The symbolism was unavoidable. Van Zweden — who said in September that he would be leaving in 2024, opening up one of the world’s most prestigious podiums — is already the past. Dudamel is the Philharmonic’s future. - The New York Times
"It is desperately ironic that Rachmaninov's experience — being held personally accountable for the actions of a government he despised — is being repeated with Russian artists who have no connection to their government, in the rush to condemn Putin's horrific invasion of Ukraine." - Van
The very site of the outdoor concert by the Kyiv-Classic Symphony Orchestra symbolized their defiance: the Maidan, Kyiv’s central square, the focal point of revolutions including one in 2014 that ousted a pro-Moscow president and helped define Ukraine’s Western political path. - Washington Post
The decision followed a request by members of the Ukrainian community that the orchestra cancel Alexander Malofeev’s performances. Initially, the OSM declined, noting that the young pianist had distanced himself from the Russian regime. - Montreal Gazette
The service will allow musicians to upload songs directly to the app and receive royalties for plays, managed through a designated artists' platform. The platform also includes analytical tools to help artists leverage virality. - Protocol
Alexander Malofeev traveled to Canada for a concert this week with the Vancouver Recital Society and a Prokofiev concerto this weekend with the Montreal Symphony. He's been dropped from both, despite his own statements against the invasion of Ukraine. Canadians are debating whether this is going too far. - Ludwig Van
The project’s leaders announced on Wednesday that they had raised their goal of $550 million to cover the cost of the renovation, and that the hall will reopen to the public in October, a year and a half ahead of schedule. - The New York Times
"Yevhen (Eugene) Lavrenchuk was imprisoned in Naples for more than two months after Russia issued a call for his arrest through Interpol's 'red notice'" for fugitive criminals; he was released after Italy's justice minister intervened. (Until last year, Lavrenchuk was the controversial artistic director at Odesa's opera house.) - The Guardian
"Orchestras and singers regularly surpassed themselves under his guidance," writes David Patrick Stearns of Carlos Kleiber. "His deep immersion in whatever he conducted transcended any tradition. He gave the music all it needed, and tradition took care of itself. … Non-musical matters are another story." - Gramophone
Bemused gamers and tech experts, meanwhile, wondered what possible uses a company such as Epic – itself 40% owned by Chinese gaming megacorp Tencent – might have for the direct-to-fan marketplace for MP3s of niche musical genres like vaporwave and chiptune. - The Guardian
"A prominent Russian conductor said on Sunday that he would resign from his positions with two orchestras — at the storied Bolshoi Theater in Moscow and in Toulouse, France — after facing intense pressure to condemn" the invasion of Ukraine. - The New York Times
"To speak to MTT about music is not so far removed from speaking frankly of life and death. His music — whether conducting or composing — has everything to do with the push-and-pull of opposing forces and the musical space in between them." - Washington Post
The Hipgnosis Songs Fund long game continues. (As Pitchfork points out, "The firm has acquired several major publishing catalogs from legacy artists, including Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham, Jimmy Iovine, and Neil Young.") - Variety
Bandcamp was the one streamer that every fan of music trusted to take care of its artists. When people started leaving Spotify over Joe Rogan, Bandcamp was recommendation for more ethical streaming. Now? Skepticism reigns. - Slate
Before the performance, conductor Ivan Velikanov — a star on the Russian music scene hailed as "the new Teodor Currentzis" — came on stage, gave a short speech calling for peace and led the orchestra in Beethoven's "Ode to Joy." The opera followed. - DW
