Colette Maze was born in 1914, began picking out melodies on the keyboard by age three, released her first CD at 84, and recorded Debussy at age 103. She still practices four hours a day. - Classic FM
Matthew Loden has reportedly decided to leave the role after accepting an offer to serve as Dean at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University in Huston, Texas. - Ludwig Van
The A.I. Song Contest features three dozen or so teams that use artificial intelligence networks to create parts of, and sometimes all of, a song, along with a jury of scientists and songwriters led by Imogen Heap. And what did they come up with? - The New York Times
Researchers using an array of high-tech methods have found traces of alum, potash, lime, borax, and plain old salt in the wooden fronts of these old instruments — and the cellulose molecules in the spruce were rearranged by those treatments. - The Strad
As superintendent, and with Kirill Petrenko as music director, Nikolaus Bachler made the Bavarian State Opera a beacon of "artistic excellence, destination programming and, during the pandemic, fearless advocacy." He's stepping down this summer, and Joshua Barone has the exit interview. - The New York Times
The City of Dallas owns a classical radio station? Yep. WRR Classical 101 FM, which celebrates its 100th birthday next month, is operated by the municipal Office of Arts and Culture — for now. – Inside Radio
It is understandable that musicians believe in extraterrestrial beings: after a year socialising over Zoom or from behind a mask, every interaction IRL feels like you need to relearn social skills after arriving from another planet. - The Guardian
There was “great appetite when we reopened," but “it’s been a little bit flat now,” whether because of the health pass requirement or the good weather and the reopening of cafe terraces. - The New York Times
A visit to the dungeon (that's what he calls it) of Tyler Thackray, proud proprietor of the Instagram account @violintorture, dismemberer of instruments, creator of Franken-fiddles, and champion troll of self-serious string players. - The New Yorker
"The company's roughly 300 stagehands were locked out late last year because of a disagreement over how long and lasting pandemic pay cuts would be. But the opera house is in desperate need of workers … if it is to reopen in less than three months." - The New York Times
The company’s endowment, which was $4.8 million when Executive Director David Bennett arrived in 2015, has nearly doubled to $8.8 million. - San Diego Union-Tribune
Director Keith Warner assembled a cast made up entirely of opera singers, headed by such major names as John Tomlinson, Thomas Allen, Kim Begley, Louise Alder, Emma Bell, and Susan Bullock — several of whom studied drama seriously as young adults and have been wanting to try this for some time. - The Guardian
Fired from Amsterdam's Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in 2018, Gatti then had a stint as chief conductor at the Rome Opera. He now succeeds the 85-year-old Mehta as music director of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, which includes the city's opera house and orchestra as well as the famous May festival. - Opera Wire
François-Xavier Roth and his orchestra, Les Siècles, like to play concerts with Rameau in the first half and Ravel in the second, or Debussy with Boulez, all on instruments from the composer's era (and, where possible, nation). Here's a Q&A where he talks about how that works and why such a band was his dream. - The New York...
On Monday night, pieces of the building flew onto the ground; water flowed down the lighting rigs and flooded parts of the stage — all while 250 people were inside listening to lieder. Company superintendent Viktor Schoner told a reporter, "I'm standing underneath the roof and getting very wet." - AP
