FEATURE
JSoM Alert! Balourdet Quartet signs with Colbert Artists Management
The Strad
The Balourdet Quartet has announced it has joined the roster of Colbert Artists Management, stating ’we are so thrilled to start this collaboration!’ The quartet will work with Katie Papini Backus, who has managed the group previously through Concert Artists Guild.
RESEARCH AND OPINION
How to reach 1 million followers: Ray Chen’s guide to social media success
The Strad: Thomas May
Ray Chen’s combined social media platforms attract millions of followers. US correspondent Thomas May speaks with the violinist about his wildly successful work as an online content creator.
Sun Ra Arkestra: Lights on a Satellite review – fitting tribute to a century of jazz
The Conversation: Glenn Fosbraey
As saxophonist and band leader Marshall Allen turns 100, his evergreen outfit effortlessly draw on their rich history, as classics meet the cosmic.
Podcast: Imogen Whitehead: Trumpet Solo Artist and Principal Trumpet of Britten Sinfonia
Anthony Plog on Music
Imogen Whitehead is a true trailblazer in the world of trumpet performance. Currently the principal trumpet of the Britten Sinfonia, Imogen has performed as principal trumpet with some of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra and the Aurora Orchestra.
A Contemporary Music Festival Trolls for Aesthetics’ Sake
New York Times: Hugh Morris
The directors of the London Contemporary Music Festival discuss this year’s edition, the event’s 10th anniversary.
How a Soprano With Dyslexia Rose to the Heights of Opera
New York Times: Javier C. Hernández
Elza van den Heever, a star of “Die Frau Ohne Schatten” at the Metropolitan Opera, no longer sees dyslexia as a hindrance — just a different way of learning.
Obsessing over the ‘true’ meaning of lyrics misses the point of songwriting
The Conversation: Glenn Fosbraey
When an artist is inevitably asked “what’s the meaning behind this song?” and they give a literal answer, it immediately closes down the different ways a listener can interpret it.
Zildjian brand cymbals are everywhere. But how they’re made is a 400-year secret
NPR: Andrea Shea
Zildjian cymbal are used by top drummers across the globe — they’ve been made by one family, using a secret process, for 400 years.
What’s Fact and What’s Fiction in Maria
SLATE: Ellin Stein
The final weeks of opera diva Maria Callas’ death were shrouded in mystery and scandal. Here’s where the new Netflix biopic sheds some light, and where it indulges in shadow.
NATIONAL
The Top 40 Most Arts-Vibrant Communities of 2024
SMU DataArts
Shifts in arts participation, rising costs, the winding down of unprecedented levels of relief funding, as well as long-standing inequities in access, funding, and employment continue to challenge arts communities—yet the undeniable richness that arts and culture bring to society endures.
San Francisco Symphony Chorus contract deal secured with $4 million donation
San Francisco Chronicle: Aidin Vaziri
The deal promises to maintain the current compensation and performance levels for the 32 paid choristers during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons. The breakthrough, which includes retroactive application of the agreement from Aug. 1, was made possible by the generous donation from an anonymous patron.
In New York and Paris, Church Organs Return to Life
New York Times: James Barron
On Palm Sunday five years ago, fire struck two cathedrals: Notre-Dame and St. John the Divine. Both their organs are now restored.
The Top 40 Most Arts-Vibrant Communities of 2024
SMU DataArts
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA, remains in the top spot on the list of most arts-vibrant large communities. Syracuse, NY; Auburn, NY; Branson, MO and Taos, NM secure rankings for the first time ever.
INTERNATIONAL
Where Opera Is Still the Center of the Universe
New York Times: Javier C. Hernández
There is nothing quite like opening night of Teatro alla Scala in Milan, a temple of opera, for pomp, pageantry and politics.
String stars perform at reopening of Notre Dame cathedral
The Strad
Just five years after a fire destroyed the roof and spire of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, the iconic landmark reopened on 7 December 2024 with a spectacular concert. More than 1,500 dignitaries, including Prince William, Donald Trump, Jill Biden and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, attended the reopening, which featured the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France conducted by Gustavo Dudamel.
£191 million repairs and revamp of Barbican Centre approved with work to ‘start in 2027’
The Standard: Anthony France
The grant is about 80% of what’s needed for the project; fundraising for the rest begins next year, with construction to start in 2027.
Can Berlin Really Afford 3 ‘Magic Flutes’ in a Single Week?
New York Times: Adam Sella
Each of the city’s opera houses is presenting a different production of the Mozart classic. With arts cuts looming, it looks like a last hurrah.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND MUSIC BUSINESS
The AI Era: The Urgent Economics of AI Music
Michael Pelczynski
AI-generated music is projected to generate a staggering $42 billion by 2028, according to CISAC’s latest study. With the rapid acceleration of AI platforms transforming the creative landscape, the music industry faces a critical moment to establish fair, scalable economic frameworks. Without proactive design, rightsholders risk being left behind in an era where technology outpaces traditional licensing structures.
The Messy Modern Music Business, According to Larry Jackson
New York Times: Popcast
On this week’s episode of Popcast, an interview with a record label veteran who has worked closely with Whitney Houston, Drake, Chief Keef and Lana Del Rey.
OFF THE BEATEN PATH
Does This Skating Company Do Contemporary Dance On Ice? Well, No … But Also Yes?
NPR: Raina Douris, Miguel Perez
The artistic director of the Montreal-based troupe Le Patin Libre (“free skate”) stresses that audiences shouldn’t expect anything like Merce Cunningham or Pina Bausch or Alvin Ailey but in an ice rink. Yet their work is to conventional figure skating something like what contemporary dance is to ballet.
Leave a Reply