Arts & Culture

Aha! With Alastair

WVPE partners with the South Bend Symphony for the podcast series, "Aha! with Alastair," featuring South Bend Symphony Orchestra Music Director Alastair Willis. In each episode, Maestro Willis discusses pieces the symphony is slated to perform in upcoming concerts."When I was younger, several inspiring conductors helped make music come alive for me, music suddenly became more than scales and black and white notes on the page," says Willis, "and since then one of my favorite things to do is return the favor for others, whether in concert, pre-concert talks, or podcasts!"The title refers to Alastair's "aha" moments about music that he wants to share with listeners.

Aha! With Alastair: Ep 4 - Beethoven's Fifth and "Rose of Sonora"

WVPE 88.1 Elkhart/South Bend | By Alastair Willis & Tony Krabill

Published May 20, 2021 at 2:16 AM EDT

In another episode of "Aha! with Alastair," South Bend Symphony Orchestra Music Director Alastair Willis discusses Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in its historical context, and what it means to him now as we begin to emerge hopeful after a gut-wrenching year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We also pulled out a conversation Alastair had last year with violinist Holly Mulcahy in anticipation of her performance with the orchestra of George S. Clinton's "Rose of Sonora." This performance was originally slated for last fall, but... yes... pandemic. So we bring you this conversation now as the performance of this piece in South Bend arrives, at long last!