“While the Delaware Symphony Orchestra continues to weigh its financial future, DuPont Co. has kicked in money to revive the DSO’s chamber series at the Hotel du Pont and Music Director David Amado is proposing a scaled-down season that cuts the programming budget by more than half. Last month, the symphony announced the suspension of its 2012-2013 season because it had exhausted its operational funds.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Martin Pakledinaz, 58, Top Costume Designer
He “was nominated 10 times for Tony Awards in the last 15 years and won twice, and whose work in opera, dance and regional theater made him one of the most prolific stage craftsmen of his generation.”
Unknown Woody Guthrie Novel To See Print
“The author Douglas Brinkley and the actor Johnny Depp are teaming up to edit House of Earth, a previously unpublished novel by the folk singer Woody Guthrie that will be released next spring.”
Lincoln Center Theater Head Bernard Gersten To Retire
“Bernard Gersten, the executive producer of Lincoln Center Theater, announced on Monday that he would step down next June after 28 years in the position. … [The] theater will continue to operate under the leadership of its artistic director, André Bishop, and Mr. Gersten, 89, will not be replaced.”
Art Exports To Syria Banned (Take That, Assads!)
“The export of art to Syria has been banned by the European Union as part of a luxury-goods embargo confirmed in June. The sanctions, which also cover jewellery and luxury vehicles, are the latest in a string of diplomatic actions against the regime following its continued violence against anti-government protesters.”
Dayton’s Orchestra, Opera Company And Ballet Merge
“It’s a new day for the arts in Dayton. The Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Dayton Ballet and Dayton Opera are officially united. The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance, a new nonprofit performing arts organization, started operation July 1.”
Europe’s Radio Orchestras Are Thriving In The Internet Era
The once-stodgy house bands are now drawing eager audiences, criticial plaudits, and top talent on the podium (Jansons, Oramo, Järvi, Harding) and in the ranks. “The syntax of broadcasting is the lexicon of the internet. As a result, radio orchestras are better positioned to understand the new media environment than other musical establishments. … Connections are being broached with giant telecoms to carry concerts nationwide, worldwide.”
Algerian Writer Denied Literary Prize Money Because He Visited Israel
“The winner, Boualem Sansal, … was scheduled to receive the Prix du Roman Arabe (the Arab Novel Prize) for his book Rue Darwin (“Darwin Street”). But in May, he spoke at a literary festival in Israel, and afterward Hamas … said he had committed ‘an act of treason against the Palestinian people’.” The 22 Arab diplomats in Paris who, as a group, sponsor the award promptly cancelled the ceremony and withheld the €15,000 in prize money.
Making Sculpture With Live Bees
Tomás Libertíny “started working with bees five years ago when he let the creatures swarm over vase-shaped beeswax frames in his studio in Rotterdam. The shapes they created were more beautiful, organic and natural-looking than any he could have envisaged.”
Marathon Bingeing On TV Series Is Bad For You (And For The Series)
“I’m not saying that you must watch a show when it originally airs in order to fully enjoy it. … But there’s a proper way to do so, one that maintains the integrity of the art form. Before I lay out some guidelines, though, let me explain how marathon viewing destroys much of what is best about TV.”