FEATURE: LEARNING TO LISTEN
Black Experience Within Classical Music
The Violin Channel and Young Concert Artists
An important roundtable discussion focusing on the Black experience within the classical music community. Panelists: Anthony Trionfo, Weston Sprott, Sanford Allen, Monica Ellis, Anthony McGill, Carlos Simon, Toyin Spellman-Diaz, Randall Goosby, Marcus Thompson, Steven Banks, Afa Dworkin and Aaron Dworkin.
Community Conversations
Jacobs School of Music
The first of bi-weekly conversations with faculty and students at the Jacobs School. Panelists: Demondrae Thurman, Rodney Dorsey, Marcus Peterson, and Jaya Dhand. The session was moderated by Jason H. Nam and Sarah Wroth.
Dear White Music Executives
Billboard: Anonymous
We’ve seen all the texts and posts asking, “Dear black friends, what can we do?” Well, this would be a start.
Dismantling White Supremacy: A Model for the ‘Dance World We Want’
NY Times: Siobhan Burke
Melanie Greene and J. Bouey, hosts of the Dance Union podcast, are moving beyond “a lot of talking” to organize for change.
RESEARCH AND OPINION
If Country Music Wants to Reckon With Its Racism, Look Deeper Than the Bad Names
Vulture: Andrea Williams
A revealing article about the origins of Country Music – “For those white people slung across society’s lowest rungs, a need to remember, and reinforce, supremacy over Black people wasn’t about heritage. It was, quite simply, a matter of self-preservation.”
Floyd Case Forces Arts Groups to Enter the Fray
NY Times: Robin Pogrebin and Julia Jacobs
Cultural institutions are feeling compelled to stand up for racial justice, but artists and activists want action, not just statements of solidarity.
Sonny Rollins on the Pandemic, Protests, and Music
The New Yorker: Daniel King
The legendary saxophonist, approaching ninety, discusses civil rights, jazz, and creative change.
When Will It Be Safe to Sing Together Again?
The New York Times: Alex Marshall
Choirs have been linked to several coronavirus outbreaks. And some scientists are skeptical about efforts to bring them back with protective measures.
‘We could go to the wall in 12 weeks’ – are we just going to let classical music die?
The Guardian: Charlotte Higgins
Coronavirus has pushed live classical music to the edge of the abyss. But Prince Charles’s fears for the Royal Opera is the only thing making the headlines. Why aren’t the big names kicking up a fuss?
The Guardian view on the return of live music: hope and longing
The Guardian
The BBC can help British classical music recover – if the government steps in too.
The Long Battle Over ‘Gone With the Wind’
NY Times: Jennifer Schuessler
The 1939 blockbuster once symbolized the ultimate in mass entertainment. But African-Americans have protested against it from the start, even if white America didn’t want to hear it.
Bob Dylan Has a Lot on His Mind
The New York Times: Douglas Brinkley
In a rare interview, the Nobel Prize winner discusses mortality, drawing inspiration from the past, and his new album, “Rough and Rowdy Ways.”
Brain research shows the arts promote mental health
The Conversation: Brittany Harker Martin
While practising the arts is not the panacea for all mental health challenges, there’s enough evidence to support prioritizing arts in our own lives at home as well as in our education systems.
NATIONAL
BMG Pledges to Review Historical Record of Contracts, ‘Mindful of the Music Industry’s Shameful Treatment of Black Artists’
Music Business Worldwide: Tim Ingham
A suggestion made last week during the music industry’s ‘Black Out Tuesday’ is gathering momentum.
Performing arts venues in Texas a green light, but require baby steps
Dallas News: Michael Granberry
Many logistical challenges remain, not to mention having a willing audience.
Neither Big Nor Small, Music Ensembles Struggle in a Pandemic
NY Times: Seth Colter Walls
Midsize ensembles may feel like families. But their members are generally freelancers, without compensation guarantees.
Six composers of color to write new pieces to be performed by 24 orchestras
The Strad
For New Music USA’s Amplifying Voices program, six composers of color have been co-commissioned to write new orchestral works.
Facebook Deplatforms Hundreds of Anti-Racist Skinheads and Musicians
OneZero: Sarah Emerson
‘They wanted to see my ID before they would give me my account back’.
These Twin Cities Dance Orgs Are Protesting Police Brutality—and Fighting for Their Spaces
Dance: Rebecca Ritzel
In the wake of George Floyd’s murder last month, several Minnesota studios have been damaged or destroyed, leaving dozens of dance teachers to mourn years of unfettered police brutality, while simultaneously scrambling to secure their own spaces for the future.
Minnesota Orchestra Has Fired Minneapolis Police In Solidarity With #BlackLivesMatte
The Violin Channel
The Minnesota Orchestra has announced that it will no longer use the services of the Minneapolis Police Department for concert security – in response to the death of George Floyd.
18-year-old cellist shot dead in Philadelphia
The Strad
Mouhamed Cisse was shot dead near his home on the same night as the Philadelphia #BlackLivesMatter protests.
New York Philharmonic Has Cancelled Remainder of 2020 Season
The Violin Channel
The New York Philharmonic has announced the cancellation of all performances between now and the 5th of January, 2021 – due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.
Nashville Symphony has Furloughed 131 Musicians & Staff
The Violin Channel
The Nashville Symphony has furloughed 131 administration, artistic affairs and production staff and musicians – due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Kimmel Center, seeing no earned revenue, cuts most of its staff
Philadelphia Inquirer: Peter Dobrin
Facing an increasingly long and painful shutdown, the Kimmel Center is furloughing 80% of its staff, and cutting pay and hours on a sliding scale for its remaining workers.
America’s Independent Music Venues Could Close Soon Due To Coronavirus
NPR: Anastasia Tsioulcas
90 percent of independent venue owners, promoters and bookers say that they will have to close permanently within the next few months, if they can’t get an infusion of targeted government funding.
Prizes awarded at USA’s Klein International String Competition – held online
The Strad
19-year-old violinist Gabrielle Despres has been awarded 1st prize at the 2020 Klein International String Competition.
INTERNATIONAL
Leading composers support COVID-impacted UK musicians in new collaboration
The Strad
Composers including Steve Reich and Mark-Anthony Turnage have volunteered to write music to be performed by lockdown-impacted UK musicians.
New music institute launched in Madrid
The Strad
‘Musical Arts Madrid’ puts chamber music at the core of its teaching program.
Vienna Philharmonic purrs back to life after pandemic pause
Yahoo! News: Ronald Blum
Its 2,854-seat Musikverein, considered by many the world’s most beautiful concert hall, was filled with only 100 people Friday for the first of three days of programs with Daniel Barenboim. Because of the negligible number, tickets were distributed to family, friends and donors for among the first performances by a major orchestra since the pandemic paused the season.
Schleswig-Holstein Festival announces 100-concert programme
The Strad
The two-month event in the North German region will take place in a slimmed-down form.
London Mozart Players to resume live performances
The Strad
’LMP Live!’ – a series of three socially distanced concerts in summer 2020 – will be streamed online for free.
Banff Centre permanently lays off 284 staff, cancels in-person classes
CBC: Rachel Ward
The school also cancelled in-person events for the summer and fall. Some have been moved online — 17 virtual courses are to start in September.
Switzerland’s Konzert Theater Bern Announces New Music Director
The Violin Channel
The Konzert Theater Bern has announced the appointment of Australian conductor Nicholas Carter as its new Music Director.
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra names Domingo Hindoyan new Chief Conductor
Gramophone
He will succeed Vasily Petrenko, who is stepping down following 15 years in the post – a successful period which has included many acclaimed recordings – and who will take on the role of Conductor Laureate.
The Gentle, Brilliant Bros of French Baroque Music
NY Times: Zachary Woolfe
The lutenist Thomas Dunford and the harpsichordist Jean Rondeau create their own duo repertory on the album “Barricades.”
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Transforming Music in Troubled Times
WQXR: David Patrick Stearns
The New York Philharmonic principal clarinetist, who has, almost instantaneously, given birth to a culture of music videos, under the hashtag of #taketwoknees.
Bassoonfluencers: The World of Instagram Practice Accounts
The New Yorker: Jacob Sweet
Almost every day on Instagram, Morgan Davison, a twenty-two-year-old bassoon master’s student at Juilliard, has answers for the bassoon-curious, providing her nearly thirty thousand followers with a running selection of practice excerpts from Francis Poulenc, Igor Stravinsky, and the gamut of bassoon-heavy composers.
OFF THE BEATEN TRAIL
Wacky Wednesday | Darth Vader’s ‘Imperial March’ (Arr. 8 Cellos) [WOAH]
The Violin Channel
Cellist Samara Ginsberg performing Darth Vader’s ‘Imperial March’ from ‘Star Wars’ … arranged for 8 cellos …
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