Minimalism with a beating heart: Julius Eastman's Femenine

Ariadne Greif

St Luke's Chamber Ensemble and Ariadne Greif

By Kurt Gottschalk, 08 February 2026

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Reviewed at DiMenna Center for Classical Music: Mary Flagler Cary Hall, New York City on 4 February 2026

Eastman, Femenine

Ariadne Greif, Soprano

St Luke's Chamber Ensemble

Margaret Kampmeier, Piano

Lino Gomez, Saxophone

Priscilla Rinehart, French horn

Kinan Azmeh offers a sampling of delights with St Luke’s

No’a L. bat Miri, 15th April

As part of St Luke’s ‘Visionary Sounds’ series, Kinan Azmeh joined the chamber ensemble to play a variety of his own compositions.

****1

St Luke's Chamber Ensemble finds the joy in Julius Eastman

Kurt Gottschalk, 22nd June

In their “Visionary Sounds” concert, the ensemble lets Eastman's Stay On It fall into abandon at times... but never without a plan.

****1

An uneven mix with animation by the St Luke’s Chamber Ensemble

Kurt Gottschalk, 16th March

A program of works for soloists and small ensembles proves aurally and visually taxing, emotionally and intellectually exhausting, all in fairly enticing ways.

***11

LA Phil celebrates the California spirit with Andrés Orozco-Estrada

Cameron Kelsall, 3rd May

The program features Maria Dueñas in Korngold's Violin Concerto and a moving tribute to LA native Michael Tilson Thomas

****1

Denis Kozhukhin: captivating storytelling with the London Symphony

Clare Varney, 1st May

At the Konzerthaus Dortmund, Sir Antonio Pappano and the LSO are joined by Russian pianist Denis Kozhukhin to plunge into the depths of despair in Bernstein’s melancholic The Age of Anxiety.

***11

Eric Lu brings scintillating Chopin to Singapore

Chang Tou Liang, 1st May

A world premiere by Wang Chenwei, familiar Chopin and a rare outing for Bartók’s Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta make for satisfying fare in Jahcun Wong’s Singapore Symphony programme.

****1

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Kurt Gottschalk

Kurt Gottschalk is a journalist and author based in New York City. His writings on contemporary and classical music, jazz and improvisation have been published in outlets throughout Europe and America and he has two volumes of short fiction to his name. He produced and hosted the Miniature Minotaurs radio programme on WFMU and currently hosts Afternoon New Music on WKCR.

Minimalism with a beating heart: St Luke’s finds the free flow of Julius Eastman's Femenine