In the Key of 'D'anzmayr: Great Music Being Written Today

Those for whom classical music is a career, whether performing or in an associated field such as the radio or recording industry, it is simple to continually fall back on the tried and true.  Bach, Beethoven, Handel, Haydn, etc. However, that is not always a recipe for success. New generations of music listeners were/are raised in a world much different than a couple of generations ago. Music is consumed on demand, in smaller bites, and in unconventional places. Cellist Matt Haimovitz began his career in a most traditional way, working his way through musical studies and hours of practice before embarking on a successful solo career, playing with some of the world's finest orchestras and musicians.   He made his Carnegie Hall debut when he substituted for his teacher, the legendary Leonard Rose, in Schubert’s String Quintet in C, alongside Isaac Stern, Shlomo Mintz, Pinchas Zukerman and Mstislav Rostropovich.   You are now as likely to find him in a cafe or nightclub as a concert hall. He believes in breaking music out of the concert hall and setting it free, allowing music lovers who might never cross the threshold of a concert hall to experience the joy of music as he does.  Yes, he still plays the proven musical masters, but plays music being written today, as well. He crosses stylistic lines on a regular basis, believing there are only two kinds of music, good and bad, and that no rule says they should not be co-mingled. It is an attitude which is shared by many.  One which will mean the difference between having thriving orchestras and chamber music groups or not. I asked David Danzmayr to choose one composer who really stands out for him in today's musical landscape.  Without hesitation, he said, Osvoldo Golijov. Below, you can hear Golijov's 'Azul' for cello, obbligato group and orchestra, performed by cellist Yo Yo Ma and the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Alan Gilbert. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgCA8zTeFOQ