A groundbreaking musician who had been one of only four women in the BSO in the mid-1960s, Ms. Schaefer was 95 when she died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on Jan. 31 in Sequim, Wash., where she lived in retirement with her older sister, a former cellist with the orchestra. – Boston Globe
Blog
Why Today’s Musicians Are Better Than Those 30 Years Ago
“There are more and more people that are really, really good at their instruments, and the amount of competition has certainly gone up. It’s getting increasingly challenging to win a job even in a small market orchestra — the level of playing across the board is greater.” – San Francisco Classical Voice
Using Art To Engage How People Learn
“There’s a rich history of thinking about how we learn across our lifespans in library settings and other community-based arts programs. But museums have only started to look at this arena pretty recently. Our goal is to create a space where patrons can absorb information and feel intellectually stimulated. But we also want to provide a starting point to help them make new and lasting connections . . . because simply trying something new and coming together around a shared interest can be life-changing at any age.” – Arts ATL
What We Learn From Ruins
Ruins excite our imagination with the lesson that our greatest structures will one day return to the ground, while reminding us that in their fallen states these sites are endowed with beauty, even redemption. – Washington Post
Our Central Need: Meaning
Viktor Frankl argued that literature, art, religion and all the other cultural phenomena that place meaning at their core are things-unto-themselves, and furthermore are the very basis for how we find purpose. In private practice, Frankl developed a methodology he called ‘logotherapy’ – from logos, Greek for ‘reason’ – describing it as defined by the fact that ‘this striving to find a meaning in one’s life is the primary motivational force in man’. He believed that there was much that humanity can live without, but if we’re devoid of a sense of purpose and meaning then we ensure our eventual demise. – Aeon
Can Two New Directors Fix The Berlin Film Festival?
For the first time, the Berlinale has separated the functions of artistic and executive director. “Many hope [the new management structure] will help reinvigorate the Berlinale, which is considered one of Europe’s most important film festivals but has recently drawn accusations of lackluster curation.” – The New York Times
Study: Why There’s So Little Critical Coverage Of Theatre Made By Disabled Artists
Factors contributing to a “noticeable gap in critical coverage” include a crisis in mainstream arts criticism, a lack of diversity within mainstream theatre critics and a reluctance to be critical when it comes to artists with learning disabilities. – The Stage
Chaucer’s ‘Canterbury Tales’ Is Now An App
It’s going to be a series of apps, in fact — and they’ll be free. The first one, now out, features the General Prologue, with text and audio in the original Middle English, a modern English translation, and a digitized facsimile of an early manuscript as well as notes and commentary. (One of the project’s contributing scholars was the late Terry Jones of Monty Python.) – Smithsonian Magazine
Why Is There No (Or Little) Arts Programming On The Streaming Platforms?
When asked about cultural programming, the streaming services are tight-lipped. Both Netflix and Apple TV+ declined to say if they plan to produce more original content and whether visual arts programmes will be a priority. A spokeswoman for HBO—which bought the rights to show The Price of Everything—says it “will feature documentaries about art in the future. However, it’s too early to discuss the projects as they are in development.” – The Art Newspaper
‘The Inheritance’ Playwright Matthew Lopez Responds To Criticism Of Its Representation Of Queer Communities (Okay, Its Whiteness)
“I wasn’t attempting to create a generationally defining work of theater that spoke for the entire queer experience. I think that if I had started with that intention, I never would have finished. There are some who feel the play should have done just that, and who fault me for not painting on a broader canvas. … Art can be expected to hold a mirror up to society, but it cannot be expected to hold a mirror up to every individual who is engaging with it.” – The New York Times