"A striking aspect of the former fellows, however, is how little they are like Dudamel — or each other. ... The main thing these former fellows may take home from L.A. is indoctrination" - in programming new music. - Los Angeles Times
"This wonderful event must be forward-looking, rather than scanning backwards to old tropes of empire – however good the tunes. It is the ultimate programming challenge." - The Guardian (UK)
Is composing a piece of music linked to 9/11 a straightforward means of evoking a type of uncomplicated emotional reaction? Is this disaster a safe “hook” to hang any vaguely sad or lamenting music that actually has nothing to do with the event? - The Conversation
To appreciate the music of Bach, it can be instructive to understand both the mechanics and the mechanic: the musical systems, and the man himself – setting aside any received wisdom about his purported brilliance. - Aeon
One historical site was blown to bits, but most performance spaces came out with only some roof and water damage. Yet the performers themselves are reeling: the storm and the Delta variant coronavirus killed the first chances they've had to work in months. - The New York Times
"It's a bit of a hipster thing, the organ in its day was the technological marvel that the computer is today, and there's a fascination with old things." - CBC
Amid Taliban rule, shocking visuals have been reported from Kabul's National Music Institute as the Taliban has reportedly destroyed musical instruments including piano and drum set. - RepublicWorld (India)
"Artist Bill Fontana is currently working to record the sounds that the (cathedral) 'hears' through its ten monumental bells, with plans to livestream the audio at IRCAM in Paris next year, and hopefully at museums and cultural sites around the world in the future." - The Art Newspaper
The 77-year-old was to perform on Sunday at the Riga Jurmala Festival, but she tripped and fell in the street, injuring her shoulder. After a day's hospitalization in the Latvian capital, she was discharged and has returned to Portugal to recuperate. (in Spanish) - Scherzo (Spain)
Formed in 2014, it became a global symbol of the freedom many Afghans began to enjoy in the 20 years since the Taliban last ruled, despite the hostility and threats it continued to face from some in the deeply conservative Muslim country. - Reuters
So argues Joshua Barone about Jessie Montgomery, whose works are set to get a total of 400 performances this calendar year and who's just starting a term as the Chicago Symphony's composer-in-residence. - The New York Times
We were lucky to have access to livestreams from across the world in 2020. But: "Although the streamed productions I later saw live had flashes of revelation, those moments were few and far between in what was, on balance, limited by the medium: the subjective and inevitably narrow perspective of the camera, the engineered flattening of sound." - The...
