Artists
Scottsdale Philharmonic Will Open Its Season on Oct. 9 Under Direction of New Full-Time, World-Class Conductor
The musical program for Oct. 9 will include Mozart’s “Clarinet Concerto Mvt. 1” with Soloist Heather Van Beek; Rubenstein’s “Melody in F” with Piano Soloist Vitaly Serebriakov; Liszt’s “Oh! Quand je dors” with Soloist Melissa Solomon; and Carl’s “O Fortuna from Carmina Burana” with full chorus.
“We are so lucky and privileged that Dmitry has decided to accept the position and become our Principal Conductor as we begin our newest vision of seeing the Scottsdale Philharmonic become a major symphony in Arizona,” says Joy Partridge, President and Co-Founder of the Scottsdale Philharmonic.
All concerts in the Scottsdale Philharmonic’s 2022-23 season (Oct. 9, Dec. 4, Dec. 11, Feb. 19, March 19 and May 7) will be held at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 East Second St., Scottsdale, from 4 to 6 p.m.
Ticket donations of $15 are available for all upcoming concerts online at www.scottsdaleperformingarts.org, and the venue website lists the latest information about COVID protocols for the events.
“Every great symphony must first start with a great conductor,” Partridge says. “Dmitry amazed both our musicians and audience as a visiting guest conductor with his brilliant talent and masterful skills as he conducted our spring concerts. He received numerous standing ovations and tremendous enthusiastic applause from our audience. It was an exciting moment for all of us who were there.
“Our orchestra members have expressed their enjoyment in performing under the baton of our new and exciting musical leader,” Partridge continues. “We feel his skills as a conductor enhances our abilities to perform at our highest level.
“The vision of creating the Scottsdale Philharmonic into a major symphony in Arizona is just beginning,” Partridge explains. “Because Maestro Polyakov is a key figure in building our future and lead us to a treasury of classical musical, we created the ‘Conductor’s Circle Sponsorship’ program. Contributions to this program will allow us to develop our new vision of a first class symphony in Scottsdale and build a great symphonic orchestra and perform unforgettable concerts. He is a leader that we are excited to have for our future.”
“We want to thank our Mayor of Scottsdale David Ortega, the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, and our audience, sponsors, donors, and benefactors,” Partridge said. “We are so grateful to all of you. As a non-profit, the orchestra always welcomes volunteers and any generous support.
“We prepared many projects for the next season and beyond,” Partridge continued. “Follow us on our website and social networks. We are looking forward to seeing you at our upcoming concerts.”
For more information about the Scottsdale Philharmonic or to make a donation, visit www.scottsdalephilharmonic.com or call 480-951-6077.
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Artists
Canadian Blues Veteran Wailin’ Walker Sets New Album ‘Bluesmen’ for September 2026
Balle Balle Radio™ Entertainment Desk
Blues artist Wailin’ Walker has scheduled the September 9, 2026 debut of his album Bluesmen via Jitterbug Records, according to the announcement.
The release comes almost exactly a year after Walker’s last album, Blues Lightnin’, which the announcement states reached the No. 1 spot on Canada’s blues charts within days of its September 2025 release. That back-to-back turnaround is notable for an artist whose catalog has otherwise been built over decades: Walker began his recording career in 1978 alongside The Houserockers and subsequently produced six independent blues records, according to the announcement.
Walker’s earlier records have had international reach. The Devil Made Me Play It, put out under the Amsterdam label Double Trouble Records, topped blues charts in the Netherlands, Spain and Australia, per the announcement. No Regrets and All Fired Up later topped blues charts in the United States and Canada. The announcement also credits Walker as a songwriter for Long John Baldry and Powder Blues, and lists a run as house band at Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom for 78 shows, along with a stretch touring with the Jerry Doucette Band from 2006 to 2018. Walker’s music has ranked No. 2 on the Roots Music Report in 2014-2015 and No. 1 in 2024-2025, the announcement states.
Walker has said he was personally mentored by Buddy Guy, Pee Wee Crayton and Otis Rush, and has shared stages with Johnny Winter, George Thorogood and Stevie Ray Vaughan, according to the announcement. Such associations situate Walker within a dwindling cohort of contemporary blues performers who have worked directly with blues music pioneers.
No further details on Bluesmen — including tracklist, personnel or recording location — were included in the announcement.
Studio CarryOnHarry Perspective
At Studio CarryOnHarry, we see Walker’s mentorship lineage as perhaps his most significant legacy. In an era when direct connections to blues music’s foundational architects are disappearing, Walker represents a living conduit between generations—trained by Buddy Guy, Pee Wee Crayton, and Otis Rush, figures who shaped the electric blues sound itself. This isn’t merely biographical trivia; it’s cultural preservation. Each album Walker releases carries forward the accumulated knowledge and artistic sensibility of musicians who might otherwise fade into history as names in liner notes. With Bluesmen arriving in 2026, Walker has an opportunity to explicitly honor and transmit what those legends taught him, ensuring their influence doesn’t dilute through abstraction but remains tangible in contemporary recordings. For blues listeners and historians alike, Walker’s work functions as a bridge—proof that the tradition remains vital and evolving, not archived.
Read more People’s Choice stories on Studio CarryOnHarry. Reporting via Live News Vault.
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Artists
Berlin Producer FANCI Steps From Behind the Boards With Debut Single “Funky Sexy Cool”
Balle Balle Radio™ Entertainment Desk
FANCI, a Berlin musician who has recently worked as a producer for other German artists, has unveiled his debut single "Funky Sexy Cool." It’s the first taste of what’s described as his debut solo album, aimed at an international audience.
The move to a solo release follows a career that started well before FANCI worked behind a mixing board. His musical foundation started at age six with piano; he later studied guitar with Rudy Stevenson, who has worked with George Benson and Nina Simone. Stevenson also mentored FANCI as a songwriter. Diana Music & Vision Publishing signed him after hearing his early demos, leading to the release of two tracks on Wemby Records under the Gemini moniker. — releases the announcement credits with regional success, though no specific chart or sales figures are cited.
From there, FANCI moved into production work for other artists while separately writing toward a full album under his own name. The music blends rock, soul, pop, new wave and funk, drawing inspiration from artists like Jamiroquai, Prince, Curtis Mayfield, Peter Gabriel and David Bowie. Other coverage of the artist has referred to him as FANCI FUNK, suggesting the funk influence extends to how he’s being branded, not just how he’s being described.
No release date has been given for the full album "Funky Sexy Cool" is drawn from, and the announcement doesn’t specify how the single has performed since release.
In association with Radio Pluggers
Studio CarryOnHarry Perspective
At Studio CarryOnHarry, we recognize that FANCI’s emergence as a solo artist represents something often overlooked in debut narratives: the quiet power of mentorship across generations. Rudy Stevenson’s fingerprints on this story matter because they connect FANCI directly to a lineage of musical sophistication—the same hands that guided George Benson and Nina Simone’s artistry are now shaping a new voice. This isn’t merely credentialing; it’s DNA. When FANCI channels soul, jazz-inflected guitar work, and lyrical depth, he’s inheriting lessons from two masters who understood how to balance technical mastery with emotional authenticity. For listeners, this context transforms "Funky Sexy Cool" from a promising debut into a continuation of a mentorship tradition that prioritizes craft and character over trend-chasing. In an era of algorithm-driven discovery, FANCI’s path—rooted in human instruction and artistic lineage—stands as a reminder that the most durable artists are often shaped by those who came before.
Read more People’s Choice stories on Studio CarryOnHarry. Reporting via Live News Vault.
Press Releases at Studio CarryOnHarry
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