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MUSIC

Too Close To Home: Philip Glass’ Lincoln Symphony

The specific outrages Lincoln recounts—lynchings, burnings, mob executions—belong to his era. But his insight is structural. The deepest danger of mob law, Lincoln explains, lies not in the immediate violence but in the example it sets. - The New Republic

National Symphony Execs Say It Won’t Be Shut Down Or Laid Off As Kennedy Center Closes

The orchestra’s board chair and executive director told musicians and staff that they would remain employed, that the Kennedy Center would maintain its funding of the NSO, and that the Center is contractually obligated to find the orchestra a new venue. But where and when? - The Washington Post (MSN)

Big Drop In Female Winners At This Year’s Grammys

Our analysis reveals that women and female bands sustained a dramatic fall in winners compared to last year. They received less than a quarter of all Grammys (23%), a 14 percentage point drop from last year’s high of 37% and the lowest level since 2022. - The Conversation

Essa-Pekka Salonen Gets A New Job

The Boston Symphony Orchestra announced Monday, Feb. 2, that the Finnish conductor and composer will serve as director of the Tanglewood Festival of Contemporary Music in 2026, curating five programs July 23-27. - San Francisco Chronicle

Here Are The 2026 Winners of Grammy Awards For Classical Music

The biggest winner was composer Gabriela Ortiz, who took three prizes — Best Choral Performance, Best Contemporary Classical Composition and Best Classical Compendium — for works performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel. - Gramophone

Opera As “A State Of Emergency”

Created to commemorate the company’s 50th anniversary, Complications in Sue opens Wednesday with 10 composers commissioned to write eight-minute scenes. These collectively encompass the century-long life of a mythical everywoman named Sue. - Philadelphia Inquirer

Struggling San Antonio Philharmonic Cancels February Concerts

The news comes as the Philharmonic is embroiled in a legal dispute with the Scottish Rite over payments related to renovations of the historic building. - Texas Public Radio

How The Metropolitan Opera Got To Be In Such Dire Straits

How did America’s greatest operatic institution get to the point of needing Saudi money to cover its $330 million annual operating budget? Ticket sales account for less than a third of that. - New York Post

In Case You Don’t Already Love Sondheim, Take Five Minutes And Fall

“Sondheim, who died in 2021 at the age of 91, was also just a damn fine tunesmith, turning out songs that, in context or out, pop style or classical, slip easily into your ears en route to your soul.” - The New York Times

Netflix Gets Into The Grammies Game With K-Pop Demon Hunters

“The breakout single, ‘Golden,’ which spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, nominated for song of the year, the first time a Netflix production has been nominated in one of the Grammys’ big four categories.” - Los Angeles Times

Yo-Yo Ma Wins His 20th Grammy And Stephen Spielberg Gets His EGOT

“Ma has won Grammys across multiple classical categories including Best Chamber Music Performance, Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (with orchestra), Best Classical Crossover Album, and Best World Music Album for his work with the Silkroad Ensemble.” - Forbes

Live Updates From The Grammys As They Happen

This livestream has a rich list of links to stories about the nominees as well as live updates from the red carpet and, eventually, the ceremony itself. - Los Angeles Times

How The Kennedy Center Forced The National Opera Out With Economics

The “uniquely American” model of funding opera meant that the National Opera had to leave, thanks to “a new mandate set forth by the Kennedy Center that every performance break even through only ticket sales and corporate sponsorships.” - The New York Times

Who Will Win The Big Prizes At Tonight’s Grammys?

“In the music business and beyond, all eyes will be on Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican superstar who dominates streaming with a distinctive style that mixes the rhythms and slang of his beloved island with contemporary reggaeton and trap.” - The New York Times

Neil Young Has Given His Entire Catalogue Of Music To Greenland

Young wrote: "My music will never be available on Amazon, as long as it is owned by Bezos. … I think the message I am sending is important and clear. Thanks for buying music locally and from independent digital services.” - Rolling Stone

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