The CSO says that "the new agreement provides salary increases of 23% over the life of the contract, more flexible scheduling,” and “industry-leading audition and tenure practices” that will be clearly committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. - CityBeat
The original version, about a Black baby girl found drifting in a basket along a river, premiered off-Broadway in 2006 and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. Though she herself is a singer-songwriter and actor, Davis "had no designs on making an opera" — until composer Nathaniel Stookey approached her. - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
John Mangum, 49, has no professional experience in opera, but he has spent a career in artistic administration at the Los Angeles and New York Philharmonics, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the San Francisco Symphony. He became CEO of the Houston Symphony in 2018. - Chicago Sun-Times
Hannah Kendall knew, when she read Schumann’s letters about his struggles with depression, that her next piece would be a response to him, and help listeners hear not only her own sound but his Second Symphony in a new way. - The New York Times
"I was very dehydrated. … I didn’t strike him too hard. I did nonetheless cuff or biff a young singer. … There is no excuse. Provocation yes, but not an excuse. … There has to be a degree of forgiveness and tolerance." Not entirely convinced? Neither is the interviewer. - Financial Times
In the face of these vast geopolitical movements, and accompanying humanitarian catastrophe, you can’t help but consider the purpose and the impact of cultural interventions such as ours. But everywhere we visit provides some different form of inspiration. - The Guardian
The broadcaster will replace the 2025 edition of the biennial event, which has a history of discovering major opera stars, with a gala concert featuring previous winners and competitors. The stated reason is that the usual venue, St. David's Hall, is under repairs, though there are other venues in Cardiff. - BBC
As the orchestra prepares, with new music director Jeffrey Kahane on the podium, to begin its third and most ambitious season, a struggle has broken out among the Board of Directors, with members apparently trying to replace each other for reasons as yet unclear. - San Antonio Report
There is a fundamental disconnect between what feels popular and what is statistically popular, which has contributed to this weird tension among pop fans. - The Guardian
“For those who choose to sing in dementia-inclusive choirs, numerous studies have found substantial improvements in communication, mood, wellbeing and quality of life.” - The Guardian (UK)
“What a cool thing, I told myself, as I walked away unencumbered, to own no albums… yet somehow to own every album. What freedom! What choice! I don’t know how long it took for the regret to sink in.” - The Observer (UK)
In April, Dion said, "I have two choices. Either I train like an athlete and work super hard, or I switch off and it’s over.” Narrator voice: It was not over. - Self
I am having trouble thinking of an app update fiasco large enough to compare it to this one, because in my time as a consumer tech reporter and editor, I cannot think of another software update that took away users' ability to control the volume. - Wired
Research has shown that many aspects of memory are affected by ageing, such as recall tasks that require real-time processing, whereas recognition tasks that rely on well-known information and automatic processes are not. - Nature
