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MUSIC

Conductor Hannu Lintu Named Singapore Symphony’s Next Music Director

The 57-year-old Finn, currently music director of the Gulbenkian Orchestra and Choir in Lisbon and of the Finnish National Opera & Ballet, begins his term with the 2026-27 season. He succeeds former Houston Symphony and Calgary Philharmonic music director Hans Graf, who departs Singapore at the end of next season. - The Straits Times (Singapore)

A Proposal For Keeping The Wanamaker Organ Safe And In Regular Use

The instrument's landmark status only means that it can't be destroyed or moved without approval: a new owner or occupier of the soon-to-be-former Macy's in central Philadelphia could simply mothball it. Peter Dobrin has a suggestion for the space that could keep the public coming in to listen. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)

NY’s BargeMusic Loses Its Barge

Housed on a converted coffee barge moored at Fulton Ferry Landing just below the Brooklyn Bridge, the floating concert hall welcomed chamber-music cognoscenti and curiosity seekers alike since Olga Bloom, a violinist and violist, launched the venue in 1977. - Night After Night

The 2025 Grammys Will Proceed As Scheduled Despite LA Fires

The music industry was questioning whether the show would continue with its scheduled date, despite the fact that the Los Angeles wildfires have devastated many communities in the area in the past week. - Variety

Arnold Schoenberg’s Publisher And Its Archives Completely Wiped Out In L.A. Wildfires

The Pacific Palisades fire destroyed the headquarters of Belmont Music Publishers, the sole publisher of Schoenberg's works. Lost were the complete inventory of sales materials and rental collections, some manuscripts, and decades' worth of printed works. - Ludwig Van

San Francisco Girls Chorus Fires Executive Director For “Lewd Conduct”

Last week, 13 staff members received an email containing screenshots of WhatsApp messages, including images "pornographic in nature," between an unnamed individual and Executive Director Seth Ducey, who evidently took those images in the SFGC building while nobody else was there. Ducey claims he's been blackmailed. - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)

The San Francisco Girls Chorus Places Its ED On Leave Following Allegations Of ‘Lewd’ Actions

“Members of the chorus staff received an email containing screenshots of a WhatsApp conversation containing images that were 'pornographic in nature,’ according to Chorus spokesperson Sam Singer.” Leaders say that none of the chorus members were involved, or in the Kanbar Performing Arts Center, at the time. - San Francisco Chronicle

The Composer And Violinist On A Mission To Keep Musicians Mentally Well

Kyleen King wants to protect the “sacred catharsis” that audiences feel when they listen to music - and one way to do that, she thinks, is to "preserve what music is for listeners and also care for the people who make that music so their work is sustainable.”  - Oregon ArtsWatch

The New Hot Thing In Yoga Is A String Quintet

And why not? "Composer Ellen Fishman t”The musicians play traditional quartet instruments - two violins, a viola and a cello - but Fishman wanted one more instrument” - the double-bass, so yoga students could feel it through the floor. - NPR

Whether Or Not The Grammys Are Postponed, The Focus Will Likely Be Raising Money For Fire Victims

"All of this is sadly familiar, as both the 2021 and 2022 Grammy Awards — executive producer Ben Winston’s first shows at the helm — had a similar charitable focus due to the coronavirus pandemic.” - Variety

Houston Symphony Hires Gary Ginstling As CEO

That’s mere months after his surprise departure from the NY Phil. The Houston Symphony board president: "No one wants to work in an environment where they feel like they either can’t be successful, or they’re not trusted or they’ve got somebody looking over their shoulder.” - Associated Press

Sam Moore, Who Died Last Week, Was One Of The Twentieth Century’s Best Performers

“The effect is electrifying, both intense – Moore used to talk about himself ‘liquefying’ during performances.” - The Guardian (UK)

Wanamaker Organ Is (Probably) Safe, Though The Macy’s Hosting It Is Closing

The department store chain has definitively decided to close its historic Philadelphia location, making the future of the world's largest fully-functioning musical instrument uncertain. But the store's Grand Court, including the organ, has protected landmark status. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)

The Hams That Saved A Historic French Organ

Hams produced by monks, no less. And the best of them are left to cure in the church's dry, windy bell tower. - Atlas Obscura

Tracking The Rising Costs Of Streaming Subscriptions

In the audio-visual world, they have a name for the phenomenon depicted above – where rival platforms repeatedly increase their prices, inspiring their competitors to do the same. They call it streamflation. - Music Business Worldwide

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