Category: music

Scott Timberg follows the trail, from Cohen’s discovery by Judy Collins and then Fairport Convention through Gen X grunge and alt-rock up to today.

“‘American exceptionalism’ during the 20th century included the standing and stature of our symphony orchestras,” writes attorney and string player Jonathan Kaledin. “Taking American orchestra ‘exceptionalism’ further into the 21st century now requires a complete rethinking of the role our federal government plays in providing financial support for these institutions. … What does it say about us that our federal government spent $245 billion bailing out financial institutions that were ‘too big to fail,’ but it will not consider meaningful support for our magnificent but financially distressed symphony orchestra institutions?”

“The 1000-capacity venue, earmarked for a gap site behind the Royal Bank of Scotland’s historic head office, would be available for the Edinburgh International Festival each summer. The venue will be also be designed to make it suitable for rock, pop, electronica, jazz, folk and chamber concerts, as well as dance events. Other features will include rehearsal and recording rooms, conference and event spaces, and cafe, bar and restaurant facilities.”

“The companies with the financial resources and the political clout often impose a uniformity on the consumption of the music they believe is popular and therefore profitable. Given the ubiquity of their total command of the internet, the “world” becomes their colony and the “popular” tastes rule, again to the detriment of the indigenous music, but also to art music and to any other music with a limited audience and appeal. This scenario has forced indigenous music and even our beloved ‘classical’ music into competing with everything—sports, popular music, even each other.”

The incoming music director of the Metropolitan Opera, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, writes a tribute (with anecdotes) to his predecessor, James Levine.

San Francisco Symphony violinist Kum Mo Kim, who’s currently touring South Korea with the orchestra, shares the story of her father, John S. Kim, who founded the country’s first symphony orchestra and, during the Korean War, was discovered by no less than the Vice President of The United States, who brought him to the U.S. to study.

Last season was a much-needed success for the orchestra: attendance was up even though the number of performances was slightly down, and more than a quarter million people heard the group.