The most famous of collegiate a cappella groups, the Whiffenpoofs were an all-male outfit until a decision last year to choose singers based on voice range (still tenor, baritone, and bass) rather than gender. So the Whiffenpoofs line-up for 2018-29 includes tenor Sofia Campoamor. – The Washington Post
Author: Matthew Westphal
After Series Of Flops, Amazon Re-Orients Its Filmmaking Product Line
Amazon Studios chief Jennifer Salke: “What we struggled with, I think, was putting too much focus on a narrow prestige lane. I don’t think we had diverse-enough points of view in the storytelling.” So, in addition to the “prestige lane,” the company will add “lanes” in erotic thrillers, horror titles, and (later) young-adult movies. – The New York Times
Charlotte, NC Considers Sales Tax Hike To Fund Arts
“Valecia McDowell, incoming chair of [local funding body] the Arts & Science Council, said the local arts sector is at a ‘crisis point.’ To make up for steep losses in private giving, Mecklenburg County could ask voters this year to approve a new quarter-cent sales tax, which would provide a dedicated funding stream for the ASC.” – The Charlotte Observer
Roughly 2,000 Objects Have Been Recovered From Ashes Of Brazil’s National Museum
Among the items found are meteorites, bones of an ancient human and dinosaurs, gemstones and minerals, and pre-Columbian artifacts. (Curators warn, however, that some of the 2,000 items may be fragments of the same object.) – Smithsonian Magazine
French Court Throws Out Suit To Block Release Of Film About Sexual Abuse By Priest
François Ozon’s By the Grace of God, which just won the jury prize at the Berlin Film Festival, is based on the case of Father Bernard Preynat, who went to court to delay the release of the film until after his trial. A judge has rejected that bid. – The Hollywood Reporter
Bozeman (MT) Symphony Music Director Resigns Following Accusations Of Bullying
The orchestra’s board launched an investigation into conductor Matthew Savery after 14 people, including musicians, former staffers, and board members, sent a letter complaining of both a hostile work environment and a shrinking donor base caused by Savery’s alleged bullying and verbal harassment. – Bozeman Daily Chronicle
Australian Dance Awards For 2019 Cancelled
Ausdance National, the country’s advocate organization for the art form, has been presenting the honors annually since 1997. This year, in response to deep cuts in government funding throughout the arts, Ausdance has called off the awards and will focus its efforts on advocacy for dance as a whole. – Dance Australia
“Telegraph” Gaffe: Louvre Affirms Its Hope to Display the Elusive Leonardo “Salvator Mundi”
Seemingly the go-to journalist for scholars seeking to debunk the painting’s attribution to Leonardo da Vinci, Darya Alberge wrote about “an apparent snub from the Louvre in Paris, which is understood to have cancelled plans to display Salvator Mundi in its major Leonardo exhibition.” But a passage, tacked on at the end of her article, seems to contradict that statement. – Lee Rosenbaum
Portrait of a good bad guy
Edward G. Robinson was Hollywood’s first major art collector, and in 1939 he and his (first) wife and son had a family portrait done in pastels by Edouard Vuillard. La famille d’Edward G. Robinson “passed to his former wife” (i.e., in the divorce settlement) and seemed to have disappeared, but Terry has tracked it down. – Terry Teachout
Buddy DeFranco’s Birthday
What is your favorite key? Assuming that it’s not Z-minor, you will find it in the video below, as vibraharpist (vibraphonist, if you prefer) Terry Gibbs explains in his introduction. – Doug Ramsey