Simone Young: "What does being a woman have to do with conducting? My tits don't get in the way. ... And it is maestro, not 'maestra'. But try just 'Simone', it's easier." (And by the way, "I found Tár fascinating ... but it's a work of fiction.") - The Guardian
Both Lahav Shani and Gustavo Dudamel are safe choices. Musicians and audiences feel comfortable with them. Unfortunately, challenging programs will probably be rare. - Van
"The Philadelphia Folksong Society is teetering on bankruptcy and won't put on its annual festival this summer for the first time in more than 60 years. ... The Philadelphia Folk Festival started in 1962 and is the longest continuously running outdoor music festival in the country." - Axios
Now in his 11th season as music director, he’s hired 23 new musicians and commissioned 37 works, including from composers of different cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives on what classical music can be. - WRTI
I’ve got my Pods in and, for reasons I can’t explain but that they may one day understand, I am compelled to listen to Linda Ronstadt over and over and over and over until suddenly, just as abruptly as it started, it stops. - The Guardian
“The fact that it’s not curated gives everybody a lot of freedom and the chance to engage in the innovation this state is known for,” said Martha Gilmer, CEO of the San Diego Symphony. - San Francisco Classical Voice
In his youth, he was expected to take over one of the so-called Big Five—the venerable orchestras of the East and the Midwest. Instead, his achievement at the San Francisco Symphony, together with Esa-Pekka Salonen’s at the L.A. Phil, made the notion of a Big Five untenable. - The New Yorker
By now, he’s a seasoned artistic leader who has hired players, weathered contract negotiations, laid long-term plans, raised money, and performed all the practical and ceremonial duties required of a cultural figure in a major city. - New York Magazine
Just a decade ago, there were concerns about its future. Now its home, David Geffen Hall, has reopened after a $550 million renovation, and it has secured in Dudamel the rare maestro whose fame transcends classical music, even as he is sought by the world’s leading ensembles. - The New York Times
HGO announced a gift of $22 million, the largest in the organization’s 68-year history. The benefactors: Sarah and Ernest Butler, two Austin-based opera fans who have been subscribers for 35 years and attendees for even longer. - Houston Chronicle
There are many technical similarities between classical music, especially music from the baroque period, and metal, which others more versed in music theory are better qualified than I am to discuss. At a fundamental level, both types of music are interested in exploring complexity. - 3 Quarks Daily
"The Italian government has a new plan to buy the home of composer Giuseppe Verdi in Milan. They will be partnering with opera houses throughout Italy to present concerts featuring music by Verdi, with all proceeds going towards purchasing the composer's home." - Ludwig Van
The complaint, which the Florida-based news outlet The Floridian published a copy of online, said that the foundation used “Christmas-themed promotional materials” that did not give advance notice of the “sexually explicit nature” of the show’s contents. The materials said all ages were welcome. - The Hill
Since the Metropolitan Opera announced its plans to change the policy towards the repertory and schedules to remedy a difficult financial situation the institution is facing after the pandemic, the audience simply cannot stop expressing displeasure with General Manager Peter Gelb’s new strategy. - OperaWire
Nézet-Séguin "has led the Philadelphia Orchestra to accolades and worked to broaden its repertory, including by promoting the music of overlooked composers." He'll now be both music and artistic director. - The New York Times
