Author Archives | albert imperato

albert imperato - who has written 34 posts on Ecstatic Living Room.

Born in New York City in 1962. Graduated from Stanford University in 1984. Worked for record company 1987-2000. Co-founded music promotion company, 21C Media Group, in 2000.

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20 (Plus) Questions with… Giuseppe Filianoti

Thursday, April 30, 2009

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20 (Plus) Questions with… Giuseppe Filianoti

Italian-born Giuseppe Filianoti has won acclaim around the world for his superb performances in the Bel Canto repertoire. The well-read family man appears May 12-25 as Nemorino (opposite Diana Damrau) in Laurent Pelly's staging of L'Elisir d'Amore at Covent Garden.

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20 (Plus) Questions with… Soprano Nicole Cabell

Thursday, April 23, 2009

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20 (Plus) Questions with… Soprano Nicole Cabell

Cabell - who shot to fame after winning the 2005 BBC Singer of the World Competition in Cardiff - graces the Met stage as Adina in L’Elisir d’Amore through April 22. She is the latest to donate her time and musings to our Q&A.

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20 (Plus) Questions with… Pianist Jonathan Biss

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

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20 (Plus) Questions with… Pianist Jonathan Biss

In the midst of a cross-country U.S. recital tour (which includes an April 14 stop at Zankel Hall), Biss filled out our questionnaire- providing detailed answers and insights, some of which may surprise you. He wraps up his current traveling program April 20.

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Where classical music is the soundtrack to life.

Monday, April 13, 2009

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You don’t need to take a class or read a book about classical music to enjoy it. All it usually takes to fall in love with it is to hear the right piece at the right time. And that’s exactly what The Ecstatic Living Room is all about.  It’s a place where music lovers can [...]

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Better Late Than Never – Mozart’s Magic in The Shawshank Redemption

Monday, April 6, 2009

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Better Late Than Never – Mozart’s Magic in <em>The Shawshank Redemption</em>

I’m probably the last person in the United States to see The Shawshank Redemption (I finally got around to Netflixing it, and watched it last night over my favorite meal – a plate of cheese ravioli with home made tomato sauce), but for me it was worth the wait. Obviously, it’s one of the most [...]

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Spring Awakening

Sunday, April 5, 2009

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Spring Awakening

Some music-loving friends find it corny (but that’s why it’s so much fun, of course) that I coordinate so much of my listening to the changing seasons. Part of the reason I do this is that my imagination makes certain connections early on and the rest of me just can’t let go. On balance, I [...]

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20 (Plus) Questions with… Tenor Ian Bostridge

Saturday, April 4, 2009

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20 (Plus) Questions with… Tenor Ian Bostridge

One of today's most eminent Schubert lieder interpreters, the English tenor's newest album features the composer’s Schwanengesang song cycle. Bostridge generously took time to share some thoughts, favorites and opinions in this Q&A feature.

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Welcome to the Ecstatic Living Room!

Thursday, April 2, 2009

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My name is Albert Imperato. I’m the founder and co-managing director of 21C Media Group, an independent public relations, marketing, and consulting firm specializing in classical music and the performing arts. I’ve been working in music promotion since 1987, and many of my friends and family are still very curious about what exactly I do [...]

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20 Questions with… Danielle de Niese

Monday, February 16, 2009

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20 Questions with… Danielle de Niese

At only 29 years of age, soprano Danielle de Niese regularly graces many of the world’s most prestigious opera and concert stages, and has released her first solo album as part of her exclusive contract with Decca Records, titled Handel Arias. This February she embarks on a seven-city recital tour of North America, which culminates in an appearance Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall on February 27th. Australian-born to parents of Sri Lankan and Dutch heritage, Danielle de Niese grew up in Los Angeles. Her career got off to a prestigious start when, at age 18, she became the youngest singer ever to enter the Metropolitan Opera Young Artist Program.

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20 Questions with…composer and violinist Mark O’Connor

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

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20 Questions with…composer and violinist Mark O’Connor

Mark O’Connor is a composer and violinist whose fluency with both classical and American traditions has made him one of the most acclaimed figures in contemporary music. In October 2008, O’Connor began a year as the first Artist in Residence at the Herb Alpert School of Music at UCLA, and in November, gave a two-day residency at Philadelphia’s Curtis School of Music. O’Connor takes educating the next generation of musicians seriously – his annual String Camps provide hundreds of students with intensive training from O’Connor and some of the world's finest performers and teachers. His Americana Symphony, “Variations on Appalachia Waltz,” was recently recorded by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop conducting, and will be released March 10, 2009 by OMAC Records.

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