Royal Opera assistant director Netia Jones: “As artists, we must explore technology in all its guises because we are trained to create rather than to destroy.” - The Observer (UK)
Using eminent domain, the municipality acquired the largely vacant campus from Rider University for a payment of $42 million. A financial crisis led WCC to merge with Rider in 1991; subsequent money troubles led Rider to attempt to sell the WCC property and move its programs to Rider’s own campus.” - The Daily Princetonian
“Mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili sued the Metropolitan Opera and her union, alleging the company unlawfully terminated her contracts because of a vocal issue that developed after she gave birth. She also accused the union of failing to pursue a grievance against the company.” - AP
Put another way, this monk is acknowledging the spiritual potential of Gregorian chant while warning against decoupling it from a specifically Catholic liturgy. - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Andrew Lewinter: “What things do I want to incorporate from that music into my own music, to make something that’s both intellectually satisfying and emotionally satisfying? … That’s the goal with every piece: to make it fun to listen to, enjoyable, and to not take myself too seriously.” - Oregon ArtsWatch
She’s always in the studio, she says - and in addition, “I play and I sing, probably annoying people around me,’ she added. When I suggested that people around her were probably more than happy to hear her voice, she smiled. ‘I hope so.’” - The New York Times
Opera Carolina and its business director are embroiled in a lawsuit with the former production director amid a leadership shakeup that’s as dramatic and intense as an opera performance itself. - Charlotte Observer
Being based underground enhanced the atmosphere in the clubs. Attendees were simultaneously part of an underground movement and also literally hidden from view from the adult world. - The Conversation
“Originally scheduled for July 5-6, the (free) festival, which attracts more than 50,000 attendees annually to San Francisco’s historic Fillmore district, will not take place this summer due to ongoing financial challenges. Tim Omi, president of the association, said in a statement, ‘2025 is not financially viable.’” - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
The three-time Oscar nominee will direct Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin at the Paris Opera. (He played the title role in a 1999 film adaptation of the Pushkin novel on which the opera is based.) The production runs from Jan. 26 through Feb. 27, 2026 at the Palais Garnier; Semyon Bychkov will conduct. - AP
For 2025-26, the company will again offer all seats at $11 each (or higher if the buyer chooses). There are twice as many performances as this season, and five works scheduled rather than this season’s three — but only one of those works is a conventional opera. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
“He’s actually a replica of what we see in the tech industry,” Yuval Sharon said. “There’s a messianic belief that we must transcend our own humanity and that AI is making up for all the terrible ways we behave. People really do believe that the future of humanity is robotic.” - APNews
Initially, there was a lot of excitement in the press—the first American at the helm of one of the great orchestras! But the tone soon became hostile, even acrimonious. Audiences loved Bernstein, but his full-bodied manner on the podium—arms, head, hips, shoulders, eyebrows, groin in motion—caused embarrassment and even anger. - The Atlantic
Work on the 998-seat George Weston Recital Hall will begin in the summer of 2026; the project will include upgraded seating, refreshed paintwork, and restoration of the hall’s original flooring. - Ludwig Van
