FEATURE
How Independent Companies are Saving Opera in Canada
CBC Music: Michael Zarathus-Cook
Across Canada, indie opera companies are making the art form cool again; daring and provocative.
RESEARCH AND OPINION
Let’s Make the Future That the ‘New World’ Symphony Predicted
NY Times: Doublas W. Shadle
To grasp in full this classic work’s complex legacy would allow us to move beyond it, fostering new paths for artists of color.
In ‘Genius: Aretha,’ Respecting the Mind, Not Just the Soul
NY Times: Elisabeth Vincentelli
After seasons about Einstein and Picasso, the National Geographic series “Genius” brought together Cynthia Erivo and Suzan-Lori Parks to explore Aretha Franklin’s life and art.
With ‘Zodiac,’ Mary Lou Williams Spanned Classical and Jazz
NY Times: Seth Colter Walls
Two new interpretations show there are many ways to interpret a genre-crossing suite.
Taking Stock of James Levine’s Tarnished Legacy
NY Times: Anthony Tommasini
His career ended with allegations of sexual abuse and harassment. But the Metropolitan Opera’s longtime conductor, who has died at 77, changed that company in ways that will outlive him.
Elliott Carter’s Early Flops Reveal a Budding Musical Master
NY Times: Joshua Barone
A composer of famously thorny music had two failed forays into ballet, given fresh reconsideration on a new album.
How the Harp Got Hip
NY Times: Alexis Garcia
An instrument long associated with angels and virtue plucks its way across musical genres and social media.
Disc-go: Should you get rid of your CDs?
The Guardian: Matt Charlton
They’re ugly and they clog up your cupboards. But just like vinyl spun back into fashion, the compact disc could too.
NATIONAL
The Arts Are Coming Back This Summer. Just Step Outside.
NY Times: Michael Paulson
The return of Shakespeare to Central Park is among the most visible signs that theaters, orchestras and opera companies aim to return to the stage — outdoors.
Wayne Shorter and Esperanza Spalding Make an Appeal to Get Their Opera to a Premiere
WBGO: Nate Chinen
Greek tragedy meets American ingenuity in Iphigenia, the long-awaited opera by Wayne Shorter and Esperanza Spalding. A mythical work in progress for the last several years, it has now reached a developmental stage foreign to most other operatic productions: a crowdfunding campaign.
Indianapolis competition announces details for its 2022 edition
The Strad
The 11th Quadrennial Competition will be held in September 2022.
Met Musicians Accept Deal to Receive First Paycheck Since April
NY Times: Julia Jacobs
The Metropolitan Opera offered its orchestra temporary payments of up to $1,543 a week in exchange for simply coming to the bargaining table.
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra musicians sign an early contract extension with no pay cut
Star Tribune: Jenna Ross
Nailing that down is seen as crucial to the orchestra’s pandemic recovery plan.
INTERNATIONAL
Orchestra Becomes United Nations Climate Change Goodwill Ambassador
The Violin Channel
Patricia Espinosa, the Executive Secretary for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), appointed the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn to be the first United Nations Climate Change Goodwill Ambassador.
New Opera Company Launched to Perform Neglected Works
The Violin Channel
Called “The Red Squirrel,” this new opera company was founded by conductor John Andrews and will perform forgotten opera works at the Buxton International Festival this July.
‘Music is my life’: ban on schoolgirls singing in Afghanistan met with protest
The Guardian: Stefanie Glinski
Government appears to backtrack on decree after women take to social media to sing in defiance under #IAmMySong hashtag.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
ARTS ENGINES | Aaron Dworkin — Menuhin Competition Artistic Director Gordon Back
The Violin Channel
Aaron Dworkin sits down with the artistic director of the Menuhin Competition, Gordon Back, to discuss the unique role the competition plays on the international stage.
Spotify Unveils ‘Loud and Clear,’ a Detailed Guide to Its Royalty Payment System
Variety: Jem Aswad
On Thursday morning, the company made a welcome step toward demystifying that process by unveiling “Loud and Clear,” a relatively straightforward explanation of the way its payment system and related factors work.
OFF THE BEATEN PATH
Violinist Robert Balanas — The One Man Band
The Violin Channel
Robert Balanas combines his violin skills and whistling to create the ultimate one-man-band.
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