FEATURE
Quincy Jones Was Greater Than Any One Era
Defector: Israel Daramola
There was never going to be another Quincy Jones. The streets are paved with people who have tried and come up short; today’s playing field cannot foster it. He was the ultimate connective tissue in making the greatest media of the last few eras of entertainment.
The Freedom of Quincy Jones
The Atlantic: Spencer Kornhaber
The late producer came from hardship and knew his history, which allowed him to see—and invent—the future of music.
RESEARCH AND OPINION
‘It’s like collective daydreaming’: the giant study showing how dancing affects our brains
The Guardian: Lyndsey Winship
Dancers and audiences are being fitted with electrode caps as part of a massive neurological study into how we respond to live performance – and the findings go far beyond what was first imagined.
Matthew Bourne on Swan Lake: we’re still talking about it 30 years on
Bachtrack: Deborah Weiss
“My premise, when making a piece,” says Matthew Bourne, “is that someone is watching while knowing nothing about it. The curtain goes up and it’s my job to tell them a story that they can follow, or that will fire their imagination.”
Oona Doherty’s Raw, Honest Dances Have Made Her One of the Dance World’s Buzziest Choreographic Stars
Dance Magazine: Lauren Wingenroth
Doherty’s sometimes-brutal honesty comes from a place of care, of seeking deeper connection.
Finding new audiences for opera? It may well require new types of opera
The Stage: Howard Sherman
Operatic stories from 100 years ago are not the way to engage today’s crowds, but modern works that speak more to present-day life could lure them in, writes Howard Sherman.
A Violinist on a Mission to Capture America, Division and All
NY Times: Javier C. Hernández
Johnny Gandelsman has commissioned 28 pieces for his project “This Is America,” which explores themes of love, hope, inequality and injustice.
Shepard Fairey On The Power Of Art To Bring Out The Best Of Who We Are
Forbes: Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle
The influential American artist is known for his politically charged street art, which blends various artistic styles to address human rights and environmental themes.
The Musician Building the Great Native American Songbook
NY Times: Zachary Woolfe
Tim Long, a pianist, conductor and teacher, conceived his project to fill a cultural need: “There is no repertoire like this in existence.”
He’s a Rock Critic, and a Swiftie. What’s Wrong With That?
NY Times Nonfiction
In “Heartbreak Is the National Anthem,” Rob Sheffield chronicles how Taylor Swift has made fans, foes and even journalists part of her story
NATIONAL
SF Opera Orchestra Reaches Contract Agreement Through End of This Season
SF Classical Voice: Janos Gereben
An announcement from the administration explains that the company is still in “active negotiations with our orchestra” and that the temporary extensions, including a wage increase this fall for the musicians, “allow productive conversations to continue.”
Finnish Conductors Take Over the New York Philharmonic
NY Times: Joshua Barone
Susanna Mälkki and Santtu-Matias Rouvali made back-to-back appearances with the orchestra, leading similar programs with distinct style.
INTERNATIONAL
Post-Brexit red tape puts classical music industry under threat, top soprano warns
The Independent: Archie Mitchell
The UK prime minister is facing calls to urgently cut the red tape blocking travelling singers and bands from touring the continent.
Nairobi Roars!
Afropop Worldwide: Banning Eyre
From hip-hop and dancehall to r&b and gengeton, the city’s cultural melting pot is coming to a boil at a time of political change when artists are finding their voices to speak out against government corruption and champion social justice movements.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND MUSIC BUSINESS
Spotify’s AI is no match for a real DJ
The Verge: Allison Johson
An AI DJ can say your name and play your favorite songs, but it comes up short against a human every time.
Grammy Nominations 2025: Beyoncé Becomes the Most Nominated Artist in the Music Awards History
Wall Street Journal: Ashley Wong
Beyoncé became the most-nominated artist in Grammy history with 11 nods for her country album “Cowboy Carter.” The pop star now has 99 career nominations and 32 wins. After the nominations were announced on Friday, she is in the running for album of the year—an award she has never won—record of the year and song of the year (for “Texas Hold ’Em”). For the first time, she is also up for country honors with five nominations in the genre, including best country album and best country solo performance (for “16 Carriages”).
OFF THE BEATEN PATH
Chopin Drops a New Single
NY Times: Produced by John WhiteEdited by Wendy Dorr
Featuring Javier C. Hernández. Engineered by Rowan Niemisto
Sorting through a collection of memorabilia one day, Robinson McClellan, the music curator at the Morgan Library and Museum in Manhattan, came across something astonishing: a tiny scrap of paper with musical notes on it and the name Chopin written across the top. After he consulted with multiple scholars, it was determined that the manuscript was authentic. On today’s episode, Javier Hernández, a classical music reporter, tells the story of the discovery, and enlists one of the great interpreters of Chopin, the pianist Lang Lang, to play the score.
The Beatles’ final song, restored using AI, is up for a Grammy
The Verge: Emma Roth
‘Now and Then’ is going up against Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and Billie Eilish.