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Eric Whitacre

Composer, Conductor, Lecturer

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March, 2001: The World Premiere of Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine

May 29, 2012 at 8:50 am UTC

That’s me (with slightly different hair) conducting the incredible Kansas City Chorale. The man I’m embracing at the end of the video is poet Charles Anthony Silvestri. Can’t believe it’s been eleven years!

  • Konrad

    Eric,
    am I right, that your imagination of the tempo slowed down a bit during the past eleven years? The record on “Light&Gold” is a bit slower and the cesuras are longer.
    Is there any special reason for it or happened it just by chance?

    Greetings from Germany

  • Dan

    Eric I just saw the KC Chorale perform this again a couple weeks ago at their first concert in KC’s new Kauffman Center. What a treat! I recognize a few faces from this video.

    In his introductory remarks, Charles Bruffy mentioned that this was the first piece he had ever received via e-mail. Boy, how times have changed in eleven years!

  • http://hypercreations.com/david David T

    A wonderful performance of a fantastic combination of words and sounds–thanks for posting it! I remember sitting in the audience at that premiere performance, transfixed and excited by what I was hearing. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of singing this piece many times under the direction of Charles Bruffy, as far away as at a festival in Incheon, Korea, and also at the recent Kauffmann Center performance mentioned by Dan. I’m usually given the job of playing the tambourine part!

  • Paul P

    It never ceases to amaze me how a slight difference in the way the chords are balanced can completely change the way it sounds. A fantastic performance of a fantastic work of art!

  • Samuel

    You really should come back! We’d all enjoy watching and learning from you. I’m a high school student in Kansas City and my choir really enjoys your work. Please come back soon!

Virtual Choir 4: Bliss

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About Eric

Eric Whitacre is one of the most popular and performed composers of our time, a distinguished conductor, broadcaster and public speaker. His first album as both composer and conductor on Decca/Universal, Light & Gold, won a Grammy® in 2012, reaped unanimous five star reviews and became the no. 1 classical album in the US and UK charts within a week of release... full bio

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