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MUSIC

Spotify And Universal Music Group Reach A Deal That May Help Musicians After Bundling Fiasco

The deal, which supposedly ameliorates some of the damage from last year’s audiobook-music bundling plan by the streaming giant, “also marks the first direct license between Spotify and a major publisher in several years.” - Variety

Jessie Grimes Has Been A Successful Classical Musician For Years, And At Last She Feels Comfortable

The artist in residence in Dublin says, “The fact that I wore a dress for all those years now boggles my mind. I was afraid for a long time to be queer in those spaces, because they were occupied by wealthy, upper-class white people.” - Irish Times

Pittsburgh Symphony, Despite Rising Revenues, Has A Seven Million Dollar Deficit

But there’s a plan to manage the deficit - and to raise more funds, despite historically low audiences for core “classical” concerts (unless Yo-Yo Ma is there). - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Inside 150 Years Of Paris’ Opulent Palais Garnier Theatre

At a 150th anniversary gala on Friday, before guests reach the marble staircase, the baroque sculptures, the inlaid golden mosaics and the elaborately painted ceiling, they will pass two giant mirrors set on the ground floor. - The New York Times

Longtime Baltimore Symphony Concertmaster Resigns: A Complicated Legacy

Allegations of inappropriate behavior first surfaced in 2006, when principal oboist Katherine Needleman told a union rep and orchestra personnel staff that Carney made a 3 a.m. visit to her hotel room while the orchestra was touring Spain. - Baltimore Banner

The Angel Blue Story

Peter Gelb, the Met’s general manager, said that he expects Blue would remain a major presence at the Met. Already, he added, she has “made a mark as one of the great Aidas of our time.” - The New York Times

Music Streamer Deezer Reports 10,000 AI-Created Songs Are Uploaded To Its Site Every Day

Deezer has been among the most aggressive digital service providers (DSPs) when it comes to detecting AI-generated content, “noise” tracks meant to skim royalty revenue, and other low-quality content. - Music Business Worldwide

Hollywood Composers, Whose Work Is Drying Up, Find Solace In Home Concerts Of Their Chamber Music

"One surprising thing," says one of the co-founders of the free-with-RSVP series, called Night Temple, "is how these really accomplished film composers, who have music on big movies and big shows, say there’s something really vulnerable about writing for this. There's a bit of danger to it." - Los Angeles Times (MSN)

Listeners Prize Vinyl For Its Analog Sound. Here’s The Thing, Though…

The ability to create a fully analog recording in 2025 is exceedingly difficult and expensive. Analog recording decks require specialized maintenance, and the tape used for master recordings is vastly more expensive than recording to a hard drive. - Digital Trends

The Missing Song From Tina Turner’s “Private Dancer” Has Been Unearthed

"'Hot For You Baby,' written by Australian singer John Paul Young and produced by John Carter, was originally meant to be included on the 1984 album." It will be included in the upcoming 40th anniversary edition of Private Dancer, to be released on March 21. - AP

Krishna Thiagarajan Out As Seattle Symphony CEO; Two Other Senior Execs On Leave

Thiagarajan’s Symphony tenure was rocky. - Seattle Times

Under-35s Are More Likely To Listen To Orchestral Music Than Older People: Study

"Surveying 2,000 people, the 2022 report shows that 65 percent of people aged 18–34 listen to orchestral music regularly, compared to 57 percent of people aged 55+ and 56 percent for those aged 35–54." However, "older people are more likely to listen to orchestral music in a concert hall." - Limelight (Australia)

Restore Musical Instruments Or Conserve Them? (A Debate)

How much reworking is too much? Should the instrument be made playable or simply maintained in its present condition? And in the case of instruments that have been modified over the centuries, what is, in fact, “original”? - Early Music America

Data’s In: The State Of The Music Business In Canada In 2024

 The findings paint a picture of an industry in transformation: streaming numbers are soaring, physical formats are showing surprising resilience, and superfans are reshaping how artists connect with audiences. - Ludwig Van

Thomas Søndergård Makes His Mark On The Minnesota Orchestra

Since succeeding Osmo Vänskä as music director in the fall of 2023, he has shown a flair for programming, thrown himself into community engagement (he insists on conducting family concerts himself), and enchanted the musicians. Says one principal, "We're still on our honeymoon." - The New York Times

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