Ilona Oltuski, Author at Blogcritics

Ilona Oltuski

About GetClassical – Positively Personal Performance Welcome to GetClassical – a platform for classical music enthusiasts, offering information about today’s classical music scene through our blog posts and connecting new audiences to GetClassical’s concert events. Music Journalist and founder of GetClassical, Ilona Oltuski, (member of MCANA) is thrilled to announce a new season with a variety of great performances by upcoming and arrived musicians, of great caliber. Some, you will have heard here first, some are household names within New York’s vibrant music scene – but all collaborations are based on close relationships with the artists and appreciation for their great, musical talent. GetClassical continues its relationship with WWFM whose broad spectrum of listeners we would like to welcome for another exciting season of broadcasts. We produce events of a great variety, performed at different venues: from cabaret star Adrienne Haan’s Carnegie Hall’s debut at Weill Recital Hall, to world renowned cellist Mischa Maisky and friends, at LePoisson Rouge. Art lovers will experience music in their favorite environment: Soho’s art gallery Louis Meisel. Our monthly series at the very intimate, downtown Jazz Club Zinc Bar, right in the heart of New York City’s downtown nightlife scene continues, while we are looking forward to a new collaboration for a GetClassical Salon series, with Yamaha Artists Services, at their newly renovated showroom. Classical music has a great tradition, but musicians realize the importance of reaching out to a wider audience, and to create a fresh outlook and enthusiasm to classical music. What makes our concerts special is the actual concert experience: GetClassical creates a very personal and relaxed environment that encourages people – with a glass of wine in hand – … to celebrate talent, the way it used to be celebrated when classical compositions of the day, represented the newest talent on the block. It’s in this spirit of community building and artistic interaction; we also welcome visiting guest artists to the stage. Jazz musicians have always encouraged “jamming” together – we will extend this friendly gesture to the classical experience, adding an element of excitement and surprise. You will definitely have the opportunity to meet the artists, up close and personal – we bring the after-party to the concert.

Profile: Pianist Rixiang Huang on Anti-Asian Bias and Becoming a Better Human Being Through Music

May 17, 2021 Classical, Editor Pick: Music, Feature Articles music, Interviews music, Music, Music Genres, Top Stories Comments Off on Profile: Pianist Rixiang Huang on Anti-Asian Bias and Becoming a Better Human Being Through Music

Though he has often felt discriminated against in the U.S., the Chinese-born pianist believes music is the path to self-betterment.

Classical Music Interview: Violinist/Violin Professor Dmitri Berlinsky on Dorothy DeLay Master Class Series

November 23, 2020 Classical, Editor Pick: Music, Feature Articles music, Interviews music, Music, Music Genres Comments Off on Classical Music Interview: Violinist/Violin Professor Dmitri Berlinsky on Dorothy DeLay Master Class Series

The noted artist-teacher talks about a violin master class series reimagined for the virtual world.

From a Curator’s Wish List to an Institution’s Evolving Interests: John Glover and Kaufman Music Center’s New Vision for the 21st Century Musician

November 17, 2019 Avant-garde, Classical, Concert Music, Music, Music Genres, Music News 1

Kaufman Music Center Merkin Concert Hall

'From my first day, what jumps out at me, when going floor to floor, is the amazing range of music-making happening on a daily basis.'

Piano School of NYC: Making It Possible for Everyone to Fall in Love with Music

July 12, 2018 Classical, Concert Music, Education, Interviews music, Music, Music Genres Comments Off on Piano School of NYC: Making It Possible for Everyone to Fall in Love with Music

When pianist Vera Anselmo, who trained at Juilliard and Mannes School of Music, started giving piano and music lessons at local schools in Manhattan’s Upper West Side and Harlem in 2001, she did not realize the potential impact her 'Piano School of New York City' would make over the years. But her passion to bring the gift of music to all had always been her driving force.

New Enthusiasm for Eurythmy: Gabrielle Armenier Moves to Illuminate the Human Experience and Creative Process

April 2, 2018 Arts, Classical, Concert Music, Culture and Society, Dance, Editor Pick: Culture and Society, Interviews music, Music, Music Genres, Visual Arts Comments Off on New Enthusiasm for Eurythmy: Gabrielle Armenier Moves to Illuminate the Human Experience and Creative Process

Eurythmy produces a performing experience unlike many others; it lures you in to new shores, perhaps a bit like the song of the sirens once captured Odysseus.

Interview: Emerson String Quartet on Teaming with Piano Virtuoso Evgeny Kissin for 2018 Concert Tour

January 30, 2018 Classical, Concert Music, Editor Pick: Music, Interviews music, Music, Music Genres, Top Stories Comments Off on Interview: Emerson String Quartet on Teaming with Piano Virtuoso Evgeny Kissin for 2018 Concert Tour

Evgeny Kissin in Verbier, 2011 (Ilona Oltuski)

With this special chamber music venture that pairs Carnegie Hall’s darling with a formal string ensemble for the first time, Kissin continues to expand his creative spectrum, broadening his offerings even further, past Jewish poetry recitals and his latest foray into writing and composing.

From Russia to America: Pianist, Composer, and Transcriber Vyacheslav Gryaznov Delights in Musical Storytelling

November 30, 2017 Classical, Concert Music, Interviews music, Music, Music Genres, Top Stories Comments Off on From Russia to America: Pianist, Composer, and Transcriber Vyacheslav Gryaznov Delights in Musical Storytelling

While the pianist's impression is by no means comprehensive due to the short time he has spent here, the notion that the Russian pedagogical culture could be producing lazy students while the United States’ could be producing lazy teachers may not be so far-fetched.

In HBO’s ‘The Night Of,’ Composer Jeff Russo Scores Emotions into Vision

September 19, 2016 Drama, Genres tv, Interviews music, Mini-series and TV Movies, Music, Music Genres, Scores and Cast Albums, Top Stories, TV Comments Off on In HBO’s ‘The Night Of,’ Composer Jeff Russo Scores Emotions into Vision

Unusually, the music for HBO's eight-part series became a profoundly integral part of the show’s narrative, influencing its atmospheric pace from the beginning.

A Mostly Mozart 50-Year Retrospective: Making the Most of Mozart’s Genre-Bending Spell

September 2, 2016 Classical, Feature Articles music, Interviews music, Music, Music Genres, Top Stories Comments Off on A Mostly Mozart 50-Year Retrospective: Making the Most of Mozart’s Genre-Bending Spell

Over its 50 years, the Mostly Mozart Festival has built a large following, enjoyed an international reputation and presented A-list performers, all while tending to the shifting expectations of trendy New Yorkers. Under festival director Jane Moss and music director Louis Langrée, it genially circumvents the self-imposed restriction of its catchy name.