American director and writer Ted Huffman, who will assume the position at New Year’s 2026, replaces Pierre Audi, who passed away suddenly this past May. Huffman, who has directed several productions at Aix, is known in particular for his collaborations with composer Philip Venables such as 4.48 Psychosis and Denis & Katya. - Opera Now
Those in favour argue that they are essential for discovering new talent and launching international careers. The main arguments against them are that they stifle musicality by focusing on technical perfection, and reward conformity rather than originality. - The Spectator
Perhaps the most famous commission became one of America's most iconic pieces of music. Aaron Copland's ballet Appalachian Spring, written for dancer and choreographer Martha Graham, received its world premiere at Coolidge Auditorium on Oct. 30, 1944. - NPR
But small venues “should not be valued solely for their role in nurturing future superstars. Live music has an intrinsic value and venues can be part of a town’s identity. A scheme to put them into community ownership has had striking success, with five secured so far.” - The Guardian (UK)
Pitchfork has historically been a one-sided affair. While it ran the occasional reader poll, there was no way for readers to directly voice their opinion on the site. - The Verge
“Today’s $8 billion payout is a testament to the fact that the twin engine of ads and subscriptions is firing on all cylinders,” said YouTube’s Global Head of Music, Lyor Cohen, in a statement. - TechCrunch
“Isola Della Musica will be situated on a newly-built square island between Hanoi's West Lake and Đam Tri Lake. … Renzo Piano Building Workshop and PTW Architects conceived a bulbous concrete building (clad in pearlescent ceramic tile) that will contain a 1,800-seat opera hall and a 1,000-seat convention hall.” - Dezeen
“The San Antonio Philharmonic has postponed its Classics III concerts, scheduled for the weekend of Nov. 7-8, marking the second time one of the orchestra’s fall events has been rescheduled for a later date. The Catrina Ball, a United Way fundraiser …, was also postponed from its Nov. 1-2 dates.” - San Antonio Current
Eric Lu, a 27-year-old pianist from Massachusetts, won the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, becoming the first American since 1970 to receive the top honor in a contest regarded by some as the Olympics of classical music. - Washington Post
Alan Fletcher took the helm at the festival and school in 2006, oversaw the construction of the $80 million Bucksbaum Campus, and established several new education programs as well as (with Renée Fleming and Patrick Summers) the Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS program. He retires at the end of 2026. - Aspen Public Radio
String player and early music specialist Kivie Cahn-Lipman writes about how — when given the right parameters and prompts — ChatGPT helped him decipher the, um, idiosyncratic handwriting of the scribe in a 17th-century manuscript which he simply couldn’t figure out on his own. - Early Music America
That may be an ideal, but the reality is more complicated. The orchestra receives a subsidy from the government, typically reported to be around 15 percent, and is described in its official biography as “Israel’s premier cultural ambassador.” - The New York Times
“Heyward, 33, signed a three-year contract guaranteeing that he will preside over Maryland’s largest cultural organization through Aug. 31, 2031. … Heyward will donate $120,000 —a portion of his annual conducting fee — over six years to ‘support programs that nurture emerging talent and educational initiatives.’” - The Baltimore Sun (MSN)
Tensions still exist between London and Manchester, and not everyone is pleased. The ENO's artistic director says, "“The way this happened was not something that anyone involved would want, and we were then forced to build the road as we drove the car.” - Manchester Evening News (UK)
