Bill remembers the myriad performers who came from abroad and his trips overseas covering Canadian ensembles: in Prague in 1968, weeks before the Soviet tanks rolled in, and in China in 1978, when everyone still wore Mao hats. Plus his North American odyssey trying to interview Luciano Pavarotti. - Toronto Star
"Though the exaggerated myths of early America often don't reflect reality, there are obscure lives whose remarkable stories go untold. From chases on the high seas, imprisonment in Egypt, and a (possible) personal connection to Franz Joseph Haydn, John Antes is one of these obscure figures." - Early Music America
For nearly a year now, SF Symphony has operated without a CEO and has been without a chief financial officer since January — not a time for making major changes — and yet last week, apparently a reorganization of the administration began, involving a good number of layoffs. San Francisco Classical Voice
It’s hard to overstate the unlikelihood of a director as innovative and internationally celebrated as Sharon taking the reins of a decidedly regional (and in certain respects conservative) opera company like Detroit’s. - The New York Times
There has been little known in the West about Ukrainian composers until recently, especially in Canada and the U.S., according to experts. “North Americans know nothing about Ukrainian classical music,” - San Francisco Classical Voice
Ever since the landmark building opened in 1973, its Concert Hall's acoustics have been notoriously bad — and resistant to improvement. Now, a 2½-year, A$150 million renovation has given the auditorium sound that is, says the Sydney Symphony's concertmaster, "better than anything we dared imagine." - The Guardian
The ASO has announced a new three-year collective bargaining agreement with its musicians, and its eighth consecutive year with a balanced budget. The orchestra exceeded its Annual Fund revenue goals, and the symphonic world is abuzz over the appointment of Nathalie Stutzmann as the ASO music director. - Arts ATL
In order to begin to reclaim orchestral music of the 20th century, John Mauceri poses the following question: “If we put aside the unquestioned priority given to the avant-garde, the next wave, and the constant re-experimentation that gets so much intellectual attention, what does the remainder look like?” - LA Review of Books
Two hours south of London, Glyndebourne is the oldest and most famous of the summer opera festivals at the historic country homes of the nobility, but it's not the only one. Among the newest (its current incarnation opened in 2017) and best is Grange Park Opera. - The New York Times
Boston is losing an essential purveyor of invigorating new music — after 51 years, 109 commissions, 20 recordings, and 243 world premieres. Until now, BMV has stood as the country’s oldest professional ensemble dedicated to contemporary music. - Boston Globe
For the artists and fans who experienced it, Lilith Fair felt revolutionary. It's success upended concert industry norms and created a new place where female artistry could evolve and flourish. - NPR
"Some groups decided to skip it, arguing that its bellicose themes would be offensive during wartime. Others, eager to show solidarity with Ukraine, added renditions of the Ukrainian national anthem to their programs to counter the overture's exaltation of czarist Russia. Still others are reworking it." - The New York Times
