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
Mark C. Hanson gave no reason for his decision beyond a statement that "with the San Francisco Symphony now back up and performing …, I have decided that this is the right time to pursue my next professional opportunity within a different environment." - San Francisco Chronicle
During the Cold War, jazz was seen as a tool of cultural diplomacy, and the likes of Duke Ellington, Dave Brubeck, and Dizzy Gillespie were sent on tour to Karachi, Lahore, and other cities. Their concerts sparked the development of a Pakistani style of jazz. - The Guardian
The 45-year-old Slovakian maestro, currently music director of the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples and for seven years chief conductor of Italy's national radio orchestra in Turin, will take up the post upon Andrés Orozco-Estrada departure at the end of next season. - Houston Chronicle
His baton technique was, er, idiosyncratic; he couldn't conduct complex meters; he could be cruel. And after 44 years as music director, seemingly everyone was relieved to see him retire. Yet he and the Philadelphia Orchestra became worldwide legends together. - Classical Voice North America
Our unreliable memories of musical events are only partly the result of faulty powers of recall. Another contributing factor is the aging process. - The Nightingale's Sonata
The company, which was having money troubles even before the pandemic, finally has agreements with the unions for onstage (AGMA) and backstage (IATSE) workers. But negotiations over pay cuts with Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians, which represents the orchestra, drag on. - The New York Times
What if, after 90 years, we took a diagnostic check on this venerable musical document to see whether it still works as intended? - San Francisco Chronicle
Last month, the City of Dallas, which owns and (for now) operates WRR Classical 101 FM, issued a Request for Proposals from nonprofits to take over management of the money-losing station. Fortunately, both of the top logical candidates are interested. - The Dallas Morning News
Nine cases of COVID have been discovered (so far) among the orchestra's young musicians, who are isolating from everyone else at the site. The opening concert has been reprogrammed for the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra, a separate group. - The Violin Channel
Though parts of Summer of Soul were on YouTube for years, most of the recordings languished in a basement. In those decades, white filmmakers made Woodstock an icon. - The Guardian (UK)
They even recorded, while collaborating over Zoom and using other tools, a new album. "This whole record is sort of like poster child of pandemic production." - NPR
