Van Cliburn Gold Medalist Kills Himself

Jose Feghali shot himself in the head. “The Brazilian native, trained at the Royal Academy of Music in London, won the gold medal and the chamber music prize in the 1985 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Since 1990 he had been artist-in-residence at Texas Christian University’s School of Music, more recently also serving as its coordinator of internet technologies.”

Sony Hacking Ignites Hollywood Turmoil

“The breach has caused havoc within Hollywood’s inner circles as private correspondence between powerful producers and executives have exposed internal politics and petty gripes. More importantly, the data also appeared to include spreadsheets outlining financial deals Sony had with third parties, which could hurt its standing with its partners. These details also expose how much these third parties have paid Sony for rights to certain TV shows and films.”

Showdown At Seoul Philharmonic: Music Director Says He’ll Quit If CEO Isn’t Removed

Less than a week after the orchestra’s staff openly demanded the resignation of their boss, Park Hyun-Jung, artistic director Myung-Whun Chung (a local hero in Seoul because of his high-level career in Europe’s capitals) said that Park’s on-the-job behavior “is a clear violation of human rights [of her staff] … such attitude is not acceptable.”

What Makes A Good Conductor? And Do Conducting Competitions Help Find Whatever It Is?

“How you define that something, though, is hard; and its elusiveness can turn conducting competitions into strange events of questionable meaning. … Good orchestras instinctively compensate for directorial shortcomings. But hearing successive conductors unleashed on the same orchestra in quick turnover, as is the case in such competitions, shows that the person wielding the stick can make a difference.”