“Chicago Symphony Orchestra musicians voted on Wednesday evening to authorize a strike that would begin on March 10, if contract negotiations are not resolved. … At issue are pension, health care and salary.” – Chicago Tribune
Boston Symphony And Principal Flute Elizabeth Rowe Settle Equal-Pay Lawsuit
“A landmark pay-discrimination lawsuit filed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s star flutist, Elizabeth Rowe, has been settled out of court after successful mediation between the two sides. ‘While the details of the resolution are confidential, all those involved in the process are satisfied with the result,’ according to a joint statement from the BSO and Rowe issued by the orchestra Thursday afternoon.” – Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield, MA)
This Year’s Serpentine Pavilion Will Look Like Floating Clouds Of Slate
Architect Junya Ishigami’s design for the outdoor structure “will be part rock face, part smog cloud, as if a landslide from an open-cast slate mine had been cut from a hillside and transported to the leafy royal park.” – The Guardian
Government Audit Slams France’s National Workshop For Historical Furnishings
“The Mobilier National, which was set up in the 17th century to decorate royal palaces and continues to restore and supply fine furniture and tapestries for the Elysée Palace and Versailles, needs to be ‘radically reformed’, according to a report by its auditors. National audit office inspectors, which found large quantities of alcohol in Mobilier National’s workshops, said staff were often absent and used tools and equipment to ‘moonlight’ on their own projects.” – The Local (France) (AFP)
Why We Dance: Six Seattle Dancers Explain
Staying in love with dance takes grit. Choosing to pursue a lifelong relationship with dance involves the risk of physical injury, financial instability and the ups and downs inherent in a creative passion-driven career. – Crosscut
ABT To Perform On Cruise Ships
The company will offer guest performances on selected Celebrity Cruises vessels. Said executive director Kara Medoff Barnett in a statement, “American Ballet Theatre’s mission is to bring the best of ballet to the widest possible audience. We are thrilled to redefine ‘widest’ to now include audiences at sea.” – Orlando Sentinel
The last of the big-time donors?
From coast to coast, our national landscape is dotted with fine-arts institutions that exist because of people like the late David Rockefeller. Unfortunately, big-ticket philanthropy is in the middle of a protracted sea change that is already having a direct effect on the arts. – Terry Teachout
Weekend Extra: Meet The Mrudangam
There may be a longshot chance that you are unfamiliar with the mrudangam. It is a South Indian percussion instrument that Rajna Swaminathan has introduced into American music since she became a part of the New York City jazz community in 2011. – Doug Ramsey
Why People Devour Novels About Food, And Why Novelists Cook Them Up
“Food is the great equalizer — everyone eats — and what we eat and how we eat it can be so emotional and can carry deep meaning.” Eleven authors offer their thoughts about writing work you can sink your teeth into. – Literary Hub
Europe’s Famous Serial Art Thief Has Been At It Again
“Stéphane Breitwieser, the serial art thief who raided museums around France, Switzerland, Germany and other countries on the continent from 2004 to 2011, has been arrested again in his native region of Alsace. He had been under surveillance since 2016 when he offered a 19th-century paperweight on eBay.” – The Art Newspaper