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MUSIC

San Francisco’s Fillmore Jazz Festival Rescued From Cancellation By Donor

“The Fillmore Jazz Festival has been saved days after organizers decided to cancel the annual event thanks to a nonprofit organization helmed by San Francisco crypto billionaire Chris Larsen.” - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)

“Revivification”: A Reconstituted “Mini-Brain” Of The Late Alvin Lucier Is Creating Music

A team of artists and neuroscientists took white blood cells donated by the composer (who cooperated with the project), reprogrammed them to be stem cells, grew cerebral organoids (clusters of neurons that mimic the human brain) and used customized technology to render the organoids’ neural signals into music. - The Guardian

The “Last Repair Shop” Instrument Repair Service For LA Schools, Gets A Big Boost

At the emotional core of “The Last Repair Shop” are the stories of the dedicated technicians and the students who benefit from the free instruments. The message: Music education has the power to transform lives. - Los Angeles Times

Why Are Musicians Turning To OnlyFans? They Need The Money!

It quickly garnered a reputation as a hub for sexual content, given that it gave adult performers and sex workers the ability to create and upload content on their own terms, or at least without a production studio as the middleman. The platform takes a 20% cut and the rest goes to the creator. - NPR

How Should Opera Deal With AI?

Royal Opera assistant director Netia Jones: “As artists, we must explore technology in all its guises because we are trained to create rather than to destroy.” - The Observer (UK)

Former Westminster Choir College Campus Acquired By Town of Princeton, NJ

Using eminent domain, the municipality acquired the largely vacant campus from Rider University for a payment of $42 million. A financial crisis led WCC to merge with Rider in 1991; subsequent money troubles led Rider to attempt to sell the WCC property and move its programs to Rider’s own campus.” - The Daily Princetonian

Once-Lionized Mezzo Sues Met Opera For Firing Her After Pregnancy

“Mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili sued the Metropolitan Opera and her union, alleging the company unlawfully terminated her contracts because of a vocal issue that developed after she gave birth. She also accused the union of failing to pursue a grievance against the company.” - AP

So What Is Gregorian Chant Outside The Church?

Put another way, this monk is acknowledging the spiritual potential of Gregorian chant while warning against decoupling it from a specifically Catholic liturgy. - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Why Is An Oregon Employment Lawyer Composing And Producing Neo-Romantic Music?

Andrew Lewinter: “What things do I want to incorporate from that music into my own music, to make something that’s both intellectually satisfying and emotionally satisfying? … That’s the goal with every piece: to make it fun to listen to, enjoyable, and to not take myself too seriously.” - Oregon ArtsWatch

Tracy Chapman, Ready To Rerelease Her Debut Album On Vinyl, May Someday Tour Again

She’s always in the studio, she says - and in addition, “I play and I sing, probably annoying people around me,’ she added. When I suggested that people around her were probably more than happy to hear her voice, she smiled. ‘I hope so.’” - The New York Times

Lawsuits, Leadership Change, Drama At Opera Carolina

Opera Carolina and its business director are embroiled in a lawsuit with the former production director amid a leadership shakeup that’s as dramatic and intense as an opera performance itself. - Charlotte Observer

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)

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