“For many, music is in their blood. It has flowed through their families for generations, and the thought of never playing again is unbearable. Every so often, some pull out their instruments and play in secret. A knock at the door could mean danger. Still, they play.” - AP
At a moment when film or TV versions of novels often end up, at best, as decent airplane watches, opera, as the excellent Lincoln in the Bardo illustrates, has the potential to create something bolder and more bizarre. - The Atlantic
A new $6.5 million donation to the financially troubled Phoenix Symphony is in legal jeopardy after the orchestra announced last week it would suspend its season. - Arizona Republic
According to UMG, its Q3 growth was primarily driven by “subscription revenue growth, including pricing benefits from Streaming 2.0 agreements”, “strong physical sales”, “higher ad-supported streaming revenue”, and “increased Music Publishing digital revenue”. - Music Business Worldwide
CDs appear to be having a resurgence. John Lewis said searches for CD players are up 96% since July, while another report on trends in music and film this year found that CD sales are up 16%. - The Guardian
“Expected to open in January 2027 …, the Youth Orchestra Abu Dhabi will contain a 600-seat concert hall and 18 rehearsal rooms. The orchestra building, designed by Gehry before he died in December last year, will have a more pared-back appearance compared to the fluid, organic forms for which the architect is famed.” - Dezeen
The company was to open its season this weekend with Kamala Shankaran’s The Many Deaths of Laila Starr. Orchestra musicians say it’s a lockout; management says it can’t risk what happened at San Francisco Opera, with opening night cancelled minutes before curtain time when the orchestra declared a strike. - The Minnesota Star Tribune (MSN)
The film composer, who has a large and devoted fan base, begins a five-year term next fall as the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s composer-in-residence for the Hollywood Bowl and The Ford. Hisaishi just started a two-season term as composer-in-residence with the Philadelphia Orchestra. - Moto Perpetuo
“Orchestras have increased their programming of both popular film music and living classical composers, and auditions are evolving to match. More and more of those selections are appearing on excerpt lists.” - The New York Times
The composer Missy Mazzoli and the librettist Royce Vavrek, one of the hottest creative teams in opera, conjure a darker, more conflicted president in “Lincoln in the Bardo,” which premiered on Oct. 19 at the Metropolitan Opera. - The New York Times
“The Elvis plaintiffs bring this action to enforce these exclusive rights against the defendant that has built its entire business model based on copyright infringement at a scale never seen before,” the lawsuit said. - The New York Times
"Is it real?" That's the most pressing question in music right now, and it's one that feels impossible to adequately answer, in almost any context. Mainstream pop, seemingly falling out of fashion though it still fills stadiums and streaming playlists, is riddled with stories of chicanery and poison artifice. - NPR
“Cerny, who has led the orchestra for eight years, will depart after a tenure that included the hiring of Music Director Robert Spano, navigating the COVID-19 pandemic without cutting musicians’ and staff members’ pay or benefits, and a major push to expand the orchestra’s board and donor base." - CultureMap Fort Worth
In the first half of 2026, almost two thirds of the music played (about 60%) was released five or more years ago. So, if we're stuck in a streaming rut, what's to blame? - BBC
The work was sold at auction for a reported $2 million to a then-anonymous American buyer, seemingly proving that music could sell at the level of Picasso and Warhol. It proved a Pyrrhic victory when the buyer was revealed to be the hated “pharma bro” Martin Shkreli. - ARTnews
