“Paul W. Thompson, the director of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, is stepping down to become the new rector, or president, of the Royal College of Art, London, the museum is expected to announce on Friday.” The Cooper-Hewitt, though located in Manhattan, is part of the Smithsonian Institution.
Author: Matthew Westphal
Thomas Adès Breaks The Law
And while doing so, England’s hottest young composer talks about how writing music has changed for him: “I used to look a little bit to the left and the right of the music and I would often come at the music from the side. Now I kind of try to attack it head on.” (So what was he doing? Click and see…)
Dancer-Choreographer Marion Scott, 86
“Marion Scott, a noted dancer, choreographer and teacher who returned to the stage at the age of 62 and in her 80s mounted concerts that displayed the talents of aging artists like herself, died Oct. 5 in Los Angeles. She was 86.”
Remember That ‘Great Books Of The Western World’ Set Your Parents Had?
A look at “the mystery of how the publisher managed to get one million sets priced at several hundred dollars into the homes of Americans who probably were unaware they yearned to read Aristotle and Saint Augustine.”
In Sarasota, Arts Groups See Hope Amidst The Money Troubles
The resort town on Florida’s west coast is well-known for its arts offerings (at least during the winter high season). Though reductions in state funding, sponsorships and subscription sales are causing some organizations (such as Sarasota Opera, Florida Studio Theatre and the Sarasota Film Festival) to revise their current budgets downward, many are finding that ticket sales are improving and that people seem to need the arts to help them through the economic decline.
Cleveland Museum To Return Antiquities To Italy
“The Cleveland Museum of Art has agreed to hand over 13 ancient artifacts and an early Renaissance cross to Italy after long negotiations, the museum and Italian officials announced here on Wednesday.”
Young Korean Violinist Sweeps Long-Thibaud Competition
Hyun-Su Shin, a 21-year-old woman who has never studied outside South Korea, took the €30,500 First Grand Prize, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Prize for best recital (€6,100) and two additional awards.
William Christie Elected To France’s Académie Des Beaux-Arts
The harpsichordist-conductor and founder of Les Arts Florissants has been appointed to the chair in the august body previously held by the late Marcel Marceau.
Well, Of Course: PC Magazine Goes All-Digital
“Ziff Davis Media announced Wednesday that it was ending print publication of its 27-year-old flagship, PC Magazine, and would take the title online only.” The magazine already earns 80% of its profit from its Web site.
A Paradise Lost Marathon
With John Milton’s 400th birthday arriving next month, a number of universities are organizing marathon readings of his greatest work (all twelve books of it). Jennifer Howard sits in on one of them (all twelve hours of it), and reports back. Conclusions: (1) “Milton is not as boring as you think.” (2) “Milton is not that hard to read out loud.” (3) “Milton is really hard to read out loud.” But (4) “It’s worth it.”