Stories

As Other Small Colleges Shrink Non-STEM Programs, These Four Are Adding New Dance Majors

“To get a new major approved, facult­y must demonstrate that there’s a genuine hunger for more dance on campus. They must lay out the benefits not only for future students, but also for the institution as a whole — its reputation and its bottom line.” Here’s how these four colleges did it. - Dance Magazine

Judge Dismisses Class Action Against Spotify Over Inflating AI Streams

A US federal judge has dismissed a proposed class action that accused Spotify of allowing billions of bot-generated fake streams to inflate the play counts of Drake and other artists. - MusicBusinessWorldwide

How Will AI Impact The Arts?

Well, it's a mixed picture. ISPA recently convened a panel to examine the evidence. Watch the video here. - ISPA (Video)

Next-Gen Music Software Threatens To Replace Musicians In Theatres

A next-generation orchestral software from the German company KeyComp threatens to inflict the deepest cuts yet on what has traditionally been a steady gig for professional musicians. - The Guardian

Attendance At Pittsburgh Symphony’s Classical Concerts Is Back Up To 50%

The average audience at Heinz Hall for the flagship classical series is roughly 1,450, just over half of the venue’s capacity and up 14% (!) from the previous season. Attendance at pops concerts continues to fall, but it’s rising at educational events and live-film-score concerts. - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Is LA’s New AI Art Museum A Whole New Genre Of Contemporary Art?

In 2023 Jerry Saltz said Refik Anadol’s Unsupervised at MoMA was just a fancy lava lamp. He took that criticism and turned it into Dataland, which is so immersive, so expansive and incredible, (it) feels like an official ushering into our new contemporary art world. - Artnet

Air Conditioned Museums In Europe Become “Refuges From The Heat” During This Week’s Heat Wave

"When I see people taking refuge for an hour in a supermarket, I say to myself: 'Why shouldn't the museum be a place of respite, rather than cafés or shops?' - Le Monde

How Smithsonian Chief Lonnie Bunch’s Lunch With Trump Went

Over chicken and gravy, Trump asked Bunch his opinion on four chandelier samples for the Oval Office; discussed the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which Trump has proposed painting white; and talked about Republican calls to relocate the space shuttle Discovery from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum annex to Houston. - ARTnews

Too Many Books, Too Quickly: Australia’s Publishing Industry Is Too Prolific For Its Own Good

“Talk to authors, talk to prize judges, talk to critics and to editors and you hear versions of the same story. ... What might have been excellent books are marred by shoddy copy editing, flat-out errors, cursory proofreading — and, in some cases, an obvious lack of revision.” - The Guardian

Why Are New Musicals On Broadway So Scarce This Year?

“How did the new musical — long Broadway’s fundamental building block — become so scarce that the New York Drama Critics’ Circle opted to forgo an award this year for best musical, and two of the five Tony nominations for best score went to music composed for plays?” Well, several reasons. - The New York Times

How Arts Philanthropist Christophe De Menil Ended Up Isolated During Her Final Years

The daughter of the founders of Houston’s Menil Collection, Christophe herself had a glittering social life filled with the arts and artists, and she funded career-establishing work by Robert Wilson, Twyla Tharp, Trisha Brown, and others. Her family life, on the other hand, was … well, fraught. - New York Magazine (MSN)

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s First Full Musical Since “Hamilton” Will Arrive On Broadway Next Spring

The show is Warriors, an adaptation of the 2024 concept album by Miranda and Elsa Davis. The source material is Sol Yurick’s 1965 novel The Warriors, which was adapted into the now-classic 1979 film. The Miranda-Davis musical, which makes the titular gang female, will start previews next March and open in April. - AP

Museum Curator In San Francisco Terminated After His Arrest For Secret Bathroom Video

“The Cartoon Art Museum has parted ways with Andrew Farago, the longtime curator and public face of the San Francisco institution who was arrested this month after Berkeley police said he secretly recorded guests using a bathroom during a party at his home.” - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)

Manhattan’s Borough President Directs His Entire Discretionary Budget — $50 Million — To The Arts

“Fifty-five cultural institutions and 28 schools will benefit from grants ranging from $60,000 to $2 million,” with much of the money designated for buildings or infrastructure. “In previous years, the discretionary budget has been divided into small grants ... across sectors like the arts, public housing, social services and parks.” - The New York Times

Kansas City Symphony Extends Music Director Matthias Pintscher’s Contract

The 55-year-old German composer-conductor has only been there for two seasons (he started in fall 2024), but the orchestra likes him well enough to extend his current contract for five additional years, keeping him through 2033-34. - Pizzicato

Our Free Newsletter

Join our 30,000 subscribers

Latest

Don't Miss