"I disagree that any orchestra has a maximum quality level that can’t be exceeded... It’s a never-ending task, but if we look at it in the long run—if the job has been done well—after a couple or many years of working together, the orchestra will be objectively better than when we started." - Van
In many ways, the orchestra can reflect the society we live in and the teams we inhabit at work or at home. Several parallels can be drawn between a business and an orchestra. Both require listening to each other, supporting each other, and working in unison. - The Guardian
The versatile singer-instrumentalist-composer, whose opera Omar is about to have its world premiere at Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, will head the 2023 edition of the Southern California contemporary music showcase. - San Francisco Classical Voice
"Within the Vijaya Vittala Temple in Hampi, South India are 56 pillars, each 3.6 metres high, which when gently tapped produce delicate musical notes. ... The pillars, named SaReGaMa, are so-called after the first four notes (svaras) of the standard scale in Indian classical music – similar to Western solfège." - Classic FM (UK)
"As Nascimento nears his ninth decade of life, the inimitable Afro-Brazilian vocalist is preparing to retire from the stages that have made him one of South America's most venerated troubadours." - The Guardian
Composer Tom Coult: "There’s a lot in Violet about just how quickly society can break down. It was very odd to see that happening and have that as the reason our production was cancelled." - The Guardian (UK)
James Conlon wants to pass the torch to a new generation so he doesn't hear, "'I never heard of this person. How good could it be?' ... That’s not the people’s fault. That’s not our fault. That’s the fault of the Nazi regime. It’s a cultural war crime." - Los Angeles Times
A nonbinary composer gets their debut with a piece called "Ode to Liberty." Subtle? No (nor were Tchaikovsky or Beethoven in their day). "That a piece written by a young, Black, queer composer debuted in Florida could be taken as a political statement in itself." - Tampa Bay Times
As a royalties group in Britain slashes its charitable giving arm by 60 percent, new young musicians say they'd never have kept playing without the funders' support. Industry professionals and artists foresee "potentially disastrous consequences for the British music industry." - The Guardian (UK)
Tobin Durrant "developed a love for opera after performing pieces for his exams and being moved by the influence he said it can have on people." (And he's moved from Zoom to IRL performance with the Welsh National Youth Opera, too - for the Queen.) - BBC
The initiative announced on Thursday will build on those efforts, pairing each of the six composers with five ensembles. The program, which will cost at least $360,000, will be financed by the Toulmin foundation. - The New York Times
Samuel Mariño, a 29-year-old Venezuelan whose voice never dropped, specializes in Baroque castrato roles, but he sees no reason not to sing female parts. (He already does Cherubino, written for a woman.) Oh, and he's definitely not trans, but he sees no reason not to wear skirts, either. - The New York Times
Robert Ainsley succeeds Francesca Zambello, who led Glimmerglass, a summer festival of opera and theater, for more than a decade. In an interview, Ainsley said he was committed to building on Zambello’s efforts to “make this an art form for everyone.” - The New York Times
The record is an unusual proposition: A rare fusion of pow wow—an Indigenous culture of music and dance—and experimental electronic production. Holding it all together are sampled live recordings of pow wow singing and drumming stretching back decades. - Pitchfork
