Conductor/pianist Daniel Barenboim is well-known for his sometimes controversial efforts to bring Israelis and Arabs together under the banner of art. In the wake of the ongoing violence in Northern Israel and Southern Lebanon, Barenboim’s “Peace Orchestra” is experiencing the same tensions and anger that are exploding across the region. But according to those in the ensemble, whatever tensions exist can always be channeled into the performance, and some observers even say that the orchestra sounds better than it ever has as a result of the emotionally charged backdrop of current events.
Tag: 08.12.06
Summer Comeback Continues In Minneapolis
Summer seasons have long been a touchy issue with orchestras – they tend to lose money, are hard to sell, and frequently require an investment in a special summer venue that may or may not pan out. A few years back, the Minnesota Orchestra’s Sommerfest was a textbook example of a failing summer season, playing to half-empty halls and searching for an identity in a city packed full of summer activities. But in the last three years, ticket sales have jumped 30%, a 24-hour marathon kickoff day has become one of the signature events of the year, and this summer, half of the orchestra’s Sommerfest concerts sold 95% of capacity or better.
Davis To Have Surgery, Miss Tour
The Pittsburgh Symphony will be forced to make its upcoming European tour without its chief conductor on the podium. Sir Andrew Davis, who also serves as music director of Lyric Opera of Chicago, will have arterial bypass surgery in his leg this coming week, and will be out of action for the next several weeks. Leonard Slatkin will replace Davis on the PSO’s tour, which includes stops in Greece, Germany, London, Ireland, and Wales.
Big Fundraising Coming In Cincy
Facing the unpalatable possibility of a return to financial instability (even as its artistic fortunes climb,) the Cincinnati Symphony is preparing to launch a major endowment drive, as well as a drive to remodel its concert hall in the city’s notorious Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. Music Hall is the largest orchestral concert hall in the U.S. – it seats more than 3,400 – and CSO officials have long contended it is far too large for a city of Cincinnati’s size. By comparison, most other major concert halls seat fewer than 2,500 concertgoers.
Betting On The Newbies
The publishing industry is a bit of a gambler’s paradise: after all, success depends on correctly guessing what the reading public will want to buy in the coming months and years. When you’re dealing with established authors with an existing audience, the game is fairly simple. But when you’re pursuing “one of the biggest prizes in publishing: a book by a new writer that catapults to enormous commercial success,” it’s a whole different story.
Gaming Seeks Broad Appeal
Video games have largely replaced violent movies and rap music as the primary target for groups intent on protecting children from what they see as damaging influences. Worse, when gaming isn’t being blamed for everything from obesity to school shootings, the mainstream media largely ignores it entirely. So how can the industry remake its image and appeal to the wider culture? “That reflects the biggest, broadest problem facing the game industry today: in the United States, at least, playing video games just isn’t normal.”
Getty Finance Chief Quits Abruptly
The chief financial officer at the beleaguered J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles has stepped down without explanation. “His departure, effective Aug. 23, follows several other resignations among top officials, including Getty Trust President Barry Munitz in February and board Chairman John Biggs earlier this month. The Getty has been the focus of a state attorney general’s investigation since last summer, with results expected in coming weeks.”
Edinburgh Fest Stunned By Huge Bequest
“An Irish spinster who travelled faithfully to the Edinburgh International Festival every year from Dublin has left the organisation £3.7 million – the biggest single gift in its history… The money is to be used for promoting the careers of young artists.”
A New Wave Of AIDS Art
This summer, Toronto hosted the 16th International AIDS Conference, and the city’s artists took the issue to heart. “Artists have every reason to want to respond to AIDS since the arts community has proven to be more likely than most to lose members due to the consequences of the disease,” and AIDS-related art is now on view throughout Canada’s largest city.
It’s Not A Mirage, It’s An Opera Company
A bleak, barren desert in the middle of New Mexico might seem an unlikely place for a full-scale, open-air opera house, and Santa Fe, though most definitely a city, is hardly regarded by most outsiders as a major arts center. So the very existence of Santa Fe Opera “represented a gamble that people from far away would come to regard Santa Fe as they already regarded England’s Glyndebourne, as a pilgrimage destination for opera. And the gamble has clearly paid off. The current 50th anniversary season of five operas, running in repertory until Aug. 26, is virtually sold out, with visitors from around the world.”