In the face of these vast geopolitical movements, and accompanying humanitarian catastrophe, you can’t help but consider the purpose and the impact of cultural interventions such as ours. But everywhere we visit provides some different form of inspiration. - The Guardian
The broadcaster will replace the 2025 edition of the biennial event, which has a history of discovering major opera stars, with a gala concert featuring previous winners and competitors. The stated reason is that the usual venue, St. David's Hall, is under repairs, though there are other venues in Cardiff. - BBC
As the orchestra prepares, with new music director Jeffrey Kahane on the podium, to begin its third and most ambitious season, a struggle has broken out among the Board of Directors, with members apparently trying to replace each other for reasons as yet unclear. - San Antonio Report
There is a fundamental disconnect between what feels popular and what is statistically popular, which has contributed to this weird tension among pop fans. - The Guardian
“For those who choose to sing in dementia-inclusive choirs, numerous studies have found substantial improvements in communication, mood, wellbeing and quality of life.” - The Guardian (UK)
“What a cool thing, I told myself, as I walked away unencumbered, to own no albums… yet somehow to own every album. What freedom! What choice! I don’t know how long it took for the regret to sink in.” - The Observer (UK)
In April, Dion said, "I have two choices. Either I train like an athlete and work super hard, or I switch off and it’s over.” Narrator voice: It was not over. - Self
I am having trouble thinking of an app update fiasco large enough to compare it to this one, because in my time as a consumer tech reporter and editor, I cannot think of another software update that took away users' ability to control the volume. - Wired
Research has shown that many aspects of memory are affected by ageing, such as recall tasks that require real-time processing, whereas recognition tasks that rely on well-known information and automatic processes are not. - Nature
"The company is liable for few of the major criticisms levied at the opera world, with varying degrees of justification, by politicians and their quangos. And yet … the company has been bullied into an acquiescent silence concerning its forced transformation into a shadow of its former self." - Classical Music (UK)
"Further, with the news of Sharon’s extended stay (as artistic director) in Detroit (through 2028), the company announced overarching themes for its next three programming seasons: America, faith and sustainability." - Detroit Free Press
This month, with the release of a new album of live recordings, fresh material has been added to the ongoing debates about Armstrong's contradictions. - BBC
Cara Kizer, the horn player who was denied tenure after reporting an alleged rape by associate principal trumpet Matthew Muckey, says now-former CEO Gary Ginstling was the only orchestra executive ever to reach out to her since the 2010 incident. And there's a chance she could return to the Philharmonic. - Vulture (MSN)
While the conductor issued a subsequent statement maintaining that he had resigned, the announcement by the board said it had "made the decision that Sir John Eliot Gardiner, founder of the Monteverdi Choir, the English Baroque Soloists and the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, will not be returning to the organisation." - The Guardian
Salonen’s anticipated departure casts a long shadow over the Symphony amidst a furor of concerns about leadership, transparency and board decisions. - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
