Joshua Kosman: "My reviews over the years have not always reflected the splendor of the Opera Chorus's artistry. … In my defense, most of the time my task is simply to find new words for an old truth... - San Francisco Chronicle
Dozens of musicians in the Pittsburgh area and around the country are either adjusting their careers to include more stable side hustles in the aftermath of the pandemic or hanging up their instruments for good. - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Gandhi, who has sung internationally and who comes to Portland from Minnesota Opera, where she has been chief artistic officer, will be one of the few women in the opera world in a top artistic role." - Oregon ArtsWatch
"The BBC Proms will open at full capacity and without social distancing this summer, but attendees will be required to provide proof of their vaccination or COVID status in order to enter London's Royal Albert Hall." - The Guardian
A native of Brody, in western Ukraine, where she grew up in a family of musicians, Oksana Lyniv, 43, has spent the better part of the last two decades in German-speaking Europe. - The New York Times
Interviews with more than 40 Asians and Asian-Americans in the classical world reveal that, in 2021, many still have to put up with astoundingly prejudiced treatment and feel themselves locked out of positions where decisions are made. - The New York Times
"I felt like I was reconnecting with a best friend. I needed the opportunity to play music and have these other musicians in my life. This was a return to a prized passion." - The New York Times
Since 2000, the once-hugely popular chain has entered bankruptcy twice, changed ownership twice, and closed, reopened and closed again hundreds of stores. In 2019 HMV was acquired by Canada's Sunrise Records, whose CEO is turning things around. - The Guardian
"I feel uneasy about the hundreds of playlists I’ve taken the time to compile on the company’s platform: 10 or 20 years from now, will I be able to access the music I care about today, and all the places, people, and times it evokes?" The Atlantic
These so-called earworms — gross — are annoying but useful, as new research published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology in June helps illuminate the exact function these loops play. - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
One young musician: "What you want to do is play with people—you don't want to record iPhone videos and upload them to a cloud! ... A lot of people have had the experience of just feeling really relieved." - NPR
Record Store Day 2 was Saturday, but between production issues and the pandemic (and Brexit, for Britain), vinyl isn't doing as well as it should be. - The Guardian (UK)
Whew, this time has been weird. "It was a fun challenge, and also, it just hit differently because we were in lockdown living in our fantasy world." - Variety
Pauline Viardot played duets with Chopin; thrilled Europe with her Rossini and Mozart; had George Sand as a friend and Turgenev as a lover. Berlioz and Brahms wrote for her voice. And, as we're now rediscovering, she composed impressive songs, operettas, and chamber music. - The New York Times
“This is about whether one of the U.K.’s most successful industries, worth £111 billion a year, is allowed to prosper and contribute hugely to both our cultural and economic wealth, or crash and burn.” - The New York Times
