Apple has turned classical music’s diversity of metadata into the new app’s raison d’être. And, with so many of what Apple calls “data points”—over 50 million bits of information drawn from their database of recordings—it suddenly makes complete sense. - Van
"In my life, thanks to Philadelphia and Chicago, I’ve been to Wichita, Des Moines, Ames, Toledo… For me, to make music, it’s not that I conduct in Salzburg and I try my best. Because every time you try your best, it’s a disaster. Everything becomes mannered, exaggerated, chettera, chettera." - Van
The Symphony musicians formed the SA Phil almost immediately after their orchestra died, and their entire first season has been a rallying cry for the future of symphonic music in the state’s second-largest city. - Texas Monthly
The problem was the way that classical music is categorized. The structure of classical music is completely different from pop music’s, which makes it extremely difficult for it to function in the streaming era. - The Wall Street Journal
“The J6 is beating Taylor Swift,” Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Monday, two days after the rally. “It’s Donald Trump and the J6 prisoners, and on iTunes, and on Amazon, and on Billboard, which is the big deal,” he said, adding, “now I feel like Elvis.” - The Daily Beast
Most of his work is inspired by the natural environment, but in Vespers of the Blessed Earth, receiving its world premiere this week by the Philadelphia Orchestra and The Crossing, He's more direct than he's ever been about the damage caused by human activity. - The New York Times
In August 2021, Apple purchased the classical-only streaming app Primephonic and immediately shuttered it, announcing that it would be reconfigured as an Apple product; 17 months later, that product has arrived. Here's a look at what's included in the new version — and what's missing. - Musical America
"Most chorus members … would be forced to leave their jobs if the company relocates outside London, because of ties that include children at school, caring responsibilities, and partners with jobs in the capital. More than two-thirds would leave the profession altogether." - The Guardian
Elephants tend to keep a steadier beat than humans do, a study by the neuroscientist Aniruddh Patel later found, and Luk Kop’s sense of timing was uncanny. - The New Yorker
This was supposed to be the first full season since the pandemic for the orchestra in Saskatchewan's capital. Ticket sales, however, are down by almost 50% from before 2020 — which led to the decision to cancel next month's concerts. For now, May programming is still on. - Global News (Canada)
The 87-year-old Estonian, for many years the world's most-performed living classical composer, and the 62-year-old Beninese singer-songwriter, a five-time Grammy winner, take this year's award alongside Island Records founder Chris Blackwell. - AP
Why now? "The legalization of abortion and same-sex marriage ... have marked the diminished power of the Roman Catholic Church alongside the greater empowerment of women. Brexit, while further complicating Ireland’s ever-fraught relationship with England, has perhaps sharpened the Irish sense of self." - The New York Times
"It’s over. The old days are gone. I get letters blaming me for $3,000 tickets for a benefit I am doing. That money does not go to me or the benefit. Artists have to worry about ripped off fans blaming them for Ticketmaster add-ons and scalpers." - The Guardian
That is, in "Fragments," solo recitals that interweave Bach's cello suites with commissioned new works. Why? "We all had a lot of time to think about what it means to really connect with an audience, what it means to connect with each other." - The New York Times
Since the final in Liverpool sold out in 40 minutes, theatres across the UK will show the final. "Organisers say the screenings will encourage fancy dress and singalongs." - BBC
