Posted on by James Kampas

Christmas in Vienna (in the Desert)

The Vienna Boys Choir at The McCallum Theatre
Nov. 22, 2025 – The Vienna Boys Choir at The McCallum Theatre.

Tonight felt like the true beginning of the holidays for me. The Vienna Boys Choir performed a program titled Christmas in Vienna at the McCallum Theatre. It included a mixture of classical works by Brahms, Pergolesi, Bruckner, and Mozart, alongside recognizable carols like “Silent Night” (sung with lights dimmed and each boy holding a candle), “Little Drummer Boy,” and “O Tannenbaum.” It was a truly mesmerizing concert.

It is easy to see why this group is so legendary. The Vienna Boys Choir is one of the world’s most famous and historic choral ensembles, made up of boys aged 10 to 14, trained in the rich tradition of Austrian sacred and classical music. Founded in 1498, the choir is known for its pure, bell-like sound and its close association with composers like Mozart, Haydn, and Schubert, whose works helped define its legacy. Today, the boys live and study at the Palais Augarten in Vienna and travel the globe performing everything from Renaissance polyphony to modern pieces.

Posted on by James Kampas

The Proms at the Royal Albert Hall

August 8, 2022 – A memorable night in London.

Attending The Proms at London’s Royal Albert Hall was a surreal and unforgettable experience. This storied venue has welcomed everyone from classical titans like Tchaikovsky, Mahler, and Stravinsky to popular icons such as The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Led Zeppelin — a testament to its place at the heart of musical history.

The BBC Proms — short for “Promenade Concerts” — is an eight-week summer festival founded in 1895 by conductor Henry Wood to make great music accessible to all. Today, it remains one of the world’s most celebrated classical music events, bringing together leading orchestras, soloists, and conductors for an extraordinary range of performances.

Our evening featured the world premiere of Gavin Higgins’s Concerto Grosso for Brass Band and Orchestra, a new work performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and The Tredegar Band under the baton of Ryan Bancroft, followed by a powerful rendition of Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique — a fitting finale in such an iconic hall.

Posted on by James Kampas

Palm Springs Public Art

May 14, 2025 - Sculptures by David Černý.
May 14, 2025 – Sculptures by David Černý.

You never know where you’ll encounter art when walking around downtown Palm Springs. Two large sculptures by renowned Czech artist David Černý are affixed to the side of the Rowan Palm Springs Hotel (if you’ve ever visited Prague, you’ve likely seen more of Černý’s work there). Meat is a 17-foot-tall classic red car, reminiscent of a Porsche, with a body stylized to resemble a slab of raw meat. The other, from his Babies series, is intentionally ambiguous and surreal. I can’t say exactly what the artist means by these two pieces, but they’re certainly thought-provoking.

Posted on by James Kampas

Desert X Returns

March 18, 2025 - "Soul Service Station" by Alison Saar.
March 18, 2025 – “Soul Service Station” installation by artist Alison Saar.

Desert X 2025 is a site-specific international art exhibition held at different locations across the Coachella Valley. It features eleven installations by artists from Asia, Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East. The exhibition explores themes such as Indigenous futurism, design activism, and the impact of human intervention on the desert landscape. Desert X 2025 continues through May 11.

Posted on by James Kampas

David Hockney Exhibit

Feb. 13, 2025 - "David Hockney: Perspective Should Be Reversed"
Feb. 13, 2025 – Art patrons examining Hockney’s work.

We visited the Palm Springs Art Museum tonight to see David Hockney: Perspective Should Be Reversed. It’s a wonderful exhibition featuring nearly 200 of the artist’s works in a variety of media, including prints, collages, and photographs. David Hockney is considered one of the most influential artists of the 20th & 21st centuries. I had the pleasure of meeting him at a 1993 Los Angeles Opera press conference at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, where he spoke about his set designs for the opera Die Frau ohne Schatten.