The most dynamic music in the US in the first decade of the 20th century was ragtime, which Stanley claims “set the template for every successive pop boom”. - New Statesman
Muti, whose Chicago contract runs through the 2022-23 season, considers himself the descendant of strong Italian conductors reaching back to Arturo Toscanini and Tullio Serafin. He’s not a fan of most contemporary directors. - AP
Young violinist Vijay Gupta "was shocked by the poverty and neglect he saw on Skid Row. The injustice and inequity upset him. He was also disturbed by what he saw as the airless insularity of the classical music world." So he decided to do something about it. - NPR
His earliest operas show "an impressionable composer who, before finding a voice of his own, knew how to expertly draw on those he admired; and who, before pioneering a declamatory style of operatic dramaturgy, rapidly developed a keen sense for theatrical storytelling." - The New York Times
Credible reports have been published about atrocities committed by Russian soldiers in Ukrainian cities. But is music the same as weapons? Can musicians stand for Ukraine without becoming propaganda tools? - Van
"No-one is pretending there has been a miracle here, but 15 years ago, if the Raploch was known at all, it was known for its problems; these days it is better known for its music." The complex has its own orchestra, and 400 of its kids play an instrument. - BBC
The group of musicians that organized public concerts this spring (before the board shut the orchestra down) is now working on the logistics of an ongoing concert series, while former music director Sebastian Lang-Lessing is meeting with officeholders, business leaders and foundations about establishing a new organization. - San Antonio Report
The new study by Opera America found that, in North America, only about 20% of employees are people of color, compared with 39% of the population. There's some progress, though: women make up 61% of employees and 54% of leadership positions. - The New York Times
Method acting has a history in opera, and it begins earlier than you might think. Even before his Moscow Art Theatre toured the United States and galvanized famous disciples like Lee Strasberg and Stella Adler, Stanislavski was trying out his acting techniques with opera singers. - Van
Now that P.S. 11 band students have returned to the classroom, they are rediscovering their confidence as musicians. But it has been no small task to fill the hole of lost instruction. “Covid obliterated my program. It hasn’t come back for every student the way it was.” - The New York Times
"After playing three concerts this spring, the Musicians of the San Antonio Symphony is making plans for a fall season in which it hopes to stage one to two performances per month, says Brian Petkovich, president of the MOSAS Performance Fund." - San Antonio Magazine
"Not only is a reborn symphony possible, but ... it is essential to the quality of life in San Antonio, and preservation of the performing arts and the city's creative class. People are already working on it" — including conductor Sebastian Lang-Lessing, fired by the board in April. - San Antonio Report
"Unlike the symphony, it's a young institution. Unlike the symphony, it has diversity and inclusiveness deep in its DNA. ... Its performing artists hail from Europe, Asia, and the Americas, ... and (its) board of directors is relatively young and decidedly diverse, too." - MSN (San Antonio Express-News)
The Pittsburgh Symphony was looking to buy a new Steinway concert grand for its concerto soloists. The price: $198,000. Fortunately, Emanuel Ax was there to play a concerto that week, so he was able to help music director Manfred Honeck and others make the decision. - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Compositions by women and people of color now make up about 23 percent of the pieces performed by orchestras, up from only about 5 percent in 2015, according to a report released on Tuesday by the Institute for Composer Diversity at SUNY-Fredonia." - The New York Times
