Category: music

Basically, as one executive put it, “there are two Philadelphia brands the Chinese respect — the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and the Philadelphia Orchestra.” Classical music is often used as a conversational warm-up for business discussions in China, not unlike the way sports is used elsewhere, and, as another executive puts it, the orchestra’s tour “serve[s] as a big draw for potential Chinese investors and companies to explore investment opportunities in the Philadelphia area.” – The Philadelphia Inquirer

Brandon Keith Brown took up his position as conductor of the Brown University Orchestra in September of 2017; within six weeks, and shortly before his first scheduled concert leading the group, he was dismissed amid student complaints of intimidating and abusive behavior. Mr. Brown argues that the university fired him because he is black, and he has filed a case with the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights. – Providence Journal

The Royal Opera’s director of opera, Oliver Mears, was asked if that was a good ratio. “No it is not an acceptable ratio at all … of course,” he said. “But this is something which is a long-term project. It’s not going to happen instantly and in the following years we have a much better ratio of female conductors and it is something which is is an absolute priority for us.” – The Guardian

The company expected to deliver “Bhutto” — a dramatic treatment of the history of Pakistan’s Bhutto political dynasty — this coming November. However, “Bhutto” has been removed from next season’s lineup and put on hiatus primarily due to lack of funding, according to the opera. – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Just as the lights were going down at the State Theatre in Melbourne for the start of Opera Australia’s Rigoletto, George Dreyfus stood up and started yelling through a megaphone about the fact that the company had never produced the opera it had commissioned from him in 1969 and he turned in the following year. He went on for more than ten minutes at which point the police arrived. – Limelight (Australia)

“Ward Stare, who in 2014 at age 32 became the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s youngest-ever music director following one of its most turbulent periods, will leave the job at the end of the summer in 2021.” – Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

More than a century later, Chaminade and her music have been largely expunged from history, and the societies named for her have disappeared — all except one: the Chaminade Music Club of Yonkers.  – New York Magazine

As the Philadelphia Orchestra prepares to depart for its 12th tour to China, here are excerpts from a journal kept by the piccolo player on the orchestra’s first tour there, back in 1973. – The Philadelphia Inquirer

“It was a mutual decision between Krzysztof and the ISO,” sais ISO CEO James Johnson. When he departs, Urbański, now 36, will have been on the ISO’s podium for 10 years, and he’s credited with improving the orchestra’s ticket sales and wider reputation. – The Indianapolis Star