Composer Fabian Almazan, who uses a sense of place to inspire his writing, started Biophilia Records as a way to get other enviro musicians together. He says his "Biopholios" are a green way to consume music as well. - Slate
Peter Gelb: "We believe strongly in the warm friendship and cultural exchange that has long existed between the artists and artistic institutions of Russia and the United States ... we can no longer engage with artists or institutions that support Putin or are supported by him." - The New York Times
In the 1840s, before and during the Famine, William Fforde "undertook a gargantuan task of collecting over 2,000 airs from across the country." Now many of them are published with all of their bilingual glory, and with tons of variations. - Irish Times
Verdi tinkered with Don Carlos for years, making a variety of (all French) versions. And "the opera is better overall in French — but it is a subtle superiority." So has it been saddled with a florid Italian translation for so long? - The New York Times
Both conductor Valery Gergiev and pianist Denis Matsuev had signed a letter endorsing Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. "Carnegie Hall also canceled two upcoming performances in May by Russia’s Mariinsky Orchestra, which were to have been led by Gergiev." - Washington Post
When these people realized that my article was satire, the overwhelming response was that its components were simply too realistic to set off the “this is fake” alarm bells. Given that almost every single line was inspired by a real profile or memoir I’d read, I realized they had a point. - Van
“I have clarified my stance against Valery Gergiev and urge him to also clearly and indisputably distance himself from the brutal assault, Putin against Ukraine and now especially against our partner city Kyiv. If Valery Gergiev does not clearly position himself here on Monday, he can no longer remain the chief conductor of our philharmonic.” - OperaWire
Ten months after inaugurating the Rady Shell on the city's waterfront, the orchestra has begun what's budgeted as a $125 million overhaul of Copley Symphony Hall that includes improved acoustics, reconfigured space onstage for orchestra and chorus, larger seats, and expanded backstage facilities. - KPBS (San Diego)
Barely 24 hours before curtain time, in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Gergiev was replaced as conductor of three concerts at Carnegie Hall this weekend and two next week in Naples, Florida. Yannick Nézet-Séguin will step in at Carnegie; no conductor has yet been announced for Florida. - AP
Carlos Miguel Prieto, who will become the sixth Music Director of the NCS, has personal roots in North Carolina and has been a regular guest conductor with the orchestra since 2011. - The Reflector
Activists who support Ukraine are protesting a three-concert series at New York City's famed Carnegie Hall this weekend featuring Russian conductor Valery Gergiev. - NPR
"Among Lyndon Terracini's artistic achievements have been the staging of two complete Ring cycles – with a third scheduled for 2023 in Brisbane – the incorporation of digital screens into set designs, and the huge success of the annual Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour." - Limelight (Australia)
It's a good idea: audiences like it, and excellent music gets revived in the context it was meant for. It's not the technical difficulty of synching precisely with the film. The difficulty, writes Michael Phillips, is with which movies are and aren't available and why. - MSN (Chicago Tribune)
Orchestras still face the possibility of disruption by future waves of the virus, making planning difficult. In some bustling international markets, including China, quarantine rules are so strict that tours are nearly impossible. - The New York Times
The streaming age has been hard on independent musicians. In 2020, analytics company Alpha Data examined data based on 1.6 million artists who released music to streaming services and found 90 per cent of plays were generated by one per cent of artists. - The Conversation
