Category: people

Last October, Pyotr Pavlensky was arrested for starting a fire at the entrance to the Bank of France building in Paris — in what he calls an artwork titled Lighting. He was only released from pretrial detention last month, but prosecutors are demanding that he be returned to jail until trial (to begin in January) and are calling for a ten-year sentence. Meanwhile, FEMEN members supporting Pavlensky have been demonstrating outside the courthouse, their mouths taped shut and messages scrawled in black across their bare breasts.

The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize “was established in 1994 through the will of actress Lillian Gish to honor individuals who have, according to the website for the prize, ‘made an outstanding contribution to the beauty of the world and to mankind’s enjoyment and understanding of life.'” The Gish Prize Trust selected Dudamel, music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, for his work both as a conductor and in music education via the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles project.

At the point in his career — in his 50s, maybe, or early 60s — at which anyone might reasonably expect his voice to have run its course, Domingo politely but firmly declined to step down. And with that, the curtain gradually went up on one of the most astonishing second acts the opera world has ever known.

His job titles belie his importance at the company; Mr. Hubay did far more than oversee ticket sales. He became something of an expert on opera and opera singers, so much so that he would be asked to judge singing and scholarship competitions. He also served on the boards of numerous musical organizations, including the Glimmerglass Opera, the Oratorio Society of New York and the Marilyn Horne Foundation.

“In 1960, Kosugi cofounded Group Ongaku, a Tokyo-based collective widely considered the first improvisational music ensemble formed in both the country and the world. … After allying himself with the Fluxus movement and participating in Happenings, he toured in a Volkswagen van from Rotterdam to the Taj Mahal as part of the Taj Mahal Travelers. With the group, he sketched out hallucinogenic, highly processed jams with an electric violin, radio oscillators, and his voice. … Between 1995 and 2011, Kosugi was the musical director for the Merce Cunningham Dance Company.”

“Although her appointment in May 2017 by Emmanuel Macron had been welcomed enthusiastically, the fact that she was replaced came as no surprise. [Françoise] Nyssen — whose publishing house, Actes Sud, is one of France’s most successful — had been facing accusations of conflict of interest, in addition to a simmering scandal concerning building permits for which she’s under investigation. … [Franck] Riester, the new minister of culture, is a center-right politician whose primary experience has been in the broadcasting sector.”

While best known as a pioneer in the technology industry since the mid-1970s, Allen developed a reputation as a ferocious art collector, building a highly regarded collection that was notoriously guarded—for many years, he demanded that his employees keep quiet about his holdings. He made his first appearance on the annual ARTnews “Top 200 Collectors” in 1997, and has been listed in each edition since 1999.

“[Dr. Alexander] Neumeister admitted in June to stealing roughly $87,000 while working for New York University, according to court records. … [A federal judge ruled that] must play piano for at least an hour, twice a week at facilities for the elderly in Hartford, New Haven, Waterbury and Bridgeport for the next three years.”

“They don’t love the music, because they told me this is haram (forbidden). [They said] you work with the U.S.A … this is [like the] Army,” recounted Tariq Abdul Razzac. The militants were armed, and as Razzac attempted to flee, they shot at him. His cello, strapped to his back, absorbed the shots. The bullets pierced through its hard case and passed through the cello — causing extreme damage and rendering it practically useless.