Category: music

“Set against a backdrop of the dreamy mountains of Labëria in southern Albania, Washed by the Moon, British/German filmmaker Dan Shutt’s directorial debut, is a rich journey through the region’s musical history. … We invited the director to compile a mix that encapsulates the ancient Albanian tradition of isopolyphonic singing.”

Tim Smith reports on the lawsuit filed by principal oboist Katherine Needleman against the orchestra and concertmaster Jonathan Carney and on an attorney’s investigation into sexual harassment and the workenvironment at the BSO. “The two documents brim with details of unprofessional behavior inside the orchestra, onstage and off – propositioning in a hotel room and a women’s restroom, discussion of ‘pesones‘ (Spanish for nipples), making faces and mocking gestures during rehearsals or concerts.”

“Eyellusion, the hologram entertainment company behind tours for Frank Zappa and Ronnie James Dio, is working with Gould’s rights holder, Primary Wave Music Publishing, on a Glenn Gould Hologram Tour with dates expected to be announced in late 2019. “

The new upload feature won’t work like SoundCloud, where songs can be instantly available. Instead, Spotify views it as a way for artists to have control over their own music in advance of its release date. Those who are part of the program will be shown an interface where they can upload their music and accompanying artwork, pick a release day, input additional information (like if it’s a single or an album), and then preview how it will look once published. Direct upload is being offered as a free service.

Reporter Michael Cooper and photographer Nina Westervelt follow the Phil’s new music director through his first week on the job — unpacking his office, meeting with CEO Deborah Borda, strategizing with his publicist, taking selfies with passersby who recognize him from the ads around town, and (of course), rehearsing for the opening night concert.

The venue’s CEO, Alex Beard, describes the $66 million project as “a bit like having open-heart surgery while going for a run.” The architect said that “We had meetings every day where we’d work out the little windows of time we could make noise.” Alex Marshall reports on the results, including a much larger foyer, a cafe, more ladies’ loos, and a complete upgrade of the ROH’s 406-seat Linbury Theatre.

ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews said: “Today’s unanimous passage of the Music Modernization Act in the Senate represents a Herculean industry-wide effort to promote and celebrate songwriters and ensure their right to a sustainable livelihood. We applaud Senators Hatch, Alexander, Grassley, Feinstein, Whitehouse, Coons and the entire Senate for recognizing the value music has in both society and our hearts.”

The La Jolla Music Society, which presents touring classical and dance artists in metro San Diego, announced in late July that Florida Grand Opera executive director Susan T. Danis would become the Society’s CEO and lead its move into a new venue. Seven weeks later, following a “defamatory letter” about Danis that was sent to the La Jolla board, and later retracted, by a former FGO staffer, the vindicated Danis decided nevertheless to give up the job in La Jolla and remain at FGO. George Varga explains (as far as possible).

On Monday, the orchestra was at Charles de Gaulle Airport outside Paris, waiting to depart for that evening’s concert in Amsterdam, the final performance of the tour — only to find out that their chartered aircraft had mechanical problems and could not fly. No trains or buses were available for all 110 musicians (not counting staff and patrons) to get to Amsterdam in time: the only option was a 76-seat propeller plane. 76 musicians are not enough to perform Shostakovich’s Fourth Symphony, the main work on the program. Zoë Madonna reports on what happened next.

Musical rethinks, such as the addition of a chamber music round and contemporary music among the programme requirements, helped ensure that a more rounded and versatile musician was on show; finalists’ communication skills were further tested with the submission of a short written piece about their choice of repertoire.