A rare Stradivarius violin has been returned after 21 years. “The instrument, which dates from 1725, had disappeared from the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in 1985. The violin resurfaced when it was put up for sale at auctioneers Bonhams, which struck a deal with the vendor to see it returned to the orchestra.”
Month: March 2006
Quartet Residency Saved By Donors
The Azmari Quartet was informed in February that its contract as the resident ensemble at Northern Kentucky University would be terminated in June, due to a lack of funding. But when the news was made public, donors began to come forward, and this week, the Azmari, made up of musicians from the Cincinnati Symphony, was told that enough money had been raised to save the residency for the foreseeable future.
Random House Comes Out Of Scandals Smelling Sweet
Controversies over James Frey’s memoir and Dan Brown’s trial on plagiarism haven’t dented Random House’s book sales. “Random House reported a 19 percent gain in operating profit to a record 166 million euros ($200.4 million) on Wednesday on 2 percent revenue growth to 1.83 billion.”
Getting ‘Em Where They Live (Literally)
The Twin Cities have always been a haven for the arts, particularly music, theatre, and literature. But as the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area increasingly gives in to urban sprawl, suburbanites have been less willing to come all the way into the urban core for their plays, violin lessons, and writing seminars. As a result, arts organizations in the cities are following the lead of groups in larger cities across the country, and expanding their services to the ‘burbs.
Apple Protests France’s iTunes Plan
Apple is criticizing plans by the French parliament to force it to unlock iTunes songs so they can be played on any MP3 player. “In a statement Apple said that if the law were passed it would result in state-sponsored piracy”.
Foster Tabbed To Design Moscow Tower
Moscow’s mayor has endorsed plans to build a 600-meter tower designed by Norman Foster. “City authorities are understood to have wanted a distinctive skyscraper that could become a landmark similar to Lord Foster’s “Gherkin” — the headquarters of Swiss Re — in the City of London. The development includes the 430m high Federation Tower, due to be completed in 2008.”
D.C. Area Arts Center Asks Pols To Jump-Start Funding
“A committee raising private money for a planned $56 million performing arts center in [Virginia’s] Prince William County yesterday urged county and city officials to begin construction ahead of its fundraising schedule because of increasing building costs. The 1,100-seat center near Manassas is a partnership between George Mason University, the city of Manassas, Prince William County and private donors. The committee has set a goal of raising $7.5 million in private funds before construction begins.”
Still Many Questions In Louisville
The Louisville Orchestra averted catastrophe earlier this week with the approval of a new concessionary contract with its musicians. But the ensemble isn’t out of the fiscal woods yet. “Unless substantial amounts of money can be raised on a regular basis, the endemic problems of the orchestra are unlikely to fade away. Serious questions remain about whether Louisville can or should support such a large full-time orchestra. The short-term fix doesn’t answer them. Nor does it resolve the challenge of leadership.”
What’s In The Louisville Deal?
So what exactly did the musicians of the Louisville Orchestra give up to save their ensemble from bankruptcy? AJ Blogger Drew McManus has the details: “Among the larger concessions are reductions in base pay and season length. By the end of the five year agreement the base musician pay will be $743 less than the 2005-2006 concert season.” In addition, musicians will lose between 3 and 7 of their 11 allowed sick days, depending on seniority, a major concern in an industry where musician injuries are rampant.
The Well-Adjusted Goth
A new study reports that Goths are pretty healthy people. “Most youth subcultures encourage people to drop out of school and do illegal things. Most goths are well educated, however. They hardly ever drop out and are often the best pupils. The subculture encourages interest in classical education, especially the arts. I’d say goths are more likely to make careers in web design, computer programming … even journalism.”