FEATURE
According The Accordion Its Historical Due
Early Music America: Laura Stanfield Prichard
The accordion and concertina have an incredibly rich history. The earliest forms of the accordion were inspired by the 1777 introduction of the Chinese free-reed sheng (bowl mouth organ) into Europe by Père Amiot, a Jesuit missionary in Qing China. Laura Prichard takes us on a journey to appreciate the value these instruments bring forward.
RESEARCH AND OPINION
Zoom: shows promise but could do better
Arts Professional: Ron Evans
It’s clear that a ‘Zoom for the performing arts’ would need new functionalities never seen before. But what exactly? A few thoughts…
Choreographing the Future: How Dance Companies are Turning Crisis into Opportunity
SMU Data Arts
Executive director of Dallas Black Dance Theater (DBDT), thinks the pandemic may actually be the catalyst that saves the arts.
Wagner Was Too Big to Cancel
Slate: Franz Nicolay
Alex Ross’s new book makes plain there was never any way to erase him, though that hasn’t stopped us from trying.
Why Quinn Mason, a 24-Year-Old Composer From Dallas, May Be Classical Music’s Next Superstar
Texas Monthly: Katy Vine
Mason, one of the most sought-after young composers in the country, has a new work set to premiere in November.
NATIONAL
IU Alert! Cellist and Violinist win 2020 Concert Artists Guild competition
The Strad
The Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition has awarded the 2020 Grand Prize to American-Brazilian cellist Gabriel Martins and violinist Geneva Lewis, who comes from New Zealand. Gabriel spent time in Bloomington in the pre-college string program, studying with Susan Moses Bloom!
Bruce Springsteen Is Living in the Moment
NY Times: Lindsay Zoldz
“Letter to You,” his new album with the E Street Band, is built on lessons and skills accumulated in the past. But the Boss is focused on where he stands now — and where he’s going next.
When David Byrne Got Together With Spike Lee
NY Times: Julie Bloom
The creative forces behind the new movie “American Utopia” were in search of a sense of connection and community even before the pandemic.
Universal Basic Income for Artists? San Francisco Will Give Local Creatives $1,000 a Month
ArtNet: Caroline Goldstein
A cohort of more than 100 San Francisco-based artists will be given a $1,000 monthly stipend as part of the city’s Economic Recovery Task Force, the mayor’s office announced last week.
Ford and Mellon Foundations Unveil Initiative for Disabled Artists
NY Times: Lauren Messman
The Disability Futures fellowship awards $50,000 to 20 artists, filmmakers and journalists.
What Happens to the Musicians When the Orchestra Music Stops?
The Wall Street Journal: Betsy Morris
After years of music training, performers see jobs in classical venues and theaters suddenly dry up; ‘no one expects an entire field to disappear’.
For actors and other arts professionals, the healthcare safety net has been ripped to pieces
Chicago Tribune: Chris Jones
The health care and retirement systems by which performing artists sustain themselves have fallen apart in the pandemic with potentially catastrophic results on both personal and systemic levels.
‘Strangest time I’ve ever been in’: Music venues deal with the new normal
The Washington Post: Hau Chu and Fritz Hahn
Some of the city’s most acclaimed venues, such as Twins Jazz and U Street Music Hall, have closed for good.
New York’s Struggling Music Venues Spotlight the Need for Federal Aid
Variety: Jem Aswad
The pandemic has crushed the live-entertainment business, and concert venues in particular, all over the world — but New York’s may have been hit the hardest in the U.S.
Broadway Will Be a While. These Venues Say They’re Ready Now.
The New York Times: Michael Paulson
Directors of large flexible spaces like the Park Avenue Armory are lobbying for permission to put on indoor shows for socially distanced audiences.
Ballet Hispánico Celebrates 50 Years As Ambassadors Of Latinx Dance
NPR News
The dance company features work of Latinx choreographers, as well as a robust educational outreach program. It was just awarded a $4 million grant from the Ford Foundation.
Philadelphia Orchestra members approve new, deeper pay cuts
The Philadelphia Inquirer: Peter Dobrin
With live concerts and the ticket revenue that comes with them gone for the foreseeable future, pay cuts for musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra will continue for a year under the terms of a new pact.
New York Philharmonic Cancels the Rest of Its Season
The New York Times: Zachary Woolfe
There is a growing sense that the resumption of large-scale performing arts in New York, and throughout much of the nation, is still almost a year away.
Erin Wall, 44, Dies; Acclaimed Soprano in Mozart and Strauss
NY Times: Zachary Woolfe
Ms. Wall, who started her career at Lyric Opera of Chicago, had a silvery soprano voice that grew more opulent as it evolved.
INTERNATIONAL
Three quarters of Brits have turned to musical instrument during lockdown, new research shows
The Strad
Following this research, singer-songwriter Jamie Cullum has pledged to give away his piano to a worthy cause.
Lifeline grants from government’s £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund announced
The Strad
Wigmore Hall and the Philharmonia were among the classical music organisations receiving the biggest funds.
British parliament launches inquiry into economics of music streaming
Musically
For several months, the #BrokenRecord campaign in the UK has been calling for the government to step in to the debate about musicians’ streaming royalties. Today, there’s been a significant announcement on that front.
Yuri Bashmet conducts orchestra two weeks after Covid-19 hospitalization
The Strad
‘Protect yourself from the virus, it’s a very nasty thing,’ Bashmet told reporters.
ABO and MU highlight lack of support for orchestral musicians
The Strad
In an open letter, they point out that over 30% of self-employed musicians have been ineligible for the Self Employed Income Support Scheme.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Predicting the Future of the Music Business With Cherie Hu, Part 1
Beats & Bytes Blog: Rutger Ansley Rosenborg
Cherie Hu explains what streaming technology will look like in 2040 and what role “fake” artists have in the future of the music business. Plus, we dive into the future impact of gaming and film on music.
Zoom is getting into ticketed online events
EnGadget: Igor Bonifacic
The company will also start rolling end-to-end encryption next week.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
He Was Bob Dylan’s Violin Player…For One Song
DylanLive Blog
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