“By the end of April, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra will have replaced the bottom cushions of the 1,800 seats at Orchestra Hall that have been a literal pain in the rear since they were installed last fall. Then, when the symphony is away in the summer, entirely new seats will be installed. The bottom line? The DSO is out $500,000.” The offending seats were originally installed with metal plates in their upholstery, so as to meet building codes. As it turns out, metal plates tend to decrease the comfort level of upholstery. Who knew?
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All Avril, All The Time At Junos
The Juno Awards, Canada’s answer to the Grammys, turned into a near-sweep Sunday night as teen rock sensation Avril Lavigne took home several awards, including Artist of the Year. Lavigne was up against stiff competition, including mainstays Celine Dion and Shania Twain, and many observers saw her dominance as a significant shift in the direction of the Canadian music industry.
Classical Winners Are No Surprise
Pianist Marc-Andre Hamelin, composer Bramwell Tovey, and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra were among the mostly predictable winners of the classical Junos. Diana Krall won for best vocal jazz album, and Richard Underhill took home the award for best contemporary jazz release.
Boston Aims For The Middle
The lack of mid-sized (300-to-500 seat) venues has long been a problem for theater troupes and other performers in Boston. But now, a new economic redevelopment plan promises to fill the gap with a wealth of renovations and restorations in the city’s Midtown district. Still, a number of significant hurdles remain to be cleared before the projects can be completed.
San Diego Chooses Ling
In an era of fiscal crisis at most American orchestras, the San Diego Symphony has had the unusual luxury of sitting back and waiting to find the perfect person to lead them in a time of newfound wealth. The orchestra received an unexpected and unprecedented $120 million gift last year, and now they may have scored something of a coup in the baton-waving department, reaching an agreement with Jahja Ling to be the orchestra’s next music director. Ling is the director of the Cleveland Orchestra’s summer festival, and a former music director of the Florida Orchestra. San Diego had previously offered the position to up-and-comer David Robertson, who declined the job.
SARS Hits European FilmFest
Despite the fact that Severe Acute Repiratory Syndrome (SARS) has yet to sigificantly impact Europe, fear of the outbreak is wreaking havoc with Italy’s Far East Cinema Festival, which screens films and features filmmakers from throughout Asia. Organizers insist that there is no danger to the Italian populace, but there is a distinct possibility of government intervention in the festival’s guest list. “22 actors, directors and producers from Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai may be uninvited because of the concerns of local people about the spread of SARS.”
Thieves Steal Pompeii Frescoes
Thieves stole two frescoes from the ancient city of Pompeii over the weekend. “Selling such rare art on the open market would be almost impossible so the theft may have been commissioned. ‘This is 1st-century Roman art from Pompeii. It is not something you can find in the window of an antique dealer’.”
Libraries – Shredding The Patriot Act
Librarians across the US have protested provisions in the Patriot Act that require libraries to turn over records about their patrons. Librarians in Santa Cruz have turned to the shredder for their protest. Daily they shred records that might identify patrons in some way. “The basic strategy now is to keep as little historical information as possible.”
This Year’s Arts Pulitzer Winners
The New York Times on this year’s winners of The Pulitzer Prizes for Letters, Drama and Music:
• Fiction: ‘ Middlesex ‘ by Jeffrey Eugenides
• General Nonfiction: ‘ “A Problem From Hell” ‘ by Samantha Power
• Biography: ‘ Master of the Senate ‘ by Robert A. Caro
• History: ‘ An Army at Dawn ‘ by Rick Atkinson
• Poetry: ‘ Moy Sand and Gravel ‘ by Paul Muldoon
• Drama: ‘ Anna in the Tropics ‘ by Nilo
• Music: ‘ On the Transmigration of Souls ‘ by John Adams
The Underwater Symphony
The German Symphony Orchestra is performing in a health club, playing a piece of music for which the audience will have to be submerged in a pool. “The cellists will be on the poolside, playing electric instruments and the sound will be put through a mixing desk and modified. There will be no sound to hear unless you are under the water.”