The prestigious Curtis Institute is widening its search for a new director to include orchestra managers, arts presenters, and a wider swath of school administrators. “Previously, the elite music conservatory had been looking for a leader who was both a strong administrator and a musician with a major performing career – someone in the mold of current Curtis director-president Gary Graffman.”
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Classical Merger – What Does Recording Merger Mean?
What is to become of the classical operations of Bertelsman and Sony, which have announced they’re merging. “The vaults of each company hold a priceless trove of master tapes that document the work of many of the greatest musicians of the last century. More broadly, these recordings offer an overview of American musical life through the late 1970’s, when both companies began to lose interest in recording the top American orchestras, and European labels like Decca and Deutsche Grammophon moved in to take up the cause.”
Helping Musicians, The Uchida Way
Pianist Mitsuko Uchida doesn’t believe in competitions. But she has a foundation to help musicians. “I don’t teach because I hated being a student myself.” So how does she get involved in a practical way? “Well, I make music with them, of course! Isn’t that the only way to learn? When I really like a young player, I invite him or her to rehearse with me, and then maybe if things go well, we give a little concert somewhere not too important.”
Cleveland Museum’s Questionable Statue
Is a statue that the Cleveland Museum recently bought stolen? “The museum proudly announced the purchase in June, saying the statue might be the only one among about 20 large bronzes in the world that can be linked to the ancient Greek masters. Now some prominent archaeologists and other critics say the museum should not have bought the work because of the questionable history.”
Hip-hop Goes To Church
Music has always played a role in church. But hip-hop hasn’t penetrated much. Still, “from the church side, a growing number of ministries are adopting both the rhythms and the bluntness of hip-hop culture.” In the New York area alone, at least 150 churches or ministries use hip-hop in some form. These include many storefront churches or campus ministries.”
Pittsburgh Symphony: On Our Own
The Pittsburgh Symphony is without a music director this season. “Most significant will be how the orchestra fares as it steps out on its own for the first time since Mariss Jansons arrived seven years ago. This is not the first time the PSO has been without an active music director. It happened from 1948 to 1952, when Fritz Reiner left for the Chicago Symphony, from 1984 to 1987 after Andre Previn departed and in the 1996-97 season before Jansons arrived. In each of these cases, the PSO survived, and even benefited from the exposure to new conductors.”
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra Gets A Home
For the first time in its history, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra has a home of its own. “The center is a symbol of transformation for an orchestra that, in a labor agreement last year, handed more power to its musicians and replaced the position of artistic director with a diverse field of artistic partners.”
BBC For Sale? (At Least Pieces…)
Might the BBC sell off some of its profitable assets? “The BBC is under pressure to become more profitable in the run-up to its charter renewal in 2006 as it needs a war chest to prove to the government it can deliver outstanding programmes. The sale of its commercial wing, BBC Worldwide, could generate up to £2 billion and prevent cuts to the corporation’s 27,000-strong workforce.”
Devoted To Fagan
“Typically, modern dancers stay with a choreographer for months, not years; and those who do stay for years do not often stay for decades. So what is it that keeps dancers performing — and performing with Garth Fagan — for 10, 20, even more than 30 years, up in Rochester, a snowy, medium-size city near Lake Ontario?”
Who Are You? (The Test Says…)
Tests of personality are everywhere these days. “Clearly, there’s something about the elusive notion of personality, and the possibility of capturing it, that draws us to these tests. But an increasingly vocal group of critics is fighting this testing tsunami, arguing that many of the tests themselves have not been tested and that their unscientific conclusions may do far more harm than good.”