FEATURE
Marin Alsop says fight for orchestra equality has stalled
The Times: David Sanderson
The world’s leading female conductor has said that there is a plateauing in the fight for equality in the orchestral pit as she prepares to bring an opera based on Billie Jean King’s epic Battle of the Sexes to Britain.
RESEARCH AND OPINION
The Kennedy Center’s future will shape the history of American arts
The Washington Post: Michael Andor Brodeur
A round of layoffs across the Kennedy Center’s government, media and marketing staffs this past week were just the most recent shake-ups at the center since President Donald Trump effectively appointed himself as chair and installed Richard Grenell as interim executive director.
With federal funding in question, artists can navigate a perilous future by looking to the past
The Conversation: Johanna K. Taylor and Mary McAvoy
Many artists and arts organizations across the U.S. are worried: Will government arts funding dry up? Do these cuts signal a new war on arts and culture? How do artists make it through this period of change?
Music can lift mood, foster community and even rewire brains – but does it need to have a purpose?
The Guardian: Emily MacGregor
The therapeutic role music can play is the focus of a string of new books and even an entire BBC radio station. But why can’t we just listen to music for music’s sake?
What Would Pop Music Be Without 808 Drums?
The New York Times: Jon Pareles
The Japanese affinity for efficiency and practicality would provide tools to create new sonic vocabularies, from punk rock and hip-hop to electronic dance music and heavy metal. Without it, 21st century music simply wouldn’t sound the same.
At 50, the Takacs Quartet Remains as Essential as Ever
NY Times: David Allen
With only one of its original members in the group, this ensemble is still identifiably itself, and still going strong.
In the nation’s ‘loneliest city,’ a sing-along brings strangers together
The Washington Post: Amanda Erickson
At a recent gathering in DC, people were met with a pile of kazoos and thick songbooks. “There is something beautiful and communal about singing with other people,” … “This group of people who are all letting their emotions emerge and mix with yours … it is magical.”
NATIONAL
Juilliard Plans $550 Million Drive to Go Tuition Free
The New York Times: Javier C. Hernández
The goal is to make the school’s programs more accessible and to ease the burden on graduates pursuing careers in the arts.
Philadelphia Orchestra’s new leader comes from the inside
Philadelphia Inquirer: Peter Dobrin
Ryan Fleur, after twice serving as interim leader, has been named president and CEO of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts, the group announced Wednesday.
At Houston Grand Opera, ‘This Is a Good Time’
NY Times: Zachary Woolfe
Driven by creative leadership and generous donors, the company, long a beacon of innovation, is bucking trends in the field.
How San Antonio’s Tobin Center Became a Performing Arts Powerhouse Without a Safety Net
TheaterMania: Eric White
Since opening its doors in 2014, the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts has become a cornerstone of San Antonio’s cultural identity—both honoring its historic past and pushing boundaries with an ambitious, forward-thinking model.
Detroit Art Institutions Resist Political Challenges to Diversity
NY Times: Leslie Wayne
Leaders at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and others say their core mission of elevating Black voices will not change.
JU cuts 40 faculty and ends music and theater programs
JAX Today: Dan Scanlan
The cuts, an effort to save $10 million, are intended to align the university’s courses with the needs of today’s working world. They were announced to the affected students Tuesday morning. Some students appeared angry or crying as they left the meeting.
Jennifer Higdon’s $130-million heist opera finally premieres after its Philly debut fell through. Twice.
The Philadelphia Inquirer: David Patrick Stearns
Jennifer Higdon’s second opera — Woman With Eyes Closed — was commissioned, completed ahead of deadline, cast and workshopped when the 2020 lockdown canceled Opera Philadelphia’s premiere. The highly unusual premise — about a notorious, real-life 2012 art heist in Rotterdam — was dropped again when the ailing company’s 2024 fall festival was put on hold.
INTERNATIONAL
Pope Francis, the music nerd: a playlist
NPR: Tom Huizenga
Since the Pope’s death on Monday, I’ve been learning more about his life, and found that he indeed was more of a common man than one might expect. In 2013, he confirmed rumors that, in his student days in his hometown of Buenos Aires, he once held a gig as a nightclub bouncer. It came as no surprise, then, to find that Pope Francis also had a record collection, and spoke eloquently about his faves.
Queensland Ballet left dangling as financial crisis revealed
InDaily: Phil Brown
Queensland Ballet has shocked the arts world and fans by announcing they are in financial trouble and will have to shed jobs including dancers.
Hybe Latin America Taps Telemundo to Launch ‘Pase a La Fama’ Mexico-Focused Music Competition
Digital Music News: Ashley King
Hybe Latin America and Telemundo present Pase a La Fama, a first-of-its-kind music competition seeking Mexico’s next global music sensation.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND MUSIC BUSINESS
Why Netflix Brought ‘Stranger Things’ to Broadway
The Hollywood Reporter: Caitlin Huston
The play, written by Kate Trefry and executive produced by the Duffer Brothers, brings an original story to the stage and also ties into the next season of the streaming series.
Tencent Music Reportedly Prepares to Acquire Podcast Platform Ximalaya in $2.4 Billion Deal
Digital Music News: Dylan Smith
Word of the possible buyout entered the media spotlight in a detail-light report from Bloomberg. As described by the outlet, which cited anonymous and purportedly well-informed sources, the acquisition could bring with it a $2.4 billion price tag.
European Commission Fines Apple and Meta Nearly $800 Million Over Alleged DMA Violations
Digital Music News: Dylan Smith
The European Union executive body announced as much in a formal release. As many know, both the mentioned companies (besides Google and other leading tech and social players) aren’t exactly strangers to aggressive regulatory scrutiny in the EU.
OFF THE BEATEN PATH
Penn Station’s Not-So-Secret Other Life: The People’s Dance Studio
The New York Times: Rachel Sherman
Smooth floors. Public restrooms. A built-in audience: The lower level of Moynihan Hall doubles as a rehearsal space for a variety of dance groups, including K-pop, salsa and Brazilian Zouk.
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