“The RPO board voted Wednesday to keep him only until August – just two years into his four-year contract. No reasons were given for the sudden action,” though clashes between the conductor and the Philharmonic’s CEO had become so frequent and fierce that an outside mediator warned that the conflict could endanger the entire organization.
Author: Matthew Westphal
Why Christopher Stowell Left Oregon Ballet Theatre
“A new business model is important for the organization’s future, he said. ‘What that entails, however, is not what interests me as an artist. And it’s important to find someone whose vision aligns with that new direction.'”
In What Direction Does Oregon Ballet Theatre Go Now?
“With this week’s resignation of artistic director Christopher Stowell, Oregon Ballet Theatre faces a midseason crisis that raises questions about the financial and artistic future of Portland’s premier dance company. The abrupt departure comes as OBT is experiencing staff turnover and belt-tightening that echoes what it underwent in 2009, when the company … came close to shuttering for good.”
Moscow Court Declares Pussy Riot’s Videos ‘Extremist’
“A court in Moscow has designated four videos made by the feminist punk protest group Pussy Riot as extremist. The Zamoskvorechye District Court in the Russian capital ruled that access to all websites hosting the videos must be limited.”
Chinese Communists And Political Satire
“The People’s Daily, a news site operated by the Communist Party of China, confused satire with reality this week, picking up on a story from The Onion declaring North Korean leader Kim Jong-un the ‘sexiest man alive’.” Do they not get such jokes? Actually, thanks to the Internet, “Chinese political satire is enjoying something of a golden age.”
CBC Radio Wants To Start Selling Ads – And Its Competitors Are Angry
“For more than a week, the CRTC has been hearing from those who have weighed in on the CBC’s bid to renew the licences for its various services for the next five years. One of the most contentious issues is a plan by the corporation to begin running ads on its English-language Radio 2 network and French-language Espace Musique.”
Cleveland Orchestra Makes Progress (Though Its Problems Aren’t Solved Yet)
“Even as the group in fiscal 2012 reduced debt, attracted new listeners and raised near-record amounts, its endowment barely grew and the root causes of past deficits lingered. … One of the brighter spots in the report: the near-elimination of the annual deficit.”
Osvaldo Golijov Misses Another Deadline For Violin Concerto
“[The] past few years have been difficult for the Argentine composer: He has missed deadlines for new pieces and was accused earlier this year of plagiarism. On Thursday, Golijov whiffed again with the announcement that his new violin concerto – already delayed – will not be ready for its scheduled performances in January.”
The OED Removed-Words Scandal Is ‘Completely Bogus’
Jesse Sheidlower: “An article … in The Guardian … highlighted the claim that Robert Burchfield, the editor of the four-volume Supplement to the Oxford English Dictionary published from 1972 to 1986, ‘covertly deleted thousands of words because of their foreign origins.’ This claim is completely bogus.”
London’s O2 Arena Wants To Move Into Theatre Programming
“London’s the O2 is looking to expand its programming beyond live music and establish itself as an entertainment destination similar to the Southbank Centre … And the O2’s chiefs have said they will even consider creating a permanent theatre to stage everything from seasonal shows to straight plays.”