Lauren Wingenroth: “Hypothetically, this is a great idea. We’re all for more ballet commissions for women. But the way ABT has promoted the initiative is problematic. Part of it is the fact that they plan to provide these women with ‘guidance and feedback from ABT’s artistic staff.’ Though they surely mean for this to be supportive, not condescending, Debra Levine points out … that they wouldn’t dare suggest that male choreographers need ‘guidance and feedback.’ … But what’s really troubling is the way that ABT suggests that they’ve already been doing the work of supporting women, they’ve just now decided to ‘formalize it.'”
Blog
Head Of Major Vienna Museum Quits To Protest Interference By New Right-Wing Government
“Kunsthalle Wien director Nicholas Schafhausen … had an agreement with the City of Vienna to stay at the helm of the art center until the end of his ten-year term in 2022. But Schafhausen will instead leave next year, citing the fact that ‘advanced experiments in the arts’ in the country are being suppressed by the far-right government that took power at the end of 2017.”
Young African-American Maestro Wins Top U.S. Conducting Prize
“The Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award is aimed at assisting outstanding young U.S. conductors in furthering their careers. The Minnesota Orchestra associate conductor [Roderick Cox] will receive $30,000 toward training and career advancement, plus professional introductions to both the Chicago Symphony and the Chicago Lyric Opera [sic].”
China Says It’s Building Enormous New Arts District In Beijing Exurbs
“Hebei, the province surrounding Beijing, will get a massive arts district of its own next year. [Plans were unveiled] for Valley XL, an RMB 18bn (around $2.8bn) development designed by Arquitectonica across 400 hectares of Hebei’s Xinglong Valley. … The project is billed as an ‘eco-city’ that will include a Modern and contemporary art museum, an art education district and artists’ studios along with commercial and residential areas.”
Adelaide Festival Brings Ever More Money (And People) Into State’s Economy
This year’s edition of the festival generated an estimated $76.1 million (Aus) fot the economy of South Australia, up 9% over 2017. What’s more, “a staggering 19,825 visitors of the annual arts festival last year were interstate or overseas travellers, representing a 44 percent increase on the previous year. Visitor bed nights also rose to 138,021, a 50 percent increase on 2017.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 05.24.18
“Shaftsbury” Shafted; Church Besmirched: The Berkshire Museum’s Lose-Lose Auctions
The Berkshire Museum’s deplorable disposals have not gone well. Even its board president, in a statement issued yesterday, conceded that the museum was “disappointed” with the results for the 13 works offered at … read more
AJBlog: CultureGrrl Published 2018-05-24
Crazy delightful
One of my students emailed a link to something I loved, loved, loved. It was a performance of Scheherezade, conducted by the ineffable, absolutely unqiue and wonderful Leif Segerstam. At the climax of which — and I hope you’re ready for this! … read more
AJBlog: Sandow Published 2018-05-24
Jack Reilly, RIP
Bill Charlap reports that the pianist Jack Reilly died of a massive stroke yesterday in at his home in New Jersey. Mr. Reilly, 86, was an accomplished classical pianist who returned … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2018-05-24
Landmark
It’s been quite a while since Mrs. T and I paid a visit to a museum, but we felt we couldn’t afford to miss out on seeing American Post-Impressionists: Maurice & Charles Prendergast, which is … read more
AJBlog: About Last Night Published 2018-05-24
Study: Music Helps Fight Prejudice
It reports schoolchildren around age 11 who learned about the music and culture of a faraway land expressed warmer feelings toward immigrants from that country than those who did not. What’s more, those positive emotions were still evident three months after this exposure to the foreign culture.
Netflix Is Now Worth More Than Disney
On Wednesday, Netflix’s market cap surpassed that of Comcast, the cable and media giant that’s poised to start a bidding war with Disney to acquire 21st Century Fox assets. Year to date, Netflix shares now have increased more than 80% in value.
Should Actors Get Royalties For Roles They Help Create?
“The time has come to be more honest about the creation of work and to recognise that work through credit and royalty agreements for performers and stage managers. I do not think it should be left to the individual generosity of a director, but this concept should be enshrined in the Equity contracts used by our theatres.”
Sacramento Ballet Gets A New Artistic Director
Amy Seiwert, who was a Sacramento Ballet dancer for eight years in the 1990s and created a ballet company in San Francisco, will succeed co-artistic directors Ron Cunningham and Carinne Binda, a husband-and-wife pair who choreographed performances for 30 years . Seiwert’s term begins July 1.