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MUSIC

Kaija Saariaho’s Harrowing Final Opera Arrives In The U.S., Where It Will Be Even More Fraught

Innocence, as the work is called, has been hugely impressing (and depressing) audiences and critics in Europe since its 2021 premiere at the Aix-en-Provence Festival. Why will it be even more loaded in the States? Because it's about a school shooting — and its aftereffects 10 years later. - AP

Jaap Van Zweden’s Strange, Abbreviated Tenure At The New York Philharmonic

He departs this month after only six seasons, three of those cut short by the COVID pandemic. And, while proud of his work there, he acknowledges his discomfort not only with unfavorable reviews, but with the high-wattage celebrity aura that prominent figures need in New York. - The New York Times

Conductor Jan Latham-Koenig Given Suspended Prison Sentence For Attempting To Solicit Sex From A Minor

"(He) had admitted arranging sex acts with someone he thought was a teenager, but was in fact an undercover police officer. … On Tuesday, the 70-year-old was given a 14-month prison sentence, suspended for two years." - The Standard (London)

Yuja Wang’s Fashion Forward Art

What would happen if a male pianist chose to highlight his body in a similar way? Some boundaries have yet to be tested. - The New Yorker

Why Songwriters and Publishers Are Fighting With Spotify

Their dispute stems from SPOT’s controversial decision to reclassify its Premium tiers as ‘bundles’ by combining music and audiobooks, which has resulted in Spotify paying a lower mechanical royalty rate in the US to publishers and songwriters than standalone music subscription services. - Music Business Worldwide

Missy Mazzoli Is Composing An Opera About The Opioids Crisis

The Galloping Cure, with a story and libretto by Karen Russell (author of the novel Swamplandia!) and Royce Vavrek (possibly America's busiest librettist), will be directed by Tom Morris (who co-directed War Horse) and produced by former ENO chief John Berry, with four major opera houses on board. - The Observer (UK)

Inside Pacific Symphony’s Music Director Search

It’s been a golden period for top-shelf conductors seeking a new gig – and a more competitive time for orchestras looking to hire one. - Culture OC

Pittsburgh Symphony Provides $125 Million In Economic Impact To Its Region

"For every dollar the symphony spends, it generates about $4 in the local economy, leading to a total of $125 million in regional impact for (FY2023-24). Plus, the symphony, which operates with a budget of about $33 million, helps sustain about 1,900 jobs in the region annually." - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

What The LiveNation/TicketMaster Lawsuit Might Mean

Live Nation is essentially a monopoly, the government argues. Its complaint notes the concert giant directly manages more than 400 musical artists, controls around 60 percent of concert promotions at major concert venues across the country, and owns or controls more than 265 concert venues in North America - Washington Post

Accessing Jaap van Zweden’s Tenure At The New York Philharmonic

The ensemble’s playing, across all instrumental choirs, sounds richer and more flexible than it did before his tenure. So what Mr. Dudamel stands to inherit largely bears Mr. van Zweden’s stamp. - The Wall Street Journal

How A Gifted Black Musician Lost Tenure At The Kansas City Symphony, And How He’s Fighting Back

Principal percussionist Josh Jones was told over and over that his audition was the best people had ever heard, and he regularly got high praise from the music director. Two years later, he was told his organizational skills were lacking and denied tenure. Was this really about race? - The Washington Post (MSN)

BBC To Release To Previously Unheard Louis Armstrong Performances

Unheard performances by Louis Armstrong at the BBC in 1968, regarded by Armstrong aficionados as some of the jazz legend’s greatest work, are to finally be released. - The Guardian

Calgary Philharmonic Removes Two Musicians For Their Comments

The exact comments that triggered the investigation have not been disclosed, nor has the reasoning for the musicians’ removal from the orchestra – including if that reasoning was directly related to the initial comments. - The Globe & Mail

Conductor François-Xavier Roth Accused Of Unsolicited Sexting

The accusations against the 52-year-old Frenchman — currently music director of the orchestra and opera in Cologne as well as founder/director of the widely-hailed period-instrument orchestra Les Siècles — were revealed by Le Canard enchaîné, a magazine famous for both satire and serious investigations. - Van

Boston Symphony Names New Concertmaster

Nathan Cole, 46, fills a seat that has been vacant since the 2019 retirement of Malcolm Lowe, who served as concertmaster for 35 years. - Boston Globe

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