MUSIC

Lincoln In Opera — A Different Portrait

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 Estate Sues Anthropic For Copyright Violation

“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

Why Does Music Feel So Fake Right Now?

"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

Fort Worth Symphony CEO Keith Cerny To Depart In January

“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

Streaming Music Is Dominated By Old Music. Why?

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

Wu-Tang Clan’s Historic Blunder Selling A Single Recording

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

The Top Movie Soundtracks Of The 21st Century

From Jóhann Jóhannson's score for Sicario to the many joys of Shrek 2 to Howard Shore's scores for The Lord of the Rings, music makes these movies - not just better, but essentially makes them what they are. - The Atlantic

Bristol Is Booming With New Spaces For Black Music

"We don't need to pretend to be nobody else, we're just us. It just took a while to get there." - BBC

The Owners Of Elvis’s Music Catalogue Are Suing Anthropic

“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," according to the lawsuit. - The New York Times

Our Playlists Are Filled With ‘Old’ Music

Is nostalgia - and not just A.I. - ruining popular music right now, when more than 100,000 songs are released to streamers every single day? - BBC

Some Questions For And About The Suddenly Shuttered Phoenix Symphony

For instance: "Why it hired a new music director ... amid much fanfare last March; whether any employees other than CEO Peter Kjome will be paid during the suspension; or what, specifically, is being done to help the musicians and staff whose pay has been cut off." - Phoenix New Times

The Global Rise Of Album Listening Bars

In Seattle's Shibuya, for instance, "Once the listening room doors open, all drinks, distractions and shoes must be left at the door." - Salon

How One Donor Came To Give $10.5 Million To The Philadelphia Orchestra

David Cohen said that after his return, he “very quickly circled around arts and culture as the space where I thought I could make a real difference, a place where obviously Philadelphia has prominence and wonderful organizations, but where I still felt were a little under-appreciated.” - Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)

Legendary LA Recording Studio For Sale

The list of household names who have recorded at Conway Recording Studios spans generations and genres. Burt Bacharach, Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Wonder, U2, Guns N’ Roses, Daft Punk, Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar are just a few of the artists who have recorded there. - Los Angeles Times

Inside Shanghai’s Striking New Opera House

“Our initial thought wasn’t about what the building should look like, but rather: How can an important cultural institution be integrated into everyday public life in one of the world’s most vibrant cities?” - Architectural Digest

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