Apr 25, 2013 — The Orchestra of Northern New York continues its 25th anniversary season with two concerts this weekend featuring the music of love: Tchaikovsky's Overture to Romeo and Juliet, and Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from West Side Story.

The spring concerts will be presented Saturday night (7:30) in SUNY Potsdam's Hosmer Hall and Sunday afternoon (3:00) at the Dulles State Office Building in Watertown. The weekend's performances will also feature the World Premiere of Paul Siskind's Flute Concertino, featuring soloist Jill Rubio.

Todd Moe spoke with ONNY Music Director and Conductor Ken Andrews about the performances, which include the music of two tales of love from the 19th and 20th centuries.  Go to full article

Potsdam, NY, Apr 18, 2013 — The Grammy Award-winning Los Angeles Guitar Quartet will perform music of Japan, Cuba, Spain and Latin America in a concert Saturday night in SUNY Potsdam's Hosmer Hall. The concert is presented by Community Performance Series. For more than 30 years, the LAGQ have set the standard among guitar ensembles. Todd Moe spoke with founding member William Kanengiser about Saturday night's concert. The quartet, along with a guitar orchestra of 24 guitarists, will perform a Japanese composition by Shingo Fujii, entitled Shikki, written to honor the victims of the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan two years ago.  Go to full article

Brooklyn, NY, Jan 16, 2013 — Musician Christopher Battles is hoping to make his mark as an acoustic singer/songwriter in the big city. He grew up in Oswego, graduated from the Crane School of Music and now lives in New York City. He studied percussion and music education at Crane, and when he's not performing on the street or the stage at a coffee house, he's a substitute band teacher. Over the past year, he has shared his musical journey via audio postcards.

Last summer, he released his first solo EP recording, titled Miles upon Miles. EPs are usually an artist's debut recording and contain just a few musical tracks. Miles upon Miles is among the finalists for the 2012 Best Folk Song in the USA Songwriting Competition. In his final audio postcard in the series, Christopher takes us into the recording studio and shares his thoughts about the permanence of recording his music.  Go to full article

Brooklyn, NY, Nov 14, 2012 — Over the last few months, singer/songwriter Christopher Battles has shared his musical journey via audio postcards. The twenty-something is hoping to make his mark as an acoustic musician in New York City. We've heard occasional stories of his new life -- the pressures, emotional highs and lows and what it's like for an upstate troubadour in the big city.

Battles grew up in Oswego, graduated from the Crane School of Music and now lives in Brooklyn. He studied percussion and music education at Crane. Recently, he took us into the classroom as a substitute teacher. In this next segment, he says sometimes life is an endless stream of teaching at a variety of schools around the city, takeout for dinner and then off to a gig at an "open mic night" or coffee house.  Go to full article

Potsdam, NY, Nov 08, 2012 — One of the finest woodwind quintets in the world will give a concert this weekend in Potsdam. Community Performance Series will host the CALEFAX Reed Quintet on Sunday night(7:30) in the Hosmer Concert Hall at SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music.

The Amsterdam-based quintet launches its U.S. tour in Potsdam with a performance of Bach's Goldberg Variations, as well as pieces by Ravel and Grieg. Todd Moe spoke with saxophonist Raaf Hekkema, who says the group began playing music together 25 years ago, while still in high school. An ensemble member will give a free pre-concert lecture at 6:30 Sunday night  Go to full article

Aug 01, 2012 — Musician Christopher Battles is hoping to make his mark as an acoustic singer/songwriter in the big city. He grew up in Oswego, graduated from the Crane School of Music last spring and now lives in New York City. He studied percussion and music education at Crane, and when he's not performing on the street or the stage at a coffee house, he's a substitute band teacher.

In the coming months, Christopher Battles will share his musical journey via audio postcards. We'll hear occasional stories of his new life -- the pressures, emotional highs and lows and what it's like for an upstate troubadour in the big city.

Earlier this summer, he released his first solo EP recording, titled Miles upon Miles. Not quite a single and not quite an album, EPs are usually an artist's debut recording and contain just a few musical tracks.

Battles takes new music and familiar favorites along while busking (street performing) at subway stops. For many musicians, busking is the showbiz equivalent of an entry-level job.  Go to full article

May 25, 2012 — New York City has always held a special place in the American imagination. For generations, it has inspired more than its fair share of musical dreams.

Musician Christopher Battles is hoping to make his mark as an acoustic singer/songwriter. He graduated from the Crane School of Music last spring and moved from his upstate hometown -- Oswego -- to New York City. He studied percussion and music education at Crane, and when he's not busking at a subway stop or on stage at a coffee house, he's a substitute band teacher.

Next Saturday, he'll release his first solo EP recording, titled Miles upon Miles. Not quite a single and not quite an album, EPs are usually an artist's debut recording and contain just a few musical tracks.

In the coming months, Christopher Battles has agreed to share his musical journey via audio postcards. We'll hear occasional stories of his new life -- the pressures, emotional highs and lows and what it's like for an upstate troubadour in the big city.  Go to full article

Potsdam, NY, Feb 10, 2012 — Crane School of Music tenor Donald George tells Todd Moe why he chose to record a second volume of music by Boston composer Margaret Lang, who was the first woman to have had her music performed by a major American orchestra. She wrote more than 130 songs during the early 20th century. Though much of her music was popular during her lifetime, Lang was her own toughest critic, sometimes destroying pieces she didn't like.

Donald George and pianist Lucy Mauro have spent the last few years researching Lang's life. They produced a first volume of Lang's music last winter. With this second recording, New Love Must Rise, released this month, the two musicians continue to revive an interest in her nearly forgotten music.  Go to full article

Canton, NY, Sep 07, 2011 — The State University of New York surprised the Canton-Potsdam communities last month with the news that it will put one president in charge of SUNY Canton and Potsdam colleges as part of a new initiative to share services. The plan is for SUNY Canton president Joe Kennedy to resign at the end of the academic year, with Potsdam President Jon Schwaller presumably holding the new office.

Canton leaders were dismayed that Kennedy, who's led an 18 year resurgence of the former Ag and tech school, was forced out. At a stormy meeting in early August, college council members at both schools challenged the decision, and SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher's authority to merge the presidencies.

There's been push-back from local and state politicians. A week ago the SUNY Canton chapter of the United University Professions organized a public protest that drew some 200 people in support of Kennedy.

Martha Foley sat down with Kennedy recently to talk about the new plan. He said it's hard to see how the shared presidency will work. And he said the news took him by surprise, too.  Go to full article

Potsdam, NY, Mar 09, 2011 — A world-renowned jazz pianist with a strong North Country connection returns this weekend to give workshops in Keene, Canton and Potsdam as well as three live performances. Joel Hurd has a preview.  Go to full article