FEATURE
Public Radio Cuts Could Silence Classical Music in America
The Washington Post: Michael Andor Brodeur
Back in July, the Trump administration clawed back some $1.1 billion in funding for public broadcasting, effectively shuttering the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which for nearly 60 years appropriated federal funds to organizations such as PBS, NPR and other member stations.
RESEARCH AND OPINION
Why industry-standard labels for AI in music could change how we listen
The Conversation: Gordon A. Gow and Brian Fauteux
Earlier this year, a band called The Velvet Sundown racked up hundreds of thousands of streams on Spotify with retro-pop tracks, generating a million monthly listeners on Spotify. But the band wasn’t real. Every song, image, and even its back story, had been generated by someone using generative AI.
High-Tech Sensors Expose the Secret Tricks of Piano Masters
SciTechDaily: Neuropiano Institute
A team led by Dr. Shinichi Furuya at the NeuroPiano Institute and Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc. has provided the first scientific evidence showing how pianists’ touch on the keys can actually change a piano’s timbre—the tonal character of its sound.
Netflix has its own sound, a sonic logo. Now the Charlotte Symphony has one, too
The Charlotte Observer: Adam Bell
When maestro Kwamé Ryan first looked at the redesigned logo for the Charlotte Symphony last year, he not only liked what he saw but something about it really struck a chord with him, too. In his mind, the orchestra’s music director could also hear it.
Nobody Markets an Opera Like Amy O’Neil
Dallas Magazine: Bethany Erickson
The Dallas Opera’s social media guru is willing to be a “goofy regular person” and pull out every trick—and wig—in the book to make the medium feel more accessible.
The Ferbers Improvise on Bach
Downbeat: Josef Woodard
Many a jazz-meets-classical hybrid has been attempted over the years, and not all have worked out in the translation. Mark Confluence as a success story in progress with family bonding, braving new musical challenges and COVID-lockdown woodshedding all in the mix.
How to Watch the Olympics of the Piano World
NY Times: Joshua Barone
The International Chopin Piano Competition is entering its final round, with performances that attract millions of viewers.
Taylor Swift Is Our Biggest Cinematic Universe. But the Magic Is Fading.
NY Times: Mitch Therieau
Pop culture is saturated with franchises, and Swift is the master of creating them. But her marketing is beginning to overtake the music.
NATIONAL
JSoM Alert! Prizes awarded at the 2025 Barbash J.S. Bach Competition
The Strad
The finals of the 2025 Lillian and Maurice Barbash J.S. Bach Competition were held on 16 October at Stony Brook University’s Staller Center Recital Hall. The Grand Prize was awarded to Danqi Zeng, who performed Sonata No.3 in C major, BWV 1005. She received $10,000 and future performing opportunities.
JSoM Alert! Joshua Bell awarded honorary CBE for services to music
The Strad
The US violinist Joshua Bell (who grew up in Bloomington and studied with the legendary IU Distinguished Professor Joseph Gingold) has been awarded an honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his services to music. Honorary CBEs are awarded to foreign nationals who have made a distinguished and innovative contribution to their field in the UK. Bell is now in his 14th season as music director of London’s Academy of St Martin in the Fields (ASMF).
Actress Sandra Oh’s Career Takes a Musical Turn With Her Opera Debut
NY Times: Joshua Barone
Performing in Donizetti’s “La Fille du Régiment” at the Metropolitan Opera, Oh has already perfected the art of waving a fan with sass.
D’Angelo, Who Influenced 21st Century Jazz, Dies at 51
Downbeat: Michael J. West
D’Angelo, a Grammy-winning R&B and neo-soul singer, guitarist and pianist who exerted a profound influence on 21st century jazz, died Oct. 14 in New York City. He was 51. His death was announced in a statement from his family. Cause of death was pancreatic cancer, which D’Angelo had quietly been battling for several months.
At 125, Boston’s Symphony Hall still sings
wbur: Andrea Shea
Boston’s Symphony Hall burst into musical life 125 years ago this month. The new classical venue looked majestic. And it sounded like no other. Even today, the hall remains one of the world’s top concert venues.
INTERNATIONAL
Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra Hires New Associate Concertmaster
The Violin Channel
Germany’s Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra has welcomed Rimma Benyumova as its new associate concertmaster, joining Chief Conductor Alain Altinoglu in leading the orchestra.
Gramophone classical music awards honor Simon Rattle for a second time; Raphaël Pichon’s Bach takes top prize
The Guardian: Imogen Tilden
Gramophone classical music awards honour Simon Rattle for a second time; Raphaël Pichon’s Bach takes top prize The awards also included a lifetime achievement honour for Sir Thomas Allen and two gongs for Spanish violinist María Dueñas
Second-round competitors announced for 2025 Premio Paganini International Violin Competition
The Strad
The first round of the 58th Premio Paganini International Violin Competition was held on 15 and 16 October 2025 at the Palazzo Tursi in Genoa, Italy. 24 candidates performed a recital of solo violin music by Bach, Paganini, plus the competition’s commissioned piece, In a trace of light, fading memories, by Daniela Terranova.
Vienna Philharmonic announces new academists
The Strad
The Vienna Philharmonic has announced that 13 musicians will join its academy. The young players will be in the program from 2025 to 2027. As one of the world’s leading orchestras, the Vienna Philharmonic will give the academists the opportunity to work with renowned soloists and conductors. They will be able to interact with conductors in ‘meet and greet’ sessions.
A Popular Afghan Singer Challenges the Taliban With Song
NY Times: Carlotta Gall and Ruhullah Khapalwak
After living for decades in exile, chased by war and religious bans, Naghma persists in singing to her people.
ENTREPRENUERSHIP & BUSINESS
Sir Lucian Grainge on UMG’s AI policy: ‘We will NOT license AI models that use an artist’s voice without their consent.’
Music Business Worldwide: Tim Ingham
Universal Music Group Chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge has sent a comprehensive memo to UMG staff outlining the company’s strategy for generative AI partnerships and product development.
Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl makes album sales, music chart history in 1st week
CBC: Maria Sherman
Taylor Swift’s 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, has officially sold four million equivalent album units — which includes album sales and streaming activity — in its first week in the U.S. That is the biggest first week in modern music history according to Luminate, the industry data and analytics company that began tracking sales in 1991.
OFF THE BEATEN PATH
Six-Year-Old Achieves Guinness World Record For Identifying Classical Composers by Ear
The Violin Channel
Born in Dubai, the six-year-old German-Tamil student Shivankh Varun Varadharajan has broken a world record by correctly identifying 16 pieces by composers such as Bach, Mozart, and Vivaldi within one minute.
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