Japanese billionaire philanthropist Dr Haruhisa Handa is ending his 15-year partnership with Opera Australia, closing a significant chapter in the history of one of the company’s most recognisable flagship events, Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour.- ArtsHub
This is the 75th anniversary of the first opera made for television: Gian Carlo Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors, broadcast at Yuletide in 1951 and watched by five million people across the US in a production sponsored by Hallmark. - The Guardian
No quorum, because four of the nine justices recused themselves. The court did not explain why Sonia Sotomayor, Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett and Ketanji Brown Jackson stepped away from the case. - NPR
At one point, those stuck in the bardo see multiple versions of people important to them, urging them to move on. "I just pictured this cascade of people who were entering, and leaving, and singing, and then singing together and then singing by themselves," Mazzoli says. - The Washington Post (MSN)
Co-CEO Gustav Söderström said: “Spotify is in one of the few categories that actually stands to thrive in the agentic age. This is because agents excel at replacing and taking care of things people would rather not do. People love getting rid of chores. But entertainment is the opposite. - The Hollywood Reporter
Streaming services, notable musicians and fans are confronting the growing presence of AI-generated music and drawing lines in the sand. On Tuesday, Spotify announced it had removed about 50m songs considered AI slop from its recommendations to users over the past year. - The Guardian
I have known countless music students who have gone on to distinguished careers who have described their teachers in God-like terms and continue to do so long after their student days. Often these descriptions are laced with affection and continued adulation. - Thomas Wolf
Phoenix Symphony leaders announced today they are suspending programs and performances after their show on Nov. 1 due to ongoing operational deficits. They say they do not have the finances to continue the season. - Fox (Yahoo)
“The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts has coasted past the dollar goal in one of the city’s largest-ever fundraising campaigns for a cultural organization, … bringing in $344 million to support operations, build endowment, and fund special artistic initiatives.” One couple anonymously donated $55 million. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
After a few decades when most US companies (especially the Met) treated new opera like kryptonite, many are now presenting a contemporary work almost every season — and selling lots of tickets. Michael Zwiebach examines why this is happening now. - San Francisco Classical Voice
The Mothers of Kherson, with music by Ukrainian composer Maxim Kolomiiets and libretto by American playwright George Brant, was commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera three years ago and got its first full performance on Friday at the Polish National Opera in Warsaw. (The Met premiere is scheduled for April 2028.) - The New York Times
Shanghai Grand Opera House's defining feature is its spiral staircase, which dramatically cantilevers at its peak and was intended to emulate everything from an unfolding fan to a dancer or a set of piano keys. - Dezeen
Composer Sam Watts: "I knew it was going to be a bit camp and high drama and all the glorious things. ... So I just went with that - dark but fun." - BBC
His neurologist says performing is out for now. "He describes the combination of extreme sound volume, lighting, stress and energy as the concern. Further testing, he adds, will help determine whether he can return." - The Hollywood Reporter
Mao Weitao has performed in Yue opera (the form from the city of Shaoxing) for almost 50 years, and she’s one of very few performers in traditional Chinese theater to have achieved mainstream celebrity. And she’s done that in part by upending the conventions of the genre. - Sixth Tone
