2015

S3.E1 ∙ Three Articles of Faith

Wed, Sep 23, 2015

Mo Brooker uses abstract painting as an ephemeral expression of his belief in God. Renowned for his striking use of color, he's one of today's most significant painters, yet he's never taken full credit for his brilliance. Singer-songwriter Jasmine Tate says making music is her vocation, not a career. Yet the stories she tells, though informed by her faith, are universal. And, Kelly Schumacher sees herself as part of a continuum of liturgical artists that stretches back centuries. While today, many artists are more concerned with expressions of self, expressing God's glory remains the principle driving force for this PAFA-trained artist.

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S3.E2 ∙ Orchestrating Hits, the Keepers of Culture, and Jennifer Allora

Wed, Sep 30, 2015

Classically trained Larry Gold has spent a lifetime turning out classic hits. Today he's helping bring out the soul in R&B and hip-hop. Curating has become a buzz-word for organizing a life, but there are people who do it for a living. And Jennifer Allora is half of one of today's most innovative artistic partnerships, Allora & Calzadilla. Though married, only half of their relationship is emotional.

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S3.E3 ∙ Harpist Elizabeth Hainen, Open Source Art Festival, Jewelry Maker Bruce Metcalf

Wed, Oct 07, 2015

The Philadelphia Orchestra has a new harp. We travel to Chicago with Elizabeth Hainen, the Orchestra's principal harpist for her first meeting with the instrument. The Philadelphia-wide site specific art festival Open Source features works by 14 high-profile artists from around the world, all created in tandem with local communities. And Bruce Metcalf, the Philadelphia-based fine art jeweler, is a master of more crafts than seems possible. But he refuses to use precious materials in his work, finding them a little too... precious.

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S3.E4 ∙ Ceramicist Lauren Mabry, Comics and Graphic Novels, Singer-songwriter Martin Sexton

Wed, Oct 14, 2015

Ceramicist Lauren Mabry is turning heads in the art world. She uses hundreds of handmade glazes in the creation of her signature abstract cylinders. Though they entered the main stream consciousness in the 20th Century, comics may well be as old as art itself. And the singer-songwriter Martin Sexton has rolled with the punches in an ever-changing music world.

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S3.E5 ∙ Stained Glass Artist Judith Schaechter, Busking, Sculptor Jim Dessicino

Wed, Oct 21, 2015

The Philadelphia-based stained glass artist Judith Schaechter brings a very non-traditional perspective to a very traditional medium. Performing in the street, or "busking" has existed for as long as music itself. Today, it can be the starting point for a career- or a job in itself. And sculptor Jim Dessicino uses a craft, usually associated with permanence, to examine the transient nature of contemporary narratives.

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S3.E6 ∙ Dindga McCannon, Steven and Billy Dufala, Tango

Wed, Oct 28, 2015

Dindga McCannon was a pioneer of art quilting, an innovative approach to a traditional medium. Today, her ever-evolving practice remains strongly rooted in her African-American heritage. Steven and Billy Dufala are a seemingly ubiquitous presence in Philadelphia's contemporary art scene. But their success is built not on competitiveness, but a profound sense of community. In the popular imagination, tango is an exotic seduction born of the sultry streets of Buenos Aires. In truth, it is a complex improvised dance form practiced the world over.

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S3.E7 ∙ Artist Ellen Harvey, Carillons, Singer-songwriter Matthew Fowler

Wed, Nov 04, 2015

When artist Ellen Harvey visited the Barnes Foundation she found inspiration for a new work in an often-overlooked part of the collection. As well as being among the world's largest musical instruments, Carillons, tucked away in bell-towers, may also be the stealthiest. Now in his early 20's, Matthew Fowler is already a veteran singer-songwriter. He made his first album at age fourteen.

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S3.E8 ∙ Singer Ester Rada, Artist Mariel Capanna, Choreographer Brian Sanders

Wed, Nov 11, 2015

The Israeli singer and actor Ester Rada makes music that expresses her Ethiopian heritage and her love of American Jazz and R&B. Brian Sanders' choreography is a unique wonder of art and acrobatics. And Mariel Capanna believed her path would be straight and narrow until she discovered that painting had bigger plans.

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S3.E9 ∙ Alice in Wonderland, Arms and Armor, and Olive Prince

Wed, Nov 18, 2015

This week's show looks at the legacy of Alice in Wonderland, as well as the aesthetics of medieval armor. It also features artist Deirdre Murphy and choreographer Olive Prince.

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S3.E10 ∙ Walé Oyéjidé, Michael Stairs, Children's Theater

Wed, Jan 06, 2016

Hailed as one of America's best dressed men, fashion designer Walé Oyéjidé is on a mission to help all men dress better. At the Arden, children's theater is anything but child's play. The Philadelphia region is home to some of the world's greatest pipe organs. And for the Philadelphia orchestra's organist Michael Stairs, they're all old friends.

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S3.E11 ∙ Singer Chris Kasper, Textile Artist Heather Ujiie, Singer Melanie Martinez

Wed, Jan 13, 2016

Singer-songwriter and accidental ballet composer Chris Kasper hears new songs in all of life. Creating performance art for a specific outdoor location can present challenges, and rewards, unheard of in a concert hall. Fifteen years designing commercial fabrics helped Heather Ujiie find her own unique artistic voice that melds the traditional with the technological.

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S3.E12 ∙ Artist Megan McGlynn, Music Director Christofer Macatsoris, Singer-songwriter Jonatha Brooke

Wed, Jan 20, 2016

Though visual artist Megan McGlynn's work is rooted in self expression, she also believes that art must also have a broader vision. Christofer Macatsoris is the music director of the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia - one of the world's great opera finishing schools. His mission is to help improve a centuries-old classical art form. And Death conspired to turn singer-songwriter's life Jonatha Brooke into a one-woman play.

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S3.E13 ∙ Jennifer Higdon, Bianca DePietro, Xavier Foley, Caroline Lathan-Steifel

Wed, Jan 27, 2016

In writing the opera Cold Mountain, composer Jennifer Higdon got closer to her characters than she had ever thought possible. Bianca DePietro is not just a highly trained designer, she says a love of fashion is in her blood. Rising star bassist and composer Xavier Foley revels in great music-regardless of its source. And, Caroline Lathan-Steifel's installation, Wider than the Sky, was born out of her father's recovery from serious illness.

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S3.E14 ∙ Jeff Carpenter, Modigliani's Legacy, Caledonia Curry

Wed, Feb 03, 2016

Though visual artist Jeff Carpenter once wanted to make movies that were like paintings, he now creates moving painting. Amedeo Modigliani died a broken man, his art, especially sculptures, have endured. And, Caledonia Curry's art is founded on compassion and focused on helping improve the lives of those on the margins of society.

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S3.E15 ∙ Kevin Cornell, Peace Through Music, Lily Meier

Wed, Feb 17, 2016

Among illustrator Kevin Cornell's talents, a gift for creating vivid facial emotions and a self-effacing attitude about it. Two Philadelphia-based musicians from opposite sides of the Middle East conflict exemplify how peace-making is possible. Visual artist and architect Lily Meier brings a range of unusual influences to her work.

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S3.E16 ∙ Writer Beth Kephart, Literary Translation, Tenor Stephen Costello

Wed, Feb 24, 2016

Though novelist, essayist and memoirist Beth Kephart writes primarily in the first person, she says she's wary of the big "I am." The constant struggle for translators is between great literary rendition and accurate literal interpretation. And opera singer Stephen Costello is the local boy made good. Beyond Philadelphia he's pushing great.

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S3.E17 ∙ Matthew Neenan, Improvisation, Sam Durant, Claire-Marie Le Guay

Wed, Mar 02, 2016

From a very young age, life has been a dance for choreographer Matthew Neenan. Though we think of it as preeminently an artistic device, improvisation is an essential part of life. The work of multimedia artist Sam Durant is firmly rooted in social activism, and the French pianist Claire-Marie Le Guay brings equal rigor to her on-stage playing and her offstage education innovations.

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S3.E18 ∙ The Legacy of Tap, Singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie and Pianist Leif Ove Andsnes

Wed, Mar 23, 2016

Tap is among the most iconic of all American art forms and despite only occasional glimpses of the limelight, it continues to endure. Buffy Saint Marie's 1960s protest songs landed her on the FBI's blacklist. Fifty years on, she wouldn't change a thing. And Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes took two years to re-explore Beethoven's piano music. What he discovered was revelatory.

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S3.E19 ∙ Freelance economy, John Jarboe, Gabriel Kahane

Wed, Mar 30, 2016

Artists were familiar with the freelance economy long before it even had a name, and today they're constantly finding new ways adapt to it. Gabriel Kahane writes complex music with simple, pop sensibilities.

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S3.E20 ∙ Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib; Goldberg Variations; Krimes and Punishment

Wed, Apr 06, 2016

The poet Hanif is of a generation that is helping to redefine poetry. Bach's centuries old, devilishly difficult, Goldberg Variations, continue to fascinate audiences and pianists alike. And Jesse Krimes used his six years in federal prison to grow as an artist, and as a human.

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S3.E21 ∙ Sugar Tongue Slim; John Wind; Julia Holter

Wed, Apr 13, 2016

For Sugar Tongue Slim, wordplay is a way of life; hip-hop lines his pockets, poetry feeds his soul. John Wind's life has been a struggle between his own artistic vision and commercial success. But he's made it work And American songwriter Julia Holter is a hot ticket in the UK. At home, she still goes mostly unrecognized.

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S3.E22 ∙ Davyd Booth, Elizabeth Streb, Andrew Lipke

Wed, Apr 20, 2016

Philadelphia Orchestra violinist Davyd Booth admits that whatever he takes on, in life or in art, comes with a side of obsessive dedication. It's rare for an artist to disavow her own genre but Elizabeth Streb may well be the most fervently anti-dance choreographer you've ever met. And whether it's as a soloist with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia or as the keyboard player in a Led Zeppelin tribute band, Andrew Lipke's innate musicality shines.

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S3.E23 ∙ Colette Fu, Gil Shaham, Harvey Price, Art of Money

Wed, May 11, 2016

If you thought pop up books were just for kids, Colette Fu has news for you. Gil Shaham may be among the last musicians to personally own one of the world's great instruments. Harvey Price is bringing Arab and Jewish communities together with an instrument free of any local cultural baggage. And in Philadelphia, an elite group of highly specialized artists is continuing a long legacy of creating pocket-sized art.

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S3.E24 ∙ Michael Sakamoto, H.P. Lovecraft, Brandon Ballengee, George Fu

Wed, May 18, 2016

In Michael Sakamoto, butoh - the 20th century Japanese avant garde dance form (created to explore identity after world war two) - continues to evolve. The legacy of the early 20th century American writer H.P. Lovecraft is among the most powerful in contemporary horror. Brandon Ballengee's artistic practice and scientific research are of a singular goal; to generate understanding and awareness of endangered species. And George Fu came to the Curtis Institute having already graduated from Harvard. For him, committing to music was not a choice, it was his destiny.

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S3.E25 ∙ The Met Live; Moe Brooker; Farah Siraj

Wed, May 25, 2016

Ten years in, the Met's Live in HD simulcasts continue to change the face of opera around the world. Moe Brooker is rightly regarded as one of the greats of American painting. But though he stared down adversity, he freely admits there was also some luck involved. Farah Siraj is both a musical ambassador for her native Jordan, and a global citizen.

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S3.E26 ∙ Punk, Longwood Gardens, Laughter

Mon, Jun 13, 2016

Youthful rebellion found its zenith in punk, a movement with roots in rock n' roll that continues today. The more than century old history of Longwood Gardens is a story of man and nature working in harmony. And the nuanced insights of multi-lingual comedian Des Bishop are now getting laughs from audiences around the world.

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S3.E27 ∙ Conductor Marin Alsop, How We Listen, Singer TM Krishna

Mon, Jun 20, 2016

More than a quarter century into a remarkable career, the American conductor Marin Alsop is still a trailblazer. Though how we listen to music has changed radically in the last several decades, we're all still fundamentally chasing the same goal- a closer connection to the art. And the carnatic singer TM Krishna believes that open ears lead to open hearts.

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S3.E28 ∙ Bharatanatyam, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Afrofuturism

Mon, Jun 27, 2016

The classical dance form Bharatanatyam survived colonial oppression and today exemplifies Indian identity both at home and abroad. Yannick Nézet-Séguin's unique approach to music making has garnered him two of of the most prestigious conducting positions in the world, as music director of both the Philadelphia Orchestra and, from 2020, the Metropolitan Opera. And Afrofuturism marries sci-fi with ancient notions of time to offer hope for a better future for people of color.

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S3.E29 ∙ Roberto Lugo, All the World's a Stage, Hao Yang

Mon, Jul 04, 2016

The ceramics of Roberto Lugo pay homage to their classical past but are firmly rooted in the realities of an inner city upbringing. Shakespeare believed that life itself was a performance. If so, what can theatre teach us about how to be ourselves? And 16-year old Hao Yang still isn't sure what she wants to be when she grows up. In the meantime, she's well on the way to becoming one of the world's finest classical guitarists.

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