Irish Eurosong winner Emmy says that Laika’s story “is really sad, so I wanted to create a scenario where she doesn’t die, but is having her own party in the sky.” - Irish Times
“Celebrating his new job over pints in a Cologne Irish pub, orchestra members told Brophy that his confident versatility was why they chose him.” - Irish Times
The Joachim-Ma Strad from 1714 “was most notable for having been played for decades by Joseph Joachim, one of the most famous violinists of the 19th century.” The proceeds go to a scholarship program at the New England Conservatory. - NPR
A team of researchers in Mexico worked with 36 pregnant women, playing them "The Swan" from Saint-Saëns's Carnival of the Animals and Arpa de oro ("Golden Harp") by Mexican composer Abundio Martínez. The result: the music instantly calmed fetal heartbeats. - Classic FM
That would be the late Pauline Oliveros, great American maverick and pioneer of "deep listening." The company: Long Beach Opera, for which an all-Oliveros season may be risky but is more or less on-brand. Mark Swed talks to LBO's leadership troika about how and why they're doing this. - Los Angeles Times (MSN)
If vinyl is supposed to be the best-sounding format, then why are so many modern pressings disappointing right out of the sleeve? Many modern records are pressed on cheap, recycled vinyl, arriving warped, noisy, or even defective right out of the shrink wrap. - Headphonesty
Realize that some of the statistics you’ll see online are nonsense, and vinyl sales are likely much bigger than the announced estimates. Ignore the clickbait headlines. The RIAA (Record Industry Association of America) stated that 43.5 million records were shipped in 2023. This doesn't make any sense. - PS Audio
How we listen has shrunk. Not in every instance, but often enough to be worthy of attention. The culprit is the single speaker—as opposed to a pair of them, like your ears—and once you start looking for it, you might see it everywhere, an invasive species of flower fringing the highway. - The Atlantic
"The 82-year-old musician has been in failing health for some years, and in January 2023 resigned from his position as the general music director of the Berlin State Opera. Although increasingly frail, he has continued to make occasional appearances as a conductor." - The Guardian
After Islamist-led rebels ousted Assad on December 8, the orchestra's rehearsals and concerts were halted as Syria embarked on a delicate transition away from decades of one-family rule enforced by a repressive security apparatus. - Yahoo
"More than 1,000 days after she and her fellow musicians were first displaced, (violinist Tetiana) Martyniuk-Bahrii said she had grown accustomed to the uncertainty. 'It’s a life, but I can’t say it’s a totally happy life,' she said. 'Who knows what will be next?'" - The New York Times
Before COVID, the company typically offered eight productions per season, but, as with the current season, there will be only six productions plus a few concerts in 2025-26. General director Matthew Shilvock said there is "great enthusiasm for the art form but with costs increasing faster than income." - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
A Hong Kong troupe specializing in the traditional form (a sort of cousin to the better-known Beijing opera) has produced a modern-dress piece based on the 2024 election, with Trump and Kamala Harris singing in Cantonese — and it's a hit. - AP
Alex Shustorovich, who built his fortune buying Russian science journals after the collapse of the Soviet Union, is using his newfound control of IMG Artists, a small business known for managing classical musicians, to take on his much larger rival. - Financial Times (MSN)
Not only is he directing, he writes librettos and does translations; in fact, he still hates supertitles and thinks opera should be in the audience's language. He has other strong opinions, too: Arts Council England has "got it in for opera. It hates the art form." - The Telegraph (UK) (Yahoo!)
