playing transcriptions of alternative rock songs -- especially by the band Radiohead -- is really just an added cool factor. Like a dancer who ends up doing most of his own choreography, O'Riley knows his strengths so well that he may as well also be the one to set the notes.


This realization came about two-thirds of the way through his Sunday afternoon recital at The Egg in Albany when he played the "Ondine" movement from Ravel's "Gaspard de la Nuit." Its floating textures were given a shimmering, crystalline elegance -- and felt surprisingly similar to much of the other material on the program, whether it was by Nirvana, Pink Floyd or Tori Amos...To Continue Reading this Review, please visit the Times Union Website.

Wine Wednesday Complimentary Download - Champagne Classics

Over the last two weeks we have introduced to you our seven "Wine Classics" compilation, and today we would like to start a new series celebrating the weekly Twitter holiday "Wine Wednesday" here on our blog. To celebrate, each week we will be posting a couple of tracks from each of our seven "Wine Classics" compilations. It is our hope that you will download these tracks and listen to them while sipping the correct pairing. If you're following us on Twitter (@WhiteTieRecords), each Tuesday we will let you know which of the compilations we'll be featuring so that you can make sure and have the right wine!

So to start, we want you to kick back with some bubbly and enjoy two tracks from our Champagne Classics album.

Please enjoy Tracks 1 and 5 from Champagne Classics:

Sergei Prokofiev's "Classical Symphony" (Symphony No. 1), Op. 25 — 1. Allegro Con Brio performed by the English Chamber Orchestra.

Sergei Prokofiev's "Lieutenant Kijé Suite" Op. 60 — 4. Troika conducted by Mario Rossi with the Wiener Staatsoperorchester


To download these tracks, simply right-click the link and save it!

Download the full Champagne Classics compilation from iTunes, Amazon, or practically anywhere digitally!

Wine Classics Series - Chardonnay Classics

Chardonnay Classics

After surveying music lovers, we were surpirsed to learn that almost everyone agreed on which wine should go with which composition. Respighi's Fountains of Rome most certainly calls for a glass of bubbly, while Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata deserves a rich Cabernet. We created this series of 30 minute musical digital bundles to give the casual classical music listener a taste of some of our well known favorites as well as an introduction to some lesser known works.

Kinderszenen, Op. 15 — Traumereri
Robert Schumann
Jacqueline Blancard, piano

Rosamunde, Op. 27 — Ballet Music #2
Franz Schubert
Maurice Abravanel, conductor; Utah Symphony Orchestra

Sonata for Violin and Piano in g minor — 2. Intermède
Claude Debussy
Jan Tomasow, violin; Franz Holetschek, piano

Orchestral Suite No. 2 in b minor, BWV1067 — 7. Badinerie
Johann Sebastian Bach
Josef Suk, conductor; Suk Chamber Orchestra

Serenade No. 13 in G Major "Eine kleine Nachtmusik", K525 — 2. Romanze
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Felix Prohaska, conductor; Wiener Staatsoperorchester

Serenade No. 7 in D Major "Haffner", K250 — Menuetto
Wolfgang AmadeusMozart
Mogens Wöldike, conductor; Wiener Staatsoperorchester

Download this album on iTunes, Amazon, and many other download sites!