In August 2021, Apple purchased the classical-only streaming app Primephonic and immediately shuttered it, announcing that it would be reconfigured as an Apple product; 17 months later, that product has arrived. Here's a look at what's included in the new version — and what's missing. - Musical America
"Most chorus members … would be forced to leave their jobs if the company relocates outside London, because of ties that include children at school, caring responsibilities, and partners with jobs in the capital. More than two-thirds would leave the profession altogether." - The Guardian
Elephants tend to keep a steadier beat than humans do, a study by the neuroscientist Aniruddh Patel later found, and Luk Kop’s sense of timing was uncanny. - The New Yorker
This was supposed to be the first full season since the pandemic for the orchestra in Saskatchewan's capital. Ticket sales, however, are down by almost 50% from before 2020 — which led to the decision to cancel next month's concerts. For now, May programming is still on. - Global News (Canada)
The 87-year-old Estonian, for many years the world's most-performed living classical composer, and the 62-year-old Beninese singer-songwriter, a five-time Grammy winner, take this year's award alongside Island Records founder Chris Blackwell. - AP
Why now? "The legalization of abortion and same-sex marriage ... have marked the diminished power of the Roman Catholic Church alongside the greater empowerment of women. Brexit, while further complicating Ireland’s ever-fraught relationship with England, has perhaps sharpened the Irish sense of self." - The New York Times
"It’s over. The old days are gone. I get letters blaming me for $3,000 tickets for a benefit I am doing. That money does not go to me or the benefit. Artists have to worry about ripped off fans blaming them for Ticketmaster add-ons and scalpers." - The Guardian
That is, in "Fragments," solo recitals that interweave Bach's cello suites with commissioned new works. Why? "We all had a lot of time to think about what it means to really connect with an audience, what it means to connect with each other." - The New York Times
Since the final in Liverpool sold out in 40 minutes, theatres across the UK will show the final. "Organisers say the screenings will encourage fancy dress and singalongs." - BBC
When the BBC announced plans to close the UK's only full-time professional chamber choir right before its century mark, 140,000 people signed a petition - and alternative funders stepped in. - BBC
"Some people believe students can only learn music well when they're young. Financial problems meant I never had that chance as a child. But I had a dream, a passion and the conviction, and these beliefs did not deter 52-year-old me." - CBC
Its students are deeply relieved. One said, "This school is my sanctuary from the stress of life as a Syrian refugee in Turkey. ... I couldn't bear the thought of something happening to it." - NPR
"Reena Esmail acknowledged the irony that we were talking about her new choral work — 'A Requiem for Water,' inspired by California’s water crisis — in the midst of a deluge. She was wearing galoshes, as were many members of the Los Angeles Master Chorale." - Los Angeles Times
The music — described to me as “earplugs-at-a-concert loud” by one frequent commuter — is the audio version of hostile architecture, where bumpy benches and spiky surfaces are employed to keep those who have nowhere else to go out of sight. - Curbed
