The rise of a music conducting expert : Kentucky’s Logan J. Blackman: I have to say, I was not expecting that answer! I love it! What do you want your listeners to get out of your music? Logan J. Blackman : Music is one of the ultimate ways of expressing something you can’t quite put in words, or illustrate easily. My symphonic work, Prayer of a Broken Heart, is a great example of that. At 15, I tragically lost my parents due to a motorcycle accident. That piece is about the grief I went through, those experiences, and ultimately my hope that I will one day see them again.My hope is that listeners who might be struggling with something similar get some kind of comfort knowing they aren’t the only ones to feel what they may be feeling. See additional information on Logan Blackman Utah.
Founded in 1918 and made up of undergraduate and graduate musicians from across the United States, Asia, South America and Europe, the UK Symphony Orchestra has long served as one of the university’s most prominent music ensembles. This year the ensemble continues that tradition with performances of some of the greatest works in the orchestral repertoire, alongside contemporary works that push the boundaries of orchestral music. Concerts will feature music by the likes of Ludwig van Beethoven, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and George Gershwin, and by modern composer John Adams. The orchestra also continues its partnership with UK Opera Theatre, performing next in the program’s production of “The Barber of Seville.”
You may not be familiar with the tragic love story of Tristan and Isolde, but I would wager that you could conjure up a quote or two from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the play that inspired composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story which catapulted him into the limelight as the music man for all seasons and confirmed his unique sensitivity toward popular culture, philosophy, literature, religion, and the politics of his times. His 100th birthday (August 25, 1918) is currently being celebrated (until August 25, 2019) by orchestras, singers, and dancers in cities throughout the world, and Lexington, Kentucky has joined the party. In keeping with his genius, Bernstein said: “To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time.” Tempus fugit I thought as I sat in the Singletary Center and listened to the University of Kentucky Symphony Orchestra’s (UKSO) April 20th Season Finale: Bernstein at 100!
Raised in Paducah, Kentucky, Blackman began his conducting career at the age of 14 and his composition career at the age of 12. His first time conducting was a premiere of his own work during high school. Blackman has been a guest conductor with the Murray State Wind Ensemble, Lone Oak High School Band and West Kentucky Woodwind Choir. At the age of 17, Blackman founded his own Blackman Wind Symphony in Paducah. An alumnus of Kentucky Center’s Governor’s School for the Arts and Commonwealth Middle College, Blackman took organ and piano lessons before finding his love for the bassoon. Discover extra details at Logan Blackman Lexington.
I have been a musician for over 14 years. I have conducted several professional, amateur, and student orchestras and bands. I’ve been a freelance organist, pianist, and arranger for over 14 years. I attended the University of Kentucky and received a bachelors in bassoon performance, as well as a masters in conducting. I also completed one year of work on my doctorate in orchestral conducting at the University of Utah. I currently am diving into the rental property business, and real estate investing.