That innovation might not be what music lovers expect. "The picture for live music in Britain is beyond bleak, but it’s more complex than it can at first appear: it’s not just the fault of the usual culprits such as greedy landlords, property developers and moaning neighbours". - The Guardian (UK)
May 2022 sees the latest technological advances in musical immortality when Abba return to the live stage after a 40-year absence. But this time they return as humanoids – the digital hologram “twins” of the original global phenomenon. - The Conversation
This week, the Russian dissident leader's Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project released an extensive report on the conductor's wealth and its sources. Here's an English-language summary of the findings — including, the report alleges, "large-scale fraudulent misappropriation of charitable funds." - Van
Yes, it was that many of the migratory birds taking up residence at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center the past two summers, damaging the trees on the grounds and badly soiling the building. So, before the purple martins return this year, the orchestra is removing all its trees. - Main Street Nashville
Emma Dunch was sacked by the orchestra's board in December, allegedly because of problems with her leadership style and relationships with funders. Court filings indicate that Dunch maintains she was terminated after initiating an investigation of sexual misconduct and bullying at the orchestra extending over two decades. - Limelight (Australia)
Police in other cities have been recorded playing copyrighted music in an effort to prevent videos of them from hitting YouTube and other social media sites, which can remove content containing unauthorized materials. - Washington Post
When three staffers resigned last month, they claimed a culture of racism and misogyny kept them from being able to do their work, and the company engaged an outside investigator. She found that, yes, they were hindered from working properly, but not because of bigotry or prejudice. - San Francisco Classical Voice
Citing "insurmountable differences" with the orchestra's superintendent, Orozco-Estrada announced his immediate resignation as chief conductor of the Vienna Symphony, a job he started only in September 2020. The move comes about two weeks after orchestra musicians voted against extending his contract. (in German) - Vienna.at
BSO management says that 31 musicians (so far) in the orchestra and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus have recently tested positive for the virus. The four-city tour was to be done jointly with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra under the music director the two bands share, Andris Nelsons. - MSN (The Boston Globe)
The Central Philharmonic marked the 150th anniversary of Beethoven’s death by performing his Fifth Symphony. The last two movements were aired across the country. Some have remarked that, for music lovers, this broadcast marked the real end of China’s decade of political turmoil. - The Observer
Can you really reach a larger audience by getting on a background jazz playlist than taking home the most coveted Grammy? I hate to share the bad news, my friends, but the world has changed. - Ted Gioia
In an age of YouTube and Spotify, how do we know if one artist heard another artist’s song, especially if they are relatively unknown, or if they both had the same idea? - The Guardian
What explains our love of throwback sounds right now? Are we comfort-listening through hard times? Or is the industry just finally able to see (and monetize) a type of listening we’ve always done? - The Atlantic
George E. Lewis, a professor of music at Columbia University known for his groundbreaking work in electronics, will take the helm as artistic director later this month. Lewis, 69, a trombonist and frequent collaborator with the ensemble, will be the first Black leader in its 21-year history. - The New York Times
In a video on social media, he said there was now a culture "where a claim is made with the idea that a settlement will be cheaper than taking it to court, even if there's no basis for the claim". - BBC
