FEATURE The Kennedy Center is Turning 50 with a Year-Long Celebration of New Works and Special Performances The Washington Post: Peggy McGlone The Kennedy Center is planning an extended celebration of its 50th anniversary in its 2021-2022 season, featuring new commissions by Philip Glass and Esperanza Spalding, year-long artist residencies by the Roots and… Read more »
A seasoned LA Philharmonic artist now taking her career in new directions as the visionary leader of the Taos School of Music. “There are more creative options available to the new generation of musicians….The creativity and resilience shown in how we artists have adapted to this pandemic has given me hope for the future of… Read more »
FEATURE The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Donates $3 Million to Silkroad Ensemble The Violin Channel The generous donation will be used to expand arts and education programs and further develop social impact initiatives. RESEARCH AND OPINION The Future Becoming Howlround: Deborah Cullinan When we finally arrive in this future, we, the people, will be… Read more »
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… Read more »
FEATURE The Musicological Zest of “Switched On Pop” The New Yorker: Alex Ross Music appreciation is having a resurgence, although the music being appreciated has changed. Early in the twenty-tens, song-explainer videos began proliferating on the Internet. When podcasts took off, dissections of the innards of pop hits were in demand. Now TikTok has its own pithy army… Read more »
FEATURE Reckoning with a Reckoning: How Cultural Institutions Can Advance Equity Nonprofit Quarterly: Kim Zeuli, Maria Rosario Jackson, and Seth Beattie The questions are wide-ranging, including what art is presented, by whom, and for what audience. RESEARCH AND OPINION What Orchestras Must Do, After Covid NY Times: Letters – Simon Woods Read Simon Woods response to Anthony Tommasini’s article “Reinventing the American… Read more »
FEATURE Five Ways Classical Music Is Pivoting Ludwig van TORONTO: Michael Vincent According to Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup, there are ten different kinds of pivots. At least six out of them are relevant to classical music. RESEARCH AND OPINION How Bang on a Can helped remake the world of new music Datebook:… Read more »
The eighth annual Project Jumpstart Innovation Competition took place on February 6 over Zoom–our first virtual competition! The day was an inspiring display of creativity, planning, entrepreneurial thinking, and professionalism from all of our contestants. The future is in good hands! Many thanks to the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Kelley School… Read more »
FEATURE Reinventing the American Orchestra NY Times: Anthony Tommasini Flexible programming, broader racial representation and welcoming spaces would go a long way in recovering from pandemic closures. Major institutions have been grappling not just with survival, but also with questions of mission, relevance and inclusion, issues that became even more acute when nationwide demonstrations for… Read more »
FEATURE Music Gives the Brain a Crucial Connective Advantage Inverse: Ali Pattillo Even if children abandon their music lessons when they hit their angsty teen years, cognitive neuroscientists say cultivating musical ability early on has lifelong benefits. Playing music can help children read better, store memories, and pronounce different languages. RESEARCH AND OPINION For These… Read more »