Category: music

For Washington National Opera music director Philippe Auguin, “the hallmarks of American opera are theatricality, accessibility, directness – all things that set it apart from European contemporary fare.”

“Now Carnegie Hall, in its latest act of musical empire building, is establishing the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America, it said Wednesday. The reality is a bit less grandiose than the name. The orchestra will convene for three weeks in the summer and consist of musicians from ages 16 to 19.” Conducting the inaugural season in 2013 will be no less than Valery Gergiev.

The company’s remaining performances for the season have disappeared from Ticketmaster, and SAO administration has moved out of its offices. So far, though, the company’s board of directors has had no vote on SAO’s future.

With an ambitious program of weekly free concerts as well as ticketed performances, all garnering packed houses and critical hosannas, “Trinity Church, the major spiritual center of the financial district, was bidding fair to become its major cultural center as well.” But church leaders have decided to “recalibrate the music and the arts program,” cancelling most scheduled concerts as well as cutting back on music for services.

“On the tightly packed East Asian island nation, garbage trucks, like ice cream vans, are equipped with speakers that play music – popular tunes include Beethoven’s ‘Für Elise’ and Tekla Badarzewska-Baranowska’s ‘A Maiden’s Prayer’ – alerting citizens that trash time est arriv&eacute.”

Want to take music lessons, and get individual feedback, while you’re traveling in entirely different time zones? No problem. New online music lesson services have your back.

“Digital downloads accounted for a record 50.3% of all music sales in the US last year, according to an annual report by Nielsen and Billboard, contributing to a rise in total album sales for the first time since 2004.”

“HMV, which owns 252 stores in the UK, said its plans to shift its focus to technology products, by refitting stores with an extended gadget range, saw group like-for-like sales fall 8.1% in the five weeks to 31 December. But in the 144 stores refitted with an increased range of portable digital products, like-for-like technology sales were up 51%.”

Is it all over for New York City Opera? Talks between the unions and management have led to rehearsal lockouts – and that will harm at least the first planned production, if not the entire season, for the struggling company.

“What better way to turn unsuspecting listeners on to new music? While most people probably wouldn’t purchase a ticket to a concert for music they know very little or nothing about, might they stop on a street corner or subway platform to listen to something unfamiliar? What if the answer is yes?”