Nicky Hopkins has played on more than 250 albums. He’s “a keyboard colossus so dexterous he gained eager employment from nearly every star of note from the classic rock world and beyond” - but rarely, if ever, got paid enough for his music. - The Guardian (UK)
Of course, a lot of us accept “good enough” AI, but … maybe we can make better choices? “An AI-curated set feels like a dessert buffet. It’s all the stuff you love, and it’s great at first, but then it gives you a stomach ache after a while.” - The Verge
“St. Thomas’s leaders warned earlier this year that the church was considering closing the choir school, one of only a few remaining boarding schools for young choristers in the world.” - The New York Times
The project, titled "This Is America," is a collection of 28 works Gandelsman has been commissioning, performing and recording since 2020. He gave the composers each a $5,000 fee and a request to compose a piece responding to the times we're currently living through in the United States. - The New York Times
Art is capable of connecting with the best part of who we are as humans and stimulating the part of us that recognizes the dignity and connection with other humans. - Forbes
The blurring of lines that brought me to the opera voluntarily, willingly and with the same anticipation I bring to theatre suggests there may be a way forward – together. - The Stage
The author of the beloved young adult novel is writing her own libretto, with music by composer Derek Bermel. The work just had its first performance, unstaged, at the University of Michigan; the fully staged world premiere is next July at Glimmerglass Opera in upstate New York. - Chicago Tribune
"Knowing that a work is by Haydn or Mozart allows us to see ‘inevitable’ connections. Take away the certainty of authorship, and it’s devilishly difficult to read the musical images within. … If someone can write pieces that can be mistaken for Haydn, what is so special about Haydn?" - The Guardian
With this new focus, he was ready when people were “freaking out” and looking for songs. “There is no repertoire like this in existence,” he said, “and I’m in a place where I can effect change. Why don’t I try to create a legacy, or start a movement of people writing pieces?” - The New York Times
"As the orchestra’s temporary contract extension ran out on Oct. 31, (management and the musicians' union) have settled on another extension, one longer-range and slightly modifying the current terms. The agreement is good through May 30, 2025, just before the company’s summer season begins on June 3." - San Francisco Classical Voice
Part of the neglect has to do with the fact that craggy patriarchs are no longer in fashion, particularly ones who were prone to misogynistic and homophobic rhetoric, as Ives was. But the deeper problem is that American musical organizations have grown perilously risk-averse. - The New Yorker
You “can’t do this job without being a trained musician." And just like any member of the orchestra, librarians get their jobs through competitive auditions. - Boston Globe
Following another investigation that looked into further allegations (besides the original accusations from 2010), principal oboe Liang Wang and associate principal trumpet Matthew Muckey have been terminated and banned from the premises. The musicians' union has decided not to contest their firing. - AP
