Kim Noltemy’s appointment comes at a pivotal time for the L.A. Phil, which must find someone to take the reins as the organization’s music and artistic director when Gustavo Dudamel leaves for the New York Philharmonic in 2026. - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo!)
There has long been a disconnect between how music critics and Swifties consume Taylor Swift’s work, but never before has that split been so pronounced. - The New Yorker
More and more, science is allowing us to understand our attraction to music and what it does for us — and consequently, what makes us human. - San Francisco Classical Voice
"Puccini is typically seen as representing the end of a tradition, but might he actually have sown the seeds of a variety of new traditions? We can hear nods to his style in works by Janáček, Korngold, Orff and Berio." - Bachtrack
"We had the framework of the Nativity story, so we didn’t have to worry a great deal about devising a new narrative structure. … Over a period of several months, we met several times with piles and piles of books and sketched out what I call a flowchart." - The Paris Review
After 34 renowned seasons and acclaim around the world, the SLSQ will disband as an ensemble this year, but its members will remain active at Stanford University, where the Quartet has been in residence since 1998. - San Francisco Classical Voice
“A headline tour usually comes out with a deficit. The only thing that we ever make any kind of profit on is festivals, because the fees can be higher, but any money left over just goes towards the next outgoings.” - The Guardian
Hundreds of artists signed a letter objecting to the out of control secondary market for tickets, which is bad for fans. On the other hand, there’s actually good news: "Live music sales are booming.” - CBC
Billy Bragg has been putting in the hard work for literal decades. And "here he is in the seaside retirement resort, still fighting the good fight." - The Observer (UK)
The report was widely heralded as a turning point. Finally, the boys’ club of the music industry was laid bare. But on Friday, April 19, the government issued its response to the report’s recommendations – a wholesale rejection. - The Conversation
I think the simplistic stereotype of my European colleagues assuming that American general directors are kicked around mercilessly by unconscionable wealthy donors is as wrong as the American perspective of European general directors dreaming about art and waiting for the next public funding check to drop through the letterbox. - Van
A statement from station management said, "After years of observing audience data, it is clear that listeners are not staying for music programming. The KJZZ news and information programming has greater loyalty." (A separate jazz service remains available online and on high-definition radio.) - Arizona Republic (Phoenix)
