Having apparently learned nothing from the many men forced to walk back tone-deaf commentary during the #MeToo movement, Recording Academy President Neil Portnow almost immediately made things worse. He responded to the hashtag by urging women to “step up.”
Category: music
Female Recording Execs Demand Grammys Boss Step Down
The letter, signed by over a dozen female execs, calls Neil Portnow’s comments “spectacularly wrong” and says he is “oblivious to the vast body of work created by and with women.” The letter goes on to list statistics of gender discrepancy in the recording industry, as well as at the Grammys themselves.
Today’s Bands Making It By Playing More, Smaller Markets
“If you’re only playing 10 or 12 or 15 markets, and touring is the income-generator, there’s a real temptation to play markets too often. It’s a real tough balancing act between playing often enough in the same market, or market area, and playing too much.”
A Rare John Coltrane Vinyl Recording Selling For $19,000?
A Love Supreme is widely lauded as a high water mark of the genre. The test pressing is in VG condition, exists in a generic sleeve, and has a Van Gelder Stamp on both sides of the vinyl.
Austin Opera Fires Longtime Artistic Director For ‘Inappropriate Behavior’
“Austin Opera has terminated the contract of artistic director and principal conductor Richard Buckley, … effective immediately.” The company’s statement included no details, and Buckley’s spokesperson said that the allegations are baseless and without merit,” but “two women spoke on the record with the American-Statesman on Thursday about Buckley’s behavior while he was artistic director.”
Daniel Harding Will Step Down As Music Director Of Orchestre De Paris
The 42-year-old conductor succeeded Paavo Järvi at the French capital’s leading symphony orchestra in 2016. He decided, for “artistic reasons,” not to renew his initial three-year contract.
They Play Classical Music In London’s Underground. For What Purpose?
“Anti-loitering tactics first came into UK law as part of the Vagrancy Act of 1824, which was aimed at tackling begging, prostitution, and sleeping rough, which are still criminalized today. The approach of a government of 200 years ago to tackle a symptom of a social problem rather than its root cause has fundamentally not changed. I began to think that the classical music played in these stations was symptomatic of a backward society.”
Why Did The Met Opera Fire Director John Copley? Here’s What Really Happened
In a rehearsal, male choristers they were told to show different reactions to the ‘ghost’ of Assur (sung by Ildar Abdrazakov, who was not present). They are for a range of ideas. John Copley jokingly said ‘if it were me I’d like to see him naked.’ One chorus member reported this joke upward. Peter Gelb fired John Copley. He caught the next plane home. The vast majority of the chorus, we are told, are horrified and upset at his dismissal. Other singers are posting sympathy messages and photographs of Uncle John.
Met Opera Fires Stage Director For ‘Inappropriate Behavior In The Rehearsal Room’
“[John] Copley, 84, has been one of the opera world’s foremost directors for decades. He was at the Met directing a revival of his 1990 production of Rossini’s Semiramide when a member of the chorus reported that Mr. Copley had made him uncomfortable at a rehearsal on Monday with a sexually charged remark, according to two people familiar with the complaint.”
Choir Of King’s College, Cambridge Seeks New Director For First Time In Decades
“Stephen Cleobury has confirmed that he will step down as Director of Music of King’s College, Cambridge in September next year. Such has been the length of his tenure that it’s the first time the college has sought someone to fill the post since 1982.”