ArtsJournal: Arts, Culture, Ideas

MUSIC

The Music Industry Has Become “Always On” For Musicians

There is a "very real fear that the algorithm will ‘forget’ artists if they do not keep up a steady flow of social posts and releases, and you have the foundation stones for music’s just-in-time economy." - Music Industry Blog

La Scala Opens Its New 17-Story Tower, Designed By Mario Botta

There are new rehearsal spaces for the ballet and orchestra (the latter equipped for studio recording), a big space for unloading and assembling sets, and plenty of new office space that will save the company €350,000 a year in rent to other landlords. - Gramilano (Milan)

Simon Woods: We Need To Rethink Orchestra Governance

"We can’t hide from uncomfortable questions about to what extent we should be connecting capacity and generosity with power and influence in a world in which scrutiny over equity has never been more intense." - Symphony

For The First Time In 33 Years, The Pacific Symphony Is Choosing A New Music Director. The World Looks Different Now

Pacific Symphony’s leadership change is happening at a time when audiences have become increasingly choosy. - CultureOC

Royal Albert Hall’s Archive Rescued From Flood Damage In £1 Million Project

"The archive had been stored in four different locations across the building, with the basement store repeatedly flooding and threatening to destroy some of the artefacts. The collection is now housed in a fireproof climate-controlled studio in the building with a new reading room, and is open ... by appointment." - BBC

Barenboim: My Israeli/Palestinian Orchestra Found Common Ground. We Need To Move Forward

Do we surrender to this terrible violence and let our striving for peace die – or do we insist that there must and can be peace? I am convinced that we have to move on and keep the larger context of the conflict in mind. - The Guardian

Ukraine’s National Orchestra Regathers Its Musicians And Tours

Many of the orchestra’s musicians scattered. Some stayed, volunteering in field kitchens, doing what they could to help the effort to push back the Russians from the capital. And it wasn’t long before the orchestra started performing again – reuniting first at La Fenice, Venice’s opera house, in April 2022. - The Guardian

New Owner Eliminates Half Of Bandcamp’s Employees

Half the staff at Bandcamp, the online music platform known for championing independent artists and labels, have been laid off following the recent purchase of the company by music licensing startup Songtradr. - The Guardian

“The Problem Child Of International Orchestras”? Serious Issues In Philadelphia As Management And Musicians Square Off

Contract negotiations drag on. Players say they want salaries that can attract top talent. Management says it wants to pay better but the cash just isn't there. And with the orchestra having merged with the Kimmel Center in 2021, a strike could upend the city's entire arts ecosystem. - MSN (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

Maryland Lyric Opera Has Shut Down

"In an internal memo, … the group’s founder and artistic director, Brad Clark, has announced he will end the operations of Maryland Lyric Opera, effective immediately. Clark, the son of billionaire construction mogul A. James Clark, founded Maryland Lyric Opera in 2014." - Washington Classical Review

Study: Women Are Dramatically Underrepresented In Opera Companies

Men accounted for 95 percent of the conducting credits at the 11 largest American opera companies between 2005 and 2021. But men also dominated other major roles in opera: they accounted for 85 percent of directoring credits, 88 percent of set-designer credits, 85 percent of lighting-designer credits and 59 percent of costume-designer credits. - The New York Times

The Breakdancing Countertenor Explains the Aesthetic

"When I'm in my practice sessions with my breakdance crew, sometimes I put some classical instrumental music and I invite them to actually explore that because music dictates movement. - NPR

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Has Been A Financial Phenom. So How Much Money Are We Talking About?

The biggest windfall is headed straight to Swift, who stands to make as much as $4.1 billion from the Eras Tour, according to estimates from Peter Cohan, an associate professor of management at Babson College. - Washington Post

English National Opera Plans To Cut Orchestra. Music Director Quits. ENO Responds

The statement comes hours after Martyn Brabbins said he could not “in all conscience continue to support the Board and Management’s strategy for the future of the company.” Brabbins resigned after the ENO announced plans to cut 19 musical staff positions and put the remaining staff on part-time contracts. - OperaWire

The Blues Collector

Smithsonian Folkways is gearing up for another epic release - this of Robert "Mack" McCormick's "unruly collection" that he called "The Monster." - Washington Post

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