His new CD cover for Air, A Baroque Journey may portray Daniel Hope with his head in the clouds and a very unfortunately-positioned violin case (yes, he's happy to see you), but make no mistake: the British violinist is no airhead. With a rich family legacy, his childhood was passed in tea parties with Mstislav Rostropovich and Yehudi Menuhin. He'll Aristotle your Nietzsche.
South-African born and raised in England, 35-year-old Daniel Hope was heralded by the Italian press in the days before his performance this past Tuesday at Milan's Conservatorio (for Società del Quartetto di Milano's 2008-09 season) as the conduit for a little glamor and fresh blood at our old-skool music halls ('tho fresh blood for near-taxidermied Conservatorio is like 60 years old). Toting his Antonio Gagliano violin -- acquired from the legendary Yehudi Menuhim 15 years ago -- Hope's fluffy 'fro of ginger hair and his impressive clique of friends (Mia Farrow, Sting, Stewie Copeland, and Uri Cane...not to mention his current tenure as Associate Artistic Director of Chamber Music with the Savannah Music Festival where he jams with the likes of Chick Corea, Bella Fleck, and Savion Glover) helped sell tickets to a traditional Milanese audience who'd rather flock to the more conventional, by-the-book violinists like as Uto Ughi and Shlomo Mintz.
**Click on the secksy link below to read the full review and see all the write-ups of Daniel Hope from Corriere della Sera, la Repubblica, and ViviMilano, in addition to the program list**
Continue reading "He's Got Rhythm: Daniel Hope's Concerto @ Milan's Conservatorio" »