“What really stuck out to us was … Ronee’s real commitment to inclusivity, her real commitment to BIPOC artists and elevating those voices. But also there is a deep commitment to the world — climate justice — in her practices.” - WBUR
He and a friend started Universal Press Syndicate in 1970; Garry Trudeau was their first cartoonist. Among the many other cartoons and columnists he signed were Calvin and Hobbes, Cathy, William F. Buckley Jr. and Roger Ebert. - The Washington Post on MSN
Edward Berkeley directed classics and championed new operas in Aspen, while mentoring generations of emerging singers. He oversaw rehearsals in his signature shorts, high socks and sneakers and traveled almost exclusively by bicycle in Aspen. - Aspen Times
The company's first-ever resident lighting designer, he illuminated 112 productions over 20 years (1976-1996), and some of his work is still in use. He was affectionately called "the Prince of Darkness" because he was so astute about where not to aim the lamps. - The New York Times
I think criticism is being good at noticing things. If I write about a particular work of literature, I do have to believe – not always, as it turns out, rightly – that I have noticed something about it. - New Statesman
"(His) 2005 caricature of the Prophet Muhammad wearing a bomb-shaped turban touched off violent protests by Muslims, prompted a massacre that left 12 people dead at the offices of (Charlie Hebdo) and made him a target of assassins for the rest of his life." - The New York Times
Mat George’s "humorous takes often drew widespread attention on Twitter. Last week, he shared a photo of his mother and Snoop Dogg." - The New York Times
"Will Shortz's stature in the crossword world is difficult to overstate. Observers, like the Kremlinologists of yore, speak of the 'Shortzian' and 'pre-Shortzian' eras." (He is also an absolute demon at table tennis.) - The Guardian
After an impressive but short dancing career (he never fully recovered from an early knee injury), he and his wife founded the Briansky Saratoga Ballet Center in upstate New York and developed it into one of the leading summer dance academies in the U.S. - The New York Times
"Boltanski's installations often make grand statements about death, particularly as it relates to the Holocaust, World War II, and the lingering effects of these events on Europe. … At times, these cold works bore out some relationship to Boltanski's own complicated biography." - ARTnews
For 40 years, he and his resourceful company, Pocket Opera, used young singers, small instrumental groups, and librettos in English to bring unfamiliar works to thousands of new audience members. His dozens of libretto translations are still in use all over the globe. - San Francisco Classical Voice
"Weaving elements of pop, jazz, blues and rock into an old-timey approach to his instrument, Mr. Berline contributed instrumentals" to recordings by Bob Dylan, The Band, and The Rolling Stones. Yet "he was considered a musical visionary in his own right" as well. - The New York Times
Lloyd Webber — who redefined musical theater with shows like “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Cats,” and served for years in the House of Lords — has been harassing Britain’s conservative government. - The New York Times
