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MUSIC

A Short History Of Dance Music

Being based underground enhanced the atmosphere in the clubs. Attendees were simultaneously part of an underground movement and also literally hidden from view from the adult world. - The Conversation

San Francisco’s Fillmore Jazz Festival Canceled

“Originally scheduled for July 5-6, the (free) festival, which attracts more than 50,000 attendees annually to San Francisco’s historic Fillmore district, will not take place this summer due to ongoing financial challenges. Tim Omi, president of the association, said in a statement, ‘2025 is not financially viable.’” - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)

Ralph Fiennes To Direct His First Opera — And He’s Starting At The Top

The three-time Oscar nominee will direct Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin at the Paris Opera. (He played the title role in a 1999 film adaptation of the Pushkin novel on which the opera is based.) The production runs from Jan. 26 through Feb. 27, 2026 at the Palais Garnier; Semyon Bychkov will conduct. - AP

Opera Philadelphia Will Do Another $11-Ticket Season (And That’s Not The Only Way It’s Unconventional)

For 2025-26, the company will again offer all seats at $11 each (or higher if the buyer chooses). There are twice as many performances as this season, and five works scheduled rather than this season’s three — but only one of those works is a conventional opera. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)

Detroit Opera’s “Cosi” As AI

“He’s actually a replica of what we see in the tech industry,” Yuval Sharon said. “There’s a messianic belief that we must transcend our own humanity and that AI is making up for all the terrible ways we behave. People really do believe that the future of humanity is robotic.” - APNews

How Leonard Bernstein Changed The Orchestral Canon

Initially, there was a lot of excitement in the press—the first American at the helm of one of the great orchestras! But the tone soon became hostile, even acrimonious. Audiences loved Bernstein, but his full-bodied manner on the podium—arms, head, hips, shoulders, eyebrows, groin in motion—caused embarrassment and even anger. - The Atlantic

One Of Toronto’s Top Concert Halls To Get Major Renovation

Work on the 998-seat George Weston Recital Hall will begin in the summer of 2026; the project will include upgraded seating, refreshed paintwork, and restoration of the hall’s original flooring. - Ludwig Van

BMG Music Earned $1 Billion In 2024, Spent $263 Million On Buying Catalogs

BMG generated EUR €963 million (USD $1.04bn) in annual revenues in 2024, up 6.4% YoY or up 8.1% YoY on an organic basis. - Music Business Worldwide

Pianist András Schiff On Cancelling All His U.S. Engagements

“What has been lost is a sense of decency. It’s a new system of values or rather of a lack of values. We no longer seem to know what is right or wrong. For example, being a liar used to be considered a vice.” - Classical Voice North America

Trump Signs Executive Order On Concert Tickets

The order directs the Federal Trade Commission to more rigorously enforce existing law governing the use of bots that help scalpers scoop up hot tickets, including by issuing fines. Trump said the FTC, along with the Treasury and Justice departments, will deliver a report within 180 days summarizing what they have done. - The Wall Street Journal

Former Director Of Santa Fe Opera Arrested For Soliciting Minors

Charles MacKay, who was general director of the summer company from 2008-2018, was arrested in March in Powell, Wyoming after having allegedly solicited two teenagers for sex. - Santa Fe New Mexican

Canada’s Juno Awards Celebrates Canadian Music, Takes Digs At US

Michael Bublé handed Canadians a heartfelt dose of patriotism at the Juno Awards on Sunday, setting the tone for a night of not-so-subtle references to Canada's current tensions with the United States. - CBC

A Rising Star Conductor Makes Her Met Debut

Joana Mallwitz “did not come from a musical family. Her talent on the piano at home in Hildesheim was quickly apparent, but for three hours each afternoon she was banned from touching it and sent to play in the garden instead.” - The New York Times

Canada’s Classical And Jazz Juno Awards Include A Win For Inuk Opera Soprano

"Deantha Edmunds was the 2025 winner of the Classical Composition of the Year Juno Award. Her project Angmalukisaa (the Inuktitut word for ‘round') was part on the album Alikeness with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra.” - Classic 107.

Lucy Dacus Says She Has No Desire To Sing A Song Written By AI

The indie star says, “You want a shortcut to art? You want to have made a product, you don’t want the internal process. … It breaks my heart that some people would forgo the chance to actually get to know what they have to say.” - The Guardian (UK)

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