Michael Lisicky: Oboist, Author, and Historian

Michael Lisicky is second oboist with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. He is also an author and historian and has written five books on the histories of downtown urban department stores. (Visit here or here to purchase.) He has been sought out by CBS Sunday Morning, Bloomberg, Fortune, and other leading news sources as an expert on this field.

Jacob Smith: Bassoonist, Arts Administrator, Tech Entrepreneur, and Father

Readers, I am very excited to share with you this interview from 2011 with someone I consider a friend, role model -- and inspired me to start this project. I think Jacob must have a Time-Turner to do everything he does. Enjoy!  --AM

Jacob Smith is principal bassoonist with the Academy of Vocal Arts Orchestra and plays frequently with the Opera Company of Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Ballet, and is a substitute with The Philadelphia Orchestra. He is a former member of The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. He studied with Nancy Goeres at Carnegie Mellon University and Danny Matsukawa at Temple University. 

Jacob is also Director of Development and Marketing for the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society (PCMS) and Marlboro Music Festival and School. He also owns a web company, Dinkum Interactive. He resides in Philadelphia with his wife Meghan and two sons, Rory and Duncan.

One Reason Why I've Been M.I.A.

Readers, I miss you! As you know, the past two months have been crazy between my oboe life and my Curtis life. 

Now, some "extracurricular" projects are a priority for the next few weeks, including: For the second year in a row, I am serving as a volunteer grant panelist for the Philadelphia Cultural Fund.

Greetings from the Inn at Bethlehem

Ok, not quite: Greetings from the Comfort Suites in Bethlehem, PA. I'm up here with The Bach Choir of Bethlehem for two days of our "Bach to School" educational programs for middle schoolers in the Lehigh Valley.

Shannon Langman, Mezzo-Soprano and Photographer

Mezzo-soprano Shannon Langman teaches and performs frequently in Houston, where she resides with her husband, tenor Gregory Smith. Shannon was a Young Artist with Tri-Cities Opera in Binghamton, New York and spent two seasons with The Ohio Light Opera. She has sung solo parts with The Houston Symphony and the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Mexico.

Shannon received her Master of Music Degree in Opera Performance at The Moores School of Music at the University of Houston where she was the recipient of the prestigious Cynthia Woods Mitchell Scholarship. She is also the owner of Shannon Langman Photography, specializing in musician headshots.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation...er, rather, My Week

Dearest Readers,

I told you before that my oboe career is very unpredictable. Some weeks my life is more oboe-centric than others and last week was one of them. Three different concert programs in three very different environments, plus three days at Curtis (I took two vacation days for some of the playing jobs) and another event for the Curtis Crescendo Club. And an interview with Jon Fink for an upcoming post. And...and...zzz  #longweek  #collapse

I will work backwards, saving the best for last:

Interviewees' Shared Characteristics

Last week, I did three interviews in three days, so I am busy transcribing a lot of new exciting content that will be posted in the coming weeks.

I've now done more than a dozen interviews, and I'm even more amazed at the level of talent and passion of these people. I am honored that they took time out of their busy schedules to talk to me. Some common themes are starting to emerge:

Joseph Hallman, composer

Joe was one of my first friends in Philly and I have found his creativity, talent, passion, and kind personality to be inspriring ever since we first met. I hope reading this interview is as enjoyable for you as it was for me to do!  --AM

Composer Joseph Hallman has written works performed by brilliant musicians including Alisa Weilerstein and members of The Philadelphia Orchestra. He is adjunct professor at Drexel University. He earned a Bachelor of Music from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied with Margaret Brouwer. 

Joe is an Administrator at the College of Liberal Professional Studies in the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also earning a Master of Liberal Arts at Penn. His capstone work is an ethnography of African-American Gay Male Youth at The Attic Youth Center in Philadelphia.