The goal of the program is, said Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, to use American music and musicians, across many genres, "to strengthen the ties that bind nations together." Naive? Futile? "Well, yes and no," writes Fred Kaplan, who surveys similar efforts during and since the Cold War. - Slate (Yahoo!)
Esteban Salas y Castro (1725-1803) grew up in Havana and worked as music director at an important parish church there and at the cathedral in Santiago de Cuba, where his music — well over 100 sacred works and villancicos — was later rediscovered, languishing in a cabinet. - Early Music America
Space living could also bring a revolution in concert-going, by giving new context to existing music and inspiring new ways of performing. - Washington Post
In 2022, 5.5m vinyl records were bought in the UK, the largest volume of sales since 1990. Over the first nine months of last year, British vinyl sales increased 13% year on year. - The Guardian
The rise of bebop led to trios and quartets replacing the 15-to-20-member orchestras of Ellington, Basie, etc. as the dominant ensembles in jazz. Economics keep it that way; big bands don't usually get a bigger fee than small ones. But a few intrepid bandleaders are keeping the flame alive. - The Guardian
"The Austrian government said Saturday that it is giving the country’s centuries-old Vienna Boys Choir 800,000 euros ($884,000) to help it out of severe financial difficulties. … The choir had been struggling with rising costs due to inflation and a lack of income (due to the) pandemic." - AP
Scientist Henkjan Honing and his colleagues have found that even newborns have the ability to recognize a beat and to notice when a regular rhythm is broken. - Nautilus
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Talent Development Program, established in 1993 to identify and nurture talented African American and Latino music students, began with a simple question from Azira G. Hill. - ArtsATL
While more than four fifths of recorded music is consumed via streaming, vinyl continues to make a comeback. Sales rose by 11.7% to 5.9 million units in 2023, increasing for the 16th year in a row, according to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) trade group. - BBC
"It hasn’t been an easy journey from (Bashkortostan) to New York. Along the way, (Aigul) Akhmetshina had to overcome multiple setbacks, including failures in vocal competitions, an auto accident that left her unable to sing for months, then (being) told by a conservatory that she wasn’t good enough for a scholarship." - AP
One of the reasons why “Maestro” comes across as pretty good, or maybe even a little better than that, is because it is not really about music. - Los Angeles Times
Conductor David Lockington, a Christian Scientist, had been music director of the Pasadena Symphony in Los Angeles County since 2013; he was forced out in 2021 after orchestra management denied his request for religious and medical exemptions from vaccination requirements because he was an independent contractor. - Pasadena Now
She noted that the increasing sense of equality has also heightened competition. “Even more than in the past, one’s achievement is what counts,” she said. “Because when the doors are open to everyone, the question is: Who is the best?” - The New York Times
