The 15 million yen (roughly $105,000) prize, intended as an arts equivalent of the Nobel prizes, go to Pritzker Prize-winning architect Shigeru Ban, Oscar-winning director Ang Lee, Portuguese pianist Maria João Pires, sculptor Doris Salcedo, and conceptual artist Sophie Calle. - ArtReview
The former music director of the Toronto Symphony (and, before that, longtime first violinist of the Tokyo String Quartet), Oundjian stepped in as principal conductor in 2022 following the departure of music director Brett Mitchell. He begins a four-year contract starting in fall 2025. - 9News (Denver)
In July, the board of the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras broke ties with the conductor, 11 months after he punched a singer in the face. Now Gardiner is launching the Constellation Choir and Orchestra, which in December will tour with the same program his former groups are performing without him. - The Guardian
He was the longtime general manager of the Marlboro Music Festival, Vermont's great summer school for music students, and founding artistic director of the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, which he developed into one of the busiest and most prestigious chamber music series in the country. - The Philadelphia Inquirer
As of this summer, eleven streets in total have been transformed into seasonal pedestrian-only destinations, creating almost ten kilometres of walkable car-free surfaces across several boroughs. The experiment has proven so popular that it has drawn praise, and not a little astonishment, from visiting urban planners. - The Walrus
Even our orchestras and instrumentalists perform him far less than they should. If it follows that the present Ives sesquicentenary is insufficiently observed, that is all the more reason to take stock. - The American Scholar
Everyone knows what it means to capitalize “Black.” But how does it feel? On your tongue, on the page? If we act like affect isn’t what truly rules how we talk to, and around, one another, we won’t get to the whole of the matter. - The New Yorker
In order to be successful, any urban regeneration has to tap into the local culture and heritage of a place. This means embracing what makes the area unique, whether it’s through traditional arts, music, local stories, or even something like baking bread. - The Conversation
The correct and virtuous way to read, according to those who knew about reading and writing, was to reread. Rereading was that which separated the real reader from the average book consumer. - Paris Review
For market participants who entered the game after 2020, all this turbulence may come as a surprise. Auction prices for some young artists have crashed as much as 90 percent since the peak of demand in 2021. Auction houses’ revenues are down significantly. - Cultured Magazine
Even though this outcome was always a strong possibility, the final ruling is just incredibly damaging, especially in that it suggests that all libraries are bad for authors and cause them to no longer want to write. - AboveTheLaw
Since Brexit, musicians touring the EU have faced barriers introduced in the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). They can work up to 90 out of every 180 days, which causes problems for longer tours, musicians who work in multiple bands or orchestras, and crew required on site before and after performances. - The Guardian
“I was only ever a hair’s breadth away from being exactly as much of a failure as the people I write about,” he said by Zoom from Nashville. - The Wall Street Journal
