Category: music

A federal bankruptcy court judge in Roanoke, Va., has ruled that the three remaining original members of the Audubon String Quartet must turn over their instruments to a bankruptcy court trustee to satisfy a judgment won by the fourth quartet member. “The legal battle has been long and bitter. It has divided the music world and split loyalties in and around Blacksburg, Va., where the quartet moved in 1980 for a residency at Virginia Tech, which ended after the lawsuit.”

Omaha has a new concert hall. “For a mere $92 million, Nebraska’s largest city has a sonically satisfying 2,000-seat concert hall and a ‘black box’ space that can seat as many as 450.”

“Wherever you go in the coming year, you won’t escape Mozart. The 250th anniversary of his birth on January 27 1756 is being celebrated with joyless efficiency as a tourist magnet to the land of his birth and a universal sales pitch for his over-worked output. The complete 626 works are being marketed on record in two special-offer super coffers. All the world’s orchestras will be playing Mozart, wall to wall, starting with the Vienna Philharmonic on tour this weekend. Mozart is the superstore wallpaper of classical music, the composer who pleases most and offends least.”

The Florida Orchestra is raising money for a new administrative home in St. Petersburg. The orchestra has been leasing office space in Tampa.

The British Composer Awards have a healthy representation of Scottish composers this year. “In classical music, new works have never had mainstream appeal, but are audiences missing out on a Scottish renaissance?”

A new study suggests that online music sharing could become a major force in marketing music. “Nearly one quarter of frequent online music users say that the ability to share music with others is a key factor when selecting an online music service. And a third were interested in technology that helps them discover and recommend music, such as tools that allow Internet users to publish and rank lists of their favorite songs. Perhaps most important for the recording industry, a tenth of those surveyed said they frequently make music purchases based on others’ recommendations.”

“Personally, I was impressed by the passion of those who are working at the construction site. I used to think that passion or enthusiasm only has something to do with the artists and never connected it with the scientists or engineers until I stood at the site.’ The song-symphony ‘Echo from the Three Gorges’ composed by Liu Yuan and performed by Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra, will make its premiere at the Beijing Concert Hall.”

“A survey conducted by Motorola into musical habits around the continent showed that the UK is more in tune with music downloading than any other European country. Britons spend an average of 75p a month on digital downloads, three times more than Germans, French or Italians. This reflects the widespread adoption of digital music in the UK, as well as a thriving legal internet music scene.”

John Eliot Gardiner was halfway through recording all of Bach’s 198 cantatas when Deutsche Grammophon pulled the plug. He decided to continue and release them himself. And how’s it going? “We have practically no overheads because it’s run from home. And the musicians have agreed to accept royalties rather than fees. The break-even for each disc is around 5,000 to 6,000 and the first album sold 16,000. So far it’s gone better than any of us could have hoped. We’ve got hundreds of subscribers for the whole series of 52 CDs. Any profit we make goes straight back into the financing of the next batch of records.”

“The New Jersey Performing Arts Center has announced a residency program with the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra. The collaboration with NJPAC will bring music, food, educational workshops and a Thanksgiving 2006 performance by the orchestra.”