FEATURE
After Election 2020: How can Artists Help Mend our Cultural Divide?
LA Times: Charles McNulty
After Nov. 3 election, difficult repair work lies ahead. The work of mending the torn fabric of American society. The work of restoring the values that form the foundation of our institutions. Can we bridge our cultural divide? Times critics weigh in on how artists can contribute to this repair work.
RESEARCH AND OPINION
Brian Eno’s Music for Anxious Times
NY Times: Lindsay Zoladz
As he releases a collection of work that has appeared in films, the English musician talked about making functional art, his most ubiquitous composition and why he dislikes wearing headphones on the street.
IU Alert! The writer of this article is an alumnus of the JSoM
Classical Music Isn’t Elitist – But some of its woke critics are.
The Bullwark: Daniel Lelchuk
This year has brought a lot of firsts for all of us, but one first I never expected was an all-out attack on Beethoven and his Symphony No. 5, perhaps the most beloved and popular symphonic work of all time. Beyond the specific issues relating to Beethoven, the claims of “elitism” in classical music bother me, partly because it seems odd to be accusing our musical institutions of elitism as they are shuttered and on the brink of collapse, and partly because the claims of elitism simply aren’t true.
A Time for Reinvention – Don’t Let the Orchestra Become a Museum Piece
The Strad: David LePage
Violinist David Le Page, Artistic Director of Orchestra of the Swan explains his approach as their Luna programme streams this Thursday
Questioning the Role of Music Directors in during Covid and Beyond
The Critic: Norman Lebrecht
Covid-absent maestros mean musicians are openly asking if a music director is necessary
Aaron Dworkin with Artistic Director Francisco Nunez
The Violin Channel
Aaron Dworkin sits down with the Young People’s Chorus of New York Founder to discuss the impact from the pandemic on his leadership approach.
An Interview with Alan Pierson
Van-US: Jeffrey Arlo Brown
Conductor and Alarm Will Sound artistic director Alan Pierson talks about his recent trip to Germany to premiere Hans Thomalla’s new opera “Dark Spring” at the Nationaltheater Mannheim.
Coronavirus Study in Germany Offers Hope for Concertgoers
The New York Times: Isabella Kwai
Findings from a test event with 1,200 attendees suggest that indoor concerts have a “low” impact on infection rates, providing they are well ventilated and follow hygiene protocols.
NATIONAL
San Francisco State School of Music Reimagines its Future
San Francisco Classical Voice: Andrew Gilbert
When Hafez Modirzadeh heard San Francisco State University President Lynn Mahoney’s soaring words about the school’s commitment to equity, diversity, and racial justice at the opening convocation in August, he decided to put the institution to the test.
Voters in Jersey City Embrace a New Tax to Finance the Arts
NY Times: Julia Jacobs
Officials had worried that a new arts tax may be too much to ask in a place still reeling financially from the pandemic, but 64 percent of voters approved of the idea.
Dallas Symphony Hosting 2020 Women in Classical Music Symposium
The Violin Channel
The symposium will feature performances, talks, public keynote presentations and panel discussions on topics relevant to women in the classical music industry.
What does it take to pull off a drive-in dance show? L.A. Dance Project explains
LA Times: Makeda Easter
As the pandemic stretches toward year’s end, dance companies have been forced to experiment and to move beyond virtual shows as a means of resuscitating the art of live performance. Some have found an unexpected lifeline not on the stage but in a parking lot.
SF Symphony Musicians Agree to a 30% Pay Cut
Datebook: Joshua Kosman
The announcement on Monday, Nov. 2, by the Symphony management cited a cumulative revenue loss of $40 million by the end of the 2020-21 season as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. All of the orchestra’s live performances through the end of the calendar year have been canceled.
Disharmony at the Old Town School
Chicago Reader: Mark Guarino
The new teachers’ union fears the administration is treating them like commodities, not inspirations.
INTERNATIONAL
After a Decade of Silence, a Composer Reappears
NY Times: Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim
Osvaldo Golijov was one of the most celebrated stars in classical music. Then came a long, unexpected drought.
Music vs. Covid-19: the state of play in Asia, America and Oceania
Bachtrach: David Karlin
State of live classical music perfjoamcne in Western Europe and four other continents.
Secret ballots and ‘unfair’ dismissals: Opera Australia reels from turbulent six weeks
The Guardian: Kelly Burke
After a third of its orchestra was made redundant, the remaining musicians will begin rehearsing for the 2021 summer season.
ABO opens applications for grants to champion music by historic women composers
The Strad
The deadline for receipt of applications is 1 March 2021.
Benedetti Foundation presents the Global Violin Sessions
The Strad
This new venture by trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and the Benedetti Foundation takes participants on a musical trip around the world.
Musicians’ Union expresses lukewarm welcome for financial assistance for the self-employed
The Strad
General Secretary points out that this latest announcement does not achieve parity with employed people on furlough.
Vienna Philharmonic to tour to Japan
The Strad
The orchestra will be in Japan for ten days, with concerts at Suntory Hall.
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra calms crowds following terrorist attacks
The Strad
Following Monday night’s terrorist attacks in Vienna, the ensemble started playing in Wiener Staatsoper to keep audiences calm.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
The Woman Who Built Beethoven’s Pianos
NY Times: Patricia Morrisroe
Nannette Streicher has been marginalized by history, but she was one of Europe’s finest keyboard manufacturers.
Dances With Robots, and Other Tales From the Outer Limits
NY Times: Genevieve Curtis
Artificial intelligence and dance may seem like strange bedfellows, but artists and engineers are using technology to expand the possible.
Make Some Noise and Move: A Choreographer Provides Instructions
NY Times: Siobhan Burke
About 50 people sat in front of their computers on a recent afternoon, banging on pots and pans with kitchen utensils. In a departure from common Zoom etiquette, everyone was unmuted and making as much noise as possible. What began as an attempt to find a synchronized beat quickly unraveled into clanging, joyful chaos.
OFF THE BEATEN TRAIL
The Cocktail-Mixing Piano
The Violin Channel
Built in 2012 by inventor Voël Martin, the keys of the piano ingeniously release alcohol and mixers to create the perfect cocktail.
‘Saturday Night Live’ Sends Off Trump With a Ballad
NY Times: Dave Itzkoff
Alec Baldwin appeared as the president to mourn the election results, and the host Dave Chappelle urged Americans to “find a way to forgive each other.”
Leave a Reply