"Specific contract details were not made available. But the announcement stated, 'The new contract restores traditional annual wage growth going forward and includes a 'catch-up' increase for the musicians following a three-year pandemic pause in their wages under the existing contract approved in 2020." - The Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield, MA)
"What I am constantly trying to be aware of is that we are serving a community, and that community includes donors, that community includes civic leaders. Being able to just have conversations, understand what they have seen in the past, what they want to see in the future." - Gothamist
In Herat, agents of the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (yes, that's what it's called) had a public burning of instruments and speakers seized by authorities, saying that music causes "vanity among the youth and corruption in the society in Afghanistan." - Vice
Too many books about Schoenberg are overly technical for the general reader, or else they assume a kind of hagiographic defensive crouch. Sachs can be refreshingly candid, sharing his feelings at times as if he were whispering confidentially in your ear during a concert intermission. - The New York Times
When the programme started in 1943, under its original title of This Week’s Composer, the style was simple. Just a handful of records, only 30 minutes’ worth, introduced economically by whichever Radio 3 announcer happened to be on duty. - The Guardian
ACE’s initial, uncosted announcement that ENO should abandon its acoustically rich, 2,359-seat home with the widest stage in London housing internationally renowned opera wasn’t just a smokescreen. It was a farce, albeit one with zero laughs. - The Stage
Isaac Thompson will be leaving his position as the NY Phil's managing director (overseeing operations, artistic matters, business, and DEI work) to begin his new job in Portland in October. - The Oregonian
In Bayreuth’s modern era, perpetual workshopping prevails. New productions usually play for five summers before cycling out, and the expectation is that directors will keep futzing through that time. Sets change; sequences are adjusted and eliminated; details are added and subtracted. - The New York Times
The classical label's founding father and son, Ted and Simon Perry, insisted for years that they'd allow their recordings to be accessed only by purchase of a physical disc or a download. With the purchase of Hyperion by Universal Music this past March, the change was inevitable. - Classical Music (UK)
Hillary Simms, the first woman in the American Brass Quintet, would like to solve that by inspiring more girls and women - which involves ending the "token woman in brass" idea. "We are pitting ourselves against each other, which is the absolute opposite of what we need." - The New York Times
London achieved its musical status in the 1930s, during the Great Depression, adding two new symphony orchestras and drawing a surprised endorsement from Arturo Toscanini that they ranked among the best. Today, star maestros shun London and one of its symphony orchestras came within a matter of days of being abolished. - The Critic
"I can’t put myself in the unisex Crocs of a young person exploring classical music for the first time, but Apple Classical strikes me as an oddly clumsy point of entry." - The New Yorker
Felix Klieser, who was born without arms, at the Proms: "When I see myself it looks very interesting and very spectacular. But when I play by myself it's a very comfortable position. ... It's something I can do for hours." - BBC
It should, right? Well, that depends. "The wider concern is that any price rise will benefit record labels and services, with platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music typically taking 30% of all subscription income, much more than the artists." - The Guardian (UK)
Why? Well ... "Your videos are terribly lit. The room you are in is very, very dark. ... That’s before we even get into the audio quality. Even concerts recorded by professionals with high-quality equipment often don’t sound all that great." - The Verge
