Category: music

“Certainly I think the HD gets people to focus on the Met, appearing at the Met. But it’s expensive, and it doesn’t make its money back. It makes some of it back. And I think we agree that DVDs, their days are numbered, and even HD, the days may be numbered, and that streaming into the home onto devices is the way it’ll go. And a lot of streaming is free. And there’s a lot of operas on YouTube now.”

“Among the issues raised in the internal report and documents delivered to the attorney general’s office, are alleged falsification of tax forms, an alleged failure to disclose an outside business relationship with a for-profit company owned by key employees, alleged improper accounting methods misrepresenting the organization’s true financial health, and allegations that board minutes were created several years after meeting dates.”

“The quietly negotiated deal gives the musicians a raise, while also providing continuity and calm while the orchestra continues to search for a new president and CEO. Paul Meecham, who has been in the post for a decade, leaves shortly to become president and CEO of the Utah Symphony and Utah Opera.”

Brisbane Baroque only launched last year, and the first-ever festival won five Helpmann Awards, Australia’s national honors for the performing arts. But this week, just two months after the second festival ended and a few days before it’s expected to get another batch of Helpmann nominations, news emerged that many of this year’s performers still haven’t been paid and Brisbane Baroque’s CEO is incommunicado in a Melbourne hospital.

While she’s currently at her summer home in New England, in the fall Sokoloff will return to her students in Philadelphia, where she has taught at Curtis since 1938.

“Does China, with its own rich cultural history, need opera houses performing a Western repertoire? Does Oman need one? And what about Dubai, traditionally an Arab trading town? Performing opera in countries that are not part of the Western cultural history may be cultural imperialism initiated by the countries’ rulers rather than an enlightened offering to their residents.”

“Less than three hours after the Grant Park Music Festival cancelled Wednesday’s opening concert, a tentative agreement has been reached between the festival and musicians. Tomorrow night’s season-opening program will take place as scheduled, with Carlos Kalmar leading the Grant Park Orchestra in music of Barber, Poulenc, and Mussorgsky.”

“The National Endowment for the Arts has named its 2017 NEA Jazz Masters: the musicians – Dee Dee Bridgewater, Dave Holland, Dr. Lonnie Smith and Dick Hyman – and the jazz historian Ira Gitler. Each will each receive $25,000 and be honored at a tribute concert at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington on April 3, 2017.”

“As human beings we like to feel things when we are moved”. Though the feeling may not be exactly the same as happiness, it may be the ability to cope with the sadness that gives the feeling of comfort.