Steve Kaul and the Brass Kings stomp out some great music

Posted at 11:43 AM on March 21, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Music

In their fourth album as a band, Steve Kaul and the Brass Kings have not only expanded as a band, but their sound has also taken on some new elements. Fiddler Jillian Rae is the latest addition to the band, and during the recording of the album "Machine" several other local musicians joined in to add to the quartet's solid "West Bank stomp" sound.

Steve Kaul, Mikkel Beckman, Brad Ptacek and Jillian Rae visited the Radio Heartland studio to play some material from "Machine" and talk about the new sound with host Mike Pengra.

Minnesota Opera President Allan Naplan resigns

Posted at 1:53 PM on March 21, 2012 by Euan Kerr
Filed under: Arts management, Music, People

Allan Naplan who has been president of the Minnesota Opera since last March announced today he is resigning for personal reasons.

In a statement released by the Opera Naplan said "I am grateful to the extended Minnesota Opera community for making my young family feel so welcome during my time with the company. Minnesota Opera has a tremendous profile in the Twin Cities and throughout the opera industry, and I feel privileged to have been associated with this fine organization."

Minnesota Opera Board Chair Chip Emery declined to elaborate on Naplan's departure, other than to say it was Naplan's decision and the organization is sorry to see him go.

The board has appointed the Opera's Production Director Kevin Ramach as the interim managing director.

Emery says there are no immediate plans to create a search committee to find a replacement. He says the organization is in good shape, with the best subscription sales in a decade, so in the meantime Ramach will work with artistic director Dale Johnson to guide the company.

Emery said the board will keep an eye on how things develop. "And perhaps sometime, six, nine months , a year down the road, no set time period, go back and re-evaluate what we do want in a president and general director in the future," he said.

In the meantime Emery doesn't expect major changes in the recently announced plans for the Opera's 2012-2013 season.