PEOPLE

Michael Tilson Thomas Is Dead At 81

“He was widely considered one of the most distinguished American conductors of his generation” — most notably for his 25 years as music director of the San Francisco Symphony. “In addition to making more than 100 recordings of both rare and familiar classical repertory, he created valuable instructional series for television and radio.” - The Washington Post (Yahoo)

Pianist Ruth Slenczynska, Rachmaninoff’s Last Surviving Student, Has Died At 101

She gave her first recital at four and performed her first concerto at seven, going on to tour with the Boston Pops, play for five U.S. presidents, and record 10 LPs. She developed a new audience with Beethoven videos during the 2020 lockdowns and recorded her last disk at age 97. - BBC

Competitive Chess Is Wearing Down Its Champions

Life in chess has always been a struggle, never more so than today. During the two-year battle for the 2024 world chess championship, I saw tantrums, I saw tears, I heard one top grandmaster muse about leaving the game for a career in fashion. - The Walrus

Desmond Morris, Author Of “The Naked Ape”, Zoologist And TV Host (And Artist), Has Died At 98

Over 60 years he wrote or co-wrote more than 50 books and fronted several hundred hours of television, starting in 1956 with the British children’s series Zoo Time. … He was an acknowledged authority on mammal behavior, including that of humans, and maintained a separate career as a surrealist painter. - The Guardian

The Helen DeWitt Story Offers An Examination Of What We Expect From Artists

The level of prioritization it takes to truly produce something great puts you directly in conflict with people in your life. - The Argument

James Hayward, Leading Figure Among California’s Abstract Painters, Has Died At 82

“Across a career that stretched more than four decades, Hayward developed a reputation for paintings that were both restrained and intensely physical. His best-known works used dense layers of oil paint and repeated diagonal strokes to build ridged, meditative surfaces that explored color, gesture and the material force of paint itself.” - San Francisco Chronicle (Yahoo!)

Nathalie Baye, Star Of French Cinema, Has Died At 77

“Baye, a stalwart of France’s domestic cinema, starred in about 80 films and took home the best actress César, France’s equivalent of the Oscars, four times, including three years running from 1981 to 1983.” - The Guardian (UK)

Louise Erdrich On Writing, The Times We Live In, And ICE Near Her Bookstore

The multiple prize-winning author: “I guess it’s kind of ‘all or none.’ Either everyone is illegal except Native people, or no one is illegal. I don’t think anybody is illegal in the first place. I don’t believe in borders.” - El País English

Isa Briones Gets Her Time, On The Pitt And On Broadway

The actor who plays Santos - the abrasive, competitive, smart young resident on The Pitt - is also a dab hand at karaoke, a longtime Broadway and national touring company singer, and a person who posts Instagram Stories defending the theatre from weird Pitt fans. - Vulture

Where In London Was Shakespeare’s House? Centuries-Old Mystery Finally Solved

“A newly discovered 17th-century map sheds new light on the Bard’s London life, pinpointing for the first time the exact location of the only home Shakespeare bought in the city, and where he may have worked on his final plays.” - AP

Former NPR President Kevin Klose Dead At 85

He spent a quarter-century at The Washington Post, including as Moscow bureau chief during the Brezhnev era; he then served as president of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. As CEO of NPR from 1998 to 2008, he played a central role in landing the transformative $150 million donation from Joan Kroc. - The Washington Post (Yahoo!)

How Jonah Hill Went From Shlubby Comic Actor To Oscar Nominee To Film Auteur

His new movie, Outcome — which he directed- co-wrote, and co-stars in — “is difficult to watch without drawing parallels to Hill’s odd and unexpected arc, as well as to the real-life controversies that could have sunk his career.” - The Hollywood Reporter

Helen DeWitt Declined A Prestigious $175,000 Prize. Is She Principled Or Crazy?

Opinions on her recent stance are strongly divided: some have praised her principled refusal to play the self-promotion game that takes so much out of writers, while others have called her a spoilt, entitled nightmare. - The Guardian

At This Point, Alec Baldwin Just Wants To Retire

The accidental shooting of Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust, the two (unsuccessful) prosecutions in New Mexico, finishing the film in another state — it all took a huge toll on Baldwin, financially as well as psychologically and physically. - The Hollywood Reporter

Finnish Violinist Says He Won’t Perform In The US Due To The Political Situation

’I would like to, with utmost sensitivity and respect, suggest to the administrations of the major American orchestras to consider using your voices... I’m quite convinced that the situation would get easier, faster, if the arts community came together to say “no more” in unison, in a way that inspires.’ - The Strad

Our Free Newsletter

Join our 30,000 subscribers

Latest

Don't Miss