No images? Click here July 22, 2024 The CEO of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra resigned after admitting to some glaring errors in judgment. Apparently, his idea of balancing the budget involved billing the orchestra for his luxury club stays while renting out his own apartment. In this week’s email:
CLASSICAL CHARTZ Weekly selections are based on sales numbers and albums we simply love and think you NEED to hear! For the complete top 20, tune into Classical Chartz with the New Classical FM’s Mark Wigmore every Saturday from 3-5 pm EST! THE BIG IDEA The Future of Music Collaboration: Enter Mixed RealityA newly published study by Ghent University researchers is shaking up the music world by examining how mixed reality tech impacts musical collaboration. Musicians can now jam together in real-time using 3D avatars, creating a virtual drum circle experience that tests their ability to perform polyrhythmic patterns. The Experiment BreakdownResearchers evaluated performance through statistical and regression analyses, focusing on two key areas:
Key Takeaways
Big PictureThis study not only highlights how mixed reality can enhance musical performance but also underscores its potential applications in broader human behavior and cognitive studies. As tech evolves, so does our understanding of collaboration and coordination in both virtual and real-world settings. — MV TOUR DE HEADLINES ![]() Orchestral Players at Welsh National Opera Vote in Favor of Strike Action — Members of the Welsh National Opera have overwhelmingly voted in favour of strike action, protesting proposed employment cuts from full-time to 85% along with a 15% pay reduction. These changes follow funding cuts and economic pressures, threatening the financial viability of musicians and the overall arts ecosystem in Wales. | The Violin Channel San Francisco Symphony’s Financial Struggles Put Its Chorus At Risk — The San Francisco Symphony Chorus faces potential budget cuts of up to 80%, which members argue would severely impact their program and tarnish the institution’s reputation. Symphony leadership cites financial struggles, including a projected $12.5 million deficit, but chorus members believe the cuts unfairly target their budget, which only constitutes a small fraction of overall expenses. | San Francisco Chronicle The Brilliant British Composer All But Erased By History — Frank Bridge, often overshadowed by his famous student Benjamin Britten, was a brilliant British composer whose works deserve more recognition. Known for his orchestral masterpiece "The Sea" and impactful compositions influenced by World War I, Bridge's legacy lives on through recordings and Britten's advocacy, yet he remains largely forgotten by history. | The Violin Channel Yuja Wang Interview: ‘For 15 months I stopped playing piano, just pigged out and watched Netflix — Concert pianist Yuja Wang reflects on her career, revealing she took a 15-month break from playing piano during the pandemic to relax and watch Netflix. Despite her dazzling performances and intricate repertoire, Wang criticizes audiences for their lack of attention and expresses a desire to explore more conducting roles, likening it to "doing
it with the condom off." | The Telegraph MUSIC BUSINESS Agency Known For Supporting Black and Latinx String Players’ Careers ClosesMarianne Sciolino of Sciolino Artist Management announced plans to close her agency. Since 2005, she has supported the development of many racially diverse musicians’ careers. What’s up: Earlier this month, the Manhattan-based artists’ agency Sciolino Artist Management (SAM) announced in Musical America that it will be winding down its operations. Marianne Sciolino, its founder, has been helping to guide young musicians, composers, and conductors’ careers since 2005, with a particular focus on string players of Black and Latinx racial identities. Sciolino’s clients include the Harlem Quartet, the Rolston String Quartet, the New York Philharmonic principal cellist Carter Brey, the pianist Michael Brown, and others. Digging deeper: Marianne Sciolino worked on Wall Street before founding Sciolino Artist Management in 2005. Her late husband Chester Lane worked at Symphony Magazine for over four decades and is credited with helping Sciolino develop her passion for classical music. MAKING NEWS Neema Bickersteth and members of the recorded chorus in Movement 1 of The Ritual of Breath Is the Rite to Resist, produced by the Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth (Photo by Ben DiFlorio) Lincoln Center Opera About Eric Garner Casts Spotlight On Police ViolenceJonathan Berger’s new chamber opera, The Ritual of Breath is the Rite to Resist, will premiere at Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City festival. The opera commemorates the ten-year anniversary of Eric Garner’s killing at the hands of police. The scoop: This summer, the Jonathan Berger chamber opera about Eric Garner, The Ritual of Breath is the Rite to Resist, will be performed at Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City festival. With a libretto by the poet Vivee Francis, the opera highlights social injustices as well as the horrors of police violence. The libretto focuses around the daughter of Eric Garner, Erica, while sharing other stories of Black peoples’ deaths at the hands of police. The scor contains homages to jazz and Marvin Gaye, and is accompanied by drawings and paintings by the artist, Enrico Riley. A 90-person choir will be spread across the stage during the performance. A bit more: After premieres at Dartmouth College and Stanford University in 2022, the Lincoln Center production will occur in Damrosch Park. GAMES Nothing says Monday like a mini-crossword. AROUND THE WEB 📅 On this day: Manuel de Falla’s The Three-Cornered Hat (El Sombrero de Tres Picos) premieres in 1919. 🖼️ Game: Identify the song, but you only get one track per guess! 📖 Neat: Read a random story. 🥪 Helpful: The most effective method for cutting a sandwich. LAUGH OF THE WEEK ![]() How did you like today's email? |