In a rebounding touring market, with concert-starved audiences buying tickets in record numbers — and at higher prices than ever — these bookings are deliberate choices by prominent artists to reduce their time on the road and set up shop in far fewer places than they could on a traditional tour. - The New York Times
The first verse of the US national anthem feels too militaristic for some Americans' comfort, and the second and third are worse. So bass-baritone Tines worked with three leading composers to gradually morph the "Banner" into the celebratory song known as "the Black national anthem." - Yahoo! (Los Angeles Times)
“There is more demand in Charlotte for our services than we can usually meet, so I’m very pleased we were able to raise the overall compensation." Along with pay increase for all 62 full-time musicians over the two-year term, the new contract seeks to broaden the applicant base for auditions. - Charlotte Observer
"On the international stage, Domingo has largely remained an in-demand star. But why? I can tell you right now it's not his voice. … How desperate and sad to see institutions pretend that Domingo's artistic legacy must be preserved at the expense of their own integrity." - MSN (The Washington Post)
"I think these methods of analysis and talking about music are ideas musicologists need to explore a piece. When I listen to music, it is not important which aspects are notated or not notated. It doesn’t have any meaning for a listener." - Van
Though TikTok didn’t invent the audio meme, its effortless interface may have perfected it, and the platform, which recently ended Google’s 15-year-long run as the most visited website in the world, would be nothing without sound. - The New York Times
Rem Wransky had completed her transition when she became the orchestra's web developer in April 2021, but she developed some physically painful complications which, her doctors say, require surgery. The orchestra's insurance coverage specifically excludes gender transition care, a fact management claims it was unaware of. - The Buckeye Flame (Ohio)
For the last few years, I have felt the inescapable disappearance of music from my friends’ lives. Even people with whom I have longstanding relationships that were born from a shared love of music have simply let it go, or let it fade deep into the background. - The Guardian
The exterior balconies overlooking the main entrance to North America's oldest purpose-built opera house — "still the city's formal parlor for everything from Broadway shows and The Nutcracker to college graduations," writes Peter Dobrin — have been gradually crumbling and are being rebuilt. - The Philadelphia Inquirer
The world’s biggest new social media platform hasn’t just propelled thousands of its users to viral stardom, it’s also provided huge momentum for music that might have passed people by. - EuroNews
A loose confederation of Indigenous artists is finding a wider audience by working at the fringes of modern music. These musicians and many of their peers are rapidly upending ideas about what it means to sound Native. - The New York Times
In particular, why does an orchestra from a mid-sized city such as Pittsburgh do such expensive tours, and what good does it do for their hometown? The answer, reports Jeremy Reynolds, comes down to one word — something that makes a bigger difference than you might expect. - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"It's a way of kicking a can down the road after a couple of seasons amid a global pandemic. Several other orchestras around the country are doing the same." One bit of news: the musicians actually like management's negotiator. - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
It is a telling bit of weakness as Salzburg faces renewed competition, especially from the growing Aix-en-Provence Festival in France — and even from the likes of Santa Fe Opera. - The New York Times
“I didn’t know this when I started down this path, but leadership, charisma, group psychology and the ability to motivate people and manage egos are really about 98% of the job.” - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
