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WEEKLY DIGEST | 10/16/2017
News, Research, & Opinion |
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FEATURE |
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| 'THE HIGH PRIEST OF BEBOP' |
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Thelonious Monk At 100
NPR: Tom Vitale
He was called "the high priest of bebop." With his goatee, dark sunglasses and exotic hats, Thelonious Monk was the quintessential hepcat. Monk, who was born 100 years ago his week, was also one of the greatest composers of the 20th century. The late pianist wrote about 70 songs during his career — many of which have become standards, including the most recorded jazz composition of all time, "'Round Midnight." |
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RESEARCH AND OPINION |
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The Met and the Philharmonic Look Backward
Alex Ross: The New Yorker
As the nation contends with its racist and misogynist demons, New York’s leading musical institutions give us canonical pieces by white males, conducted by white males, directed by white males.
Class Politics, Country Music and Hillbilly Humanism
WNYC: On The Media
We can only understand country music, and our assumptions about country music, in the context of America's relationship to class.
People who Volunteer Give Twice as Much to Charity
Barry’s Blog
Many sectors of the nonprofit universe depend on volunteers, and the Arts are no exception. Research from Australia shows that people who volunteer for a charity (nonprofit) give, on average, twice as much as those who simply donated money.
Opera’s Sexual Assault Secret
Medium: Dan Kempson
All of Hollywood, and much of the country, is talking about Harvey Weinstein’s decades-long history of sexual assault. After years of ignoring rumors, and silencing women who came forward, the media and the movie industry are finally taking it seriously. It’s time for the opera world to also look at its own epidemic of sexual harassment and assault.
How Music Journalism is Finding New Life Back on the Printed Page
The Globe and Mail: Josh O’Kane
A quick glimpse at the Canadian Polaris Music Prize jury reveals dozens of music writers working on new and renewed platforms. Beyond this largely digital rebirth, however, something new has been happening – on the printed page.
A Revolution in Jazz? An Avant-Garde Festival Makes History, but Not Community
NY Times: Giovanni Russonello
The October Revolution in Jazz & Contemporary Music was something like a State of the Union for free improvisation and avant-garde composition, and also a statement of potential. It was a rare institutional moment for the improvising avant-garde and maybe proof that in a moment when jazz is surging, the United States can respect its fringes on a level that only Europe historically has.
When Classical Music Becomes Another Character in a Movie
The Washington Post: Anne Midgette
Classical music seems to work most effectively — to leave its tropes, if you will — in films that question, challenge or recontextualize it. |
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NATIONAL |
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MacArthur fellow Yuval Sharon: Opera's Man of the Moment on How He Will Use His $625,000 Award
Los Angeles Times: Jessica Gelt
Sharon rose to national prominence in 2013 with the Industry’s “Invisible Cities,” an immersive opera staged in downtown Los Angeles’ Union Station. Singers mingled with harried commuters, bending accepted ideas about the sanctity of traditional performance halls. His next big act was in 2015 with “Hopscotch,” an ambitious opera performed in 24 cars driving in and around downtown L.A.
A Banjo Player From North Carolina Is Writing the Next ‘Hamilton’
Huffington Post: Katherine Brooks
Newly dubbed MacArthur “Genius” Rhiannon Giddens wants to bring one of the most overlooked moments in American history to the stage.
Kennedy Center Extends Term of Composer Bates
The Washington Post: Anne Midgette
Another two years will give Bates a chance really to show what he’s aiming at — and allow the center more time to figure out whether there are other composers who will fit into this position, as Bates has evolved it, or whether the next holder of the chair will revamp it along his, or her, own lines.
The Cincinnati Symphony Makes its Triumphant Return to a Stunningly Revamped Music Hall
CincyArtsGuide: Nat Tracey-Miller
Cincinnati Music Hall is once again the crown jewel of a neighborhood that has recently distinguished itself for the seamless intersection of old brick and sleek glass. What the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Music Hall Revitalization Company and Messer Construction have accomplished is nothing short of extraordinary.
Kansas City Symphony Reaches $55 Million Endowment Fundraising Goal
KCUR: C. J. Janovy
In a news release, the Symphony reported that 1,000 donors had pledged gifts ranging from $10 to $10 million over the five-year period. Long-term financial planning the Symphony began a decade ago. |
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INTERNATIONAL |
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ENTREPRENEURSHIP |
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OFF THE BEATEN TRAIL |
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The World’s Longest Piano
The Guardian: Eleanor Ainge Roy
One of the world’s longest pianos has found a new home in the deep south of New Zealand after the fire brigade were called on to help shift the behemoth into place. |
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