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Doom Metal Organist Picketed By French Catholics Who Call Her Music “Satanic”

One critic describes Anna von Hausswolff's music as "where post-rock, doom metal, modern classical and high church music all coexist." Her concert at a church in Nantes was called off after protesters chanting Hail Marys blocked the entrance; tonight's performance at Saint-Eustache in Paris is cancelled. - The Guardian

Hollywood’s Progress In Diversity Hits A Speed Bump

“Diversity” may have become an even more popular buzzword in show business circles since the summer of 2020, but the goal of attaining full and meaningful multicultural representation remains elusive. - Los Angeles Times

In Germany, Stage Directors Rule, But It’s The Actors Who’ve Been Keeping The Theaters Running

"One of the main reasons theater here has been able to rebound after repeated closures is that Germany effectively has a standing army of actors, most of whom continued to receive most of their salaries during the monthslong stretches when stages were dark." - The New York Times

The First Piece Of Music Created By An AI Was In 1956

Decades before today’s artificial intelligence pop stars, Auto-Tune and deepfake compositions was Lejaren Hiller’s piece, described by the New York Times in his 1994 obituary as “the first substantial piece of music composed on a computer” – and indeed by a computer. - The Guardian

Now *This* Is How To Design Attractive Affordable Housing

Critic Oliver Wainwright says that the architects of this east London project, called A House for Artists, have found a way to follow local regulations and codes and keeps building costs low while still creating living spaces that are flexible and filled with light. - The Guardian

Transformative Director Of NYC’s City Center Steps Down After 18 Years

During her tenure, Arlene Shuler has transformed City Center from a mostly rental space for dance companies to a producing house that commissions and presents, on average, around 60 percent of its annual programming. The New York Times

How “Squid Game” Has Transformed International TV

Better, perhaps, to say that the Korean hit marks a transformation that has been happening for several years now: the gradual acceptance by anglophone audiences of what Parasite director Bong Joon-ho called "the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles." - BBC

Research: Why Sustainable Careers In The Arts Are So Difficult

In the interviews taken as part of my research, I repeatedly found financial constraints underpin three problems causing career unsustainability in the arts. - The Conversation

Ebook And Audiobook Stats From UK Libraries Have A Few Surprises

The sleeper among audiobooks — ahead of Michelle Obama and Kazuo Ishiguro, behind only J.K. Rowling — is mystery writer Brenda Chapman's Cold Mourning. Among ebooks borrowed, at #4, ahead of this year's Booker winner and just behind Ishiguro, is Ellery Adams's The Secret, Book & Scone Society. - The Guardian

The Venue For New York’s Shakespeare In The Park Is Getting Its First Overhaul Since 1962

The structure of the Delacorte Theater in Central Park is deteriorating, and the renovation had been expected, before the pandemic, to run from 2020 to 2022. Revised plans have now been submitted, with construction to start next fall. - Gothamist

Fort Worth Symphony Names Kevin John Edusei Principal Guest Conductor

The 45-year-old German-Ghanaian, now in his final season as chief conductor of the Munich Symphony, joins incoming music director Robert Spano at the FWSO at the start of next season. - The Dallas Morning News

Charlottesville’s Robert E. Lee Statue Will Be Melted Down And Made Into New Black Artwork

In a project called "Swords Into Plowshares," the Confederate monument that was the excuse for the deadly Unite the Right rally in 2017 will be recycled by the city's Jefferson School African American Heritage Center into a new sculpture. - MSN (The Washington Post)

Carnegie Hall Starts A Streaming-Video-On-Demand Network

The $7.99-a-month service, called Carnegie Hall+, isn't all, or even mostly, performances at the New York venue itself (where video recording is unusually expensive): viewers will be able to watch archived concerts, operas, and ballets from Salzburg, Bayreuth, and other festivals and halls. - AP

Britain Makes Masks Mandatory For All Indoor Venues

With infections of the Delta and Omicron variants rising, the government has instituted what it calls "Plan B": audiences and staff at theatres, concert halls, and cinemas must wear masks, and proof of vaccination will be required at large nightclubs and indoor sports events. - The Hollywood Reporter

Filmmaker Lina Wertmüller Dead At 93

A protégée of Federico Fellini, she won critical acclaim internationally for such films as The Seduction of Mimi, Love and Anarchy, and Swept Away; in 1977, for Seven Beauties, she became the first woman nominated for a Best Director Oscar. - Variety

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