Category: music

Pianist Joanna MacGregor thinks she knows what ails classical music. “There is a certain exclusivity in classical music which has been very detrimental,” says MacGregor. “People are made to feel that, if they want to be part of the classical world, they are not allowed to like anything else. Ironically, composers themselves – classical composers, let alone contem porary ones – invariably have a great love of many different kinds of music. Classical music turned into a club, and then found it had a dwindling membership.”

Oboist J. Bud Roach has filed a claim against the Buffalo Philharmonic for job discrimination. Formerly the orchestra’s second oboist, he was fired in February 2004, and he claims that his firing was due to homophobia in the orchestra.

Across Europe, the music directors are getting younger and younger. Not so in the U.S., with the notable exception of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s recent appointment of 26-year-old Gustavo Dudamel, who may just change the landscape. “If the fiery Venezuelan galvanizes attention, as seems likely, the ripple effect will spread as far inland as Chicago and New York, dispelling the paralyzing caution and opening the box to a new breed.”

“Since Pandora.com closed its box of digital musical delights this month to users outside the United States, the complaints have been pouring in from Dubai to Patagonia. … Internet radio sites are global by nature, streaming musical programs digitally to users all over the world. But there is no one-stop global shopping for royalty collections, which means that Pandora has to negotiate separate agreements with institutions from each territory or directly with music labels. Global demand, though, respects no boundaries.”

Recording companies are suing individuals for possible illegal downloading. “Relying on deep pockets and prying into personal computers for evidence, the companies compel people to pay thousands in fines without ever presenting a case at trial. Many of the lawsuits are filed against people who can’t afford a long legal battle, and most people settle without a fight.”

Palermo’s opera house is the second largest in Europe, and its patrons are avid. But “some patrons feel they didn’t get their money’s worth this season, due to an inordinate amount of strikes, last-minute postponements and cast changes.” So a group of ticket-buyers is suing the opera for not fulfilling its obligations.

It’s Elgar’s 150th birthday. One of England’s greatest composers, Elgar has always fought for respect, even at home. “There will not be wall-to-wall Elgar on Austrian Radio or in Italy, France and Germany. America has its Elgarians but they are not a major force, although over two weekends in August in New York there will be an astonishingly comprehensive survey of Elgar and his contemporaries.”

“The Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra, founded in 1974, ran into serious financial problems in May 2005, canceled the last two programs of the season and wasn’t heard from again until last June. Now the organization has raised enough money to pay off its old debt. Although the musicians were never paid for the two canceled concerts, many of them will return to play the upcoming program, which calls for a string orchestra of 22.”

This year’s edition of the strange and eclectic Eurovision Song Contest has been won by Serbian singer Marija Serifovic. “She scored 268 points, beating Ukrainian drag queen Verka Serdyuchka into second place. Russia was third, with Turkey fourth and Bulgaria fifth.”

Orchestras across America talk about the necessity of attracting younger audiences, and at the San Antonio Symphony, they’re doing something about it, designing advertising with a distinct youth focus, incorporating new technologies, and offering a whole new concert series aimed squarely at young adults.