"Artist Bill Fontana is currently working to record the sounds that the (cathedral) 'hears' through its ten monumental bells, with plans to livestream the audio at IRCAM in Paris next year, and hopefully at museums and cultural sites around the world in the future." - The Art Newspaper
The 77-year-old was to perform on Sunday at the Riga Jurmala Festival, but she tripped and fell in the street, injuring her shoulder. After a day's hospitalization in the Latvian capital, she was discharged and has returned to Portugal to recuperate. (in Spanish) - Scherzo (Spain)
Formed in 2014, it became a global symbol of the freedom many Afghans began to enjoy in the 20 years since the Taliban last ruled, despite the hostility and threats it continued to face from some in the deeply conservative Muslim country. - Reuters
So argues Joshua Barone about Jessie Montgomery, whose works are set to get a total of 400 performances this calendar year and who's just starting a term as the Chicago Symphony's composer-in-residence. - The New York Times
We were lucky to have access to livestreams from across the world in 2020. But: "Although the streamed productions I later saw live had flashes of revelation, those moments were few and far between in what was, on balance, limited by the medium: the subjective and inevitably narrow perspective of the camera, the engineered flattening of sound." - The...
Justin Davidson profiles Will Livermore, a 33-year-old baritone who'd been specializing in comic parts such as Papageno and Figaro. Now he's taking on the role of the furious Charles in composer Terence Blanchard's adaptation of Charles Blow's memoir Fire Shut Up in My Bones. - New York Magazine
While global market leader Spotify still has a healthy lead — its most recent total paid subscribers was around 165 million, announced earlier this year — No. 2 Apple Music may feel YouTube nipping at its heels. - Variety
"Founded in 1984 by American immigrants Shoshanna and Micah Harrari, the tiny workshop" — called King David Harps and located near Jerusalem — "was known internationally for its instruments, which are modeled after archaeological findings and specifications found in Talmudic and biblical verses." - Tablet
"According to new research … violins made by Antonio Stradivari and his contemporary, Giuseppe Guarneri, were treated with proprietary blends of mineral salts, which may have forever altered their physical structures." Why were they treated? Worms. - Popular Science
Timothy Redmond, who assumed the job in July 2019, lives in London and most of his work is in England. He said in a statement, "I've made the decision that commuting to Winston-Salem is not sustainable for me (or the planet) anymore." - Winston-Salem Journal (North Carolina)
The tech giant will take Primephonic offline next week and, it says, work on integrating the service's catalog and specialized search engine, with a new Apple classical app launching next year. Current subscribers will get a refund and six free months of Apple Music. - The Hollywood Reporter
Graffman, now 92 and formerly the music school's director and president, had been its leading piano teacher, with Yuja Wang and Lang Lang among his students. Higdon, a Pulitzer- and Grammy-winning composer, cited musical and family commitments for her departure. - The Philadelphia Inquirer
