On the Road with Joanne Robinson: Show #233 Carmel, IN

Hi everyone! We’re back from Carmel, Indiana, where we taped a show with a very special guest – singer and interpreter of the Great American Songbook Michael Feinstein. He was warm and wonderful with our young performers, and they were all excited to work with him.

The show opened with 16-year-old cellist Matthew Liversedge who played Carl Davidoff’s At the Fountain and spoke about his upbringing in Africa. Next up was harpist Katherine Kapelsohn who performed from Suite Española by Isaac Albéniz and discussed life on her family’s farm. Taking the stage next was the award-winning Quartet Toujours, four young women we originally met when they were part of Octet Abbraccio on show #216. Not only did they provide all kinds of fun moments at the taping, they treated the audience to some very energetic Shostakovich. Bassoonist Tom English, 17, was up next, playing from Hummel’s Concerto in F major and following up with a game with Christopher O’Riley. Closing the show, Michael Feinstein joined Quartet Toujours and harpist Katherine Kapelsohn, for a performance of George Gershwin’s “Love Walked In,” arranged by Lee Blaske.

I handed off my flipcam to Quartet Toujours and apparently they stormed the control room during the show’s warm up! Check out this very rare look at what goes on behind the scenes at a From the Top taping!