Douglas McLennan
Doug is the editor of ArtsJournal
Jake Heggie’s New Opera: A Historic 1976 Wine Competition
His one-act opera "The Judgement of Paris" is set to make its world premiere at Festival Napa Valley at Charles Krug Winery in St....
David Ellison’s Dangerous Play For Warner Bros.
David Ellison was able to ascend to Paramount moguldom thanks in part to his closeness with Mr. Trump, and now he is trying to...
Profound Changes In Canada’s Cultural Economy
It found that Manitoba’s cultural sector produces $1,010 worth of cultural goods and services per person, one of the highest per-capita levels in Canada....
The Benefits Of Tolerant Cultures
A tolerant person is one who does not interfere with other people, even if he thinks they are wrong, but is prepared to let...
Disney Sues Google For “Massive” Copyright Infringement
Disney is accusing the tech giant of copyright infringement on a “massive scale,” claiming it has used AI models and services to commercially distribute...
Controversial New Designs For Notre Dame’s Stained Glass Windows Go On Display
The designs for six new stained-glass windows for the cathedral of Notre Dame have gone on show at the Grand Palais in Paris, despite...
Disney/OpenAI Deal Will Redefine Copyright
On the surface, there appears to be some dissonance with Disney embracing OpenAI while poking its rivals. But it’s more than likely that Hollywood...
Can Literary Fiction Help Save Classical Music?
Since 2020, well over a dozen novels have taken classical music as their setting. Of course, novels about classical music are nothing new. But...
“Nutcracker” From Behind The Stage
Pittsburgh’s production has evolved its own traditions and superstitions. During some performances, performers pass a Heinz ketchup packet while onstage, like a hot potato....
Americans’ Obsession With Renovation And Makeovers — And The White House
The White House has explained the East Wing’s demolition as “renovation,” and the necessary prelude to a multimillion-dollar ballroom. This is the architectural equivalent...
Have Stripped Public Media Of Funding, Now Republicans Want To Cancel NPR, PBS Station...
The CPB is set to shut down after Congress approved President Trump’s request to rescind its funding. The Center for American Rights said the CPB shutdown should...
Mark Swed: LA’s Best Classical Music Of 2025
Classical music’s survival instincts proved reliable. New leaders of L.A.’s arts institutions are bringing vitality to the region, empowering musicians and giving fans hope...
Baritone Jubilant Sykes, Stabbed and Killed
After the Santa Monica Police Department responded to a call about an assault at a house around 9:20 p.m., officers found Sykes, 71, with...
The People Who Are Using AI To Do Their Thinking
For this set of compulsive users, AI has become a primary interface through which they interact with the world. The emails they write, the...
How Warner Bros. Sale To Netflix Could Change Movies
In Hollywood, concern about whether Warner Bros. will remain a theatre-centered business is haunted by historical echoes of earlier seismic shifts in the movie...
The Trumped Up Kennedy Honors
Every detail of the ceremony appeared to have been plucked from Trump’s mood board, an indelible blend of revanchist impulses and eighties camp. - The...
The Best Classical Music Performances Of 2025
I love to be surprised: to come across premieres and fresh interpretations that upend my expectations and open my mind to new possibilities. When...
What If Laziness And Apathy Have Neurological Causes?
When these systems become dysfunctional, people who were once highly motivated can become pathologically apathetic. Whereas previously they might have been curious, highly engaged...
2025’s Best Dance
Emotion was often the bedrock of the dances and dance artists who rose to the top this year. - The New York Times
Korea’s Classical Music Scene Has A Major Economic Problem
Korea’s classical music market remains chronically constrained. In an ecosystem dominated by private presenters, major international orchestras often need to schedule at least three...
The Bain Report: How The Movie Theatre Business Can Be Saved
So, how does the cinema experience fit into this time? Its key benefits are “immersion, spectacle, and shared experiences,” the Bain report highlights. “But...
A Tumultuous Year For Washington DC Classical Music
More and more, the political noise around the Kennedy Center threatens to overwhelm the music within, and it’s unclear what, if anything, is being...
If You Quit Social Media. Will Your Time Really Be Better Spent On…?
One of the more common doomsday scenarios about social media goes something like this: an internet-addicted public, hooked on the dopamine hits of engagement...
A Historic Turner Prize Winner
The judges praised Nnena Kalu's brightly coloured sculptures - which are haphazardly wrapped in layers of ribbon, string, card and shiny VHS tape -...
And Now… The Trump Administration’s War On “Woke” Fonts
US diplomats have been ordered to return to using the Times New Roman typeface in official communications, with secretary of state Marco Rubio calling the Biden...
